Nuno vs Lynch vs Prince vs Steve Vai

  • Thread starter Thread starter MistaGuitah
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Back in the day Lynch mopped the floor with Nuno.
Prince is an amazing musician.
I have seen seen the solo all along the watch tower and he ruled.
But Vai is the man .
Nuno is a great player and has chops but Lynch was way more his own thing.
Nanos songs left a lot to be desired.
Now days Nuno for the win , but not back in the day.
Just my opinion.
 
SpiderWars said:
I like some of his stuff but there is a very primal something about this one that I've always really liked.
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yeah ive watched this song and others a few times but i never really listened to his albums in full. i like him more live, like the studio version of this song does nothing for me but live its great.

 
Matt300ZXT said:
Nuno has a sound that, among all the guitar gods of the 80s, instantly set him apart. There's a handful of guitarists I can listen to that after a few notes, I can instantly tell you who it is: Randy (because of his godawful tone), Dimebag (once again, his godawful tone, but also his technique), Yngwie, Eddie, and Nuno. He is extremely technically proficient and clean as hell, but his percussive style and interesting way of picking notes make him instantly recognizable. However, that last album they put out is pretty much trash.

As far as Prince, I think he got so much acclaim because he played so many instruments, wrote so many great songs for others as well as himself, and had just enough chops to back it up. However, I don't think he's a guitar god like some people say. Musician god, yes, guitar god, no.
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Well stated, and thank you for explaining about Nuno. Like you, I appreciate players with unique, identifyable styles. Back in the 80s and 90s, I was a big metal head so I didn't come to appreciate guitarists like Slash until a few years later. It's those guys with their own signature style and tone that can he most appealing. I will listen to some Nuno stuff and look out for the qualities you mentioned. By the way, what tracks/videos would you suggest for a proper Nuno introduction?
 
Man you guys have contributed some excellent commentary on this subject. It's given me a few things to consider.
TheGreatGreen said:
If you want to know why Nuno is held in such high regard, listen to Pornograffiti. The way he writes riffs and composes leads are incredible. To me he's always kind of represented the platonic ideal of the 80's "gunslinger" type guitar player. There's just so much attitude in his playing. For what it's worth though, the guy's got crazy big ego to the point that it came comes through in the music, which can be offputting, but overall he's awesome.

Vai is sometimes listenable and sometimes not, but he's kind of on another planet than everybody else when it comes to guitar playing. Nobody in the world plays like him or writes music like he does. The guitar is such so infused with who he is that there's no sense of physical translation between his thoughts and what comes out of the speaker. Listening to him play is like listening directly into his brain, and he's a very weird guy (which is a compliment in this case) so it can be particularly interesting. There's only a few guys in the world who play at that level. Guthrie Govan is another guy who is has that kind of talent and creativity. Danny Gatton and Shawn Lane were like that too.
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I remember vaguely some Nuno stuff in the late 80s but I was into much heavier styles of music so Extreme was a turn-off. However, I've since grown a lot as a guitarist and expanded my appreciation for a broader variety of music so I want to see what the hype is about. From what I heard of the new album, there were a couple of brilliant things I heard which is why I started this thread to find out more.

As for Vai, I haven't listened to him more than a handful of times the past couple of years. However, I came across Teeth of the Hydra when it first hit YouTube and quite enjoyed it. He sounded invigorated and like he returned to his roots which made us all love his playing in the beginning. He is indeed extraordinary, eccentric, peculiar, brilliant, otherwordly all wrapped up in one skinny old dude. Vai will always be one of the worlds very best guitarists.

Danny Gatton man, he was a monster guitar player. The first time I heard Harlem Nocturne when I was young, I was blown away by his skill and expression. He seemed like a David Gilmour but in a whole different genre so I bought his album Cruisin Deuces I think it was called. I still have a couple of his CDs when they first started putting his stuff on CD. Really great player who deserves a mention from time to time for nostalgia.

By the way, the "80s gunslinger" type guitarist you mentioned remind me of guys like Rob Marcello and Joey Taffola. Check out Rob man. The dude is awesome!

 
tallcoolone said:
Pornograffiti, the CD I owned in 1990--you mentioned that I give it a listen ?

