Underrated Rock Guitarists

[DeathMonkey]

I'd like to add Daryl Stuermer to this list as well. His playing with Genesis/Phil Collins live is fantastic, and his solo releases are always cool. I think he has a new record out, too. I need to check that out

[jigsawlogic]

slightly OT (more country/jazz hybrid):

Scotty Anderson. Easily one of the best guitarists alive, yet seems to consistently fly under the radar. This man deserves more exposure.

[rockstar_josh]

Jeff Buckley. Was a prog rock/fusion guy before he made Grace. And his playing on that album was great.

[Jamz]

Mick Ralphs
Kim Simmonds
Clarence White
Al Perkins
Joe Walsh

already mentioned...Dave Gregory. Had the pleasure of seeing XTC perform with him more than a few moons ago.

[hangman]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

+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.

yawn... and I don't imagine they ever borrowed any ideas from anyone.

the question isnt about who is the most Original guitar player, or Band.
the question was "who do you think are some underrated guitar players"

Kurt Cobain is as much a valid answer as Thurston moore, or Steve Jones.

none of them were 100% original, and all acknowledge their influences.
So big deal sonic youth and mudhoney layed the groundwork for grunge

The stooges, New york dolls, bowie, and velvet underground (among plenty of others) layed the groundwork for Punk.

does that make cobain/jones/moore/mark arm any more or less under-rated as a guitar player? not really.

to be honest, as much as I hear people talk about how awful Kurt cobain was as a guitar player it makes me think he IS under-rated. Because he wasn't "awful". he just didn't wank around like Hendrix or all those hair bands from the 80s.
being a good guitar player has just as much to do with knowing when and what to play for a given song or style as it does being fast or technically adept.

and as long as you're mentioning lou Reed... you might as well throw in Sterling Morrison

[guittarzzan]

Blues Saraceno (came along about a decade late, otherwise woulda been a legend)
Vivian Campbell
Jake E Lee
Mathias Jabbs (if I spelled it correctly)
...the guy from Ratt

Over rated imo
Steve Vai (amazing skills/nothing memorable/no hooks)
Kirk Hammett (fast yes, but nothing interesting)

[mikymike]

Daron Malakian - Great riffs, great sensibility, great songs, great production, totaly original !!!

[AMIEL]

Originally Posted by guittarzzan

Blues Saraceno (came along about a decade late, otherwise woulda been a legend)
Vivian Campbell
Jake E Lee
Mathias Jabbs (if I spelled it correctly)
...the guy from Ratt

Over rated imo

Kirk Hammett (fast yes, but nothing interesting)

YEAH! his sound is boring..his wha wha tecnique is nothing special..specialy from a guy that use it almost in every solo...

[Daniel Antix]

Originally Posted by AlexLakis

Billy Corgan - This guy can SHRED, and is as creative as all hell. That's him playing those amazing leads on "Gish" in case you didn't know. Most badass guitar-move I've ever seen was Billy jumping off a double-stacked cab while swinging his guitar over his head in a circle only to come down on the final chord of "Rocket." The whole arena went ape-sh*t.

Billy Corgan - Geek USA solo... the most rockest moments in the history of rock!

Billy usually played all the guitar and bass on most of the pumpkin albums.

[AlexLakis]

Originally Posted by Daniel Antix

Billy Corgan - Geek USA solo... the most rockest moments in the history of rock!

Billy usually played all the guitar and bass on most of the pumpkin albums.

I'll see your "Geek USA" solo and raise you one "Soma."

How about Dan Hoerner? Nothing that great technically speaking, but he really added something special to the music he played on.

[Daniel Antix]

Originally Posted by AlexLakis

I'll see your "Geek USA" solo and raise you one "Soma."

How about Dan Hoerner? Nothing that great technically speaking, but he really added something special to the music he played on.

it's always a toss up between soma and geek usa for me... i'd also thorw an aode to no one in that mix.

i really like a solo off the new album too... in bring the lights, he proves he's still got it!

[robskane]

Billy Bremner gets my vote. thumbsup
He played with Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds in Rockpile. Look him up - he plays like Django Reinhardt, Chet Atkins and Chuck Berry all rolled into one.

[Plush]

(the late)

Mick Ronson

[sleestack]

Mick Taylor

[1979]

As for Kurt Cobain's qualities as a guitar player:

I think he was a great guitar player, insofar as he did what he needed to do further emotionally charge the songs- and he did it very well. Whether or not this qualifies him as an "unsung guitar legend" in some peoples minds, is a matter of preference I guess.

