Who is the most underrated guitarist?

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Mike Rutheford - Genesis

ALEXI "WILDCHILD" LAIHO - Children Of Bodom

Michael James Romeo - Symphony X

Gary Green - Gentle Giant

Frank Gamble - Vital Information

You can probably tell I'm into Progressive Rock
 
capnreverb said:
Jonn Mclaughlin can shred those guys in that department. Technique? who the fuck cares if you are not saying something worth hearing. Guitar playing is not a pissing contest. I'd rather hear Kurt Cobain or Lightnin' Hopkins play a solo that sounds like they fuckin mean it but is not "technically" very good, than some 1,000 note a minute shred fest that emotes nothing other than "Look how fast and complicated I can play".
All you guys that are fascinated with these Vai folks need to listen to someone who can say something with as few notes as possible. I have heard Neil Young, David Gilmour, Jim Hall, Marc Ribot, and Robert Fripp say more in one note than these guys like Vai and Satriani say on a whole album. .
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Some of that capn I agree with, and you made some very good points. It's the emotion that I hear, that I like. And I stress that "I" hear it. I like the way that he doesn't just play the guitar as a guitar, he makes it what ever he wants. I've heard some stuff that never made it to album from him that really technically was simple, but amazingly emotional. I'm not good a puting what I'm thinking down, but thats what I think. As for the "few notes as possible". It was John Mclaughlin who said "some people say you can say more with two chords than you can with ten, well that's crap".
That isn't an exact quote, but it's what he thinks. I don't want to get into a big debate, because I think you made some good points, to each his own.
 
I very much agree with Lindsey Buckingham,
But also Richie Backmore of DeepPurple, Very intense emotion.
And Dave Gilmore. I agree with the comment that its about the way a guitarist can work with in a great song not just how fast he can play.
but I do love fast solo's
 
Jeff Beck... Steve Morse

I don't really understand the hostility toward technically proficient players (Vai, Satch, Johnson)... All of these players HAVE their own style and DO play with feel! What the heck is wrong with being technically proficient on your chosen instrument?

Conversely, Calling Kurt Cobain a great guitarist is like nominating Tiny Tim for a vocalist of the year award!

Shred
 
Amen to Lindsay Buckingham, Johnny A (see him live if you get a chance)

How about Davey Johnstone? Elton's guitarist of many years There's a lot of Elton songs driven largely by the guitar...Love Lies Bleeding, The Bitch is Back...

great guitarin', in my opinion
 
shredfit said:
Jeff Beck... Steve Morse

I don't really understand the hostility toward technically proficient players (Vai, Satch, Johnson)... All of these players HAVE their own style and DO play with feel! What the heck is wrong with being technically proficient on your chosen instrument?

Conversely, Calling Kurt Cobain a great guitarist is like nominating Tiny Tim for a vocalist of the year award!

Shred
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I think the hostility you're asking about comes from envy.

But I never thought any of the players you list were considered underrated - they enjoy well-deserved respect as monster players and any musician worth his/her salt knows who they are.

Have you heard the latest Jeff Beck CD? I don't recall the title but it's been out about 6 months now. What do you think of it?
 
shredfit said:
Jeff Beck... Steve Morse

I don't really understand the hostility toward technically proficient players (Vai, Satch, Johnson)... All of these players HAVE their own style and DO play with feel! What the heck is wrong with being technically proficient on your chosen instrument?

Conversely, Calling Kurt Cobain a great guitarist is like nominating Tiny Tim for a vocalist of the year award!

Shred
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thank you!!!!! I wanted to say exactly that, but didn't want to start an all out pissing contest where it was as if I insulted they're manhood. Some people get that way. Sometimes immediate hostility like that just shows you that this person is incapable of having a discussion about it, just a one sided bashing from the safety of his computer desk free from real confrontation.
Thats right I said it!
 
yeah, but....

guitarfreak12 said:
thank you!!!!! I wanted to say exactly that, but didn't want to start an all out pissing contest where it was as if I insulted they're manhood. Some people get that way. Sometimes immediate hostility like that just shows you that this person is incapable of having a discussion about it, just a one sided bashing from the safety of his computer desk free from real confrontation.
Thats right I said it!
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Isn't a forum discussion without the aforementioned pissing match sort of like watching Jerry Springer without a fight breaking out?

:( Maybe not. But it would be if we had to depend on Neilson ratings!
 
jfrog said:
Isn't a forum discussion without the aforementioned pissing match sort of like watching Jerry Springer without a fight breaking out?

:( Maybe not. But it would be if we had to depend on Neilson ratings!
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True, true. Just amazing how hostile a person can be without even the slightest nudge. It's quite funny actually. Sad, but funny.
 
