Any thoughts on just making this a combined list for studio and live?
I really dont think there are enough 'great' live guitar albums to justify a whole list, as opposed to this one.

Including live albums here would make it really interesting too...

Meh, no strong feelings.

Some live albums to include if we do so:
Live at Fillmore East
Band of Gypsys
Made in Japan
Live at Leeds

They're pretty even. Really I'm playing devils advocate. If we're to include Texas Flood then it should be in the same sort of area as Eliminator, which in my opinion should be around the 50-70s mark of a 100 album list.

Dominos' In Concert as well.

With Texas Flood, the central focus is the intensity of the guitar playing. With Eliminator it's more about the songs themselves.

And we need votes on whether to include live albums...

I think keeping studio and live albums seperate is the best idea.

You just can't compare an album of raw live guitar playing to an album with an emphasis on overdubs or other studio techniques. If you combined the two the live albums would have an unfair advantage.

I know a lot of guitar snobs hate overdubbing, but it's made some of the best albums ever possible. See: Siamese Dream, Houses of the Holy.

Boobs what do you think of the top 10 on the front?

Assuming this argument is true, does it apply just to SRV vs Gibbons or does it apply to generally. If the latter is the case we can knock Van Halen, Led Zeppelin II and Black Sabbath down the list you've created so far.

Personally I think distinguishing between guitar playing prominence and the song is a little silly. The guitar, afterall, is a musical instrument employed in the writing of songs. The guitar riffs and licks in the tracks on Eliminator are essential to the quality of those songs, even if there is more going on besides.



I have to agree that the two should be kept separate, not because I think live albums will be at a unfair advantage but because it would cause the list to be dominated by a handful of guitarists at the expense of the inclusion of some lesser, but nonetheless great, albums.

I really like overdubbing. While less is sometimes more, the use of multi-layered guitars contributes to shoegaze and post-rock being two of my favourite genres of music, as well as some of my favourite songs and albums outside of those genres.

So ask yourself if Eliminator has as much acclaim, influence, or display of total ability as Texas Flood.

The thing about those albums you mentioned is that the guitar is much more central to the sound. It's really not the case with Eliminator. We're talking about a matter of degree here.

Pretty solid. I consider Paranoid and Master of Reality to be better representations of Iommi's guitar work than the debut though.

I knew that would come back up....

Tbh, Paranoid seems like the best fit.

Acclaim yes. Influence, yes, though in slightly different areas. Texas Flood shows more technical ability in general.

Are you listening to the same album I am? Because the Eliminator I know is just as guitar driven as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin II or Van Halen.



It's pretty close. What I think Black Sabbath has going for it is its singular influence on Doom. The title track in particular has immense influence on that subgenre of Metal.

Well that's three of us for the debut album. Anyone else have an opinion?

I don't think Master of Reality is his best work on a technical level but it's probably the best example of many different aspects of his sound and his influence on the metal genre. Everything from the chugging proto thrash metal riff of Children of the Grave to the proto sludge metal of Into the Void.