Underrated Rock Guitarists

[phantom309]

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????

Yes, and the Boston bands stole from Mission of Burma...who stole from Gang of Four, who stole from Television.....

1992 was a long time ago, dude. Let go.

[octatonic]

Originally Posted by phantom309

Yes, and the Boston bands stole from Mission of Burma...who stole from Gang of Four, who stole from Television.....

1992 was a long time ago, dude. Let go.

LOL

Reminds me of the line from High Fidelity:

"Some people never got over Vietnam or the night their band opened for Nirvana. I guess I never got over Charlie."

[theblue1]

Originally Posted by phantom309

Yes, and the Boston bands stole from Mission of Burma...who stole from Gang of Four, who stole from Television.....

1992 was a long time ago, dude. Let go.

Of course, you're responding to a guy who was initially responding to me (so you're on My side, right? ) but I had one quibble: agreed on your overall point about bands borrowing from and building on the work and ideas of other bands -- but the Gang of Four / Television example... I dunno.

I was on the ground back then and saw Go4 twice and TV three times (the first time around and then saw TV again in the 90s when they reunioned)... and they were very different in their approach to guitars, rhythms...

I do think it's safe to say they were both deeply respected by... well... guys like me, for sure.

[fretman]

Bob Kulick is my add (has he been mentioned yet?). And +1 on most of the guys mentioned in this thread. I don't think any of them are actually underrated, they're just not revered as Gods the way Hendrix, Clapton, and Van Halen are...

[DeathMonkey]

Ian Bairnson - Alan Parson's Project.


Huge influence on me. Such great melodies, especially on such tracks as Ammonia Avenue, Turn Of A Friendly Card PT II, and On Air.

Ian Crichton - Saga

Guitarists of the era remember him, but not too many others. Great player in a great band.

[FFTT]

I saw Roy Buchanan once and it's difficult to describe hearing someone so clearly
gifted.

[johnwayne]

I don't know about underrated but this guy is just amazing.

YouTube - Junior Brown -Girl from Oklahoma

[santibanks]

Steve Rothery from Marillion...

And I think that Mike Rutherford from Genesis did some cool stuff aswell on guitar. Especially his 12 string rhythm playing sounds very nice to me

[phantom309]

Originally Posted by theblue1

Of course, you're responding to a guy who was initially responding to me (so you're on My side, right? ) but I had one quibble: agreed on your overall point about bands borrowing from and building on the work and ideas of other bands -- but the Gang of Four / Television example... I dunno.

I was on the ground back then and saw Go4 twice and TV three times (the first time around and then saw TV again in the 90s when they reunioned)... and they were very different in their approach to guitars, rhythms...

I do think it's safe to say they were both deeply respected by... well... guys like me, for sure.

Didn't mean to butt in - it just amuses me how worked up some people can still get about Cobain/Nirvana. Personally I hear a lot more Sonic Youth and Husker Du in them than the Pixies. But Cobain made one comment in an interview that he thought Smells Like Teen Spirit sounded like the Pixies - and suddenly Nirvana were the scourge of struggling True Original Artists everywhere. It's silly. Some of the most famous Led Zepplin songs were lifted almost word-for-word from earlier blues artists, but nobody seems to have a problem with that.

[m_gant]

I don't know about underrated but this guy is just amazing.

YouTube - Junior Brown -Girl from Oklahoma

Oh man, Junior Brown is the real deal. Own every album and I really don't even like country music. However it does seem that country seems to be where the flashy playin is at these days.


Another underrated? Tony Mcalpine.

[1monkey1]

d boon of the minutemen.
mike watt (bass) of the minutemen.

check out double nickels on the dime, it's bad ass.

a second vote for nels cline.
check out the mike watt solo record 'contemplating the engine room' on which he plays some ridiculous guitar over some serious bass.

steven walcott
Engine Studios

[CarmenC]

Originally Posted by JulianBrightnes

Mick Taylor

ABSOLUTELY!!!

