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underrated guitarists
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Stevo
Stevo
6664 posts

underrated guitarists
Feb 13, 2008, 12:42
This is my response to a thread on another forum (tapecity) I had to come back and add in about 10 names after 5 minutes thought & still left quite a few out. But thought I'd post it as is and possibly come back later. So am wondering what other people here reckon are underrated guitairists

Jeff Buckley was pretty phenomenal. Not sure to what extent he was recognised as a guitarist as opposed to vocalist. I saw him in '94 doing a solo show at Whelan's in Dublin playing a telecaster and doing a really good job. Was surprised he'd use a guitar without a whammy bar for that purpose but he was great.

Lee Underwood his dad's sideman on the early stuff (up to starsailor band, though he's on Starsailor & I think he came back afterwards for a while).
really like his rolling tone. Not sure what I think of him personally after reading Blue Melody where he doesn't come off as altogether pleasant (bit egotistical).

Piece of Turkey Bones & The wild dogs
Rowland S Howard
Kid Congo
Blixa Bargeld
all of these are untutored guitarists who've invented a way around formal technique reinventing the relationship with the electric guitar. So tend not to be thinking of it as an electric version of an acoustic I would think. & instead are using the tool itself for effects that can be brought out of it.

Jorma Kaukonen
not sure how undersung he is cos I don't know level of recognition. I love his work anyway.
Paul Kantner's cat scratch guitar on post 68 material is great too. Sat & listened to Bless Its pointed little Head when I got the cd remaster & it stood out there. Had read about James Brown being one artist everybody was listening to at the time. Think this is evidence.

James Gurley the noisy stuff from BB&HC is very satisfying.

Ron Asheton is probably pretty recognised by a lot of people these days.
Broke away from standard need for blues progressions I guess. Being able to come back & dub in rhythm guitar on Funhouse shows him to have some level of mastery that's probably not that massively recognised.

Jim Duckworth the one early Gun Club guitarist who was really capable. It's better to listen to him live than on the scanty studio material from his year in the band. Dime circulated about 5 shows last year & he's on the Hacienda dvd.Ward Dotson's slide is great too.

Richard Lloyd doesn't get enough recognition for his input into Television I don't think.

John Echols did great stuff with Love but vanished too soon. He reappeared before Arthur died but has he stopped again?

The guitarist with Fishbone whose name I can't remember. amazing fluidity for very stubby fingers. Unfortunately he joined a religious cult and quit music.

Tom Herman of Pere Ubu. Great great stuff on first couple of studio lps & the live stuff from that era. Somebody pointed out that he was playing pretty much delta blues which probably isn't the first association you'd make with that band.

John Mclaughlin
Richard Thompson
Jerry Garcia
presumably none of these needs an introduction.

Fred Smith/Wayne Kramer
Curt Kirkwood
Greg Ginn
Caspar Brotzmann
Wendell from Osibisa
Steel Pulse's guitarist
Ernest Ranglin (esp on toots & The Maytals stuff)
Greg Duncan (QMS tends to recognise Cippolina to the expense of this guy, C is great anyway but D shouldn't be ignored)
Clarence White
Phelps Collins
Funkadelic (always seemed to have great guitarists but my minds blank right now as to names)
Fuzz Silverfish (pure energy, think he actually had technique but ignored it)

sorry, if I sit here and think about this the list will just continue growing.
Stevo
Np QMS Feb 2nd 67 quietly from other room, can mainly hear bass.
But should have my laptop back tomorrow and be able to play music in living room.
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