Guitarists you just don't get!

[Philly Q]

This is more of a I Hate thread than anything else. With such broad music tastes in most of us it's easier to define your music taste by what you don't like rather than what you do. It's just easier to be disagreed with over somebody you don't like rather than feel dissed because somebody hates who you love!

"I don't get..." Threads like these.

It's not meant to be "I Hate..." thread.

From my point of view it was about people whose talent/skill you can appreciate an an intellectual level, but who just don't "move" you emotionally.  Nothing at all to do with hating people or thinking they're rubbish.

[Ian Price]

Indeed Philly. I don't see it as a hate thread. I can see why people like Malmsteen, he just does nothing for me. Nothing at all. I don't hate him. Actually, I can't think of any guitarists that I "hate".

[Modular1]

Sorry, hate was a strong word, but its still a fluffy way of saying what guitarists do you not like. Because at the end of the day there may be guitarists that are not on a very high 'intellectabletechnable' level (e.g. Kurt Cobain/PJ Harvey) but are worth 100 Malmsteens. Its the all round musical output that moves/excites. Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman are not really lauded for technical ability (by myself or others) but have made 3 of the greatest metal albums ever.

Its not about 'getting' anything. You either like somebody's music or you don't.

Vai, Satriani, Beck, Petrucci, Malmsteen, Boreamassa. All accomplished players that (and I can't see any other way of looking at it on any intellectual level) perform $%&#ing awful music...lol (imho)

[dave_mc]

i love how you put "imho" and then proceeded to make very, very objective observations.

you might not like their music, but vai, satriani, malmsteen and the like moved guitar playing on light years (in rock/metal, anyway... you could probably say that jazzers and the like had been playing complicated stuff like that for years :lol: ).

plus i mean it's not true that i only like those guys because they can play quickly. I like their music too, give me satch or vai over cobain or pj harvey any day.

"Its not about 'getting' anything. You either like somebody's music or you don't."

I agree wholeheartedly with that, though.

Apart from maybe the odd artist or band which you don't like for ages, then something clicks and you do like it, i guess.

[Sancho]

Vai, Satriani, Beck, Petrucci, Malmsteen, Boreamassa. All accomplished players that (and I can't see any other way of looking at it on any intellectual level) perform $%&#ing awful music...lol (imho)

Good thing it's not about hate... :lol:

[dave_mc]

:lol:

[Modular1]

Good thing it's not about hate... :lol:

I save hate for hip-hop/Modern R&B. :D

[Modular1]

you might not like their music, but vai, satriani, malmsteen and the like moved guitar playing on light years

I don't see that they did anything that Van Halen, Blackmore and Rhoads had not done before with more soul and panache. I would view it as they took it down a self-satisfying blind alley. Thrash and where it led to was where the real innovation in metal/rock was in the 80's because it set the template for 2 decades of metal after it.

[Ian Price]

you might not like their music, but vai, satriani, malmsteen and the like moved guitar playing on light years

Who is this 'The Like' character you speak of? Is he the more talented sibling of 'The Edge'?   :)

[Kiichi]

you might not like their music, but vai, satriani, malmsteen and the like moved guitar playing on light years

I don't see that they did anything that Van Halen, Blackmore and Rhoads had not done before with more soul and panache. I would view it as they took it down a self-satisfying blind alley. Thrash and where it led to was where the real innovation in metal/rock was in the 80's because it set the template for 2 decades of metal after it.

Vai for one had a large say in making the seven string guitar big. And if you want to tell me that "For the love of god" does not have a shiteload of heart I think I just found a guitarist that you donīt get ;)
Or watch the Vai video that I posted earlier. Then tell me again that he does not have enough heart to compete with the ones you named^^

Also I am not aware that Van Halen, Blackmore and Rhoads did neoclassical shred like Malmsteen did, though I donīt know much about him, havenīt gotten around to it.

