Oscar Posted July 21, 2002 Share Posted July 21, 2002 With your help, I'd like to compile a list of really good guitar albums. Albums that'll make us a better player, that'll point us in new directions and keep us on our toes. Albums in different genres than we usually come into contact with. Albums that'll still be cool in 10 years time, even though they might be totally overlooked or underrated. It's not a poll. It's an ever-growing list of cool guitar records, in no particular order, compiled by us pickers. Please add short comments why you think the record is special. I'd like to kick off with 4 CD's that never fail to inspire me as a player, even though the featured players will probably be forever beyond my grasp (I'll add many more later). Hopefully you'll be able to add some of your own. http://www.janakkerman.nl/discography/art_tn.jpgJan Akkerman / The Noise Of Art This was supposed to be Jan Akkerman's major comeback album. It wasn't to be - the man is too eclectic and unpredictable to commit himself to an international career. His playing on this record is phenomenal. Good songs and perfect parts. Rock and jazzy blues make up the most of this album and it's gorgeous. He uses a large Gibson archtop for most of his electric parts and you can hear how he fights to keep feedback under control. Great stuff! http://gs.cdnow.com/graphics/COVERART/AMG/M/64/51/00176451.jpg Roy Buchanan / Sweet Dreams Anthology A 2 CD set with material from Roy's earlier albums. Most of the studio tracks don't do it for me, but the live tracks are un-be-lie-vable. No matter how loud you play this music, you'll need to be in a quiet room to hear the intricacies of the soft parts. No other album I know of has such a wide range in volume, literally from a whisper to a scream. It sounds totally live, as if you're on stage with the band. And Roy's playing is, well, superhuman. The Telecaster is the perfect guitar for him; it shrieks, howls and tolls like a bell. His tone is marvellous - just guitar and amp. Very humbling, very organic and incredibly inspiring. http://gs.cdnow.com/graphics/COVERART/local/M/56/07/00385607.jpghttp://gs.cdnow.com/graphics/COVERART/local/M/39/44/00013944.jpg Mark Knopfler / Golden Heart & Sailing To Philadelphia Knopfler's made these two solo-albums and they really opened my ears to "softer" music. His sense of melody and dynamics is incredible, his abilities as a guitarist frightening. He never burns, yet every not he plays is the perfect note. I dig his characteristic vocal swagger, clever lyrics and great compositions. He speaks through his guitar as much as through his mouth. One of the best players ever, and his tone is to die for. I listen to these records in the car to work at 6 AM in the morning - fantastic music for sunrise with the sleep still in your eyes. And somehow it creeps into my playing too - even though I've never sat down to learn these songs (yet). Oscar plays a stock Gibson Les Paul with P90's, a stock Epiphone Alleykat (both strung with .011's with a wound G), a Fender HotRod Deluxe, a Fender Frontman 15 Reverb and a Vox ValveTone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dondottcomm Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Jeff Beck ..Blow by Blow Jeff Beck ..Wired Al DeMeola ..Casino David Bowie ..David Live..Earl Slick excellent RnR guit.."CrackedActor"..Man thats good stuff.he just beats the livin' sh@* outta that bent note What? you mean I can take this block of fine swiss and make a song??...COOL! Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrock1san.rr.com Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 I like Frank Gambale "Passages". It's a mixture of rock songs and fusion songs and the whole 70-minute disc is full of great, well-written melodies. It's less cold and contemporary than his work with the Chick Corea Band and you can hear the fun and humor in his playing. The guy just loves the guitar and you can hear it. He stretches out on a few of the long songs at the end of the disc, and keyboardist Walfredo Reyes and Gambale trade mind-bending, fast furious modal lines. The shredding doesn't seem gratuitous because of the strong melodies that balance everything out and support each song. They cover the Cream song "White Room" and it's fun to hear a version from someone without a slowhand. I think if you like Joe Satriani you would like this one too because there are some similarites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickerman Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 