Most overrated band?

Conversely how many great songs showcase a guitarist's talents? It's usually pretty incidental if it's there at all.

.... Certainly several classic songs from Led Zeppelin showcase Jimmy Page's great talent playing live - 'Stairway to Heaven', 'Since I've Been Loving You', 'Ramble On' as just some examples.

Billy Idol's guitarist Steve Stephens is pretty awesome too on 'Rebel Yell' and 'White Wedding Day'. Then there is Angus Young with AC/DC. No-one plays such an evil sounding guitar than Keith Richards does with the Stones - Less is often more!
 
I'll throw an odd one into the mix all skilled in their own way

Focus

Thijs van Leer / vocals, Hammond organ, alto flute, yodeling - (10/10 for the facial expressions while yodeling :D )
Jan Akkerman / guitars - was voted the best guitarist in the world in a 1973 melody maker poll.
Bert Ruiter / bass -
Pierre van der Linden / drums
 
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Probably an underrated guitar player IMHO is Neil Young. I reckon it's because the songs are so powerful his guitar playing takes second seat.
 
.... Certainly several classic songs from Led Zeppelin showcase Jimmy Page's great talent playing live - 'Stairway to Heaven', 'Since I've Been Loving You', 'Ramble On' as just some examples.

Billy Idol's guitarist Steve Stephens is pretty awesome too on 'Rebel Yell' and 'White Wedding Day'. Then there is Angus Young with AC/DC. No-one plays such an evil sounding guitar than Keith Richards does with the Stones - Less is often more!

Fair enough Robin but the Zeppelin songs you mention are exceptions even in their own catalogue the vast majority of their pieces are forgettable. I'm not really that keen on Jimmy Page either and was actually going to mention him in the overrated theme earlier.

Anyway, I'm concluding you and have pretty different tastes and that's no bad thing. I'm really not impressed with any song AC/DC has ever produced, and Angus, well, I've always thought Angus fell rather short as a guitar player and needed a bit more to prop his reputation; hence the shorts. Just my views but as I alluded to above, tastes differ and that's no bad thing.

I'm wondering if you like celery, 'cos I hate the stuff :oops: :$ :LOL:

There are a number of lesser- known guitar players working away in the background with a lot more chops than many major stars. The late Big Jim Sullivan or Davey Johnstone spring to mind as two examples.
 
.... Prince is multi talented and I rate him musically as genius. Having seen him perform live on his LoveSexy Tour I can say that he can play a very broad range of genres - Rock, blues, soul, funk, ballad, jazz, and his voice is utterly beautiful. He songwrites very well too. Like The Rolling Stones, I don't like every single track he has ever done but a great many of them and all throughout his long career and not just stuck in a short era.

Unfortunately, fecking YouTube have taken down many of his live performance videos, much to everybody's disappointment and anger.

The same week I saw Prince I also saw Michael Jackson on his Bad Tour - He was excellent but not as broad or gritty as Prince. MJ was almost a bit too polished and rehearsed by direct comparison with Prince - What a dancer MJ was though, the Fred Astaire of his day.

In my opinion, neither Prince nor Michael Jackson were overrated but are standout musicians and artists of their day who will be played, enjoyed, and remembered for many years to come.


Actually we agree on something here, Robin. I like Prince ( I'd stop short of genius, mind ) and I also thought MJ was a superb dancer; one of the few I enjoyed watching.
 
Fair enough Robin but the Zeppelin songs you mention are exceptions even in their own catalogue the vast majority of their pieces are forgettable.
Would you think it was fair to say, that even the most ardent fans of any group / singer / musician don't like everything they ever produced?
Certainly true for me, for Led Zep Pink Floyed and many others.
Although the only group / duo that I can't remember ever producing a "melon" was Paul & Art.
 
Stevie Vai is an interesting one. He's enormously impressive in many ways but I often get the feeling that he's so keen to show his technique that he loses the point. I find a lot of post internet guitarists do that. I'm not sure if that's a fair crit of Stevie or not.
I think his technique will depend on whether it is his own music he is playing or appearing on someone else's album/music.
 
Ah Sorry I didn't realise you were a

(y)


I was quoting my Mother, hence the "".

I'm a lesbian as well... (Well, I'm very fond of one!)
 
"I'm not in my fifties, I'm 21 for the 33rd time..." (It's Mrs Nod's birthday tomorrow! [and she was a BCR fan "back in the day".])

Pictures exist if mrs cockney in her tartan scarf and "half mast" trousers!
 
Would you think it was fair to say, that even the most ardent fans of any group / singer / musician don't like everything they ever produced?
Certainly true for me, for Led Zep Pink Floyed and many others.
Although the only group / duo that I can't remember ever producing a "melon" was Paul & Art.

Yes I'd agree with you there. I was a major fan of Deep Purple but really it was because I admired their musicianship rather than their songs which I found hit and miss.

It's also True S&G didn't do many bad songs. I'm sure there are ones I truly hate but I'd need to give it some thought ;)
 
I think his technique will depend on whether it is his own music he is playing or appearing on someone else's album/music.

TBH I haven't noted a difference although I thought he was actually much more enjoyable when he played with Zappa. I had assumed it was Frank's control freakery that did the trick though.
 