[FireMoon]

Ollie Halsall... credited with inventing the four finger left hand run in rock... Check out Kevin Ayers tracks,... *Didn't feel lonely till i thought of you* and *Blue*.. the solo on Blue is astounding...

Paul Kossoff.. Simply the man, asre Bluesy based solo's

John Martyn... His acoustic with a pup and an echoplex stuff is just simply stunning..

I agree about Dave Gregory and Peter Green as well, both vastly under rated outside of the muso field..

[syd]

Robert Quine!

[Tibbon]

Originally Posted by unsung

Lou Reed !

+1

Thurson Moore imho was one of the most influential guitarists of the 80's. Nirvana was totally copying them, and so all of the thing that have been influenced by Nirvana were really being influenced by Sonic Youth.

Nirvana got all of the glory, but Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, the Pixies all really laid the groundwork for the grunge thing.

[Absolute]

Doug Aldrich a real cool player who really has a great feel and doesnt do all those boring sweeps and meaningless runs

check out

Burning Rain - track 5 - Fool No More

[Gregg Sartiano]

1) Any list like this should start out with the "A"-list session ace guitarists of L.A., NY, Nashville, and London, and go from there. This feels like that scene in "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" -- you know (if you saw it), the record store scene where all the fans are naming their favorite Motown artists but ignoring the fact that the musicians (and arrangers, writers, engineers, etc. although the movie feels biased in favor of the players) were integral to the appeal and the "sound."

One top session player will do more records in a month or two than most of the individuals named do in a career -- and tone, "pocket" playing, originality, use of distinctive ideas/avoidance of cliches (unless called for), tastefulness/playing in "service of the song," as well as flair and individuality (although the system keeps the players themselves semi-anonymous, at least to people who don't bother to read the credits)...all of these things and more are not merely hoped for -- but expected...EVERY time...OK, maybe not in post-"New Country" Nashville sorry, had to say it. There are more great musicians per capita in that town than anywhere, though...

And, oh yeah -- they cover everybody's a$ses on the BIG ROCK records -- you know the producers call(ed) in a "ringer" every now and then, credited or not...ESPECIALLY in the pre-DAW era, which seems to be where this topic is living, anyway.

2) Isn't it tragic that nobody's naming anyone who came to prominence in the last 5 years?

[marchhare]

Gregg Sartiano:

And, oh yeah -- they cover everybody's a$ses on the BIG ROCK records -- you know the producers call(ed) in a "ringer" every now and then, credited or not...ESPECIALLY in the pre-DAW era, which seems to be where this topic is living, anyway.

Steve Hunter & Dick Wagner

[True North]

Originally Posted by DeathMonkey

Ian Crichton - Saga

Guitarists of the era remember him, but not too many others. Great player in a great band.

WOW yet another great Canadian gtr player and SAGA was an amazing band as well. I came very close to playing with him a couple times in another band (post Saga).

I am not a guitar player but I always really liked his playing. He had that very unique staccato picking style, great chops and most importantly good taste.

Excellant choice Mr. Monkey

[mikymike]

daron malakian....but you have to know his body of work to appreciate it.

[NoodlinXavier]

What's the name of Jim Croce's 'background' gutiarist? He's friggin' awesome!!

Robert B. Yelin arranged the songs in one of my many Jazz songbooks. Man I want to hear him play them because the arrangements are amazing and beautiful!

Ty Tabor definately doesn't get enough mention. Actually I've never seen him mentioned, but haven't been up on the guitar mags for a long time...

Jake E. Lee. He was overshadowed by previous players that twanged for Ozzy, to mention bad timing and rushed writing & recording of "Blizzard Of Oz". "The Ultimate Sin" was OK, but very 80's. Then he totally kicked ass in the 'Badlands' band he put together(?). Where is he now?? I'd like to know.

Bill Frisell is known but not mentioned enough. He can do the straight ahead jazz great. He really shines on Ginger Baker Trio's "Going Back Home" (this mention should really start a drummers thread...)