I'll only do ten as to not make it too long and so you guys don't have too much to yell at me for. As far as new/current rock: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication Incubus - Morning View Dave Matthews - Every Dang One of 'em David Garza - Overdub Underoath - Cries of the Past Older stuff: Joe Pass - The Virtuosos Led Zeppelin - Just about every one Rush - Signals Tourniquet - Vanishing Lessons, Stop the Bleeding Queen - Greatest Hits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollykin Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 I'd have to say Steve Vai - Sex and Religion. The guitaring in that - while being very solo-orientated, is simply amazing, especially the song "touching Toungues"... excellent. Also, Devin Townsend - Terria. Some of the songs in that are amazing as far as guitar playing goes - like "Down and under", "Canada" etc. Thats just a few. Pantera - Cowboys from Hell will always be there also. Nolly "Money, Bitchez and Cheese!" http://www.playspoon.com/nollykin/files/voxline.gif "I never thought about it, and I never stopped to feel - But I didn't want you telling me just what to think was real. And as simple as it comes, I only wanted to express- ...But with expression comes regret - and I don't want you hating me." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattasbob Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Not albums per say but some sick players I always listen to when I feel i'm stagnant (or over confident ) Allan Holdsworth Pat Methany Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries, Live On The Acoustic Planet Taylor Guitars/Windham Hill Records - Sounds Of Wood & Steel (Check out Doyle Dykes, Laurence Juber, Steve Stevens and the aforementioned Michael Hedges.) Julian Bream - Villa Lobos Preludes, et. al. Steve Vai - Passion & Warfare (especially Sisters & Blue Powder) Joe Satriani - Surfing With The Alien, Not Of This Earth, Flying In A Blue Dream Eddie Van Halen - Van Halen, Van Halen II, 1984, 5150, Solo in MJ's Thriller Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? - soundtrack The Beatles- pretty much anything, but check out Rubber Soul and Abbey Road first IMO. Don't know about the rest of the album, but; Chuck Mangioni - Feels So Good (Fantastic guitar playing and phrasing on that cut.) Billy Idol (Steve Stevens) - Rebel Yell That's a start. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip_dup1 Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Journey-Next (their third and last albumn before Greg Rolie left, they added that singer and started making pop albums-criminally overlooked). Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush-Dragonfly Jan Akkerman Live Eric Johnson-Ah Via Musicom Noteworthy players- Scott Henderson Dave Navarro (really interesting solo CD) Vinnie Moore (pure 80s velocity, artfully done) Oh...and virtually any guitar player named Steve... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Posted July 22, 2002 Author Share Posted July 22, 2002 Good to see Jeff Beck, Eric Johnson and Joe Pass mentioned !! Here's some more of mine: http://gs.cdnow.com/graphics/COVERART/local/M/45/24/00394524.jpgBuddy Guy / Sweet Tea Long story short: this is the toughest blues committed to tape since the days of Robert Johnson. Gone are the horns, keyboards and guest stars that polished Buddy Guy's last few albums to perfection. Gone are the nicely structured and well-arranged blues songs. Instead, Sweet Tea consists of a number of extended, totally primitive stomps. The songs lack the common 12-bar format, lack turnarounds and are quite inaccessible. Instead, they just grow and grow in intensity, just vocals and solos, vocals and more solos. This is trance-inducing stuff, pretty much the deepest blues I ever heard. Guy's vocals are maniacal, as is his playing. Primitive tones, lo-fi recording, but what vibe. It definitely takes getting used to, but once it grabs you it'll never let go. The opening track deserves special mention: Buddy sings the best, most brooding blues song and accompanies himself on an unplugged archtop. "Done Got Old" is incredible - worth the price of admission by itself. http://gs.cdnow.com/graphics/COVERART/local/M/57/01/00075701.jpgAC/DC / Ballbreaker Most people insist that AC/DC was at its peak with Highway To Hell and Back In Black. And they were, but they peaked again with Ballbreaker. Once you dismiss the nostalgia, there