Others:

Westerberg, Ryan Adams, Keith Richards. The guitarists from Blind Melon, Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams), Dallas and Travis Good ( The Sadies, Neko Case), Peter Buck, Roger Mcguinn, Tom Petty, Jeff Buckley-overshadowed by his voice (Jimmy Page once referred to Jeff as 'scary')

[phantom309]

I have no idea what Rick Richards of the Georgia Satellites is doing now, but he was probably the best rock guitarist I ever saw live.

Eliot Easton of the Cars was also wonderful. He has the gift of being able to play incredibly convoluted solos that fit the song so well you hardly notice how weird they are.

[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.

[hangman]

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.

I suppose it depends on how one would define "good guitar player" and "good songwriter". Both of which are extremely subjective.

[nobo]

Jeff Buckley. Amazing chord voicings, subtle, supportive and at times inventive playing (props also to Gary Lucas). He could also shred with the best of them, play jazz and many other styles. Oh, and pretty much chose to avoid solos.

Also +1 for:
Billy Corgan (inventiveness, principally, but also phrasing, tone (at times), shredability to an extent - but then there's a bunch of kids who can play fast, and that alone means nothing),
Kurt Cobain (emotional intensity and expression, rather than technique, obviously) and
Richard Thompson.

I'd also mention Nick Drake - but then he's not really underratated; neither is he rock.

[Recycled_Brains]

Larry Lalonde: primus

amazing player.

[cfdude]

thumbsup John Sykes - Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Blue Murder

[fretman]

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[massimo]

Gary Green - Gentle Giant
Bill Spooner & Roger Steen - The Tubes

best regards
Massimo

[Jim Williams]

Hey, how about that guy that died in that bar back east? Was it Great White? I heard he was on fire!

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[at4033]

Originally Posted by CarmenC

Dave Gregory (XTC)

+ 1

Smart, inventive, brilliant guitar arrangements.

Gary Green ("Gentle Giant") is another terribly overlooked guitar player...

[Jeff16years]

Originally Posted by rockrev

The other day someone had a post about Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and it really got me thinking about how bad @ss Neal Schon is. He's one of the most underrated rock guitarists ever, IMHO. So, yesterday I was listening to some Bryan Adams tracks and "Cuts Like a Knife" still rocks as if it were cut just the other day. Then I realized . . . another underrated guitarist is making this happen . . . Keith Scott. I decided I'd start a post so everyone could chime in and mention some others. Here's two more . . . Mike Campbell and Lindsey Buckingham (though one could argue he's a little more recognized).

dj

I honestly think Prince is the Most Underrated guitarist of all time.

It's kind of a fad right now to say how great Prince is but 5 years ago when i said that he was a great guitar player, people would say

"Prince plays the guitar?"

[GearGuy]

Robert Smith and Porl Thompson of The Cure... great guitar work and tones on everything "Disintegration" and afterwords. Great playing live (witness the album "Show" or the newer DVD "Trilogy") but especially the albums "Wish" and the lastest one called "The Cure."

[santibanks]

Originally Posted by DeathMonkey

I'd like to add Daryl Stuermer to this list as well. His playing with Genesis/Phil Collins live is fantastic, and his solo releases are always cool. I think he has a new record out, too. I need to check that out

ever heared him with his former band, the jean luc ponty group?

Stuermer comes from a Jazz background. Most classic genesis fans will bash him and accuse him for "butchering steves solos and sounds" though I think hes at a very different level then Hackett was who is more into classical stuff.
In fact, I think hackett always just sticks too much to the studio stuff. Daryl can play fast and improvise a lot though he does it on the right moments. Firth of fifth never sounded as good as on the 1992 tour and his stuff on cinema show and especially in the cage (check the end) is awesome !

[mucho]

Alex Lifeson was the reason I picked up a guitar. Difinitely underrated. One of the few who makes every note count, not just playing as many notes as he can.

[Resonant Alien]

Funny.....being deemed "underrated" seems to be as subjective as being deemed "good" or "bad". Several of the players listed here are anything but underrated, IMO. Alex Lifeson, Lindsey Buckingham, Neil Schon, Bob Mould, Adrian Belew, Keith Richards, and Robert Fripp are mentioned here among others, and are very well respected and often noted and quoted guitarists, hardly what I would consider underrated. Prince was a good one though - he is underrated as a guitarist (although I think he is way overrated in general). Overrated guitarists? I second Kirk Hammett on that one, and I would add Clapton as well (yes, I know I will be getting flamed for that). But, seriously, Clapton is good, but he is often treated as the Messiah of rock guitar, and I just never saw it that way.