This thread made me think of this interview John Lennon gave to Rolling Stone in 1971 about his guitar playing. No matter how good of a rhythm guitarist you are (and John Lennon was one of the best) I think you always wish you could play better lead. I don't know if most lead guitarist feel the same way.
Q. - How do you rate yourself as a guitarist?
A. - Well, it depends on what kind of guitarist. I’m OK, I’m not technically good, but I can make it ****ing howl and move. I was rhythm guitarist. It’s an important job. I can make a band drive.
Q. - How do you rate George?
A. - He’s pretty good. [Laughter] I prefer myself. I have to be honest, you know. I’m really very embarrassed about my guitar playing, in one way, because it’s very poor, I can never move, but I can make a guitar speak.
I think there’s a guy called Richie Valens, no, Richie Havens, does he play very strange guitar? He’s a black guy that was on a concert and sang “Strawberry Fields” or something. He plays like one chord all the time. He plays a pretty funky guitar. But he doesn’t seem to be able to play in the real terms at all. I’m like that.
Yoko has made me feel cocky about my guitar. You see, one part of me says yes, of course I can play because I can make a rock move, you know. But the other part of me says well, I wish I could just do like B. B. King. If you would put me with B. B. King, I would feel real silly. I’m an artist, and if you give me a tuba, I’ll bring you something out of it.[/I]