Good point and one I agree with. P, when it comes to just flat out playing, is very good on the guitar. When it comes to his showmanship when he's playing guitar, he elevates in the ranking. I say this cuz he can pull out the "I'm soooo the rock star/guitar hero" thing, and that's important. P has always had the guts to pull that off where as many other guitarists who are better would straight freeze and become totally paralized in that kind of spotlight. That's why I rank P as high as I do cuz, for me and my generation, coming up in the 80's, Prince was our Hendrix. And that can't be underplayed. Did I know he was biting off of Hendrix? Sure. But it didn't matter cuz u could clearly see the love and respect he had for Jimi and he was just bringing it, early 80's style, to us kids. Prince being black and me being black, yeah, it spoke to me and influenced me. In a way that of course Jimi couldn't have cuz Prince was alive and in the flesh. I could actually go see Prince live in concert. And even from the get, P ALWAYS brought the "guitar hero' thang. That's why I don't buy that bullshit when folks "try" to pretend that they didn't know P could play guitar. Those motherfuckers know. They would have to be living under a rock. Who else made a blackbuster rock film in the 80's? Van Halen? Def Leopard? The Scorpions? Hell nah. Damn near every clip in the film, P is playing guitar. How is someone not going to know? Yeah,..trust me, they know.

namepeace said:

I couldn't have said it any better. Great post.

Favorite and greatest are two different things. I would never go so far as to say Prince is one of the greatest but he IS one of the greats, IMHO.

Spoke to Hiram at NAMM this year and the brother is huge.


This...



...is worth having.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Back to Prince.
I would say that he's very good at what he does but he's not a "Great Guitarist".

Here's something that may shock a few folks.
I don't even consider Jimi Hendrix a "Great Guitarist".
He's of the most innovative and creative players that ever lived.
But a "Great Guitarist" in the strictest technical sense? Not in my opinion.

NDRU said:

I wasn't sure whether he should be mentioned. He was next on my list. Amazing phrasing, Robben has.

In most polls about great guitarists you often see the same names: Hendrix, Vai, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Satriani, Santana, Clapton, to name a few very obvious ones.

What about guitarists who aren't named a lot in those kind of polls, but who do you consider great, but very underrated?

Heres my little list:

1. Richard Thompson
Singer-songwriter mixing folk, rock and roll and blues. Especially his solo's on his more raw ballads can be very mesmerizing, a very intuitive soloist, spirited.

2. David Hidalgo (Los Lobos)
Most people know Los Lobos for their novelty hit 'La Bamba', when this is one of the overall best groups coming from the USA in the last 30 years. They mix rock and roll, soul, tex-mex, cumbria, bluesrock and avantgarde pop in a very musical, convincing way. Hidalgo's solo's are mostly simple sounding at first, but always full of passion and soul, especially on the bluesy ballads of Los Lobos.

3. Nick Drake
For me personally the best acoustic guitarist in popular music. Incredible technique on the strings, but he uses it first of all to express moods and emotions, keeping in touch with the mystique of his music and the poetic lyrics he delivers.

4. Ty Tabor (King's X)
King's X is one of those bands that should have made it bigtime, but never really did breaktrough commercially. Their mix of powerriffs, beatlesque melodies and harmonies, and sometimes funky bassriffs echo's the powertrio-rock of Cream, and at the same time is predating bands like Soundgarden and Tool.
Alltough Ty Tabor is great at soloing, his main effort for me is his 'invention' of a very low tuned guitarsound, which he is expressing in riffs that are bluesy, melodic, and rocking at the same time.

5. Peter Buck (REM)
A mediocre soloist (he doesnt like playing those solo's also), but when it comes to creating 'jangling' riffs on his guitar he is the best, even surpassing the inventor of that style, Roger McQuin from The Byrds. His repeated, almost hypnotising riffs offer both energy and mystique to (especially the older) music of REM.

Where does Jimmy Page stand on your list...overrated, or underrated?

Santana

furygirl said:

Sanana UNDERrated?

peterfalconer said:

oops i though the title was talking about cool guitarists...

furygirl said:

Ha ha! There, there...

This man is underrated too




http://www.youtube.com/wa...A-4F6l-jr4


Dispite Ghostbusters

funkpill said:

Anybody who has heard "Maybe Your Baby" should be a believer in Ray.

lonelygurl8305 said:

Vastly overrated - stole most of his licks off Jeff Beck, and he wasn't capable of playing or using them well.

...and I've never heard of this Jeff Beck either...

lonelygurl8305 said:

Vastly overrated - stole most of his licks off Jeff Beck, and he wasn't capable of playing or using them well.

This man is underrated too




http://www.youtube.com/wa...A-4F6l-jr4


Dispite Ghostbusters

FREDDIE STONE OF SLY & THE FAMILY STONE!!!!!