I like Nuno's playing--but he isn't Prince man. There isn't one measurable aside from possibly notes per second that Nuno comes out on top over Prince. And Nuno would tell you that. Nuno's riffs are great. But...it's Prince man. His riffs are exponentially more notable. And there are hundreds more of them.
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Nuno is kinda like Prince as he tours with Rihanna
 
To me Nuno's playing is sort of like a funkier, more modern version of EVH

Great swing in his playing and as epic as his leads are, his rhythm playing is what I love most about him. Tons of little accents all over the place

The entire Pornograffiti album is a masterclass in this shit

I agree that as a guitar player Prince is overrated. He's good, but overrated IMO
 
MistaGuitah said:
Nuno's new album has caused a lot of hype lately. While I can respect his skill as a guitarist and accomplishments as a musician, his playing just doesn't sound that interesting to me. I hesitate to mention George Lynch and Steve Vai because some of their music and guitar solos are extremely tasty, but overall, I rarely listen to them.

Prince is another guitarist whose popularity I don't get. I used to hear people rave about his playing and revere him but I was under the impression they were joking at first. I listened to Prince play several times trying to figure out if he could play well or if there was some kind of obscure musical genius in his music but I have to say he's one of THE most overrated guitarists ever. I'm not trying to be mean, just that I tried but couldn't find anything of his that was good or interesting. He was very successful at it though, I'll give him that.

So what's the deal with Nuno Bettencourt? I know he's a good player but why do some people even hail him as the greatest guitarist ever? Do his chord progressions have some kind of secret genius? Is his phrasing somehow so elite that it can only be discerned by the finest jazz fusion guitarists? I really don't get it but would sincerely like to know so I can try to like some of his music.
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Nuno, now and then is just amazing. Maybe the closest player to EVH when it comes to the "swing" in their playing. Greatest guitarist ever? No. Just refreshing at the moment that someone is throwing out some 80's style shredding which quite frankly just has alot more feeling than many of today's paint by numbers modern guitarists.

Lynch now...no thank you. Lynch in Dokken / Mob, one of my favorite players ever.

Prince - easily one of the most overrated guitar players. Everytime I see that "Gently Weeps" video and people gushing I wanna puke because "we" can dig out player after player that can lay waste to that guy. But they aren't Prince so the conversation is skewed before it can ever get started. Bottom line, there's everyday players that you can walk by the Bars on Broadway in Nashville that can put Prince in the weeds, well not just Prince, alot of players.
 
tallcoolone said:
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Gag!

And it's not that it's bad, it isn't in fact it's probably the best thing the guy ever did. The "gag" from me is because it's so overblown by people, especially non guitarists putting this guy on a virtuoso "guitarist" pedestal when it reality it's nothing more than meat n potatoes playing.

Anything wrong with meat n potatoes playing, nope. Guys like Ace, Iommi, Scholz, Perry are all in that category just not in the same league as EVH, Jimi, Beck, G Moore etc... That's where the overrated comes in for Prince, he's not in that category yet he's lauded as if he is. Obviously that triggers me lol.
 
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Gimme this...
Not talking about the shredding either, love when he slows it down. Brilliant guitarist.
 
Comparing these three guys isn’t even close to an apples to apples comparison.

Vai and Prince have the most in common and not even for the guitar playing, but the one-man-behind it all/production aspects. Vai’s spoken really highly of Prince over the years (he gave him the UV he recorded ‘For The Love Of God’ with back in the day) and you can hear the Prince influence on Vai’s production on Fire Garden and Ultra Zone, but as for their guitar playing, they’re entirely different players with entirely different motivations for playing guitar. I think it was a familiar tool for Prince and for Vai it was the thing he connected to the most that made him want to push himself as far as he could go with it.

Nuno I think is more in the EVH/Dimebag/Cantrell zone; a dude who is so fuckin’ killer it’d be a shame to not let him shine on his own in a band. Like adding another guitar player to VH, Pantera or AIC wouldn’t elevate those songs any higher than where they’re at and same goes for Nuno/Extreme, IMO. He’s more the ‘I’m a rock guitar player in a rock band doing my thing’ without wearing quite as many hats as Prince or Vai. I know he produced/mixed the newest Extreme album, but it’s not like he’s known for it like the above are.

Regardless of all the above, all 3 are killer fucking musicians that the world is better off for having witnessed.
 
