Underrated Rock Guitarists

[BradD]

Everytime I hear something on the radio off of Natalie Merchant's solo album Tigerlily, I notice that the guitarist on that album is exceptional. I looked up and was surprised to discover it was a woman named Jennifer Turner. Does anybody know anything about her? I really enjoy her playing on this album.

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by tommy_asakawa

Ronnie Montrose

+1 for Ronnie, even though he used to hate my checkerboard Vans that I wore!!

[HeavyG]

Originally Posted by FireMoon

Jones Pioneered a sound. Though not very technical it was original.<------- with reference to Steve Jones from the pistols...

Sorry to pick you up on this but that is simply not true..Jones nicked his sound from The Pink Fairies and Chris Spedding. Infact, if you really want to picky about it, the Pistols stole the whole sound of their music from the song *City Kids* by the Pink Fairies...

As someone else has mentioned on here..Paul Rudolphs solo on the Pink Fairies *The snake* is simply bloody stunning

A few random thoughts...obviously all the virtuosos get the love...so you will see a feng shui "minimalist" theme here:
1. The Edge (says more with one note...than others say with 100 e harmonic minor scales)
2. Mark Knopfler (tasty, tasty...tasty)
3. Someone said Johnny Marr...I agree
4. George Harrison - He only wrote some of the greatest songs of all time and noone ever mentions him
5. Pete Townsend - See #4

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by HeavyG

A few random thoughts...obviously all the virtuosos get the love...so you will see a feng shui "minimalist" theme here:
1. The Edge (says more with one note...than others say with 100 e harmonic minor scales)
2. Mark Knopfler (tasty, tasty...tasty)
3. Someone said Johnny Marr...I agree
4. George Harrison - He only wrote some of the greatest songs of all time and noone ever mentions him
5. Pete Townsend - See #4

+1!!!! I don't know anything about Johnny Marr, but the rest are definitely spot on! I do believe you can be hugely famous and still underrated! Pete Townshend is especially underrated, is an amazing rhythm player, and when he takes a rare solo, every note counts and makes a statement(Baba O'Reilly comes to mind).

[kafka]

I'm going to nominate Chet Atkins and Jimi Hendrix as the most underated guitarists. And by "underrated", I mean that I really like Chet Atkins and Jimi Hendrix, and I concede that someone else somewhere may not be as obsessed with them as I am, and therefore they are underrated. Oh yeah, and I also mean to say that I didn't bother to read any other posts in this thread (including my own) because, well, nothing good could come of that.

So, I really like Chet Atkins and Jimi Hendrix, and everybody else should, too. And if they already do, they should like them more. Because I sure do.

[Medication]

Some are perhaps not necessarily "rock" but what they did certainly "rocked"

Marc Bolan
Marc Ribot
Luther Perkins
Kid Congo Powers
Greg Sage
Jon Mcbain

And while not "underrated," but probably "unrecognized"
Alain Johannes (possibly the greatest guitarist you've already heard but never realized)

[relaxo]

Nick Drake's perfect time and intricate creative patterns in the most beautiful songs ever written.

[Ken McLaren]

Tommy Gibbons, Kevin Briggs, Dimi nalbantov...(Not in any particular order)

I believe Tommy is Yngwie, Kevin Is Satriani, and Dimi Is Steve Vai...They are just as good and just as creative. Maybe one day they too will get the break that the big three mentioned above did.
KM

[denismcd]

Originally Posted by jammybastard

Oh enough of the "Cobain killed good music" b.s.
That's marketing hype, and if you can't see through it then you really need to post less and read more books about the machinations of the music business.

Here's the way I break this issue down:

There are Guitarists.

There are Songwriters.

There are very, very few who are excellent at both and those are the ones who really deserve the accolades no matter what chart position they once occupied.

Well said.

I believe Elliott Smith fits both bills. One of the finest songwriters I've heard and a hell of a guitar player.

I would also have to put Johnny Marr into this mix.

[denismcd]

A few more underrated guitarists:

1. Sterling Morrison gets very little credit for the generation of musicians he inspired with the Velvet Underground.

2. Joey Santiago's work with the Pixies has been copied over and over again... the 'unison bend'.

3. Andy Gill - Gang of Four -- the syncopated guitar that sounds like breaking glass -- amazing. Inspired Big Black and many, many others.

4. Dr. Know...the Bad Brains remain the tightest, most powerful live act I've ever seen without sacrificing musicality. Dr. Know and Greg Ginn architected the bridge between metal and hardcore.

5. Bob Mould. Great with Husker Du, Great Solo (listen to "Workbook"), and great with Sugar (one of my personal faves ever).

[MadGuitrst]

Adrian Belew

[thenoiseflower]

...also happens to be a total baddass songwriter too.

Jeff Trott

[denismcd]

Originally Posted by kafka

I'm going to nominate Chet Atkins and Jimi Hendrix as the most underated guitarists. And by "underrated", I mean that I really like Chet Atkins and Jimi Hendrix, and I concede that someone else somewhere may not be as obsessed with them as I am, and therefore they are underrated. Oh yeah, and I also mean to say that I didn't bother to read any other posts in this thread (including my own) because, well, nothing good could come of that.

So, I really like Chet Atkins and Jimi Hendrix, and everybody else should, too. And if they already do, they should like them more. Because I sure do.

Outstanding...

[Newcleardaze]

always dug Vitto Bratta (or however his name is spelled)

[spons]

Originally Posted by andychamp

Just thought of 2 more, and they can only be mentioned together: Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi.
Not the most spectacular of soloists, but man do they boogie!(They haven't been doing much else for 44 years, so...)

Just been watching Quo at Glastonbury and you are right - especially Francis Rossi he is actually a really good player with a unique style of his own.

[Admiral James T.]

Eddie Cochran

[Tom Hakala]

there's no one as overlooked as
Doyle Bramhall ii.

[FFTT]

And the award for best performance by a highly underskilled guitar player goes to.....

Me!

[Macky]

Back in the Day, the word on the Street was
"Tony Blair"
BBC News | UK POLITICS | Blair plays the blues
These days he is a Peace Envoy and i believe he only plays the Flute and Tambourine.



Alternatively
"Bill Nelson" ( Be-Bop Deluxe)

[bitman]

Originally Posted by True North

Agreed, excellant guitar player, now a DJ on Q107 a local Toronto Rock station.

Are you a Canadian ex-pat ? How did you hear about him ?



OMG - how does someone in Keystone, Co know who Mike Hall is...... You want to talk about obscure Canadian bands this one takes the cake.

BTW - You do mean Mike Dwarf don't you

In the 'who the hell is that obscure underrated Canadian gtr player' category my choice is;

Ian Thornley

formerly of Big Wreck now on his own with 'Thronley (OK so he's not terribly creative with band names) - smoking lead player and killer pipes to boot

I have been a Dwarfs fan for ages. Up until the Method record which did not include Mike. And sucked BTW. The first song is great then just goes into suckage from there. Mike must be a heck of a writer too.

I have a Dwarfs video from 2000 something where Mike is back.
He is my favorite guitar player in that genre. And my favorite band from then too.

I lived in So. Cal when Stand Tall was released.
My wife took me for a drive around when Dirty Weapons came out.
She had it in the CD. I just about lost it it was so hot. She was looking at me like "Kicks, doesn't it.." with that knowing ry smile.

I play drums at church and like to warm up with the Dirty Weapons intro or the Lakeside park intro just because my wife (the bassist) and I are the only ones who recognize it.