We interrupt our Best Music of the ’00s rundown to give you yet another list, this one comprised of those guitarists — of any decade — that we Contrarians feel are too often overlooked. Underrated by whom, exactly? Start with glossy rags like Rolling Stone and TIME and move right along to Guitar Player, etc. Some of the artists compiled below are more famous than others, but they all deserve more attention for their axework.
I only asked a few folks to contribute their faves, but if you feel compelled to add to it, well, that’s what the comments section is for. Our lists are after the jump.
Ethan Covey:
OK, here goes. Two conditions/clarifications: this is by no means a comprehensive list. It’s simply a few names who came to mind this morning while considering this. Also, you could argue that none on this list are ‘underrated’ in that those who know ‘em love ‘em. But all have far too little exposure. They deserve to be included in ‘great guitarist’ lists all ’round and ain’t.
Chris Gunn (The Hospitals; f. The Hunches)
With The Hunches, Gunn turned punk inside out, creating art-rock as raw and ravaged as his band’s Pacific Northwest winters. With The Hospitals he’s aiding in the reinvention of what experimental, guitar-based music can be.
David Pearce (Flying Saucer Attack)
The (too often) unheralded benchmark for much of what psychedelic guitar has come to mean over the past 15 years.
Richard Youngs
Youngs has been focusing less on guitar on recent releases, favoring instead synths, keys and voice. However, the dude can rightfully be put in an “underrated anything” category — for now, guitar it is.
Ibrahim Ag Alhabib (Tinariwen)
Tinariwen are gaining popularity daily — and rightfully so. Ibrahim’s guitar play is like hearing traditional musics blended with 50 years of rock trickery.
Scott Tuma (f. Souled American)
Rural Americana from the deep end.
Brian Gibson (Lightning Bolt)
Basses are guitars too, right?
Chris Woodhouse (Mayyors)
These slop-punk San Franciscans may keep their releases frustratingly rare. If yr lucky enough to grab a copy prepare to be stuck to your couch — or forced into spasmodic contortions — by Woodhouse’s axe-work.
Grady Runyan (The Bad Trips; f. Liquorball, Monoshock)
The high priest of West Coast underground psychedelia. Without Monoshock there would be no Comets on Fire. Hell, he may be the link between amphetamine-frazzled punk and beardo psych.
Robert Griffin (Prisonshake)
Proving that these two aren’t the only aging codgers who can still rock.
Mizutani Takashi (Les Rallizes Denudes)
Psychedelia 101
Oren Ambarchi
The drone world’s best guitar manipulator, capable of time-stopping beauty and, when needed, speaker-taxing aggression.
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Bill Simmon:
Bruce Cockburn
Amid the pretentious sing-talking poetry about rainforests and rocket launchers, this guy plays some fucking amazing acoustic guitar. His folksy stuff from 1970-1974 is some of the best acoustic folk guitar playing you can find from that era. Cockburn is of the caliber of the John Fahey Takoma Records troupe, but rarely associated with the other finger-picking masters from the era.
Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull)
Again, for his acoustic playing. Listen to the acoustic work on Aqualung (the album, not the song) — that’s all Anderson. He was great. Flute schmute.
Paul McCartney
The best guitar player in the Beatles.
Buck Dharma
I’ll let Casey tell everyone why.
Walter Becker
Though Steely Dan had so many sit-in players, I’m never sure who’s playing what when.
Whoever the guitar player in Ram Jam was.
I just heard “Black Betty” on the radio and that guy rocked it.
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Casey Rae-Hunter:
Davey Graham
In my mind, the undisputed master of the acoustic guitar. Graham, who recently passed away having only just come back on the scene after a multi-decade absence, had an unique, lyrical voice on the instrument. Everything from folk ‘n’ blues to Eastern music to skiffle to Celtic Isles trad to rock ‘n’ roll to Django-style jazz were in his musical inventory, and he mixed and matched styles with verve and abandon. Still as hip as it gets, even in this late age.