is no denying this album. It rocks. It's easily the toughest one they ever did. Total rock'n'roll. Phill Rudd is back at the drums and Ang and Mal are in top form. This record is my benchmark for Marshall tone. The guitar sounds are almost clean and were recorded brilliantly. The songs are unrelenting and contain mouth-watering riffs. And any player who claims that playing AC/DC stuff is easy should try to nail The Honeyroll - 'nuff said. All in all, a landmark in both rock'n'roll guitar and AC/DC history, though one that has been dismissed by many simply because it wasn't recorded in '79 or '80. http://gs.cdnow.com/graphics/COVERART/local/M/37/02/00013702.jpgGary Moore / Blues For Greeny This is a spine-chilling record. How can this guy hit such emotional bends and notes? How can he get this much sustain without much distortion? I feel Gary's not a good rhythm player, but in terms of leads, tones and phrasing.... wow! This album is filled with lovingly recreated Peter Green classics. His tone is incredible - using Peter's old Les Paul and loads of plate reverb. Just listen to The Supernatural and he's got you. Great stuff. To be continued! Oscar plays a stock Gibson Les Paul with P90's, a stock Epiphone Alleykat (both strung with .011's with a wound G), a Fender HotRod Deluxe, a Fender Frontman 15 Reverb and a Vox ValveTone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 In no particular order: Les Paul and Chet Atkins "Lester and Chester", though it's worth seeking out Atkins and Paul's individual great records Pat Metheny "Bright Size Life" A seminal contemporary jazz record, with a VERY young Metheny and Jaco, and Bob Moses on drums. Lenny Breau: just find something in print and buy it. The one I remember was "Mo Breau". Steve Howe on Yes' "Close to the Edge" and "Fragile". Maybe my favorite rock guitarist of all time. Want to have a good, long drool from looking at some incredible guitars? Check out the Steve Howe guitar collection book. James Honeyman-Scott on "The Pretenders". The solo on "Kid" is worth the price of the CD. A huge loss. Andy Summers on The Police "Regatta de Blanc". "Message In a Bottle", "Bring on the Night", "Walking on the Moon"...what an album. Jim Hall "Alone Together". Like Joe Pass, Jim Hall is one of the most influencial jazz guitarists of the past 40 years. Tuck Andress on Tuck and Patti "Tears of Joy". The man is just plain scary. Charlie Hunter "Natty Dread". This is a very accessible jazz record for non-jazz listeners. Has an R&B vibe. It is a complete cover of the Bob Marley album of the same title. Hunter plays a Novax 8 string, covers the bass parts himself, uses a Leslie effect to sound like a B-3. Hunter isn't one the most important guitarists of all time, but I happen to like this album. It's a fun, guitar-centric jazz record from a playing with a unique approach the the instrument. King Crimson "Discipline". A master class of guitar/guitar synth/Chapman Stick/bass interplay with Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, and Tony Levin, with the brilliant Bill Bruford on drums (IIRC, there are no cymbals on this album). Dare I say "Boston"? I can't possibly listen to this album today, but it was a huge influence on guitar sounds for years to follow. Frank Zappa...well, I can't pick one authoritatively, but FZ ought to be somewhere on the list. Probably a live recording, "Zappa in New York" maybe. "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery"...need we say more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Hiding and Albert Lee, by Albert Lee, man oh man, some of my fav guitaring here. Also the Emmy Lou 'Hot Band' albums and D E7 Edmunds etc. Get some Dixie Dregs, don't ask questions, just go get some. Yessongs, Steve Howe is great live! Imagine-Lennon. George Harrison does my fav slide solo on 'How Do You Sleep.' Great album. Heavy Cream -Maybe I'm the only EC fan around, but he's great. Get some Jemi (Are you experienced?) Check some Tull, Aqualung, War Child etc. Martin Barre is great on electric and Ian is great on acoustic. Get some Cars. Elliot Easton is one of my absolutely fav lead players. Burns his ass off for 8 or 16 bars and then gets out of the way. Dreamboat Annie, Little Queen, Magazine, and Dog and Butterfly by Heart. They were the best before they got rid of lead player Roger Fisher. Night at the Opera -Brian May is unreal. Get the Santana album with 'Europa' on it. Wings over America -Jimmy McCulloch does some tasty lead. And