What Guitarists Have You Grown To Respect?

randomhandclaps

Who are the guitarists who you never fully appreciated until you matured as a musician?

When I was a youngster (late 80s), just prior to grunge bringing guitar playing back to being about songs rather than songs being about the guitar playing, widdle was king.  I had played guitar from being four years old so we washed along with this seemingly natural progression of guitar playing getting more a more technical.  Around this time I distinctly remember reading a guitar player special on The Edge and thinking "WTF?  Who the fuck is guy kidding?  He's playing three note there or he's just repeating the same note over and over.  How does he even call himself a guitarist?  I could do what he does easily.".  I'm sure I am far from the only one who at some point thought like this about The Edge in particular.  It was strange because I loved U2 so it wasn't any dislike it was just maybe I was expecting some unattainable wizardry to aspire to.  Now however I look at the first half of U2's career and think the choice of playing is pretty much genius.

I feel like The Edge is a really obvious choice for this question but who else is there who just did not really impress you once upon a time but now you look at with great respect?  C'mon which 12 year old one of you once thought Cece Deville was better than Gilmour?

 

Lodious

I can't think of many guitarists, but bass players like Noel Redding and Michael Anthony I used to think were hopeless, but I now see how good they were for the bands they were in, and really like them now.

It's not the same for guitarists though....everyone knows flasher is better ;-)

SidNewton

Mmm, let me see. If I really think about it I'd say Mike Einziger of Incubus. I think he has an original style and writes some great tunes. Just recently gone back to listening to classic Michael Schenker, UFO and early MSG albums and that's reminded me what a fantastic guitarist he is. Dare I say it, I have to agree with The Edge. I don't like U2 at all but the guy has achieved what very few guitarists managed and that's to develop an instantly identifiable style.

DrJazzTap

Hmm tricky one this

I've grown to appreciate Jeff Beck's ability. Considering its all done with his fingers! I'm not so much into technical players these days.

mike_l

Agree on The Edge, the problem with U2 is the gobshite cockbadger Boner.

I never got Hendrix until I learned a couple of his tracks, now he's a favourite.

Also Paul Kossoff, admittedly I liked his playing prior to guitaring, but really appreciated his playing after learning a couple of Free tracks.

Also Phil Campbell from Motorhead, he can play way better than his role in Motorhead.

richardhomer

'Respect' is an odd word in this context - it almost sounds like a euphemism for 'supposed to like but don't really'....

I suppose what we're really saying is players who we have gained an appreciation of, even if the genre they play in is not our 'thing'?

If that's the case, there's loads; Nile Rogers, Martin Taylor, Martin Simpson, Albert Lee, Steve Morse - the list goes on....

mudslide73

Graham Coxon - never listened to Blur that closely back in the day.. but in the last couple of years he's become a big fav.

Bucket

Yngwie.

Used to think he was just a soulless, unmusical wanker... to some he may still be, but I think there's a lot to be said for him. He is very over-the-top but you can tell he means every single note he plays. His tone and vibrato are second to none as well. Still don't like his music.

SimonC

I used to think that Brian Robertson was the Man in Thin Lizzy.

More recently, I'm thinking that Scott Gorham's playing from the same era was better, more tasteful and exceptionally well constructed solos.

I never really got the Peter Green thing either, until into my 40's.

ICBM

Hendrix.

When I was young all I really picked up on was the trick playing and showmanship, which I still find a bit irritating. And there's some pretty dodgy (especially live) stuff - perhaps given more exposure than it would be with a less highly regarded guitarist who released more 'official' material in their lifetimes… sadly he didn't have long enough.

But then later I got the sheer musicality of his phrasing and rhythm playing in particular, his use of sounds (often struggling to make them work with the technology of the day - again particularly live), his songwriting - and his singing.

Kebabkid

The very fine Dave Keuning (The Killers), the Kings of Leon guys, Graham Coxon i.e. indie or alt.rock players as they're not my sort of thing. It's only when you have to learn those parts, particularly Dave Keuning, that you realise how clever and well-constructed they are.

Andy Taylor of Duran Duran is another and when I was younger I concentrated too much on Glenn Tilbrook's voice and song writing to realise just what a fabulous guitarist he was/is. Take some time out and learn the solo from "Another nail in my heart" - it's a corker!

xSkarloey

I always liked The Edge. When I was a kid and had no gear to speak of and didn't know how he got his sounds what he did seemed like magic to me. 

I don't really like U2 now. I often say to people that if you could lift the guitar tracks off every U2 song and play them back to back in isolation, THEN you'd have some good music. 

