Best blues guitarist, Clapton or Green


I know Clapton is God, but is he a better blues guitarist than Peter Green.
cody
Bobgates,

Green was the founder/cofounder of the original Fleetwood Mac. He wrote Black Magic Woman (which Santana took even higher) and many other memorable pieces like the Green Manalishi and Albatross (hello Santo and Johnnie). There is something of a mystique around Mr.green due to the fact that he went from a mediocre guitar player to a wunderkind in a remarkably short period of time. Some people because of his interest in Robert Johnson, compared him to the Johnson myth that he had sold his soul to the devil in return for skill and fame. Whatever, he could make a guitar cry like nobody else. He had a distinctive style as did Clapton and a few others in those early years of English white blues players. You can learn a lot more about him from the liner notes in the many CD compilations out there like "The Vaudeville years" and "Showbiz Blues". Also check out Mick Fleetwoods book about the early Mac years (How do you spell decadent?) Hope this fills him out a little.
One last thing, Peter still tours occasionally. Go the distance to hear him if you want to hear the closest possible interpretation of Robert Johnsons' acoustic blues left on our planet. It can make the hair on your arms start to curl.
I see a lot of names tossed out here, but I wonder what standards people are using to pick their favorites. The biggest factor will always probably be "goosebumps" -- or who *moves* you the most?

Maybe we can fine-tune (or broaden) the question with some more specific questions, like:

Who's the "smartest" blues player (twists up chords and scales)?
Who's consistently best over a broad range of styles?
Who's got the best tone?
Who's got the best technique?
Who's the most soulful?
Who's broken the most ground, or is the most innovative?
Who plays it best like it "should" be?
Who can play with the most subtlety?
Who can play with the most ooomph?
Who's king of the telecaster/stratocaster/les paul/acoustic?

The list could go on, but for me I think it would take many, many names to cover the bases above. No one takes the gold medal in my book!