the underrated guitarists thread

[ratter]

Best Unknown (to the masses EJ, Morse, Bonamassa, Trucks, Plankton, Verheyen, Timmons, Landau

Underrated: Peter Frampton, Vernon Reid, 99% of country "singers" who can play guitar better than most rock players...Gill, Paisley, et al.

Overrated: Govan. Yeah, I said it!

About Reid...There are some things you need to understand if you want to 'get' Vernon Reid.

A) His "noisy/sloppy" playing is intentional. In that sense, he's more into the "soundscape" kind of idea than playing licks. And it's not like I'm just taking his word for it or anything, but I've seen him live and in person play the most amazing, fast, and CLEAN stuff that you can imagine. When he wants to, he can be John McLaughlin. Anybody can argue that all they want, but I've seen it with my own two eyes.

B) He doesn't ever play the same solo twice. Lots of guys claim this, but he really does it, even on their most well-known songs. When you do that, they aren't all going to be winners. The same can be said for Eric Johnson a lot of the time.

Those two things, to me, say a ton about his ego. Or lack thereof. Once you understand that, you might start to "get" him.

 

[Digital Jams]

Best Unknown (to the masses EJ, Morse, Bonamassa, Trucks, Plankton, Verheyen, Timmons, Landau

Underrated: Peter Frampton, Vernon Reid, 99% of country "singers" who can play guitar better than most rock players...Gill, Paisley, et al.

Overrated: Govan. Yeah, I said it!

About Reid...There are some things you need to understand if you want to 'get' Vernon Reid.

A) His "noisy/sloppy" playing is intentional. In that sense, he's more into the "soundscape" kind of idea than playing licks. And it's not like I'm just taking his word for it or anything, but I've seen him live and in person play the most amazing, fast, and CLEAN stuff that you can imagine. When he wants to, he can be John McLaughlin. Anybody can argue that all they want, but I've seen it with my own two eyes.

B) He doesn't ever play the same solo twice. Lots of guys claim this, but he really does it, even on their most well-known songs. When you do that, they aren't all going to be winners. The same can be said for Eric Johnson a lot of the time.

Those two things, to me, say a ton about his ego. Or lack thereof. Once you understand that, you might start to "get" him.

I tried telling these guys they did not understand Vernon

 

[j666]

Best Unknown (to the masses EJ, Morse, Bonamassa, Trucks, Plankton, Verheyen, Timmons, Landau

Underrated: Peter Frampton, Vernon Reid, 99% of country "singers" who can play guitar better than most rock players...Gill, Paisley, et al.

Overrated: Govan. Yeah, I said it!

About Reid...There are some things you need to understand if you want to 'get' Vernon Reid.

A) His "noisy/sloppy" playing is intentional. In that sense, he's more into the "soundscape" kind of idea than playing licks. And it's not like I'm just taking his word for it or anything, but I've seen him live and in person play the most amazing, fast, and CLEAN stuff that you can imagine. When he wants to, he can be John McLaughlin. Anybody can argue that all they want, but I've seen it with my own two eyes.

B) He doesn't ever play the same solo twice. Lots of guys claim this, but he really does it, even on their most well-known songs. When you do that, they aren't all going to be winners. The same can be said for Eric Johnson a lot of the time.

Those two things, to me, say a ton about his ego. Or lack thereof. Once you understand that, you might start to "get" him.

I tried telling these guys they did not understand Vernon

me too. they just tell me he is teh suck.

 

[guitar_god123456]

umm...yeah, this turned out to be a pretty big thread

 

[OneArmedScissor]

Some fags you never heard of.

sooooo...u know all the fags?

Do I?

 

[moronmountain]

Best Unknown (to the masses EJ, Morse, Bonamassa, Trucks, Plankton, Verheyen, Timmons, Landau

Underrated: Peter Frampton, Vernon Reid, 99% of country "singers" who can play guitar better than most rock players...Gill, Paisley, et al.

Overrated: Govan. Yeah, I said it!

About Reid...There are some things you need to understand if you want to 'get' Vernon Reid.

A) His "noisy/sloppy" playing is intentional. In that sense, he's more into the "soundscape" kind of idea than playing licks. And it's not like I'm just taking his word for it or anything, but I've seen him live and in person play the most amazing, fast, and CLEAN stuff that you can imagine. When he wants to, he can be John McLaughlin. Anybody can argue that all they want, but I've seen it with my own two eyes.

B) He doesn't ever play the same solo twice. Lots of guys claim this, but he really does it, even on their most well-known songs. When you do that, they aren't all going to be winners. The same can be said for Eric Johnson a lot of the time.

Those two things, to me, say a ton about his ego. Or lack thereof. Once you understand that, you might start to "get" him.

Why do I need to "get" him? I love a lot of sloppy players. I like Hendrix and he was arguably one of the sloppiest players on the planet when he played live. I also like Page. I think VR's note selection sucks. I think he plays with no feel. To me it sounds like a bunch of random notes. Why MUST everyone "get" him or like his playing. I'm sure he could technically play circles around me, but I'd rather quit playing than sound like him. Am I not cool because I don't like him?

 

[Stratboy151]

Why do I need to "get" him? I love a lot of sloppy players. I like Hendrix and he was arguably one of the sloppiest players on the planet when he played live. I also like Page. I think VR's note selection sucks. I think he plays with no feel. To me it sounds like a bunch of random notes. Why MUST everyone "get" him or like his playing. I'm sure he could technically play circles around me, but I'd rather quit playing than sound like him. Am I not cool because I don't like him?[/quote]







i agree, i hate VR. but i do love living colour. the reference someone made above was almost like "Yeah man he's awesome, he's just TRYING to suck, you dont get it..."

