IMO he was a great player, far from the 'best' but he did have a unique distinctive style and a great sound. I thought the quality of his solos went down hill after the 'Cowboys From Hell' album but then again he came up with a new sounds and ways for approaching the disharmonic noise solo. One of my favourites though was the acoustic one on the 'Planet Caravan' cover, really great feel, 'Cemetary Gates' also has a killer solo.