Not great guitarists who are nevertheless perfect for the band they're in

Badnotes

Stephen Carpenter in Deftones 

proggy

Sassafras said:

For all those who don't rate Wilko Johnson, try playing a 2 hour set in his style. I reckon you'd be exhausted by the 3rd song.
We used to play Roxette and I found the relentless driving rhythm very demanding.

That makes him an energetic guitarist, not necessarily a great one.

AlexC

I wonder if there’s a Literary Foum where people discuss how Shakespeare was a hack, Dickens didn’t have a command of the English language, Virginia Wolf is just like every other writer and Homer wasn’t a good story teller?
James Herbert is better than all of them. Because I liked his books when I was thirteen.

dazzajl

AlexC said:

I wonder if there’s a Literary Foum where...........

Yup. 

EricTheWeary

AlexC said:

I wonder if there’s a Literary Foum where people discuss how Shakespeare was a hack, Dickens didn’t have a command of the English language, Virginia Wolf is just like every other writer and Homer wasn’t a good story teller?
James Herbert is better than all of them. Because I liked his books when I was thirteen.

Probably.


Just listening to The Slits in the car. Viv Albertine was not a technical player by any stretch of the imagination but perfect for that band. If she'd left and auditioned for a wedding band would she have got the gig? No, but she wouldn't have wanted to either. 

Funkfingers

Cosey Fanni Tutti
Captain Sensible
Peter Shelley
Tim Smith (Cardiacs)

mikem8634

lasermonkey said:

In terms of not particularly proficient guitarists but are actually great* guitarists, I'd have to say-

Peter Buck. I've heard a lot of people say, "even *I* could play that!" to which I respond, "yeah, but you didn't."

Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding from The Chameleons. Invented a completely new version of guitar interplay which hasn't been bettered since.

John McGeough. You try writing Spellbound. Genius.

Robin Guthrie. Very few guitarists invent entire genres. I can't think of anyone who has made the guitar sound more beautiful.

*To me, a great guitarist (or musician) is someone who knows that the song is king. They'll play exactly what's needed in the context of the piece of music and nothing more.

Bingo! Lilting angry delicate driving haunting epic

MagicPigDetective

I was going to say Greg Ginn...…… but no he's f@$%in great

Universal8

Brian Setzer

dazzajl

Universal8 said:

Brian Setzer

Surely he belongs in the opposite thread. I see him as a very talented musician who often (but not always) fails to set my heart alight 

EricTheWeary

dazzajl said:

Universal8 said:

Brian Setzer

Surely he belongs in the opposite thread. I see him as a very talented musician who often (but not always) fails to set my heart alight 

It's a very high bar that says Brian Setzer isn't a great guitarist, I suspect he could play pretty much anything you could throw at him. 

springhead

Setzer is an amazing guitar player, no question.

DartmoorHedgehog

Yes, very surprised to see Setzer in the list!
And Wilko
And Rick Parfitt (who was a much better player than most people give him credit for, just because he was known mainly for dumdy dumdy rhythm parts [which he was also bloody good at of course])

I mostly clicked the thread to say "me", but it seems to have been done already

proggy

springhead said:

Setzer is an amazing guitar player, no question.

This^

Alvin

Universal8 said:

Brian Setzer

   Well in that case how about John McEnroe from the John McEnroe band (also played a bit of tennis)  because  "you cannot be serious " .

abw1989

I'm surprised Billie Joe Armstrong hasn't appeared on here yet. Green Day have made a fortune off power chords and octaves!

Bridgehouse

abw1989 said:

I'm surprised Billie Joe Armstrong hasn't appeared on here yet. Green Day have made a fortune off power chords and octaves!

Yep. This. And whilst we are at it, Brian Molko

AlexO

Jamie Cook from Arctic Monkeys 

I've heard quite  a few videos of him hitting the wrong notes, someones made a comp of them lol.

Happens to all of us TBF.

Mark1960

Carl Perkins bass player (his son)

OilCityPickups

I'll add my own personal guitar hero: Mick Green to the list ... he was the man that inspired Wilko after all. I remember seeing the Pirates at the Half Moon in Putney not long before Mick became ill and eventually passed away ... his playing was absolutely perfect for the stripped down, dirty R&B set ...