Ever heard this? REAL Underrated Guitar Players

Without Buddy Guy, the blues, not to mention rock as we know it, might be a heckuva lot less interesting today. Take the blues out of contemporary rock music—or pop, jazz and funk for that matter—and what you have left is a wholly spineless affair. A tasteless stew. Makes you shudder to think about it... - Stevie Ray Vaughan


Buddy Guy is a big name when it comes to Blues, but I am so shocked at how many people seem to have never heard of the guy when they are listening to fast paced Rock or Blues. One of the all time best, up there with the big names that changed Blues. For guitar players, his vibrato, string bending, and whole pacing of songs makes him easily a legend, and it's a shame he's so over looked in today's age.

Who the hell is Freddie King? In times, I am really surprised how over looked Freddie is. The Texas Flyer; he changed Blues forever just like the other 2 that had the name King (Albert and BB).

Without Freddie King, no "Hide Away" or "Have You Ever Loved A Woman". Granted Eric Clapton has kept those songs famous, and his versions are brilliant, but Freddie covered 'Have You Ever Loved A Woman' before him, and 'Hide Away' is a real gem instrumental that shows his style (SRV also did a great version that he played live often)

Mick Taylor goes down in Rock and Roll history as one of the most over looked guitar players.

When it comes to The Rolling Stones, Kieth Richards gets all the credit for what Mick Taylor did. Just listen to their albums before Mick Taylor (still good music) and then listen to Sticky Fingers, and Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out and ask yourself if Kieth Richards really wrote all those solos that we all loved in the Stones "prime era" of the early 70's?

Mick Taylor's solo on the live version of 'Sympathy For the Devil' made you forget all about the original version, and who was doing all the solo work on 'Honky Tonk Women'?

It really is a shame Mick Taylor does not get the credit he deserves. Without him Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. would not even be half as good as they were. While he gets no credit, Kieth Richards is cited as one of the best guitarists ever. I love Kieth, but everything the Stones have done since Mick Taylor left the band proves just how overrated he is.


Listen to Can't You Hear Me Knockin', Shine A Light (yep that's his solo too), Time Is On My Side, Sway, Dead Flowers (Yep that's his solo, not Kieths), and Moonlight Mile (he did ALL guitars there)

This one may stick out for anyone with an experience in Jazz, but I find Wes Montgomery to be a very under rated guitar player, based on how people overlook the great things he did.

I recommend anyone who has never listened to this guy to go out and buy The Incredible Jazz Guitar or Smokin' At the Half Note. I was totally blown away at his sound, and remember he's picking with his thumb at that high swing tempo speed.

Wes Montgomery took Jazz guitar to a new level, and he's cited as one of the greatest Jazz musicians of all time, but as a guitar player, he is quite underrated and very over looked.

I see a lot of Howlin' Wolf covers that are popular (and yes there are some very good ones out there) but in recent years, I don't see much respect to him.

When it comes to guitar and musicianship, the Wolf sets the tone for making music with your guitar in his style, as he often used the harmonica when he played, and of course his singing.

I love covers of his songs as much as anyone else, but don't forget the original, Howlin' Wolf that inspired those others to pay him tribute with covers!

The first musician ever to record Blues on the electric guitar. T-Bone is one of the most important guitar players ever, as he also was a multi-instrumentalist, and a great pioneer to the electric guitar and Blues.

The one thing that always sticks out to me is his tone and sound, notorious for the clean non-distorted electric, yet not over driven. Comparing other Blues men around his time, his sound was totally different.

This legendary man was a huge inspiration to many, many guitar players that followed on in Blues, and some may think I am nuts ranking him so high, but he deserves the respect.

Texas Flood anybody? Remember when you first heard SRV ripping it up? Did you wonder who Larry Davis was when you seen his name in the album credits? (NOTE: I am NOT ripping on Stevie Ray, he's one of my all time favorites, so don't take this the wrong way)

Larry Davis wrote Texas Flood, in which SRV covered years later. Granted, SRV shined a light on this man when he covered the brilliant track, but many people still pass and don't know who the hell he is at all.

Listen to the original Texas Flood, and you have a very fiery picking style similar to Albert King, and I promise you you'll be amazed listening to the original just as much as you loved SRV's version.

"Ice Man" "Master of the Telecaster" Collins was another great Texas Blues player that seems to be forgotten as time goes by.

By hearing songs like "If Trouble Was Money" you can see his wide inspiration that would flow onto other great Texas bluesmen that came after him.

One of my favorites from Collins is the "Show Down" cd with Johnny Copeland and Robert Cray. Give it a listen or "Ice Pickin'" and add it to your collection of great guitar records.

The Sky Is Crying

When it comes to the older Blues men that started the trend that would later be revolutionized, you can thank Elmore James for some other things besides The Sky Is Crying.

They call him "King of the slide guitar" and listening to his work, you see how powerfully unique he was. As time goes by, he seems to be forgotten. I know he's still mentioned some what and there is so many covers of The Sky Is Crying and some of his other tracks, but most of those covers are being remembered to who covered them rather than the original (No offense, I do love Albert King, SRV, and Freddie King's versions)

"The Things That I Used to Do."

That one song can easily sum up Slim's short career. While he's not one of the best guitar players ever, I added him here for the reason that his songs were so great, people are still covering them. When you hear "Sufferin' Mind" "Bad Luck Blues" "The Things That I Used to Do" "Letter To My Girlfriend" "Story of My Life", remember that this guy wrote them. Interesting fact is Ray Charles was his piano player.

Amazing how Mr. Paul died recently and we didn't hear any of his music.

Les Paul paved the road for licks. He might not seem like much, but you have to take into consideration for the 1950's, his stuff was ground breaking for the time being.

I also love Les Paul guitars, my first guitar was a Gibson Les Paul, but there is more to this man besides those guitars. Listen to his songs, and his work with Mary Ford is very good.

People need to cover his songs more and let his music keep on going. He should not ever be forgotten as a guitar player.

Wham!

Surprisingly I've hardly ever met anyone that knows who Lonnie Mack is. Just listen to his song Wham and you'll see a big inspiration on Stevie Ray Vaughan and part of his stompin' Texas sound.

Lonnie Mack wrote Wham!, and it was covered by SRV, in an interview Stevie Ray also said his song 'Scuttle Buttin'' was influenced by Mack's 'Chickin' Pickin'.

I really didn't want to Prince on this list. As a musician, he's got enough fame. But as a guitar player? No...You would think from a man that wrote such a famous solo in Purple Rain, that he'd get more recognition as a guitar player, but sadly he doesn't.

Prince as a guitar player is really over shadowed. Apart from Purple Rain and When Doves Cry, if one was to really study his guitar work, you'd see a lot of unique things in his songs with the use of octaves, double stops, and the Hendrix influenced soloing.

Due to Prince's wide fame as a musician, he's at the bottom of this list for that reason, he's got enough fame for writing good music.