Overrated.....Underrated....

I love listening to both and have always wondered why I never “got it”, the hype with either when all of the players I live worshipped them. Now that I’m trying to reason, I think it could be the vocals. I love Cream and Clapton’s playing is phenomenal. I hate Clapton’s muffled voice so never cared for solo stuff when he sang. Exact same thing with Jimi…the guitar playing is sweet as it gets but never fell head over heels into the tunes because there’s always that muffled voice singing over the beautiful guitaring.
 
Same reason it’s hard to follow Dylan despite his songwriting and poetic lyrics. The vocals were always hard to see past when wanting to immerse myself in the songs.
 
Van Halen with DLR kind of the same but DLR had those unique falsetto screams that made it cutting edge and had some high end tone to his voice, e.g.- wet and plent of lubricating mucous on his pipes
 
Pete Townsend would be another in my overrated category of guitarists (don’t get me started on singers, drummers, bass players, keyboardists, etc.) The man could play no doubt, he could write and carried the movement with his songs along with the band. He was good, he wasn’t God
 
Who I do NOT think are overrated guitarists (some in this list are underrated imo)…Jimmy Page, Steve Howe, Alex Lifeson, Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen, Nuno Bettencourt, Billy Gibbons, Ace Frehley, Chuck Berry, shit the list is long
 
Seeker of Rock said:
I love listening to both and have always wondered why I never “got it”, the hype with either when all of the players I live worshipped them. Now that I’m trying to reason, I think it could be the vocals. I love Cream and Clapton’s playing is phenomenal. I hate Clapton’s muffled voice so never cared for solo stuff when he sang. Exact same thing with Jimi…the guitar playing is sweet as it gets but never fell head over heels into the tunes because there’s always that muffled voice singing over the beautiful guitaring.
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I actually think that JImi's vocals are great, but Jimi never felt that way (John Lennon felt the same about his voice). I've been listening to JImi since the first record came out in '67. For me, Electric Ladyland is his masterpiece, and my #1 desert island album. The biggest thing about Hendrix is that he created a style of playing that was new an unique, much like EVH. The fact that he did it in a mere 3 years is even more incredible.

As for Clapton, I think his vocals have gotten stronger over the years. Early on, he was a reluctant vocalist, letting Jack Bruce carry the burden on most of the tunes. It was Delaney Bramlett who pushed him into singing, and taught him how to use his voice. How you can say they are muffled is something I don't understand at all.

Dylan, I can understand completely, he's an incredible songwriter, but I have a hard time listening to the majority of his stuff, simply because of the vocals.
 
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So I’ll whittle it down to a few who I think are underrated that really got little attention for their actual playing…
Underrated (short list): Billy Gibbons…don’t think he could hit a bad note if he tried. Just a badass player with “feel” everywhere it needs to be at the exact right moment
Keith Richards: even early on the chess recordings knew how to intertwine guitar with Brian, and called it “the art of guitar weaving” in his autobiography
Izzy Straddlin: so many integral parts he played in Appetite that he never got shit recognition for but every band needs a hero (no disrespect to Slash by any means on HIS playing)
Dereck (sp?) St. Holmes for both guitar and vocals on early Nugent albums that I love. Dereck sang lead vox (and IIRC) did a lot of the lead guitar work on Stranglehold, my absolute favorite Nuge tune. Definitely true on the vox but fuzzy on the writing and guitar
CC Deville: Monocast into the Poison gimmick but the boy could play
Mick Mars: Not the greatest solos in the world but always fit in the pocket of the Crue tunes he was playing them on. STILL love his rhythm work and raw, over midrangey tones on Too Fast for Love and the tones on Shout (with better mics, better room, better engineer and producer)
Bret Muscat: killer tone and playing without overplaying and I think the sleaze gimmick never allowed him due credit

This is a small list of guitarists that come to mind (that produced international albums) that you don’t hear much about as players that I think were/are underrated
 
TalismanRich said:
I actually think that JImi's vocals are great, but Jimi never felt that way (John Lennon felt the same about his voice). I've been listening to JImi since the first record came out in '67. For me, Electric Ladyland is his masterpiece, and my #1 desert island album. The biggest thing about Hendrix is that he created a style of playing that was new an unique, much like EVH. The fact that he did it in a mere 3 years is even more incredible.

As for Clapton, I think his vocals have gotten stronger over the years. Early on, he was a reluctant vocalist, letting Jack Bruce carry the burden on most of the tunes. It was Delaney Bramlett who pushed him into singing, and taught him how to use his voice. How you can say they are muffled is something I don't understand at all.