Buck Dharma (Blue Öyster Cult)
Buck made me the man I am today, and he’s influenced a lot of other guitarists, too. Yet he’s not often mentioned in “official” lists. A sublime technician with soul to burn, Buck’s leads are impassioned and inventive. Like the best musicians, I hear non-guitar influences in his playing, particularly the Gypsy shred of violinist Stéphane Grappelli. Of course, there’s also Robby Krieger, Jimmy Page, Jerry Garcia and Roger McGuinn in there, too. And Buck’s strong sense of pop hooks made him an invaluable songwriter/arranger for BOC. Dude deserves more credit.
Pat Martino
A titan of jazz guitar who had much of his career robbed due to a health calamity, Martino was one of the original architects of East-West fusion. His groovy 1968 exercise Baiyina, the Clear Evidence is, according to the LP sleeve, “a psychedelic excursion through the magical mysteries of the Koran.” And that ain’t the half of it! Sadly, Martino suffered a brain aneurysm in 198o, which resulted in amnesia. Lacking any memory of the guitar and or his musical career, Martino painstakingly re-taught himself how to play by listening to his own records. Plus he now only solos using minor modes, which makes him that much cooler.
Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
Sure, he was in a mega-platinum act, but Thayil was always overshadowed by pretty-boy bandmate Chris Cornell. Lead singer-itis aside, Soundgarden wouldn’t have been shit without Thayil’s crusty pummel, which fused Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Motörhead in an exotic mix of ferocity and finesse. He’s laid low for most of the decade, but here’s hoping he makes some noise soon.
Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy)
For a while, these two had it all: tone, ‘tude and locked-in, twin-flight guitar harmonies. Lizzy’s fallen leader Phil Lynott rightfully gets most of the credit for the band’s tough-as-nails yet soulful vibe, but these two guitarists are an integral part of the classic Lizzy sound. Though the band has been getting more popular with hipsters of late (maybe they just like how the logo looks on a -shirt), I rarely see Gorham or Robertson in top guitarist lists. A cryin’ shame, tis.
Daryl Rabidoux
My old bandmate remains one of my favorite guitarists in the world. He and I have completely different styles, favor different sounds and probably would find a way to disagree about whether the sky is actually blue or if the color is just “the way it was mixed.” Yet the stuff he manages to coax out of his instrument is always a defining element of whatever band he plays with. Daryl spends most of his time engineering and producing, but he’ll never not be a top-notch guitarist who deserves more recognition for his skillz.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Most overrated musical instrument:
5) Guitar
4) Guitar
3) Guitar
2) Guitar
1) Guitar
December 1st, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Point taken.
December 1st, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Most Underrated Banjo Players:
1) Kermit the Frog
2) Steve Martin
3) Jerry Van Dyke
4) The kid from Deliverance
5) Larry McNeely
December 1st, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Kim Thayall played with one finger/paw. It was just excellent tuning and guitar tech that made Soundgarden rock so.
December 1st, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Despite my anti-guitar post (I don’t dislike guitar; I just think that it’s just an overused instrument in popular music), it was great to see Oren Ambarchi listed. The man is truly a genius and has done some very innovative work on a instrument that seemingly has had every possibility of innovation drained out of it.
I doubt many will agree with me, but one of my favorite guitarists is Bernard Sumner from Joy Division/New Order. He’s perfect proof that you don’t have to be a virtuoso to be innovative and inspirational on an instrument.
December 1st, 2009 at 4:33 pm
I think people would agree with you on Bernard Sumner.
I’m not sure that the guitar has had every possibility for innovation drained out of it. At the end of the day, a great player will shine, regardless of virtuosity or technology.
As with any instrument, there’s a lot of different stuff to like, and much of it depends on what you’ll allow your ear to appreciate. Now, I enjoy virtuosity, but I think Joe Satriani blows. Why? Because he has no soul. On the other hand, I could listen to some guys (Neil Young comes to mind) mangle three notes and get off on the pure passion that’s coming across. Yet I hate “sloppy chic” playing that’s just an excuse for bad execution.
To each his own. I’m listening to Joe Pass right now, thanks to Delancey.
