I only hope that everyone has something in their lives about which they are as passionate as I am about music. Music turned me on long before drugs did and continues to turn me on well into sobriety. And the music that fills me with a wild, joyous, visceral elation is Rock, especially the instrumental guitar. The sounds those six strings make in the hands of a gifted player touch me deeply, make me soar. When I saw Jimi Hendrix's orgasmic expressions captured on the film Woodstock I completely understood; that is how completely a guitar solo can grab ahold of me.

Players from Steve Vai to Frank Marino have lifted my sprits when I was low, and made them soar higher when I was up. If you love rock and guitar you may want to check these guys out. You may become new fans. Frank Marino was my first inspiration to really want to learn how to play, and Marc Bonilla is my latest discovery. I love them all for different reasons, but their playing always creates tremendous excitement for me. When I'm in the right mood some of these solos can actually move me to tears with their beauty. I always feel them right down to my very core, speaking to me in a way that words cannot match.

By the way, I've purposefully excluded players who are part of a larger group, such as Eddie Van Halen who is clearly an amazing pioneer in style and technique.

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MARC BONILLA Marc started playing guitar at five years old, and his talent is incredible. Among the notable talent he's played with includes Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple) and Keith Emerson. In 1991 Kevin Gilbert produced Marc's first CD, EE Ticket. Marc's technical abilities are as great as Vai's or Satriani's, but where he really shines is his compositional and arranging skills, creating pieces with rich texture and complexity. Mannequin Highway - the argeggios at 00:45 are so fast they make me scream! Hit and Run - 2 excerpts show his compositional skill, versatility and fast fingers. Mephisto - a beautiful piece with a soulful melody from his American Matador CD.

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BUCKETHEAD The first time I saw Buckethead play live was at the now-defunct Transmission Lounge in San Francisco. When I saw this guy stroll out with a KFC Bucket on his head and the white mask, I figured "Oh, great! Some goofy-artsy SF band." Then he began playing and I picked my jaw off my boobs. Afterward I did something I almost never do at a local show: I bought his CD. Buckethead is known for the frightening speed on the fretboard, but the man plays with soul as well. He's even faster live than this excerpt. Scraps - this piece shows both his blistering and soulful sides (from Giant Robot 2). unreleased jam - a better example of how fast Buckethead is (be very afraid!)

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FRANK MARINO As the leader of Mahogany Rush, Frank became my first guitar hero in 1979. Inspired by the blues-based style of Jimi Hendrix, Frank's playing is an extension of that school. Frank's crisp precision and great feeling still turns me on even today. Based in Canada, his popularity in the US wore off as the Seventies sound gave way to the Metal attack. Poppy - contains mesmerizing touches with moments of beauty that sweep me away. A New Rock & Roll - this is the live song that hooked me and the first one I learned. Juggernaut - title track from his last Eighties release with liquid, plectum hammer-ons. Ditch Queen - shows off Frank's relentless, authoritative style (from Juggernaut).

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YNGWIE MALMSTEEN Yngwie was my guitar idol for a few years after I first heard him in 1985. A disciple of Richie Blackmore and Paganini, his style is so gradiosely Baroque that Bach would have loved it. Adjectives like "blistering" and "incendiary" are so frequently overused with lead guitarists, but this man defines these qualities in spades. After seeing him perform live several times, I believe his claim that "Far Beyond the Sun" was done all in a single take (without do-overs). Both cuts are from Rising Force. Far Beyond the Sun - this song still gives me thrills and chills nine years later. Little Savage - It's scary how fast Yngwie is, like right out of a cannon.

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JOE SATRIANI Known as "Satch" by his fans, he's been around longer than all except for Frank Marino. As a kid in New York he actually gave guitar lessons to guitar hero Steve Vai. Joe's is a very straight-ahead jamming style combined with some innovative riffs plus some beautiful melody lines. The title track of one of his best albums, "Flying in a Blue Dream" is so pretty it can get me all misted up even when I'm in a good mood. Flying in a Blue Dream - this melody and his arrangement practically define "soulful." War - this cut from The Extremist is a great example of Joe's jamming style.

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STEVE VAI I got turned onto "little Stevie Vai" and his Passion and Warfare album in 1990. It's a must-own for guitar fans. Steve became known for his work with Frank Zappa in the Eighties, credited with "impossible guitar parts" on studio and live performances. It's good to know a little bit of Frank lives on in Steve's music because the influence is there. And Steve's guitar playing, composition and arrangement are incredible. Blue Powder - ripping-fast licks and a beautiful melody make this one my favorite. Juice - a dizzying plunge into some full-on shredding that delights me to no end. Erotic Nightmares - incredible dexterity, composition and arrangement.