Dylan, I can understand completely, he's an incredible songwriter, but I have a hard time listening to the majority of his stuff, simply because of the vocals.
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I know Jimi felt that way. Both he and alennon were right. He had the feel and in a a modern studio could’ve rolled back some bass and add some highs and mid highs and he’d be a great singer. Just his muffled tone, not phrasing or intonation because he had those
 
So now that I’ve swallowed your proverbial worm, who is on your short lists of over and under rated? Or do I have to go back and read all 10 pages of this thread
 
Understand that I'm not focused soley on guitar players, I consider the whole band (if there is one).

Overrated: Stones (they do some good songs, but they aren't my ultimate rock and roll band) Nirvana (They just don't click for me. I can listen to the songs but I don't really seek them out). Grateful Dead (I much prefer Jeff Airplane). The Ramones (the punk scene wasn't my favorite). The Clash (see Ramones). Sex Pistols (the media loves sensationalism, they don't give a shit about music). White Stripes (media darlings, but Meg White is crap for a drummer) Velvet Underground / Lou Reed (had White Light/White Heat and that was enough to not buy any more).

Underrated: Tommy Emmanuel (the guy can play anything, but doesn't aim for the charts) Gov't Mule (Warren Haynes is the hardest working guy out there) Yes (hard to say they are underrated, but they are unknown to today's listeners), ELO (exceptional musicianship, a unique sound) Toto (again, excellent musicians) Carpenters (their vocals are second to none) Jeff Porcaro (he was an excellent drummer and producer) Jim Peterik (Virtually unknown, but you know his songs).

There are a bunch of other groups that I love, but it's hard to say that they are underrated. It's just that there are far too many that are forgotten. In their day, many were A list acts. Simon and Garfunkel (great songwriting, wonderful harmonies). CSN & sometimes Y (Even better songwriting and outstanding vocals... C&N were incredible together) Doobie Brothers, Queen, Prince, Beatles. Pink Floyd. ZZ Top, Santana, Allman Bros. All famous acts that are generally acknowleged as being great.
 
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Seeker of Rock said:
I know Jimi felt that way. Both he and alennon were right. He had the feel and in a a modern studio could’ve rolled back some bass and add some highs and mid highs and he’d be a great singer. Just his muffled tone, not phrasing or intonation because he had those
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I couldn’t imagine a Hendrix track with another vocalist taking on the vocal chores. It just wouldn’t be the same.

Now, I know there’s people covering Hendrix tunes, but that’s different. Right from the get go you expect some differences. It’s a cover with their own interpretation.

Here’s one example of a cover that is very different from Jimi but cool in its own way. It’s got the band’s own twist.

 
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RFR said:
Now, I know there’s people covering Hendrix tunes, but that’s different. Right from the get go you expect some differences. It’s a cover with their own interpretation.
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I didn't realize what a good songwriter Jimi was until I really listened with both ears to Gil Evans' "Gil Evans plays the music of Jimi Hendrix" album.
Gil-Evans-Orchestra-%E2%80%93-Plays-The-Music-Of-Jimi-Hendrix-2-1024x1024.jpg

It's big band jazz-rock fusion, and Evans shows the scope that existed in Hendrix' writing with some fantastic versions of his songs. I think most of Gil's versions {he actually played a lot of Jimi stuff across his albums} smoke Jimi's.
But I must stress, I dig them both. Hendrix is one artist though, who has suffered from way, way too much live stuff out there.
 
Smithers XKR said:
I think this was Bowie's kind of "kitchen sink Northern drama" comment of his experience. He was a Metrosexual southern softy who experienced a different world in the north of life from what he knew. It would have been a culture shock. Hence the reference.... shit I am on another planet here
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Yeah, it’s hard to cover Hendrix and make it better. You’re making me analyze and think which is good. So Jimi’s vocals they way they were sung, but with a different mic and more mid-high and high EQ during tracking, that would do it for my ears. I’ve just never been able to groove to the whole tunes with that “singing through a thick comforter in front of the mic” tone. Other than that I love Jimi’s tunes and playing, but can’t get past that annoying muffled tone on the mic. Kinda the same with Clapton though I LOVE 451 ocean Blvd, have it in vinyl and went to the house before greedy developers razed it to build 300 SF $5 million dollar condos in Miami Beqch (North Beach area) 😡😡😡 Live the story behind the album too and after readindung his autobiography gave me new appreciation for him and his musical career
 
Totally agree with everyone in your last paragraph but yeah, most of those aren’t overrated and got their due credit even if not as much as they were worth of. Also agree on Carpenters as underrated
 
Fuck, this could be a 1,000 page thread if we keep going and I included bands in my little safety bubble world of guitarists
 
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