As for my own choice I'd probably say Ritchie Blackmore. Now I'm old enough to (just about) see past my musical prejudices I listen to him and hear a blke who has skill, authority and who has an original musical voice.

equalsql

Andrew Gold. He (RIP) was a very fine songwriter but also a superb guitarist who was instrumental in getting Linda Ronstadt's career going before he went solo himself. His guitar solo's were always beautifully structured and designed to bring out the best of the songs. Terrific phrasing and wonderful choice of notes. His Strat tone could be really biting and his soloing skills really shone on the last record he made for Asylum. 
The track 'Sooner or Later' from that album shows just how gritty his playing could be:

octatonic

Adrian Belew.

When I was a kid I thought of Fripp as a monster player and Belew as the guy who made weird noises.

I still hold Fripp in high esteem but Belew's sense of melody and invention constantly amazes me.

EricTheWeary

TBH I admire pretty much anyone who can get a musical noise out of a guitar wether the music is to my taste or not. I find myself happily watching stuff on the tv about The Edge, Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler because they are all interesting guitarists even though I don't listen to them for pleasure as such. I was watching an old Roy Orbison tv special thing the other day which had James Burton and Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen as well as Roy on guitars just because I like guitar stuff. I like Roy's voice but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to him. However, my child like fascination with guitars got me watching this. Thankfully they didn't let Bruce sing much so it was okay... 


I was quite late at starting on the guitar so it is interesting to listen again (or Listen Against for Radio 4 fans) music that I loved and hated when I was a teenager. The dominance of the electric guitar in pop and rock music prior to the late 70's means there is something guitary to appreciate in all sorts of disco and funk and all sorts of other stuff I would have avoided back in the day.

koneguitarist

Gilmour, never really thought much of till I heard Paul Rodgers Muddy waters blues album. There was a whole list of guitarists on there, and the ones I thought would be good weren't and vice versa.

. Neal Schon, much better player than I first thought as well.

Thought Noël redding was awful until I went to see him live in Yeovil, then I knew he was awful.

Still don't get all the fuss about Hendrix, did a few good things and a whole lot of rubbish due to stuff he was on. No doubt he had talent, but I wonder if he would be largely forgotten now if he hadn't died at his peak.

Bidley

I've never really 'disrespected' guitarists, I just like what I like, is all.

ICBM

koneguitarist said:

Still don't get all the fuss about Hendrix, did a few good things and a whole lot of rubbish due to stuff he was on. No doubt he had talent, but I wonder if he would be largely forgotten now if he hadn't died at his peak.

No, because he would still be the most radical and influential electric guitarist ever, even if he was still alive today and had produced nothing but middle of the road tosh from 1971 to now.

richardhomer

ICBM;220776" said:

[quote=koneguitarist]
Still don't get all the fuss about Hendrix, did a few good things and a whole lot of rubbish due to stuff he was on. No doubt he had talent, but I wonder if he would be largely forgotten now if he hadn't died at his peak.

No, because he would still be the most radical and influential electric guitarist ever, even if he was still alive today and had produced nothing but middle of the road tosh from 1971 to now.
[/quote]
Agreed. And I'm not really a fan - but there's no denying his importance.

EricTheWeary

koneguitarist;220643" said:

Gilmour, never really thought much of till I heard Paul Rodgers Muddy waters blues album. There was a whole list of guitarists on there, and the ones I thought would be good weren't and vice versa..

Neal Schon, much better player than I first thought as well.Thought Noël redding was awful until I went to see him live in Yeovil, then I knew he was awful.Still don't get all the fuss about Hendrix, did a few good things and a whole lot of rubbish due to stuff he was on. No doubt he had talent, but I wonder if he would be largely forgotten now if he hadn't died at his peak.

I really don't like Pink Floyd so Gilmour on Macca's rocknroll album was the first time I took an interest. He is a great soloist but if I hear most Floyd songs the only bit I enjoy is the solo.

But +1 to the others on the importance of Hendrix wether you like him or not. FWIW I remember Hank Marvin not liking Hendrix - IIRC saying that what Hendrix did was easy as he only had a simple bass line to play against. I think Redding was the glue that allowed Hendrix and Mitchell to play. His bass lines were simple but there wasn't the need or the room for anything else.

Bellycaster

I was the similar to RHC's when I was 16 - 21 years old, anyone who wasn't a Rock Guitarist, I slightly scoffed at.

I was blinkered to guitarists such as Satch, Vai, Nuno, Randy Rhodes, George Lynch etc or my fave band guitarists like May and Gilmour.

Now I appreciate virtually all Guitar players from lots of styles of music.