A list of our favorite unsung Guitar Heros

[DavidF]

Recently on XM Classic Vinyl I was listening to a snippet of conversation with guitarist Martin Barre. He was mentioning how his band members came together on various riffs that became a song Cross-Eyed Mary. Later in the night I pulled out some old vinyl and revisited some of the band's old tunes. The group was always a bit of an ensemble effort that weaved through different music styles but when it came to a rock-solid Rock & Roll riff Martin was as good as they came. He simply powered an entire album with songs like Aqualung, Crossed-Eyed Mary, Wind-Up and one of my favorites Locomotive Breath.

How Martin Barre never made the top what-ever lists is curious. He did stand out for his solo break in Aqualung, however, but featured in many other lists.

Glad to hear of any others out there.

http://www.last.fm/music/Jethro+Tull...omotive+Breath

[BMWCCA]

Joe Beck?
Jim Hall?

[loach71]

John McLaughlin

[BMWCCA]

I figured "un-sung" meant those you don't hear about?

[LowPhreak]

I'd put Martin Barre on that list. Also guys like Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, several blues cats like Son Seals, Otis Rush, and Eric Gale, some of the prog cats that maybe didn't get noticed enough like Steve Hackett, Adrian Belew, and Peter Green, and then in jazz too and newer or lesser known bands. There are just so many that go some or a lot under the main radar.

[Ducatista47]

Baden Powell, Sonny Chillingworth, Richard Thompson, Emily Remler, James Honeyman Scott, Danny Gatton, Tony Rice, Leo Kottke, John Fahey, Ralph Towner, Lenny Breau, Joyce Cooling, Carrie Brownstein, Stewart Adamson, Earl Klugh, James Mankey, Harvey Mandel, John Renbourn, Orianthi Panagaris, Robbie Robertson, Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore, The Edge, Neal Alger... It's endless, really. There have been so many at least as accomplished as the famous guitarists, and many more that are known but overlooked as "heroes" because they are solid but not flashy. The last category is like with drummers. The flashy ones are no better than the supportive ones, they just get all the attention. Rhythm players, even when World class, are always overlooked. Sometimes a guitarist's vocal contributions dominate the collective memory fans have of them. Ever hear Peter Frampton's guitar work with Humble Pie?

Then there are the famous but still undervalued. Peter Green, Rory Gallagher and David Gilmour are three who should be in the Pantheon.

Shamefully, some (four) on this list are overlooked because in this hugely macho category they are women.

Everyone I mentioned is a true hero to me.