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Who is the most underrated prog rock guitarist?
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A Crimson Mellotron View Drop Down
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    Posted: January 02 2021 at 02:47
I could have easily made this into a poll but an open thread will definitely give more interesting responses. I am yet to decide who it is for me.
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We'd have to define what "underrated" means, but I guess I'll just define it as overlooked even if they're in a popular band.

I think Jon Preston Bouda (ex-Discipline) is a master of his craft. He wrote and performed so many tasty prog riffs and solos for Discipline.
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Lol prepare for over analysis of definitions to the point where they all lose meaning, Batman!

Chuck Schuldiner
Luc Lemay
Guthrie Govan
Marco Sfogli
Alex Hutchins

I'll be back with more in a bit.

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021
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Originally posted by Tasartir Tasartir wrote:

We'd have to define what "underrated" means, but I guess I'll just define it as overlooked even if they're in a popular band.
Quite an accurate definition of what we're looking for here.
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Roye Albrighton.
Bigger on the inside.
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Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:

Lol prepare for over analysis of definitions to the point where they all lose meaning, Batman!

Chuck Schuldiner
Luc Lemay
Guthrie Govan
Marco Sfogli
Alex Hutchins

I'll be back with more in a bit.

Schuldiner and Govan are actually very highly regarded and included in conversations about the best guitarists.
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Roman Bunka of Embryo. great guitar player, but no-one talks about him (except Friede and I). here 2 tracks from his first solo album:





Edited by BaldJean - January 02 2021 at 05:59


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Originally posted by Tasartir Tasartir wrote:

Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:

Lol prepare for over analysis of definitions to the point where they all lose meaning, Batman!

Chuck Schuldiner
Luc Lemay
Guthrie Govan
Marco Sfogli
Alex Hutchins

I'll be back with more in a bit.

Schuldiner and Govan are actually very highly regarded and included in conversations about the best guitarists.

I've been around the block a bit and I rarely hear them mentioned outside of guitar player groups themselves, honestly. Govan is top tier, Schuldiner was innovative AF.

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021
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Phil Miller is the first name that comes to mind.
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In terms of chops v/s name recognition, would probably rate John Goodsall as the most underrated prog rock guitarist.  He is a monster and his name hardly comes up because he wasn't in the 'right' bands.  You know, the Yeses and Genesis etc. For that matter, would also nominate Martin Barre and Gary Green among relatively underrated prog guitarists (seeing as only Hackett, Howe, Fripp, Latimer seem to matter). 

Guthrie is an interesting case.  He is a star in guitarist circles.  But because prog circles aren't interested in that kind of music, his name doesn't come up even though he HAS played for Wilson.  

Likewise, Schulinder gets passed over owing to the general indifference towards prog metal in these parts.
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There are so many! Both from the "classic" era and today!
Roye Albrighton, Phil Miller, and John Goodsall are all near the top of my list for the "classic" era. I'd also add Jan Akkerman: I think he is appreciated but he is so often forgotten or overlooked when we're naming our "favorite" or "best" guitarists. 

The "modern" (21st Century) era is often overlooked in general, so you could name anyone and they'd have to qualify (as "under-appreciated")--especially when compared to the "gods" of the "classic" era. But Dave Bainbridge, Nick Barrett, Björn Rjiis, and Guthrie Govan have all been consistent and virtuosic at their craft for a long time. (My personal modern-day guitar hero, Reine Fiske, and ex-Magma superstar James MacGaw both get a lot of love from PA members.) 

I repeat: There are SO MANY!

Perhaps David Torn needs a little more recognition, as well.
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https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
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Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

There are so many! Both from the "classic" era and today!
Roye Albrighton, Phil Miller, and John Goodsall are all near the top of my list for the "classic" era. I'd also add Jan Akkerman: I think he is appreciated but he is so often forgotten or overlooked when we're naming our "favorite" or "best" guitarists. 

The "modern" (21st Century) era is often overlooked in general, so you could name anyone and they'd have to qualify (as "under-appreciated")--especially when compared to the "gods" of the "classic" era. But Dave Bainbridge, Nick Barrett, Björn Rjiis, and Guthrie Govan have all been consistent and virtuosic at their craft for a long time. (My personal modern-day guitar hero, Reine Fiske, and ex-Magma superstar James MacGaw both get a lot of love from PA members.) 

I repeat: There are SO MANY!

Perhaps David Torn needs a little more recognition, as well.


I had wanted to mention Miller too and forgot!
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Oh, that u-word again... Shocked
Anyway, when seeing him live, I was most impressed by Kraan's Peter Wolbrandt.
PS nice Drew that you bring up Jan Akkerman. I was meant to buy more of his stuff as I like him a lot (also a great live musician) but somehow I put this in a rarely visited part of my brain and haven't done so for ages.


Edited by Lewian - January 02 2021 at 07:37
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The year that Hamburger Concerto came out Jan Ackerman won best guitarist in the prestigious Melody Maker poll beating out other top contenders that year Howe Hackett and Page. He is a brilliant guitarist but the stuff he played over the past decades isn't the kind of music or playing I'm crazy about---soft jazz.
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The (un)usual suspects. These are hardly obscure but seldom get mentioned when the 'great and the good' are bandied about:

Russ Ballard (Argent)
Greg Lake (ELP)
Deke Leonard (Man)
Robbie Krieger (the Doors)
Sándor Cziránku (Barbaro)
David Byrne (Talking Heads)
Jean-Michel Brézovar (Ange)
Joop Van Nimwegen (Finch)
Franco Mussida (PFM)
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The one who I probably don't know...? Ermm


Edited by suitkees - January 02 2021 at 10:44

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Agree with many of the above; Phil Miller definately, Jan Akkerman, Jean-Michael Brezovar from Ange, Deke Leonard.. also i'd add Micky Jones also from Man, Fred Frith from Henry Cow, John Lees from BJH, Charlie Whitney from Family, Ed Wynne from the Ozrics, Huw Lloyd-Langton (RIP) from (Levitation era) Hawkwind, Richard Thompson (Fairport, solo and collaborations) and Justin Hayward from the Moody Blues (he has such a distictive, graceful and understated feel to his guitar playing yet he's more recognised as a singer..) etc.. 

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I was going to mention Frith but get the feeling he's very well regarded in the circles he moves in rather than regular prog rock.
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There are great guitarists in lesser known fusion-prog groups like Tasavallan Presidentti, Finnforest, Blue Effect, SBB and Leb I Sol. Or what about Terje Rypdal? But they didn't add landmark contributions to popular parts of the progressive rock genre.
I'm guitarist and songwriter for the prog-related band Mother Bass. Find us at http://www.motherbass.com. I also enter stages throughout the Netherlands performing my poetry.
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So many great ones are certainly overlooked, and to choose the most underrated would be next to impossible.
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