Also underrated: Who's your favorite underrated guitarist? Underrated guitarists? Who are the most underrated guitarists?
I've always thought that Syd Barrett was an underrated guitarist. So much is made of his lyrics, his voice, his style, his weirdness, his story etc that I think his guitar playing gets forgotten. He is not a virtuoso but he has his own style.
One post mentioned Frank Marino. The guy was a monster. I saw Mahogany Rush live in 1978. Give "Electric Reflections of War" a listen. As a longtime Tull fan, I have to agree regarding Martin Barre. The guy never got (nor attracted) a lot of attention. He was not known for blistering, 10-minute solos. But he can sure play. I don't think that anyone mentioned Steve Howe. I don't think that he is "underrated". Many consider him to be one of the greats. But he's another musician that always went about his job quietly. I got to see Yes with him three times. I'm not a guitar player and I've never been up close at a Yes show. But every time I saw him, I kept asking myself, "WHAT the he** is he doing?"
A couple that have previously been mentioned... Martin Barre and Ollie Halsall. I will add Alex Chilton.
This has been done many times. Thing is: ANY guitarist is underrated if they don’t receive the type of adulation that you as a fan feel the deserve. It’d be easier to come up with guitarists that aren’t underrated. Maybe overrated even.
Gary Green. Perhaps because it's difficult to stand out in a band that's so musically dazzling. Can you recommend any tracks Ollie Halsall appears on that showcase his guitar work?
When those names come up in threads like this I often wonder if people know what 'underrated' actually means.
Hugh Cornwell from The Stranglers. So idiosyncratic, with jazz undertones, and he was always given short shrift by the producers, and left low in the mix. I'd also add John McGeoch.
Ronnie Wood Rod Price (Foghat) Ronnie Montrose Kim Simmons (Savoy Brown) Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) Joe Walsh Rick Derringer George Thorogood Leslie West
