Most overrated quitarist of all time

Woohoo! Another Queen bashing thread. can't have too many of those.

Most overrated guitarist of all-time? Has to be Freddie Mercury. He was also a complete slouch on oboe, utterly vile as a flautist, and don't even get me started on his accordian work.

Hey Earwicker - I don't think we've heard your thoughts on ol' Fred (at least not this hour). What say you?

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Originally posted by jayd:
Most overrated guitarist of all-time? Has to be Freddie Mercury. He was also a complete slouch on oboe, utterly vile as a flautist, and don't even get me started on his accordian work.

Wow, I didn't realise he was that bad.

I knew a girl, my best friends wife in fact, whose CD collection consisted of Fairground Attraction, Barry Manilow and Queen. That was it. To say I used to take the piss at every opportunity would be an understatement.

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Originally posted by Rasher:
Fairground Attraction, Barry Manilow and Queen

Have mercy!

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Originally posted by Earwicker:

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Originally posted by Jono 13:
I have to go with the DIRE straites lot. So little talent, so many plays.

Yeah, well, there are people on this forum who openly admit to liking Queen and Status fucking Quo...

I rest my case.

EW

Yes and they dont admit it on the 'embarrassing' thread!

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Originally posted by Rasher:
I knew a girl, my best friends wife in fact, whose CD collection consisted of Fairground Attraction, Barry Manilow and Queen. That was it. To say I used to take the piss at every opportunity would be an understatement.

I had a gf who had a vast collection of Michael Bolton and chris de burgh - truly horrifying!

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Originally posted by erik scothron:

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Originally posted by Rasher:
I knew a girl, my best friends wife in fact, whose CD collection consisted of Fairground Attraction, Barry Manilow and Queen. That was it. To say I used to take the piss at every opportunity would be an understatement.

I had a gf who had a vast collection of Michael Bolton and chris de burgh - truly horrifying!

Except Spanish Train, of course,

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Originally posted by ROTF:
Wow, I didn't realise he was that bad.

Absolutely. But hey, don't get me wrong - he was a damn fine singer. Just never lived up to the hype surrounding his glockenspiel virtuosity.

I would agree with the original post Eric Clapton is overrated

Stevie Ray Vaughan was an excellent guitarist. First saw him at Reading in 1983 when as a last minute replacement for Survivor was the highlight of the weekend for me. Saw him again in 1988 on his UK tour. Souless, noodling and copying never, even if his version of Voodoo Chile is better than Hendrix.

Lindsey Buckingham or Peter Green in Fleetwood Mac, well it was originally called Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.

Paul Kossoff, highly underrated he was restrained by the writing of Rogers/Fraser. Listen to Live at Croydon 15th June 1975 with Back Street Crawler, now that makes you cry.

Jimmy Page,Dave Gilmour and Steve Howe, enough said

Gary Moore/ Mark Knopfler/Brian May, overrated

Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham, what a duo

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even if his version of Voodoo Chile is better than Hendrix.

I don't even know how to reply to this post.

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Originally posted by kuma:

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even if his version of Voodoo Chile is better than Hendrix.

I don't even know how to reply to this post.

No, be honest, SRV's Voodoo Chile is good; better than Jimi Hendrix who can say... SRV has it for the intro anyway!

EW

kuma,

go on, try to reply

the live version of Voodoo Chile at Reading was as good as Hendrix even down to playing behind his head and with his teeth.

Hendrix wasn't really that special!!!!, was he?

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Originally posted by analogue kid:
Hendrix wasn't really that special!!!!, was he?

No he was just a noisy, drugged up bastard!

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Originally posted by erik scothron:

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Originally posted by Rasher:
I knew a girl, my best friends wife in fact, whose CD collection consisted of Fairground Attraction, Barry Manilow and Queen. That was it. To say I used to take the piss at every opportunity would be an understatement.

I had a gf who had a vast collection of Michael Bolton and chris de burgh - truly horrifying!

In the same vein one of my friends at work is proud to admit to going to see The Levelers though her own choice.

Jono

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Originally posted by Analogue:
Has anyone mentioned Lindsay Buckingham?
Chris N

I'd classify him as underrated although I personally wouldn't cross the road. Most overrated ever in my book was Richie Blackmore and most consistantly underrated is Steve Hackett.

Each to our own.

Cheers

Harry

Over-rated: Slash
Under-rated: J.J. Cale

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Paul Kossoff, highly underrated he was restrained by the writing of Rogers/Fraser.

