Who thinks John Frusciante is the best guitarist of the 90s? Take a guess.
November 2023 issue of Guitar World is available to purchase and since we’re on a press-clipping binge, we decided to start with the newest mag and there were some cool John-related bits there, albeit nothing like an article or a photo.
The famed magazine has a feature on the 1990s, half of which is showcasing lesser-known albums and guitarists, the other half being a good, old-fashioned list of favourites. Multiple musicians contributed to the list and, while the general consensus appears to be that late Dimebag Darrell is the best guitarists of the 90s, there naturally are musicians who appreciate John’s work.
Ritchie Faulkner of Judas Priest, Malina Moye, JD Simo, and Isaiah Mitchell of Earthless and The Black Crowes did not elaborate, but the earlier two listed John among his favourite guitarists of the iconic decade, while the other two listed only him.
Stevie Dacanay of Buckcherry named BloodSugarSexMagic his favourite album of the nineties and said the following:
“John Frusciante, highly underrated, corralled a dozen classic styles, conjuring Jimi Hendrix from the beyond, weaved in and out of Flea’s thunder and created a masterpiece.”
Travis Stever of Coheed and Cambria named the solo in “I Could Have Lied” his favourite of the last decade of the XX century. Eva Walker of The Black Tones lists another of John’s solos as her favourite and says that she “loves the simplicity and the vibe of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Scar Tissue’. Really, don’t we all?
Elsewhere, in a chapter titled “The Myth of Grunge Guitar”, “Give It Away” and “Under the Bridge” are mentioned amongst a handful of tracks that kept the mainstream rock radio burning. The list itself is mostly not about grunge.
If you are a fan of the 1990s or if you have experienced them and need a reminder – this might be the magazine for you.
