Under(and over)rated guitarists

[JFK713]

There have been a few (maybe not under rated) guitarists that remain as concert highlights for me.......


Steve Howe during his Yes days, Alex Lifeson and Johnny Marr (I did not like the post Smith years however)

I saw Al DiMeola, and was tired trying to listen to him..... much like Salieri to Mozart "too many notes"

Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Johnny Lang also didn't stir my emotions like my favorites either

YMMV

[Shuie]

Duane Alman's non slide work is underrated. Micheal Bloomfield never got the respect he deserved. Angus Young, Paul Gilbert, and Bonnie Raitt don’t get as much respect as they should either, IMHO.

Until recently, I don’t think Warren Haynes was getting the respect he deserves as an individual guitarist instead of as the guy that replaced Duane. He can do it all. Session work, live, slide, blues, jazz, jam band stuff. The guy is amazing.

I’ve never heard anyone say that Clapton's recent work was great. I’m not going to say he's underrated; he just doesn’t do great stuff anymore. Anyone going to the Cream reunion at MSG in NY? I'll bet someone a Les Paul standard that he won’t suck

I’ve seen Eddie drunk and sober. I thought he was better sober.

I love Led Zeppelin, but Jimi Page was more of a hack than anything else. I’ve never understood the Ritchie Blackmore thing either. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is overrated.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally posted by JFK713
There have been a few (maybe not under rated) guitarists that remain as concert highlights for me.......


Steve Howe during his Yes days, Alex Lifeson and Johnny Marr (I did not like the post Smith years however)

I saw Al DiMeola, and was tired trying to listen to him..... much like Salieri to Mozart "too many notes"

Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Johnny Lang also didn't stir my emotions like my favorites either

YMMV

Oh yeah, forgot about Steve Howe. Catch him in a more "intimate" setting if you can. I've been to see Yes just about every time they have been in the Seattle area, last time out at the winery. They turned it down a little, played some of their classics, and really appeared to enjoy it as much as we did. Howe was pure magic.

[VINMAN]

Roy Clark, yes the Hee Haw guy. Neal Schon from Journey. two excellent players.

[SLO-BOB]

this is a test....

[stuartj]

Originally posted by Sebring77

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter/Steely Dan- Just listen Bodhidsattva (sic?)

.

Did Jeff Baxter (who is now a consultant to US Govt on terrorism, wouldya believe) play the solo on "Kid Charlemene"? That is a snorter.

Stuart

[SLO-BOB]

this is a test....

[nostatic]

Kid Charlemenge is Larry Carlton I believe.

Ditton on Mike Bloomfield. I saw him in 1980, not long before he died. I still have an old double album of him and Al Kooper. Great stuff.

Clapton peaked with Derek and the Dominos, but that is some of the best guitar work EVER. Ditto with Cream, Blind Faith, and also his work with Mayall and Bluesbreakers. But you also have to hand it to him...he's a survivor. Most of his peers are either dead or a shell of themselves. EC can still play, just not like 1971.

Jimi wasn't like anyone else. You can't judge him by standard metrics. He just was, and there will never be another like him.

Joe Walsh is underrated imho.

I always though Jimmy Page was overrated, although I think he is an amazing writer and arranger. And he makes a good noise...but he isn't a technician.

[nostatic]

Classic Jeff Baxter is the solo on "My Old School." It is frickin' awesome, especially the fade out...crank that loud and listen to the descending lick he does just as they fade to black.

[stuartj]

Originally posted by nostatic
Classic Jeff Baxter is the solo on "My Old School."

One of my faves.

And there is J. Beck. Of that Yardbirds grad class, JB remained the most technically innovative and musical guitarist of the era, Hendrix excepted. What a great player.

And ofcourse went on to become the alter ego of Nigel Tufnell.

[Don Plumley]

Hmmm....

The Edge - I'm with Drago on this. Every album fresh.
SRV - What can I say?
Mark Knopfler - I can hear Sultans of Swing in my head...
Keith Richards - The boy can't be white...listened to him earlier tonight
James "Honeyman" Scott - Go listen to the album
Carlos Santana - The Mesa Boogie sound (made here in Petaluma, btw). Kinda like Clapton in that he's not as great as the old days, but he's relevant and introducing a new generation of people to old school guitar.

Here's my ringer. Hold on to your hats: Charo. She can bend the nylon.

On the other side of the coin:
Ted Nugent, Angus Young, Eddie Van Halen and every other guy that I learned three chords from...

[nostatic]

Originally posted by Don Plumley

James "Honeyman" Scott - Go listen to the album

Good call. I saw the Pretenders tour after their first album. He was an amazing player.

Andy Summers was also pretty unnoticed as a guitarist, but he is an amazing "atmospheric" guy. I saw the Police for the synchronicity tour and I couldn't believe how much sonic ground the guy covered.

Beck in '80 was the best guitarist I've ever seen live. I've seen Clapton a few times and he was great, and have seen a lot of others. But I wanted to burn my guitar after the Beck "There and Back" tour show.

Lindsey Buckingham was an underrated as a guitar player imho. So were John Lennon, Frank Zappa, and Greg Lake. Hmm, there's an odd trio.

Michael Gurley (dada) is really, really good. And unknown.

Terry Kath could play the ***** out his guitar too. Or so said Hendrix. Another RIP.

Robbie Robertson always seemed to play the right notes at the right time.

[VINMAN]

Tom Scholz from Boston, excellent technical player

[89911]

Lindsey Buckingham had a different finger picking style. Brian May also? George Harrison of knowing when NOT to play. As far as overated, I would say any of the newer bands guitarist that have come out in the last 5-10 years (Greenday, Offspring, (rumour has it they have both put out the same album for the last 5 years!). When you pull people out of your audience to play your guitar part, that could be a tipoff.

[Eric 951]

You may laugh, but underrated--Prince.
overrated-- Jerry Garcia(yes, I saw him live)

[kaisen]

Yngwie Malmsteen

[oldsam]

Nobody mentioned Stephen Stills--very creative especially in song writing using non-standard tunings. 4 and 20, for example.

[notfarnow]

I think people who consider Jimi Hendrix overrated have probably heard Foxy Lady & Purple Haze too many times.

A couple weeks ago I had Band of Gypsies blaring out in the garage... I literally had to stop what I was doing and sit down. Amazing stuff. I have a Hendrix blues compilation with some fantastic acoustic stuff too.

As for Clapton, I agree his later stuff is pretty tame and hollow. But I challenge anyone to name a better version of Crossroads than Cream's. Another "stop what you're doing" tune.

[rcm]

I have throw out one for under rated, Joe Perry from Aerosmith.

[arcsine]

Originally posted by notfarnow
I think people who consider Jimi Hendrix overrated have probably heard Foxy Lady & Purple Haze too many times

I think a listen to Jimi doing "Hear My Train a Comin" on an acoustic (from the movie and on the Blues CD) should be required before anyone comments on him and saying he was all flash and feedback. I have come to appreciate him for his songwriting too. Not just odd things like Spanish Castle Magic but a pop songs such as Crosstown Traffic. Very well crafted.