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.

[hsosdrum]

Steve Tibbetts. Listen to his album "Yr" and be amazed. (Even more so considering that it's a basement recording, originally released on his own label and later re-released on ECM when he was picked up by that label.)

[BMWCCA]

. . . Emily Remler . . .

I just purchased my first vinyl record (for myself) in years. It was Emily's "Transitions". An original CD goes for crazy money. I had ripped a WAV file and burned a CD from a friend's LP but I found a deal on my own and had to buy it. It helps that she's accompanied by a local musician, but the album stands on its own. So sad when the good die young!

Don't know if Jimmy Bruno flies quite as much under the radar as the others but I'm liking his work. Peter Green to me is an icon and in the Rock and Roll hall of fame, so it's hard to consider him "unsung". Great, just not un-sung.

[DavidF]

I look forward to learning more on some of the names mentioned. It's hard to avoid some amount of generational bias in considering some of the notable names. For me Jim Hall is one of the seminal names in Jazz though not likely known in the pop world. I didn't know him from squat when I as 17 in 1973. I did know about Peter Frampton, John McLaughlin, as well as some of the Prog and English Folk people listed. Peter Green was widely known, perhaps more to the Blues enthusiast and the UK public.

There are plenty of guitarists who were easily associated with their band. Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc. Some artists like Carlos Santana just made sure everyone knew his name within the band. On the other hand, folks tend to forget that Jimi Hendrix's band had a name.

In the less popular genre there were many names, many mentioned above. Like John Renbourn from Pentangle and later solo efforts. Much like band mate Bert Jansch, not so well known in the public mind but very well respected in their circle of fellow musicians. Ditto Leo Kottke.

Then there are the session guitarists that seem to be everywhere but unnoticed. James Burton in the 50's and 60's, Waddy Wachtel in the 70's, Adrian Belew mentioned, or Marc Ribot today.

I guess the point is which guitarist seem to have the talent and creative input that gets unnoticed, uncredited, or just generally swallowed up in the mix of talent within a group setting. If someone asked me who was the guitarist in Black Sabbath, I could come up with Tony Iommi, with a little time. But ask who the prime guitarist was for Jethro Tull and it's hard to think of anyone but that crazy looking flute player in the long coat.

I can add both an L.A.-based band and its guitarist, both with huge talent that seemed to flash a bit but never in a big way, never appeared on Band Stand or made the arena circuit or haa a top 10 song on AM radio. A teaser, the guitarist's real name was Randy Wolfe. In 1966 he played with Hendrix for some summer gigs but since there were two Randys in this pick up group, Hendrix tagged each with last names based on their home states. This Randy held onto that name as a stage name. Sadly, he died at age 45 while saving his son from a rip current near a family home in Hawaii.

[BMWCCA]

This Randy held onto that name as a stage name. Sadly, he died at age 45 while saving his son from a rip current near a family home in Hawaii.

California.

[Ducatista47]

I believe Randy California was with/from Spirit, a family band. All my hippie friends had their albums. I also recall he had a Kaptain Kopter - or some such - appellation.

[SEAWOLF97]

One who was under appreciated for his talent level (does that equal unsung ??)
is Robert Cray ... I have lots of him and Stephen Stills on my Nano (no, PM ..I wouldn't
call SS unsung.)
I had never heard of Paco DeLuca , but damn that guy can play. I will surely second
that James Burton nomination too.

[BMWCCA]

I've sung Robert Cray's praise for years. Does that mean he's "sung"? Or just that I appreciate him? Hard to separate the Great Unsung Heroes from those you're familiar with but others may never have heard of.

Case in point: Jim Hall and Jimmy Bruno may not be very well known by the general public but they're famous enough among the Jazz cognoscenti that Roger Sadowsky put their names on some beautiful guitars. Does that make them "sung"?

[DavidF]

" ...Case in point: Jim Hall and Jimmy Bruno may not be very well known by the general public but they're famous enough among the Jazz cognoscenti that Roger Sadowsky put their names on some beautiful guitars. Does that make them "sung"?

I think it makes them "sung" if they are well recognized by those who buy their recordings or would be part of their audience.

I always find it interesting to watch performances and find a new (to me) talent. Not just guitarists. You likely know all about the headliner but he/she brings with them someone you can't stop watching on stage.

[Lee in Montreal]

Unsung guitar heroes. Hmm..

I am thinking Robin Trower (the white Jimmy Hendrix). He was with Procol Harum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYIw...Iwk4rHIpM#t=45

Then also Eddie Hazel from Funkadelic. He died young at 42
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOKn33-q4Ao
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqDGTT2OtsQ