Over-rated guitarist

[willj]

Not sure where to put this, so if you feel the need to move it Brandon, I allow you.

Ok, id like this thread to be a lil different in the sense that, id like to see us try and change each others views.

There are a lot of over rated guys in my opinion, but for me the most over rated guitar player ive ever heard mentioned is Prince. Now ive never listened to much Prince, but only because anything ive ever heard from him wasnt good enough to warrant me buying his albums. I mean i like some of his hits. I wont turn him off when Lil Red Corvette or 1999 comes on, but i dont think hes a good guitar player.

Id like to see somebody change my opinion. Im not saying he sucks. Im just saying whatever everyone else is hearing, i dont hear it.

[bozmillar]

There are about 50,000,000 people alive today who can play the guitar extremely well. I think Prince falls into this category. But he isn't famous for being a guitarist. He's famous for being a songwriter/producer/singer/all around weird guy. Playing guitar just happens to be one of the skills on his resume, and he's pretty good at it.

Prince - awesome guitar solo 3 - YouTube This is the first video I found of him playing the guitar. Seems to me like he knows what he's doing.

But I know how you feel. I feel the same way about Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix's guitar playing just sounds like noise to me.

[Stan_Halen]

Prince is more known as a pop composer and producer, so he doesn't get noticed much for guitar playing. I'm not a huge fan, but I have seen him pull off some interesting guitar work over the years. Here are some examples:

Prince - awesome guitar solo 2 - YouTube (go to 1:39 for the solo)

Also a live tribute to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" that Prince jams on:

Greatest Guitar Solo Ever - YouTube (kicks in at 3:30)

Whatya think now Will?

[willj]

But I know how you feel. I feel the same way about Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix's guitar playing just sounds like noise to me.

Ha yeah. I wish i could show you a clip of Jimi that would sway your opinion, but thats not gonna happen. Jimi was considered gret for his time.

I understand what you guys are saying Prince is most noted for. Of course! Its why hes famous... but i have, on more than one occaision, heard him referred to as a "great guitarist"

[bozmillar]

but i have, on more than one occaision, heard him referred to as a "great guitarist"

He is great. I haven't heard him play anything groundbreaking. But he sure knows how to play the guitar. I think the days of being famous for being able to play the guitar really well are over.

[Emma]

Also a live tribute to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" that Prince jams on:

Greatest Guitar Solo Ever - YouTube (kicks in at 3:30)

Oh WOW! Thanks Stan...

[rook2c4]

I've never been particularly impressed by Zakk Wylde's playing. I've must have seen a dozen or so different no-name guitar players play as good as Wylde.

[Stan_Halen]

You're welcome Emma! All of this is "relative" of course. Frank Zappa has been called a "great guitarist", but you might not know that unless you're a HUGE Zappa fan as he didn't show off all that much (except maybe in concert). Frank Zappa was, like Prince, known much more as a composer/producer/"musical genius" etc. If someone can wear multiple hats like these guys, including "great guitarist", they're alright in my book! I aspire to be 1/10th or 1/100th as awesome as they have demonstrated with all their talents!

[Stan_Halen]

Sometimes the "over-rated" thing comes from someone being a "pioneer", like Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen or maybe even Zakk Wilde. All of these guys made an impact at a specific time, but the same chops played over and over can sometimes get boring when new players come along and out-do them. Todd Rundgren is another guy that is a stupendous guitar player, but is more known as composer/producer/"musical genius". Yngvie Malmsteen caused a revolution in guitar playing shortly after Eddie Van Halen. Pretty soon every freakin guitar player in the world is finger-tapping and playing Harmonic Minor scales and ... there you go. Mozart and Beethoven were like God in their day. Now you might hear their names dropped here and there but do you really study their musical techniques ???

[willj]

Ok i'll have to say i was proven wrong. I dont think hes over rated at all. He plays guitar well enough to meet the hype he was getting.
God i hate the blues. mostly the 1-4-5 progression....I dont think he strayed outside of the pentatonic scale once, and he loves hiding behind that wha-pedal, but i must say, from my perspective, he meets his hype right on the money. I was wrong.

[Stan_Halen]

I could take this thread to infinity perhaps, but since I mentioned Yngvie Malmsteen, his influences were Uli Jon Roth and Ritchie Blackmore. If you have never listened to old Scorpions (early/mid 70's) with Uli (Ulrich) Roth you're missing out. That guy was freakin awesome and that's where Malmsteen got his Harmonic Minor licks ... that and studying the great classical composers.

[fHumble fHingaz]

Great guitarists aren't just about lead breaks - IMO a great guitarist is one who plays for the song, not for his ego. Sure, it's great to wail away, but it gets old quickly.

[Stan_Halen]

Hey Will - I think the thing with Prince is he plays with "emotion", you can tell he is totally absorbed. This is true of many of the great players. It is not always about technical prowess. There are only 12 notes to play around with so how much new stuff can you invent? Even the Harmonic Minor scale is only a sharp 7th different than Natural Minor. Someone on the "Guitar Weeps" link commented that Clapton's solo couldn't hold a candle to Prince's effort. To each his own of course. Rating a guitarist really has to do with how much you like/care/admire their style.

[willj]

Great guitarists aren't just about lead breaks - IMO a great guitarist is one who plays for the song, not for his ego. Sure, it's great to wail away, but it gets old quickly.

Thats one example of the way we are drawn in for different reasons.

Ive always guaged players on whether or not they were doing something i could do. People want to be entertained and humble guitar player is not what many people want to hear. Or even understand for that matter. I dont disagree with you FF and i think its part of being a good player, but i think what you are talking about takes less skill and more intelligence.

Nuno Bettencourt is an example of the only guy who could ever get my adrenaline going from NOT playing. Knowing when to rest but making it feel like it grooves hard!!

[bobbybovine]

Great guitarists aren't just about lead breaks - IMO a great guitarist is one who plays for the song, not for his ego. Sure, it's great to wail away, but it gets old quickly.

That doesn't make a great guitarist...that makes a great musician!!!