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Most underrated guitarist.
- Thread starter A. D. Fairhurst
- Start date
I always wonder where Alex Lifeson fits on these types of lists . . . To keep up with Geddy and Neil, you have to at least be good (unless they are carrying him . . .). Nonetheless, he is never mentioned on lists of great guitarists . . .
For me Rory Galliger a monster player yet many still don't know his music .
I still don't believe Walsh gets the credit he deserves. Lots of people just mention him being an all around cool/goofy guy and party animal. He's rarely mentioned in the "greatest guitarists" stuff," not that those really mean anything anyway. His playing dating back to the beginning on "Yer Album" is astounding.
So many people don't even give Nugent a chance because of his personality and political views. I've read a lot of slagging on his playing online which is BS. I believe he also does not the true recognition he deserves, especially the earlier work including the Amboy Dukes stuff.
So many people have been saying Lerxst is an underrated guitarist since the 80s that he is basically no longer underrated.
And he founded Rush, so Geddy and Neil have to be good enough to play in Alex's band, technically!
Couple of my favorites already mentioned.
Giraldo is an absolute beast, consummate pro. One of my favorite soloists in the 80s, by a mile.
Lifeson - as mentioned above, he's usually a (distant) third when people talk about Rush. Whenever I sit and pick at his guitar parts, it's a constant stream of 'oh man, that's cool'. His voicings and chord choices are brilliant. And of course, he can rip when he feels like it.
One not mentioned yet - Lindsay Buckingham. Obviously a great songwriter, but his playing is something else. And unique as hell.
Giraldo is an absolute beast, consummate pro. One of my favorite soloists in the 80s, by a mile.
Lifeson - as mentioned above, he's usually a (distant) third when people talk about Rush. Whenever I sit and pick at his guitar parts, it's a constant stream of 'oh man, that's cool'. His voicings and chord choices are brilliant. And of course, he can rip when he feels like it.
One not mentioned yet - Lindsay Buckingham. Obviously a great songwriter, but his playing is something else. And unique as hell.
Journey catches a lot of hate these days, and Schon's romantic life choices would seem Invalid Link Removed, but if you listen to their early 80s heyday material Schon was a borderline guitar god. Even if some of the songs are considered teenybopper cheese his playing is solid. Listen to the solo in Still They Ride, for example.
A lot of those 70s / early 80s stadium rock bands have very solid musicians who were playing "contempory" rock tunes.
Tommy Shaw of Styx is another one that comes to mind.
Like Lifeson's rhythm work, but his solos meander in and out of time and they're annoying. Uncle Ted's good but as has been said he's not underrated.
Elliot Easton is a monster... Nobody does what he does. Martin Barre is killer. Ty Tabor blows my mind. Brian Setzer just absolutely slays. Billy Zoom from X is mind boggling. Jeff Beck... Technically he's a guitar god, but he's so unique.
Elliot Easton is a monster... Nobody does what he does. Martin Barre is killer. Ty Tabor blows my mind. Brian Setzer just absolutely slays. Billy Zoom from X is mind boggling. Jeff Beck... Technically he's a guitar god, but he's so unique.
I agree. With Walsh though , he can construct a guitsr line in any setting, ANY setting. Listen to the guitar on "Space age wiz kids" no other guitar work solo or line is like that song. Any so many others , guitarists will tell you he's one of the greatest out there but no, he dosen't get the van Halen amount of credit because he can't play super fast, even though he's 3x as good.
Gallagher's version of Messin' With the Kid is one of my all time favorites. Like SRV, he left us way too soon. Among active players today, I'll go with Nils Cline as most underrated.
Billy Zoom and X. Among LA's finest ever. And still doing it almost 40 years later.
For a guy that was voted best overall guitarist in Guitar Player mag in the 70's and the first rock guitarist inducted in their hall of fame , Steve Howe gets little respect these days.
Underrated? He's like the Luciano Pavarotti of classical and jazz guitar.