Pictures exist if mrs cockney in her tartan scarf and "half mast" trousers!

.... I sometimes wear my family tartan scarf but I was never a BCR fan!
 
Deep Purple
Fireball, Black knight and highway star was about the only ones ( in that order) of theirs I liked.

It's also True S&G didn't do many bad songs. I'm sure there are ones I truly hate but I'd need to give it some thought ;)
They had a bit of a psychedelic episode with "Save the life of my child" though :D
 
Pictures exist if mrs cockney in her tartan scarf and "half mast" trousers!


Photos exist of me with my trousers (certainly NOT tartan!!!) at half mast but I suspect that Mrs Cockney's are short rather than exposing a full moon...
 
Ah, Simon and Garfunkel. Pretty songs by some nice American boys, riding on Bob Dylan's coat tails. ;)

I quite like Hazy shade of winter, Cecilia, Scarborough Fair and The Boxer, but not musicians I'd say were especially influential or significant in the way many iconic players that have been mentioned in this thread were.
 
I like the twin lead guitar sound particularly Wishbone Ash, Argus is in the top three of my all time favourite albums.
Also like the distinctive sound that Bruce Watson made with Big Country, The Crossing is also in my top three
 
ANother guitarist that never gets mentioned (probably because of his jazz/R&B traits) is George Benson. Seen him live a number of times and he really is masterful with that thing....
 
Thought of a few more guitarists.
Jeff Healey, Bernie Marsden and Steve Hackett.
 
For an immediately recognisable style... Tom Morello.
 
Any Wilko fans?

Yup. Pretty sure that it was to them that I last danced (although it was more vaguely rhythmic staggering than recognizable dancing!) at a mini festival that was cancelled (as a festival) but went on as a private party for performers and family (Mrs Nod was performing). Their booze license had been refused (they had forgotten to get one in good time and the powers that be decided to make an example out of them...) so they couldn't charge for it.
Going to see Dr Feelgood (sadly without WJ) on the 18th.
 
I like the twin lead guitar sound particularly Wishbone Ash, Argus is in the top three of my all time favourite albums.
Also like the distinctive sound that Bruce Watson made with Big Country, The Crossing is also in my top three
Couldn't stand Big Country and hate the fact that they get categorised as any sort of rock genre. Just embarassing new wave pap as far as I'm concerned.
 
Playing In A Big Country now, liking them a little bit more knowing you feel like that about them.
 
Talking Heads, only one good track from them ever, Once In A Lifetime, I love that track but the rest, no likey.
 
Ah, Simon and Garfunkel. Pretty songs by some nice American boys, riding on Bob Dylan's coat tails. ;)

I quite like Hazy shade of winter, Cecilia, Scarborough Fair and The Boxer, but not musicians I'd say were especially influential or significant in the way many iconic players that have been mentioned in this thread were.
Paul SImon's Graceland pretty iconic and regarded often as one of the best albums ever, deservedly so imo.
 
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Paul SImon's Graceland pretty iconic and regarded often as one of the best albums ever, deservedly so imo.

That's a different 'band'. :)

Couldn't stand Big Country and hate the fact that they get categorised as any sort of rock genre. Just embarassing new wave pap as far as I'm concerned.

That's fair enough - guilty by association - but Stuart Adamson played for the Skids before that, and AFAIK even briefly depped in Thin Lizzy. The rig he was running to get the infamous 'bagpipe' guitar sound was complex and very advanced for the time. They weren't a band I listen to at the time, but in retrospect and hearing something other than Big Country (the single) I like what they did.
 
Paul SImon's Graceland pretty iconic and regarded often as one of the best albums ever, deservedly so imo.
Strangely thats my least favourite, of the Duo's and as as single artists.
To be fair though, it was pretty intuitive, and probably quite "risky" too.
I don't know if you saw the documentary a couple of weeks ago, about it?
BBC 4 iirc.
 
Strangely thats my least favourite, of the Duo's and as as single artists.
To be fair though, it was pretty intuitive, and probably quite "risky" too.
I don't know if you saw the documentary a couple of weeks ago, about it?
BBC 4 iirc.
I didn't catch it this time round but I think it was on a few years earlier and I saw it then.
 
I didn't catch it this time round but I think it was on a few years earlier and I saw it then.
I'm pretty sure it was a repeat, going on the date tag at the end, Steve.
 
I often thought that the kudos of using S. African musicians and mining the music of that country for that album was what gave Graceland the acclaim it got. Don't get me wrong, it's a good album but, for me, not as good as the hype.
 
TBH Graceland has never even been on my radar as an album to listen to, but I was never a PS fan (fave song is probably 50 ways).
 
I've been waiting for somebody to mention him.(unless i missed it)
I give you "the guv'nor"

829421914174.jpg
 
I've been waiting for somebody to mention him.(unless i missed it)
I give you "the guv'nor"

View attachment 244269


He was mentioned earlier. I never realised he was a great guitar player at first due to too many biker discos playing Silver Lining, and when I did find out then I didn't enjoy what he did, possibly because it's too careful, too controlled, too able. Almost impossible for him to be over-rated as a musician, but someone with a narrower appeal than his contemporaries like Clapton and Page.
 
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