I don't know if Koss was technically good, I'm not a musician. What I do know is that I enjoy listening to his playing as much as any, so full of soul. Solos that actually fit the music - now there's a thing.

I have to take issue with your comment AK. I think you'll find that Koss is on record as saying that he felt "restrained" by having to fill out the sound. This of course, changed when keyboards became a feature and allowed him much more scope.

I don't think he would ever have had a problem with the writing of Andy Fraser & Paul Rodgers.

Anyone into Free that has not tried the remastered CDs should not hesitate.

I don't think there were ever more soulful guitarists than Paul Kossoff & Peter Green, both strangely enough producing a similar result in a similar music genre, but arriving at it from totally opposite approaches. Peter Green being a master of the guitar technically and Paul Kossoff...er...not really. Personally I think their playing is in a different dimension to anyone else discussed here and I doubt we will ever again see anyone that can produce such heart wrenching music from a guitar. Those days of innocence and naivety have passed and it just wouldn't be possible in this day and age for anyone to grow into the people they were.
I will be listening to Kossoff until I go to my grave. I know that anyone here who thinks like me regarding Koss will agree that it is impossible to separate the man from the music. You can't love his playing without loving the guy too. Strange that.

Kossoff

If you listen to the playing of Kossoff on the first 3 Free albums and even the live album there is so much raw energy and the sound fills the tracks. On the other hand listen to Highway and Free at last he sounds so restrained as if He is only "filling in".

The later playing of Koss with Back Street Crawler gets back to the early Free albums.
The recording of Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit after the first break up of Free is another testament to the playing of Koss.

I was listening to Second Street last night by BSC, the last recording Kossoff ever made. I think the way he played reflected the way he lived his life and ultimately the way he died

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Personally I think their playing is in a different dimension to anyone else discussed here and I doubt we will ever again see anyone that can produce such heart wrenching music from a guitar. Those days of innocence and naivety have passed and it just wouldn't be possible in this day and age for anyone to grow into the people they were.

Rasher,

Beautifully put and spot on. Imagine Free trying to get a gig from that horror of human being that is today's Hughie Green! Simon Riche-Twat, or whatever his name is.

To have one of the most soulful guitarists together with one of the greatest white blues singers was exceptional - add the rare talent of Andy Fraser and wow. We were lucky indeed.

AK,

I know what you mean about Highway, although I like that album precisely because of it's restraint oddly enough.

It was the introduction of keyboards that Koss commented on as giving him more freedom and I wish they would remaster the KKT & R. That would be good.

You both seem to have a love of Free - so I have a little poser for you.

Think vinyl, think Free Story. Did the live version of Heartbreaker ever make it on to a CD? It was dropped for the official release so they could get it all on one disc - philistines!

If so, where? One other track on there that I liked was "Lady" - where did that come from?

OK, I lied, that's two posers. I would be interested to know though.

No need to remaster KKT&R for me as I have the original on vinyl.
Highway, if you compare the guitar work on Be My friend to the live version there is no contest which is best

Lady, was a Paul Rogers track from a band called (if memory serves me right ) Peace which was formed at the time of KKT&R during the first break up.

Steve - You can get Lady on the boxed set Songs Of Yesterday, which has lots of extras on it, including a live version of Heartbreaker, but I can't say whether it's the recording used on The Free Story as I no longer have any vinyl, or have the boxed set myself. I understand it is a collection of "alernative" versions and isn't representitive of their studio albums, which of course I have bought all over again to get the remastered versions which are jaw-droppingly good. When I first bought a CD player back in the 80's, Back Street Crawler was one of the first CD's I ever bought. I need to replace the other Koss albums.

Rasher

is that the Paul Kossoff album with 'molten gold' on it or the band back sreet crawler
the kossoff album is excellent.
you must get Live at Croydon

I don't have any cd's only the 'original' vinyl including a numbered 'Story of..'

It's the Koss album Back Street Crawler, the one with Molton Gold.
I've never heard Live at Croydon. HHmmm...amazon beckons

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if you compare the guitar work on Be My friend to the live version there is no contest which is best

AK,
Oh absolutely, I agree with that. I also much prefer the live versions of Ride on Pony, and Mr. Big.

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their studio albums, which of course I have bought all over again to get the remastered versions which are jaw-droppingly good.

Rasher,

They are superb indeed and to my ears better than my vinyl (waits for abuse from vinyl fundamentalists), never thought I'd say that - but there we go.

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HHmmm...amazon beckons

Beat you to it and found a Jap import remaster of KKT&R! Oh joy, see what talking to you blokes has done.