When writing, or when engaged in preproduction for an album, do you work solos out in advance?
"I never work out my leads. Everything I do is usually totally spontaneous. If someone says, 'That was good; play that again,' I'm not able to do it. The only solo I've committed to memory is Highway Star [from 1972's Machine Head]. I like playing that semitone run in the middle."
What do you think of Stevie Ray Vaughan?
"I knew that question was coming. His death was very tragic, but I'm surprised everybody thinks he was such a brilliant player when there are people like Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Peter Green and Mick Taylor – Johnny Winter, who is one of the best blues players in the world, is also very underrated. His vibrato is incredible.
"Stevie Ray Vaughan was very intense. Maybe that's what caught everybody's attention. As a player, he didn't do anything amazing."
"I never work out my leads. Everything I do is usually totally spontaneous. If someone says, 'That was good; play that again,' I'm not able to do it. The only solo I've committed to memory is Highway Star [from 1972's Machine Head]. I like playing that semitone run in the middle."
What do you think of Stevie Ray Vaughan?
"I knew that question was coming. His death was very tragic, but I'm surprised everybody thinks he was such a brilliant player when there are people like Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Peter Green and Mick Taylor – Johnny Winter, who is one of the best blues players in the world, is also very underrated. His vibrato is incredible.
"Stevie Ray Vaughan was very intense. Maybe that's what caught everybody's attention. As a player, he didn't do anything amazing."