 

[Digital Jams]

Why do I need to "get" him? I love a lot of sloppy players. I like Hendrix and he was arguably one of the sloppiest players on the planet when he played live. I also like Page. I think VR's note selection sucks. I think he plays with no feel. To me it sounds like a bunch of random notes. Why MUST everyone "get" him or like his playing. I'm sure he could technically play circles around me, but I'd rather quit playing than sound like him. Am I not cool because I don't like him?

i agree, i hate VR. but i do love living colour. the reference someone made above was almost like "Yeah man he's awesome, he's just TRYING to suck, you dont get it..."[/quote]

You just do not get him.

 

[Stratboy151]

Why do I need to "get" him? I love a lot of sloppy players. I like Hendrix and he was arguably one of the sloppiest players on the planet when he played live. I also like Page. I think VR's note selection sucks. I think he plays with no feel. To me it sounds like a bunch of random notes. Why MUST everyone "get" him or like his playing. I'm sure he could technically play circles around me, but I'd rather quit playing than sound like him. Am I not cool because I don't like him?

i agree, i hate VR. but i do love living colour. the reference someone made above was almost like "Yeah man he's awesome, he's just TRYING to suck, you dont get it..."

You just do not get him.



quote]



no you dont get JAZZ METAL!!!!! lol. are you going sunday? im contemplating taking the trip, its been awhile since i hung with you guys

 

[Digital Jams]

no you dont get JAZZ METAL!!!!! lol. are you going sunday? im contemplating taking the trip, its been awhile since i hung with you guys

No....I can't PLAY jazz metal

I will be there and it would be killer to see ya!

 

[Jdub]

Ulrich Roth.

so far ahead of is time and more mind blowing than ever thesed ays. Just keep improving and getting more inventive.


Ron Thal. more or less unknown but off the scale good..

 

[BadHorsie]

John Sykes.

The reason why I say that he is underated is because a lot of guys even to this day think that Viv Campbell and Adrian VandenBurg were the guitarist featured on the 87 album. It used to piss me off to no end lol

Sykes owns!

Poor Adrian Vandenberg- first he gets hired to do the videos and pretend to be playing Sykes' stuff, then writes music for the next album only to have Steve Vai come in rewrite the whole thing. I think the 87 album has some of the best playing and original tones of that whole era. It should stand alone as a masterwork from that time.

As for underrated players, Neil Geraldo from Benetar always comes to mind. I always loved his tones, riffs, solos, etc. Earl Slick did some cool things for a while there, too.

 

[ratter]

Why do I need to "get" him? I love a lot of sloppy players. I like Hendrix and he was arguably one of the sloppiest players on the planet when he played live. I also like Page. I think VR's note selection sucks. I think he plays with no feel. To me it sounds like a bunch of random notes. Why MUST everyone "get" him or like his playing. I'm sure he could technically play circles around me, but I'd rather quit playing than sound like him. Am I not cool because I don't like him?

Read my post again...I said if you WANT to get him. Of course you don't need to get him....who cares who likes who? I certainly couldn't care less. Like who you like and be happy and don't worry about whether or not you're cool.

Posts come up from time to time that question VR's motives or skills. I was trying to answer those questions based on what I've learned about him after listening to him for 20 years. That's all.

As far as not wanting to sound like him, that's exactly the point! He'd probably be the first to tell you NOT to sound like him...sound like yourself!

i agree, i hate VR. but i do love living colour. the reference someone made above was almost like "Yeah man he's awesome, he's just TRYING to suck, you dont get it..."

Trying to suck?? That's just a ridiculous thing to say. He's trying to do something new, while 99.9999% of the rest of us that own guitars are trying to be Page, or Eddie, or Sykes, or Vai or BB King. His is an admirable approach, IMO, whether you like the results or not.

 

[bill]

I saw Eric Johnson open for the Steve Miller band and went to see EJ. Then out comes the headliners who I thought would be just OK and they we great. Miller is a true guitarist and entertainer. Second suprise was John Forgerty from CCR. We saw him do his Blue Moon Swamp tour and he was really good, not fast or fancy but held his own and supported the song very well with his guitar playing. Next for me is John Harrington who does lead work for Steely Dan. He is a unknown of the highest playing ability and also can do all the solos from the hits. Phil Keggey is my choice for christian artists and plays well on acoustic and electric catch him if he is in town or get his CD's. Way off the map is Chet Atkins from back in the day well known to us old timers. What about Steve Marroit from Humble Pie? Great gritty in your face blues player and perhaps the best frontman in the history of rock/blues bands. And last but not least is the master of the surf guitar Dick Dale who is alittle rough around the edges but has a signiture sound and tone. PS the guy from Southren Culture on the Skids is very cool also.

 

[umm...]

Ulrich Roth.

so far ahead of is time and more mind blowing than ever thesed ays. Just keep improving and getting more inventive.


Ron Thal. more or less unknown but off the scale good..

+1 to Thal

 

[Stratboy151]

i agree, i hate VR. but i do love living colour. the reference someone made above was almost like "Yeah man he's awesome, he's just TRYING to suck, you dont get it..."

Trying to suck?? That's just a ridiculous thing to say. He's trying to do something new, while 99.9999% of the rest of us that own guitars are trying to be Page, or Eddie, or Sykes, or Vai or BB King. His is an admirable approach, IMO, whether you like the results or not.

you DID say his sloppy solos are all done intentionally...... so yeah.

 

[MisterBulbous]

Nels Cline and Jeff Tweedy. Songwriting, emotion, feel.