I always wonder how someone can go by one name… prince, madonna, Cher- wtf; That does it for me. As far as playing their songs, prince is the easiest of the OPs named. Chix dig the music because it’s poppy and it gets them on their feet. Not sure if playing “Dream warriors”, “Get the funk out” or “A wanted man” get the folks up. Having said that I personally enjoy playing guitar heavy stuff more than poppy shit.
 
Diary of a Axeman said:
To me, Prince was over hyped .
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I agree with you if just focusing on guitar, but for my it is the whole package with the lyrics, music, fact he plays and sings, etc. Prince should have been just a flash in the pan but he just kept creating music.

The other thing for me is his sustain, choice of notes for solos, etc. His solo in "Let's Go Crazy" is great and all over the place but then for "Pyrple Rain" it is contained and he plays to the song. I mean listen to that wah solo on "Kiss". So good.
 
jabps said:
Nuno, now and then is just amazing. Maybe the closest player to EVH when it comes to the "swing" in their playing. Greatest guitarist ever? No. Just refreshing at the moment that someone is throwing out some 80's style shredding which quite frankly just has alot more feeling than many of today's paint by numbers modern guitarists.

Lynch now...no thank you. Lynch in Dokken / Mob, one of my favorite players ever.

Prince - easily one of the most overrated guitar players. Everytime I see that "Gently Weeps" video and people gushing I wanna puke because "we" can dig out player after player that can lay waste to that guy. But they aren't Prince so the conversation is skewed before it can ever get started. Bottom line, there's everyday players that you can walk by the Bars on Broadway in Nashville that can put Prince in the weeds, well not just Prince, alot of players.
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I thought it was just me. Absolutely! That "guitar gently weeps" video that everybody swoons over is basic BS playing. You take the video away and just "listen" it is average.

I don't follow 80s has-beens but it seems they are trying to resurrect Nuno into some kind of EVH replacement. Paying particular attention to one solo as if it is the greatest thing. Sounds like practice exercises put to music.

Steve Vai I find hard to listen to. If he doesn't work out and repeat his solos, he's fucked. Any G3 jam shows this. He can't improvise for shit and for laughs, listen to him try to play blues.

My favorite is Lynch Mob era George Lynch of those mentioned. Outside solos. Never quite know what's coming. A throwback to the 70s great guitarists, IMO
 
RaceU4her said:
Prince is one of the few artists I’ve never really dove into at all, might be time for me to do that.
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Watch a video of his Super Bowl halftime performance on a big screen and up loud.

Insta-fan guaranteed.
 
I saw Prince live back in the day when he was on tour with Sheila E Fantastic show but it's not a platform for shred. I would call Prince a highly "competent" guitarist but he's not at the same technical level of any of the other guys mentioned in this thread , nor does he need to be. Prince fans don't give a shit about ripping guitar solos, they want funky jams and songs to sing along to, I kind of don't even get why he is in this conversion.
Rob Marcello? what a freaking beast, sadly he came about 15 years too late and he sounds like the bastard child of Vinnie Moore and Greg Howe. if he could've hooked up with a band that could actually write some hits more people would know about him, he's got incredible technique
 
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Nuno is always and will always be a favourite player for me. Again, I'm a fan of the 80s players in general and thus he is right in that mix. I always love that funkiness that Nuno has in his playing. It's a certain swing he has that I always like listening to.
 
jabps said:
Gag!

And it's not that it's bad, it isn't in fact it's probably the best thing the guy ever did. The "gag" from me is because it's so overblown by people, especially non guitarists putting this guy on a virtuoso "guitarist" pedestal when it reality it's nothing more than meat n potatoes playing.

Anything wrong with meat n potatoes playing, nope. Guys like Ace, Iommi, Scholz, Perry are all in that category just not in the same league as EVH, Jimi, Beck, G Moore etc... That's where the overrated comes in for Prince, he's not in that category yet he's lauded as if he is. Obviously that triggers me lol.
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Hey everyone is welcome to their opinion. We happen to strongly disagree on Prince. Gary Moore? He was the master of meat n potatoes. Sometimes meat n potatoes fits best.

I like Nuno's new song I checked out thanks to this thread--killer playing that for once didn't make me immediately think of late 80's wankery which was cool. But I wasn't humming the solo to myself after. That's a HUGE part of being an iconic master of the instrument. Anyone can play a lot of notes with enough practice but not everyone can make incredible music with those notes.
 
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