G. Love can really hold down a groove! Solid!

Charlie Hunter. He plays bass and guitar at the same time. Does that count?

Audley Freed (also of Black Crows) totally grooves and wail's on Cry Of Love's albums!!

Rik Emmet has fallen off the radar but is still doing some great guitar work. Where would he have ended up if he had a rythm section that were up to his par in Triumph? I respect them but they weren't in the same ballpark.



Maybe it's just because I'm a guitar player, but a lot of the previously mentioned 6-stringers HAVE gotten plenty of praise. So, I'll mention another few that have gotten acclaims:

Jeff Beck. Blow By Blow and Wired are still in my top 10 and I found them almost 15 years after they were released! Now it's 30 years later. His other albums aren't too shabby neither!

David Gilmour. Master of expression and articulation. Enough Said

Trey Anastasio, Ritchie Blackmore, Alex Lifeson, Randy Rhodes, Steve Howe.... some other guitars whom I really respect.

[NoodlinXavier]

Originally Posted by Gregg Sartiano

2) Isn't it tragic that nobody's naming anyone who came to prominence in the last 5 years?

Who might that be?

[maq]

Originally Posted by theblue1

One last, just in passing: Bill Nelson...

Bill was a monster back in the Be Bop Deluxe Days, a pioneer of the melodic, less scalar approach to soloing.

[maq]

Originally Posted by marchhare

Gregg Sartiano:



Steve Hunter & Dick Wagner

A great tandem! I was thinking of these guys when someone mentioned Alice Cooper. Weren't they behind the guitar work on Billion Dollar Babies?

[maq]

Certainly not underrated, but under acknowledged:

Tim Pierce: Along with his session work, (don't laugh) his work with Rick Springfield is amazing, especially "Living in Oz".

Dan "Huff the Magic Dragon": He's just too talented

Another obscure one: Mike Slamer of "City Boy"

Johnny A

Gary Moore (when he doesn't have the blues)

I second:

Kim Mitchell (no I'm not Canadian)
Michael Schenker

[marchhare]

Mag:

A great tandem! I was thinking of these guys when someone mentioned Alice Cooper. Weren't they behind the guitar work on Billion Dollar Babies?

Yes. Steve Hunter also played lead on a few Aerosmith classics as well (uncredited).

Tim Pierce did some great work on the first John Waite record, too.

[Jim Williams]

Originally Posted by 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.

Like that slowhand guy that played his guitar parts for him?

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[FireMoon]

Not forgetting Chris Spedding... Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds is mostly him

[timtoonz]

+1 for Dave Gregory (check the solo on 'Ten Feet Tall' - Drums n Wires), and Adrian Belew (though I don't know if he's technically 'under rated'... If he's good enough for Bowie, Talking Heads, and Crimson...)

Does Leo Kotke qualify as 'under rated'? One of my fave, most musical players ever.

And Steve Hunter - session guru on so many great Bob Ezrin produced albums I love, like the Alice Cooper stuff, Gabriel's first, etc etc.

And for a Canadian reference, it's terrible but I don't know the name of the 'key' guitar player in The Odds. But their solos always catch my ear with a great knack for melody, swinging, and even a sense of humor. I mean humour. It's Canuk rock after all...

Is Zappa under-rated as a player? I was listening to 'Watermelon in Easter Hay' of Joes Garage Pt. 3 yesterday, and marvelling at his glassy, sparkly tone.

on a final note, I was lucky enough to record Rik Emmett of Triumph a few months back and he truly is a talented, ultra-musical fellow. Very pro and a nice guy to boot.

[theblue1]

Glad to see D Boon (from the Minutemen) and Paul Kossoff (Free, Backstreet Crawler) listed. Both really fine in very different ways. Kossoff felt like the guy keeping emotive, searing soulful soloing alive back then... too bad he couldn't keep himself alive. And -- like a lot of So Bay punk scene folks -- I was bereft when Boon died in a car crash... the Minutemen were one of the smartest, coolest -- and nicest -- bands around.