I already mentioned Luther Perkins but what about Johnny Cash? One of the only rhythm guitar players who actually played the thing like a rhythm instrument. The classic example, of course, being "I Walk The Line".
 
jalbert said:
I already mentioned Luther Perkins but what about Johnny Cash? One of the only rhythm guitar players who actually played the thing like a rhythm instrument. The classic example, of course, being "I Walk The Line".
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Good Call!
 
Yeah, but Johnny Cash doesn't play real fast, so technically, he's no good. I mean come on, Steve Vai can play circles around him!!!! That's why you did not see Johnny Cash dueling Ralph Macheo in that Crossroads movie! Hell, who needs a good tune when you can play that fricken fast. Those fingers were moving like greased lightnin', it blew my mind. Fuck Johnny Cash, Lightnin Hopkins and Kurt Cobain, give me Al Di Meola, Malmsteen, Satriani!
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In the grand scheme of things, it's folks like Cash, Lightnin, and Cobain that will be remembered in 50 years because they wrote good tunes. These speed freaks can't write good tunes, only vehicles for soloing. I saw Malmsteen on his first tour for Marching Out and it was one of the best shows I ever saw, but it's kind of like watching Barry Bonds take batting practice. You see it once, what else is there to go back for? To see if he can play even faster? To see if Barry can hit a few more out of the park? After a while who cares. None of his tunes are all that great . And when it comes to soloing, it's just a pissing contest, and in that fight the all mighty Coltrane wins every time!
 
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So what do you mean about a good tune? Sure Cobain could write a great tune about how pathetic his life was, or how terrible it is to be born... but IS that a great tune for everyone?

Your saying that if a great player steps out of the I IV V relative minor box that he/she cannot write? So then, Mozart cannot write either?

Lastly, just because these certain player that you have such great detestation for CAN play fast and sometimes do... doesn't mean that is all they do... (excluding of course Yngwie... he he)

Shred
 
Speed is part of a vocabulary. It is important if its part of everything else serving some purpose. When I see these guitar player magazines out there they seem to spend way too much time blowing themselves over who the latest chop monster is. All I am trying to get at is that in order for me to be impressed with someones playing, it has to be relevant to the whole piece. I have suffered through vai and satriani cd's, and they dont say anything. They are emotionally vacant. in the end, the only thing I give a rats ass about is the feeling I get from the music. Either it touches me or it doesn't. I think these Vai type guys are only putting out records for other guitar players. It's like watching a guitar instructional video. The soundtrack to my lifes dreams hopes sorrows and wishes don't contain really bad songs with amazing guitar solo's.

By the way, Mozart is too damn happy for me. Give me Beethoven for feel and Bach for the math.
 
Capnreverb,

1) You are talkin' about a GUITAR player magazine NOT a songwriters magazine... they see killer chops as a selling point for the mag.

2) How do you know something is relevant to the piece?.. What is your criteria for making it relevant?...

3) What makes Satch and Vai CD's emotionally vacant? What do you define as emotional? Is everything you define as emotional...truely emotional? for everyone? Does the music that touches you touch everyone?
 
shredfit said:
Capnreverb, Is everything you define as emotional...truely emotional? for everyone? Does the music that touches you touch everyone?
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For the most part there's nothing I hate more than a critic. Someone who denounces another's music, or whatever, and negatively influences the way other people view it. But in a place like this I say go for it. Everyone here knows what they like(as you obviously do) and noone really thinks they're going to change anyone's mind. So let's not worry about being fair and objective. Capnreverb thinks those speedy guitar players he mentioned are crap and I agree with him. And I don't care who gets touched.
 
so what is the point your all trying to show?
it doesnt matter what touches you....whos the best to you....
u dont even have to tell people.....just keep it to urself...
 
systmovadown said:
so what is the point your all trying to show?
it doesnt matter what touches you....whos the best to you....
u dont even have to tell people.....just keep it to urself...
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No, that's what I'm trying to say. Don't keep it to yourself. There are lots of instances where you should keep it to yourself but not here. I think it's terrible to tell someone who doesn't know a musicians work that it's bad. Just telling them that might skew the way they look at it and keep them from getting what could have been a lifetime of enjoyment out of it. I can't stand it when you get a CD and the liner notes are written by some jackass that goes through the songs and picks out which are good and which are bad. It's almost impossible to listen the songs they label as bad without thinking that if you like them there must be something wrong with you, even if you know the person who wrote it is an idiot and think the songs sound good.
But here I say to hell with it. We all dislike some music. Go ahead and say so. What's the point of this place? To sit around and talk about how all music is good and how we should like everything we hear? Screw that.
By the way, I know the point of this place is to discuss and get help with Home Recording but there seems to be a lot of other stuff that goes on as well.
 
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