Triumph’s Rik Emmett recently told Jeff Gaudiosi that he does not consider Eric Clapton to be the “Guitar God.”
The musician discussed the three famous guitarists who were in the Yardbirds during the 1960s. He expressed his thoughts on Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, saying, “They say, ‘Eric Clapton is God.‘” And I say, “Well, Clapton, he might have ended up being a better R&B singer.” His guitar playing has a fairly limited palette when compared to the three Yardbirds: Beck, Clapton, and Page.”
Emmett’s Thoughts On Clapton’s Guitar Style
Emmett expressed his thoughts on Clapton as a guitarist, saying, “Eric was the narrowest of them all. He was the most old-school bluesman, with a lot of stuff that said, ‘Come on now, that’s an Albert King lick.’ Some of the things he lifted he carried with him throughout his career. Which isn’t to say he didn’t write good songs that weren’t like that; I’m not disparaging him.”
What Rik Think About Yngwie Malmsteen As A Guitarist
Rik’s thoughts on guitarists extend beyond Clapton. During an interview with the Rock Interviews Series earlier this month, the rocker specifically mentioned Yngwie Malmsteen. Triumph and Malmsteen toured together in the mid-1980s.
As someone who listened to the guitarist, Emmett commented, “His band, eh. And the music style, after three or four songs, you’d pretty much heard every trick in the book. So it wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea. However, some people adore guitar heroes. And that is exactly who he was.
The rocker also recently addressed Triumph’s exclusion from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He believes the band did not receive recognition due to prejudice. Emmett also said Rolling Stone and the Hall of Fame co-founder Jann Wenner had an impact on that.
