Special K Posted March 24, 2017 Posted March 24, 2017 How about Rodrigo y Gabriella....no one plays the guitar like Gabriella....it has to be seen to be appreciated.
Alaska Darin Posted March 25, 2017 Posted March 25, 2017 Matthias Jabs from the Scorpions. He's rarely mentioned when people do "best rock guitar player" lists but that dude is a terrific guitar player.
Fetou Posted March 27, 2017 Posted March 27, 2017 (edited) Going to have to go with Ween Are you down with the brown? Edited March 27, 2017 by Fetou
ChevyVanMiller Posted March 27, 2017 Posted March 27, 2017 Joey Kneiser, the greatest singer-songwriter you've never heard of.
OGTEleven Posted March 28, 2017 Posted March 28, 2017 (edited) Great call. Knopfler is easily, in my opinion, one of the greatest guitarists ever. As great a guitarist as he is (my personal favorite), his greatest attribute is as a songwriter. He always shows up (too low) on lists of the greatest guitarists but almost never on lists of greatest songwriters. Growing up I liked all the classic rock bands like Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Genesis (mostly the Gabriel stuff), Yes, etc. Dire Straits was definitely on the list. As I got older I still liked all those bands and I still do. The difference with Dire Straits was that I was always finding cool new things that I had missed in songs over the years. I knew all the songs by those bands but the Straits stuff always seemed fresh. The only exceptions were in their super popular stage with songs like Money for Nothing, which I like but is just a fun song. A lot of their songs (Telegraph Road, Lions, Tunnel of Love and even Sultans) have just a lot of stuff going on that is easy to pass over at first. Where Knopfler got underrated was that he was thought of as a guitar hero but his songs has some of the greatest lyrics and were written in original ways. Romeo and Juliet has a line "You can fall for chains of silver, you can fall for chains of gold, you can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold". It's a perfect phrasing for a rejected lover to throw at the his ex. One of my personal favorites is from Telegraph Road. "Cos I've run every red light on memory lane". While in Dire Straits he created the soundtracks to Cal, The Princess Bride and Local Hero, all among the greatest ever. Post Dire Straits he has created songs from about every genre (pop, rock, blues, country, bluegrass, folk, Celtic) and far surpassed his Dire Straits work in my opinion. Barely anyone knows this it seems. Unlike many songwriters, his songs are not commonly about himself. They are usually about ordinary people and usually paint them from a perspective of respect and dignity. They are incredibly relatable. Even when he writes about someone famous like Sonny Liston or Ray Kroc he makes them very real, not some larger than life figure. So many lines of his lyrics are pure genius. I'm sure most songwriters would be happy to have written one of them. He has hundreds. His guitar is still there. I saw him 18 months ago in concert (see clip below) and his guitar is still very much there (as you'll see at the end of the clip). The list of his collaborations and people who have covered his songs is unbelievably long and varied. Tina Turner, Chet Atkins, Bob Dylan, The Killers, The Judds, Kenny Rogers, Metallica, Emmylou Harris, The Indigo Girls, Randy Travis, The Everly Brothers, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shooter Jennings, Eric Clapton, and I'm sure I've left off a ton. I'd say he is underrated. Edited March 28, 2017 by OGTEleven
Bill from NYC Posted March 28, 2017 Posted March 28, 2017 Gug--I have now been to 4 Dead and Company shows and I have to agree... Very under the radar....Todd Sheaffer from Railroad Earth -- diverse -- rocker to blue grass to folk to country...mastered them all.. I really liked Further much better. John Kadlecik (imo of course) is as close as it gets to Jerry. The John Kadlecik Band is also very good. I have seen these two bands in 6 states. Underrated bands: The Guess Who and Traffic Traffic was great! I have tickets to see Winwood on 4/28. I'm not sure what to expect.
coloradobillsfan Posted March 28, 2017 Posted March 28, 2017 How about Rodrigo y Gabriella....no one plays the guitar like Gabriella....it has to be seen to be appreciated. Put an RyG show at Red Rocks on your bucket list. Sadly, it doesn't look like it will be this year though.
TSOL Posted March 28, 2017 Posted March 28, 2017 There are alot of great underrated guitarists but i personally think buckethead slays them all by a mile. But here is another underrated great from way back.
Chef Jim Posted March 29, 2017 Posted March 29, 2017 (edited) I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. In terms of lyrical craftsmanship, the sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Take the lyrics to Land of Confusion. In this song, Phil Collins addresses the problems of abusive political authority. 'In Too Deep' is the most moving pop song of the 1980s, about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything I've heard in rock. Phil Collins' solo career seems to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying, in a narrower way. Especially songs like In the Air Tonight and Against All Odds. But I also think Phil Collins works better within the confines of the group, than as a solo artist, and I stress the word artist. You're dead to me. How about Rodrigo y Gabriella....no one plays the guitar like Gabriella....it has to be seen to be appreciated. They're not underrated. They're unheard of. I heard of them a few years ago. Great stuff. Edited March 29, 2017 by Chef Jim
BillnutinHouston Posted March 29, 2017 Posted March 29, 2017 (edited) Chris Rea. Recently discovered his other hits and I'm totally hooked. Unmistakable voice, great songwriter, slick on the slide guitar. Edited March 29, 2017 by BillnutinHouston
Gugny Posted March 29, 2017 Posted March 29, 2017 I really liked Further much better. John Kadlecik (imo of course) is as close as it gets to Jerry. The John Kadlecik Band is also very good. I have seen these two bands in 6 states. Traffic was great! I have tickets to see Winwood on 4/28. I'm not sure what to expect. You'd have to think he'd throw at least a few Traffic tunes in there. Please write a review in its own thread!!
Bill from NYC Posted March 30, 2017 Posted March 30, 2017 Black 47 Yes. I actually saw them on 2nd Ave. They were not that consistent but the album "Fire of Freedom is in my top 10 albums of any band all time. Seriously, everybody should try to get their hands on that cd. It is just that great.
gomper Posted March 30, 2017 Posted March 30, 2017 Great album! I played Live in NYC over St. Paddy's weekend. Fantastic live record. Caught them on their last ever tour at the S. Buffalo Irish festival in 14. Great gig. All 7 or so times were always a blast.
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