Favourite Guitar CDs

Again, Michael Hedges' Aerial Boundaries is a must. Also,

Dire Staits - Love Over Gold
Carlton/Rittenour - Larry & Lee
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced
Ronnie Earl, Pink Floyd, SRV - pick one.
Buckethead - Electric Tears
King Crimson - Discipline

Hey Sean, with Buckethead, i'd start w, Praxis Metatron (you can probably get it real cheap at half .com or Django's). For acoustic Buckethead, try Jonas Hellborg/Octave of the Holy Innocents.

There are alot of excellent recordings of guitarists whose work is unique (and not in any way in a competition w/ each other). Players like Allan Holdsworth, Uwe Kropinski, Fred Frith, David Fiuczynski, Terje Rypdal, Peter Wolbrandt, Sonny Sharrock, Michael Karoli, Nels Cline and David Torn to name a few have expanded the vocabulary of the instrument. Listening to these guys til the stuff gets stuck in yer' head really pays off. Anyone who hangs on to the notion that there is one best guitar player is cheating himself and prematurely dismissing alot of great music.

Here's my favs:

GUITAR INSTRUMENTAL
John Fahey-America
Jeff Beck-Blow By Blow
Michael Hedges-Aerial Boundaries
Leo Kottke-6 & 12 String Guitar
Michael Brook-Cobalt Blue
Steve Roach/Roger King-Dust To Dust
Mark Whitfield-The Marksman
I'm partial to 80's "shred" guitar as a joke...kinda...
Yngwie Malmsteen-Rising Force
Vinnie Moore-Time Odyssey
All those guys on Shrapnel Records---Greg Howe, Jason Becker, Joey Tafolla, Michael Lee Firkins, Tony Macalpine, etc.

GUITAR "BANDS"

Johnny Marr-The Smiths-The Queen Is Dead
Randy Rhoads-Ozzy-Blizzard & Diary
Marc Bolan-T. Rex-The Slider & Electric Warrior
Nick Drake-All of his LPs
Steve Hillage-Many LPs
Corrin & Carrie-Sleater Kinney-All Hands On The Bad One & Dig Me Out

Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue (this one will blow your system outta the water)
Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Eric Johnson - Ah Via Musicom
LA Guitar Quartet - (any)
Beck - Sea Change
SRV - any
Hendrix - any

Left them off my list, but I'd second

Michael Brook-Cobalt Blue
Beck - Sea Change
and
Nick Drake - Pink Moon

CD