PS: I liked Thayil when I was young because his parts were wicked easy to play stoned.
December 1st, 2009 at 6:34 pm
let me throw my hat into the ring on this one:
manuel gottsching is awesome. ive been listening to New Age of Earth a lot lately. great record. and his E2E4 is a proto-techno masterpiece.
other underrated guitarists are:
jim hall
BEN MONDER (the headiest jazz guitarist around)
robbie basho (always under the shadow of fahey – i think he’s better and more original)
derek bailey (most original improviser on the guitar and proves you can coax a crazy variety of sound out of the instrument)
December 1st, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I’ve got to add Andy Gill from Gang of Four to the list. Huge sound.
Robbie Krieger still deserves more credit. His solos had style and were, most importantly, memorable.
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:40 am
This is what I have to say about Daryl’s guitar sound: It is a plaintive wail, a hopeful sigh, a long gaze across a November landscape. It’s that place inside, the chosen moment when you decide against despair. He’s definitely one of my favorites. The sound is unmistakable, and I feel lucky to have had that standard set for me for so long.
Thank Gawd for music.
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:19 am
Daryl’s guitar can only be summed up within this conceit:
It is an Algebra class. The student sitting is listless and set to explode as difficulty increases within the expressions posted to the chalkboard. The student sits in a daze of frustration at the technical leaps and bounds produced by the scholar, and just when “Eureka!” is to occur, the kid behind the student jabs a protractor into his/her back, causing blood to rise to the surface and the student to scream in horror/humiliation/humor. He is sent to detention for disrupting class.
Should I mention that Daryl sat behind me for two years during high school math classes.
December 4th, 2009 at 11:04 am
“Now, I enjoy virtuosity, but I think Joe Satriani blows. Why? Because he has no soul.”
The song Flying in a Blue Dream = no soul. Whoa! Everybody has their moments.
“I could listen to some guys (Neil Young comes to mind) mangle three notes and get off on the pure passion that’s coming across.”
The song Cinnamon Girl = passion. Omg! Everybody has their moments.
December 4th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Well, not EVERYBODY.
PErsonally, I’ve not heard a piece of Satriani music that’s moved me in any way, besides an admiration for his technique, which even then isn’t really all that special, considering. Jeff Beck, on the other hand… His microtonal whammy work is emotive and an amazing example of instrumental control.
December 4th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Casey,
You don’t have to sell me on Jeff Beck. I’ve been a fan since I first picked up a guitar in the mid seventies. Counting records, 8-tracks, reels, cassettes and cds I’ve probably owned a dozen copies of Wired and Blow by Blow.
Since the title of this post is Underrated Guitarists, I thought you were being unfair when your comment elevated Neil Young (as the underrated) above Satriani. I’m no huge Satch fan but I do own a few of his works and where as I can agree that much of it is a mechanical design of mode use over a drum machine, there are the few exceptions I find extremely moving, such as the aforementioned Flying in a Blue Dream.
But lets be honest for a minute. Have you ever seen Neil Young live. He’s horrible!
Allen Holdsworth is a good example of the underrated. If your a Beck fan you’ll definitely like his Jazz Fusion overbends and tremolo work.
December 4th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Yeah, I know Holdsworth, for sure.
I’m not really a fan of Neil’s electric mangling — I only brought him up as a reply to an earlier comment.
I’m a Robert Fripp kind-of-guy, myself. Well, old Fripp anyway. He’s more machine than man now. . .
December 4th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
I’ve seen Fripp. Weird, but awesome. Come to think of it he was the warm up act for Satriani’s G-3 tour with Steve Via and Eric Johnson. Just him solo. I saw it in Ft. Lauderdale. I don’t know if he was on the entire tour, but it was truly amazing… and weird. That said, King Crimson was an underrated prog band.
December 4th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Crimson is my favorite prog band.
And yes, Weird Old Bob was doing soundscapes on that tour. Now I wanna listen to Vai. But only “Flex-Able.”
December 4th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Vai brings out Casey’s inner-emoticon-icity.
December 6th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
jack rose, rest in peace