[dave_mc]

^ yeah, pretty much. I mean they all did a little bit of the classical stuff, but malmsteen based his whole style on it, and was doing stuff like paganini etc. when blackmore and co (as far as i'm aware) weren't.

and good point about the 7 string

I don't see that they did anything that Van Halen, Blackmore and Rhoads had not done before with more soul and panache. I would view it as they took it down a self-satisfying blind alley. Thrash and where it led to was where the real innovation in metal/rock was in the 80's because it set the template for 2 decades of metal after it.

i love those guys too (heck i have vh in my avatar and have had for years) but saying that malmsteen and co didn't shift it up a gear is a bit like saying schumacher hasn't done anything in a car that i haven't done. :lol:

if they took it down a self-satisfying blind alley there must be an awful lot of classical music you don't like. :lol:

Who is this 'The Like' character you speak of? Is he the more talented sibling of 'The Edge'?   :)

hehe

yes, but more delay

[Modular1]

The guitar would not be what it is without 7 string versions? lmao. Like his 3 neck heart shaped spinal tapness monster? Its just flash harry show off stuff. Isn't for the love of god the track he starved himself for days before he recorded it (supposedly)? Yeah, I just got a copy. if you listen close you can really hear his belly rumble. The fact he recorded a half decent solo over the most awful piece of muzak ever recorded kind of puts his sense of taste into question too! "Walking the fine line... between Pagan... and Christian" Deep stuff man! lol

Malmsteen is just a blackmore wannabe fronting a terrible hair band. I was briefly impressed with the guy when i was about 13 because a mate loved him to death. Odyssey is an awful album though. You just want to shout at him to stop playing something flashy every time the singer pauses for breath. Saw him live on the eclipse tour. never again.

Im sure most on here if really honest will admit... Its not a case of not 'getting' somebody's music. I'm sure we have the capacity to state what it is we don't like about it!

My classical music favourites are Bartok, Cage, Penderecki, Satie and Arvo Part. Much more satisfying to the soul than Paganini.

[Kiichi]

Did you ever listen to "Whispering a prayer" by Vai then? I can only recommend it. To me it is one of the most beautiful, unique and inspired pieces for guitar ever. Wonder if you can find something about it.

Also the 7 string does allow for very different solo runs and riffing due to the extended range, you can build more melodically, it does not have to be flashy. There are much more possibilitys in playing it. Next youīre gonna tell me that Trems are just flashy (again, Whispering a prayer). Popularity of the seven string also played quite a large part in the birth of Nu Metal I dare say (whatever you may think of that style), as especially Korns music was made possible by it. Extra chunk for riffing without sacrificing range, that is a big thing.

Donīt you know the feeling that you listen to a guitar player and there is no big thing you dislike, you know and see that it is technically and musically sound, but you still donīt think it is great?
On paper itīs all good but in reality there is just not "it"?
This thread is a mixture of that and not liking some aspect of some player, while still very much respecting him (though I feel much more of the first).

Btw, I would like to hear what you think about Dimebag, Paul Gilbert and Matt Belamy, if I may ask.

[Philly Q]

Im sure most on here if really honest will admit... Its not a case of not 'getting' somebody's music. I'm sure we have the capacity to state what it is we don't like about it!

No.  I'm not being dishonest.  It is a case of not "getting" someone's music.

I could sit here for hours and list music I don't like.  N-Dubz.  Rihanna.  The Black Eyed Peas.  Michael $%&#ing Buble. 

But that's not the point of the discussion.  It's not as simple as just not liking it.

To use an example I've already mentioned - The Mahavishnu Orchestra.  John McLaughlin is an amazing musician, I want to appreciate the music, but no matter how many times I listen to it, it doesn't move me.  I just don't get it. 

[Modular1]

I like the Miles Davis records that have John McLaughlin on them. Bitches Brew is a great album. I couldn't say its the guitar that makes the albums he's on though. Never really delved into the Manuvishu records though. I was never a fan of Nu-metal. Metals worst creation. Pantera always left me cold. Mark Morton from Lamb of God is much more inspiring to me than Dime ever was but that may be because I didn't really listen to a lot of metal during the mid/late 90's.

Ive never tried a Paul Gilbert record because I honestly/guiltily I suppose i've always stayed clear of stuff I suspect would be satriani/vai-esque solo instrumentalists (recommendation on a good cd?).

I think Matt Bellamy is great. His live playing is great. He's a great technical player who always serves the song but his playing is raw enough that you don't assume he's a robot.

Agreed on Michael Buble lol. I ordered a limited edition Flaming Lips box set from the states not so long back and they sent me a Michael Buble box set by mistake. Talk about gutted. I got a customs charge on it too! grr