Underrated Rock Guitarists

[SyncSailor]

I'll second Bob Mould (of Husker Du and Sugar)

And I'll add that i think most on the list so far are not under-appreciated by the people who are aware of them. Perhaps unknown by the radio masses. Or unacknowledged by those who are not musically educated enough to properly evaluate them.

Sometimes its just a matter of a musician/listener not having matured to the point where they can hear that players who don't shred or chicken-pick at a million miles per hour still qualify as talented. Actually, speed players often, to me, sound like dragsters on a grand prix course.

But hey... to quote Truman Capote, "Good taste is the death of art"

sync.

[theblue1]

Originally Posted by unsung

Galloping Cliff Gallup from Gene Vincent's Blue Caps

Amazing rockabilly guitarist.

You bet! Some fine work.

[theblue1]

Originally Posted by allencollins

Comparing Cobain to Jones is like comparing a Gibson Les Paul to an
Epiphone les Paul. One is a cheap imitation.

Jones Pioneered a sound. Though not very technical it was original.
Cobain brings nothing to table in terms of originality and technically he is a joke. Sure he was different for 1990 pop music scene but he milked a sound that had been done 15 years before. He was just the right guy at the right time.

I know 100's of gtr players in the Boston area who did the whole melodic post punk think as far back as 1980. Cobain was a follower. He stole so much from bands like the Pixies an the Fu's. And I wouldn't even consider them pioneers
as far as gtr playing


If youve never seen a Les Paul and the first Paul you saw
was an epiphone I guess you wouldn't know the difference.



can we see the future buy looking behind????

Can't say I've ever liked Les Pauls. (I do have a Gibson, though, an ES 325, and it's an interesting guitar. I admire the craft in it but it's not my favorite guitar, I'm afraid, though it is my most expensive. But, of course, it's a whole different kind of guitar designed for a whole different kind of sound.)


And I was NOT directly comparing Cobain with Jones -- I was just saying that while neither would probably be considered a great guitar player by most folks that both did just what they needed to do to put over the music they were making.

I suspect you don't much care for anything Cobain did -- and that's fine, different strokes and all that. Let's put it this way: his guitar playing served his music well, I think.

can we see the future buy looking behind????

I think the question is can we buy the future by looking up someone's behind?

[Duardo]

I'd throw Alex Lifeson out there...not so much that he's not respected or doesn't get a lot of attention in the guitar rags, because he does, but I think he's overshadowed a lot by the other two guys in his band...

What about Prince?

Chris Cornell - Have you ever tried playing old Soundgarden songs and singing them at the same time? With that kinda conviction, power, and melodic genius?

Yes, and it didn't go well...but it wasn't my guitar playing that was the problem...

[andychamp]

Malcolm Young AC/DC's actual backbone.

Yannick Gers. Saw him live on Dickinson's Tattooed Millionaire tour, before the two went back to Iron Maiden. Pure rock'n'roll!
I still think he should have his own band, instead of contributing the 3rd guitar solo to every Maiden song, and being hated by their hardcore fans.

[sanjari]

Rich Robinson - The Black Crowes.... He wont blow your face off, but he has some of the best groove and writes some of the best hooks I have ever heard.

That being said, past crowes guitarists Marc Ford and Audley Freed are pretty badass

[unsung]

I don't think that George Harrison was given enough credit--------- He made those guitar parts that were so perfect for the songs

Seems like he was overshadowed in the late '60's by the hot-dogging horribly long solo guys.

[mamalovesgear]

Big Al Anderson

Bill Spooner & Roger Steen (I do suffer from extreme bias here)

And I'd like to add a big +++ for:

Mike Campbell and Dave Gregory... tasty goodness

[monkeyt]

Tommy Bolin

[pootkao]

Originally Posted by terminal3

Here's an obscure one if you're not a Canadian -

Kim Mitchell.

OUCH! If you're not a Canadian stuck in the bowels of mid-80's CanCon, you mean.


Anyways, my votes go to
Marc Ribot (his work with Tom Waits, as already mentioned, is mind-blowing)

and
PETER BUCK! (R.E.M.)

[GravityRobert]

Billy Corgan!

[bleen]

Originally Posted by True North

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

+1!!!

The first two (only two?) Big Wreck discs are fantastic collections of songs and restrained chops.

(I'm a Canadian trapped in an American body...)

[AlexLakis]

Originally Posted by Duardo

Yes, and it didn't go well...but it wasn't my guitar playing that was the problem...

Touche. He's still a HELL of a guitar player, tho (Cornell,) who isn't often heralded as such since he had Kim Thayil standing next to him.

+1 for Kurt Cobain and Dave Gregory.

How about Mickey Melchiondo and Aaron Freeman (the brothers Ween?) Who else could make guitar solos that out of tune sound appropriate? They've done a lot of solid and creative stuff, and I'm pretty sure not one of them has ever been put on a poster holding a guitar.

[79_Limited]

Originally Posted by sanjari

Rich Robinson - The Black Crowes.... He wont blow your face off, but he has some of the best groove and writes some of the best hooks I have ever heard.

That being said, past crowes guitarists Marc Ford and Audley Freed are pretty badass

You are kidding right? I thought Brendan O'Brien played most all of the guitar on the first record because the band was too stoned?

[thenoiseflower]

Trying to be obscure and really cite underrated as in "underappreciated AND important".....


I'll say.....


