Philby you sound like you're talking about me. Yeah I know it wasn't intentional, but I hate country. despise it, and always have.
However, I do agree that there are some really good guitar players in that field. I'm not familiar with any of the names you mentioned except Kentucky Headhunters, since I've played a couple of their songs, well I've heard most of the names but couldn't tell you who it is if you played it for me, one I do know of is Vince Gill. Saw him on Eric Clapton's Crossroads, the guy is a killer guitar player. I still wouldn't go out and buy one of his recordings, listening to country is very distressing to me, I hate it and always have since I was a kid.
It's like scraping a metal comb on a chalkboard...not only the nasal, backwoods hillbilly sounding vocals, but the general feel of it. It very strongly gets on my nerves. I guess it kind of sucks in a way, because I know there are some excellent musicians there, and not only guitar players. I've heard things on juke boxes in bars that had some killer guitar or keyboard work, I just can't stand to listen to it.
Anyway, yeah you're right, some of the country guitar players are excellent. And probably more leads there these days than anywhere else. The little bit of new rock I've heard sucks, I haven't heard a good new rock tune that really stood out in years, except for a few things John Mayer has done, he's probably the only decent songwriter out there right now that I know of, as far as new acts. I don't care for a lot of his songs, but they are still good songs, whether I like them or not. Well put together, good lyrics, he uses a lot of chords I can't touch, has a very distinct voice, but the style of some of his songwriting just doesn't appeal to me. Others are excellent...Great guitar player too.
A couple of others have done some decent stuff, King's X is an excellent band, Whoever recorded "Shine" did a good job of that one, and I've heard others here and there that I couldn't name, but overall...mostly dullsville.
Most of the other new stuff I've heard is usually bands that sound just like the latest big hit, like all the "grunge" bands that appeared a few years ago. Listen to one you've heard them all. Ditto for female singers, everybody since MTV got started sounds just like Madonna or Cyndi Lauper. Cheryl Crow is the only exception I know of. And she's not only a good looking singer, she is also a very good bass player and plays some guitar too, rhythm I know, possibly lead but I didn't see it. I didn't think anything about her until I caught a Soundstage show on PBS, and saw her play guitar and bass. Before the show was over I had a lot of respect for her. And several of her songs featured her guitar player doing some pretty good fretwork.
Country though...YUKK...good guitar players aside, I just can't listen to it. Makes me wanna throw sh*t...and it's really depressing too.
And no, you're not ruffling my feathers, I actually agree with you. Playing in Louisiana and Texas I hear country on the juke boxes at every gig. I couldn't tell you who plays what songs, but I've heard some really good guitar work at times. It's just not something I can sit and listen to. I only listen to country when I'm forced to or have to learn songs for a band.
Hayden - Gilmour is probably my all time favorite guitar player, and was a big influence on my own playing. Along with Johnny Winter, Duanne Allman, Eric Clapton, Billy Gibbons and Joe Walsh. He said in an interview I read that he never plays fast because his hands just weren't made to move fast. So he tries to play melodic. And does a great job of it, he should be the one who got the nickname "Slowhand", not Eric Clapton. And if you haven't heard it, try to find "Standing Around Crying" from the Paul Rogers "Muddy Waters Blues" CD, his Muddy Waters tribute. Some of my favorite Gilmour guitar. You hit the nail on the head, he says more in one note than most players get out of a whole song...
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Do Y'all notice any lack of guitar solos in a lot of today's rock music? Or is it just my imagination?