My List of Underrated Guitarists
Aug 02 '01 (Updated Aug 11 '06)
The Bottom Line There are many out there.
Well, since I cannot really write any reviews on songs anymore, I will do something else on the musical side: talk about underrated guitarists. There's no doubt that there are many underrated guitarists out there, and here are guitarists that are underrated and below each of these, the songs that show their virtuosic abilities.
Stevie Ray Vaughan - No doubt about it. He's one of the greatest, yet he is one of the most underrated. Many people ask who this guy is, and I just wonder how people know so little about such a great talent. He uses everything a guitarist can use: wah-wah pedals, muffled chords, harmonics, whammy bar, hard bends, fast finger work, different rhythms; what more could you ask for from a guitarist? His feel for blues rock is one that could only be compared to that of Jimi Hendrix. Vaughan's one of my favorites of all time.
Best song: Lenny
David Gilmour - Pink Floyd's innovative guitarist that no one talks about these days. Although he does not have the fingerwork speed that Jimi Hendrix, Kirk Hammett or Stevie Ray Vaughan possess, he makes up for this by making the nicest sounds out of his guitar. His experimentation of different guitar effects is amazing and can be heard on any Pink Floyd album. He was the main reason why Pink Floyd's album, Dark Side of the Moon stayed on the charts for more than 700 weeks. That is a testament of his ability. In my opinion, a great guitarist.
Best Song: Shine on You Crazy Diamond part II
John Frusciante - Many people have criticized his style throughout his years as a Red Hot Chili Pepper. He is underrated as well, and is often overlooked by fans who praise Slash from Guns N Roses, Kurt Cobain and Head and Munky from Korn. In his albums as a Pepper, Frusciante always has shown a diversity of guitar work. His acoustic guitar work, use of slide guitar, use of wah-wah pedal, distortion and electric guitar work through effects boxes are just part of the work he has shown as a Red Hot Chili Pepper. His wide range of guitar work is phenomenal.
Best Song: Scar Tissue
Eric Johnson - DEFINITELY underrated! How could people not know about this guy?! He has produced some of the best guitar work of all time. His "perfectionist" style is something that cannot be compared to any guitarist today. His dazzling fingerwork, harmonics and various effects he uses in his songs are great, and this guy perfectly defines the term "guitarist".
Best Song: Camel's Night Out
John Williams - No its not the great composer but a rather excellent classical guitar player. I heard a CD of his before, and was just stunned by his amazing guitar work. Classical guitar is as hard as you can get in terms of guitar playing, and he showcases his ability with his ferociously fast finger work from both hands. How he manages to strum while picking at other strings is something that never ceases to amaze me.
Best Song: Asturias
James Hetfield - I just put him up here, because I think fans worship Kirk Hammett too much that he is only recognized as a vocalist, not as a guitarist. His work on Nothing Else Matters is fantastic, and many people do not realize that it was Hetfield who did the solo for this song. He also starts off many of Metallica's speed metal riffs from Kill 'Em All. He's done many other solos too, but fans still fail to notice that he, and not only Hammett, is behind some of the tricky stuff too.
Best Song: Nothing Else Matters
Dimebag Darrell - A great guitarist that is always overlooked. He creates some of the best riffs in the history of all heavy metal music. He uses millions of effects pedals to create many different types of solos and riffs. Some may be slow and mellow, while others are heavy and fast. His solos are always filled with bending, high pitched notes along with some amazing finger work on the fretboard. A great musician.
Best Song: Floods
Jeff Hanneman - Since Slayer is not liked by many people, many people forget about Hanneman. In most of his songs, his riffs move at speeds of more than 200 beats per minute! That's insane, but that shows how skilful a guitarist he is. Wait until you hear his solos! An extremely gifted guitarist.
Best Song: Angel of Death
Joe Satriani - A guitar player who has it all: dazzling fretboard work, extensive use of tremolo, effects pedals and harmonics and experimentation with acoustic and electric guitars. The only problem is that no one notices him, which is an extreme pity. If you want to be a guitarist, don't look any further and listen to Satriani.
Best Song: Surfing With the Alien
Don Felder - Although he's been in The Eagles since the beginning, Joe Walsh takes the credit for most of The Eagles' guitar work. Therefore, Felder is often forgotten. His solo in Hotel California is amazing to say the least, and it makes me wonder how the fans can praise one of these guitarists more than the other. Unfortunately, Felder is a victim of this. He puts a lot of feeling into his songs, and I like his style. Another guitar player that wannabe guitarists can look up to.
Best Song: Hotel California
As you can see, there are many underrated guitar player, along with many others. I hope you learned from this review, and I hope you enjoyed reading it.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
cripper
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Member: Chris Ying
Location: Sydney, Australia
Reviews written: 348
Trusted by: 323 members
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.