Amedeo Pace & Kazu Makino (Blonde Redhead)
Joey Santiago (The Pixies)
Kimberly Ann Deal (Pixies, Breeders)
James Shaw (Metric)
Tanya Donnely and Kristen Hersh (Throwing Muses)
Emily Remler

this is how I feel today.

I'll say
P J Harvey too.

[chrisj]

If we're going to talk about Kurt Cobain and Malcolm Young...

Keith Richards?

George Thorogood?

Seems like there's a whole huge zone of 'can't play three notes in a row accurately but can put the riff across' that's a point of contention.

Actually that's what I _don't_ like about Neal Schon and Alex Lifeson- wonderfully creative with tone color, but where's the backbone? It's like the riff isn't there, somehow. They feel more like keyboard pad players than riff guys.

[JimNdave]

Andy Latimer-Camel
Eric Stewart-10cc
The guitar player on album Lake I think his name is Alex Conti.

JimNdave

[terminal3]

Originally Posted by True North

Kim Mitchell - 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 ?

I am an expat, which is how I know! Although it could be argued that even Canucks might not know who he is if it weren't for cancon rules...

He's an amazing player, when I took first took guitar lessons I had a teacher who made me learn KM and Max Webster riffs, he figured they were as tricky as it got in 'mainstream' rock.

Kim's got a new record coming out in a couple weeks!

[D K]

Andy Timmons

I forgot - Ernie Isley - shame on me!

[andychamp]

Another underrrated/overshadowed brother: David Knopfler
Catch a show of his current outfit and find out where the early Dire Straits got their sound from.

The Afghan Whigs' Greg Dulli and Rick McCollum. Can't imagine those songs without either of them.

The late Denis D'Amour, a.k.a Piggy, of Voivod. Gorgeous layered harmonies.

[fooman]

I saw someone say Ian Thornley and I have to agree. Blew my mind first time I saw him live. The guy is a bit of an ego, but he did a 10 minute extended solo on a song called The Oaf. Never seen anything like that in a long time.

[by-tor]

Gonna second the alex lifeson comment!

[guitardom]

Originally Posted by 79_Limited

You are kidding right? I thought Brendan O'Brien played most all of the guitar on the first record because the band was too stoned?

seems like most people say everything they know to be true about the black crowes is off the first album, they have been around for MANY years now. rich has turned into quite the guitarist, though i must say audley freed is the MAN, 3 snakes , by your side, and lions are AMAZING albums that DO NOT get enough recognition. just as impressive live, seen them quite a few times and will again in a month!!

also someone else mentioned prince, i got him named on the first page!! love the guys tasteful licks.

another, alex scholnick, another guy with skills who is out givin up the chops with his trio and is still being ignored..

i saw adrian belew and robert fripp named earlier....AMAZING

also saw dave larue and steve morse mentioned. steve morse is unbearably good, and seemed a very nice guy at namm and seen larue twice live with petrucci and portnoy, damn he is good!! (that is an understatement)

also saw shawn lane mentioned. he has to be one of the fastest players to ever live, AMAZING though i have to be in the mood to partake in it.

dont know if he is underated but paul gilbert is still on of the best shredders out there, and got a great sense of humor wich is nice compared to a lot of the big headed rockers, and also a very nice guy.

ron thal (bumblefoot) is another killer player. his solo stuff has quite a sense of humor to it with tremendous chops! playing with axle now, so guess we will see how that goes, he had to replace buckethead, quite a player to try to replcace, but he for sure has the skill!! fun to watch live as well.

definatley got some players i need to look up and listen to, nice post! keep em comin

[AlexLakis]

Originally Posted by guitardom

seems like most people say everything they know to be true about the black crowes is off the first album, they have been around for MANY years now.

There's a second Black Crowes album?

[Lasermonkey]

Jon Auer (Posies/Big Star)
Wickedly good player.

[True North]

Originally Posted by by-tor

Gonna second the alex lifeson comment!

As someone else posted he seems to get a lot of posts in the rags but it is extremely rare for me to hear a guitar player say he was influenced by Alex Lifeson. Actually off the top of my head I cant think of one

Geddy Lee, yes
Neil Peart, Big Yes

ALEX..... not so much. So underrated might be accurate here

I think he has developed a very original style but YMMV

[jmikeperkins]

Gerry McGhee - famous session player and member of the Ventures (after Nokie Edwards left who is another incredible player). Gerry has played on so much, but he is probably most famous for his work with the Monkees. He does the incredible solo on the Monkees song Valerie, for example. He is also a really nice guy if you ever get the chance to hang out with him.

J. Mike Perkins jmikeperkins.com

[chrispick]

Originally Posted by True North

As someone else posted he seems to get a lot of posts in the rags but it is extremely rare for me to hear a guitar player say he was influenced by Alex Lifeson. Actually off the top of my head I cant think of one

Geddy Lee, yes
Neil Peart, Big Yes

ALEX..... not so much. So underrated might be accurate here

I think he has developed a very original style but YMMV

I think Lifeson is the only real reason to listen to Rush. The others often play as if starved for attention. Lifeson plays with a better ear toward texture and arrangement.

[FFTT]

George Pittaway- 4 Out Of 5 Doctors

Johnny Tsak

[Sigma]

Originally Posted by Sigma

peter green

plus

Jan Akkerman--FOCUS err ya the yodel band..he did orchestral gtr parts

Roy Buchanan

uhh yeah
YouTube - Roy Buchanan - Green Onions


saw him play with Larry Coryell and Pat Metheny in a gtr concert in NYC and he blew them off the stage

plus Danny Kirwin --acid victim orig fleetwood mac