yeah, Abbey Road, White Album, Revolver, Rubber Soul, Let it Be, some great guitaring. -David http://www.garageband.com/artist/MichaelangelosMuse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Well, I'll toss in Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore. Oh, heck, anything by the Allmans. Or any solo Allman-related stuff, including Government Mule, etc. Anything by Johnny Winter. My favorites are "And Live" and "Still Alive and Well". "Live in the Air Age" by Be Bop Deluxe. Bill Nelson's solo on "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" is phenomenal...so melodic and haunting. "Dirty Boogie" by Brian Setzer Orchestra. A lot of Setzer. Oh, and a ton of other stuff. Even a lot of old surf stuff. "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Anything by John McLaughlin works for me! Add Earl Klugh to the list as well. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Downchild Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 The first four albums by The Fabulous Thunderbirds: cult classics. 'Welcome' by Doyle Bramhall II and Smokestack is smokin'. Just ask Clapton. Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos two CDs showed the link between blues guitar and the Cuban tres for me. Los Lobos: 'Good Morning Aztlan' is a fine return to form. Jimmie Vaughan: 'Strange Pleasure'. If Cool Hand Luke played guitar, he'd sound like this. Sonny Landreth: 'Levee Town': Hoodoo slide. The greatest bottleneck innovator since Duane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanhiker Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 "Hide Away: The Best of Freddie King" Great stuff, especially the instrumentals. "Marshall Crenshaw" Everybody was so impressed with his writing, they forgot he was the only guitar player on the album. "Kingfish" This is what Fender guitars should sound like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyote Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 For sheer live excitement, as well as arguably the first true "shred" rock guitar.... Deep Purple - Made in Japan. I used to think I was Libertarian. Until I saw their platform; now I know I'm no more Libertarian than I am RepubliCrat or neoCON or Liberal or Socialist. This ain't no track meet; this is football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Originally posted by urbanhiker: "Marshall Crenshaw" Everybody was so impressed with his writing, they forgot he was the only guitar player on the album. Damn, I wish I'd said that. Great call, urbanhiker. In a similar vein, I'll add another masterful album of well crafted, guitar-oriented pop songs: Matthew Sweet's "Girlfriend" (though Sweet isn't the sole guitarist on the record). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 "Friday Night in San Francisco" - Al Dimeola, John McLaughlin, and Paco DeLucia. Jaw-dropping exhibition of skill, tastefulness and dare I say, perfection. Here's the kicker - it's a LIVE album!!! (OK, there are two studio tracks from McLaughlin). Three guitar masters showing you the high potential of guitar music. If you love guitar, you will not be sorry if you buy this album. aka riffing Double Post music: Strip Down http://rimspeed.com http://loadedtheband.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielT Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 Fleetwood Mac - Live at the Boston Tea Party - Peter Green and Danny Kirwan tunes only. Great raw blues/rock tones and chops. King's X - Faith, Hope, Love - and all the rest of their albums too. Ty Tabor has a unique tone and unbelievable technique (especially live). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 Guys, I have a few I would like to add: Storyville - Piece of your Soul and their final CD, Dog Years. David Grissom and co. put guitars in front and do great work on those albums. I also echo Doyle Bramhall II. Anything he has done/doing is solid. Clapton - 24 nights, Live at Albert Hall. Robert Cray - Bad Influence. Monte Montgomery - First and Repair David Bowie - ALL of his albums take me to another place. That is all I can get out for now. Keep guitar alive. Peace, Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimK Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 Wickerman: Interesting that you say Rush's Signals album. Lifeson has said that he was very unhappy with how the guitars ended up on that album. He felt they were lost in the mix and the fact that songs were written on keyboards didn't help. That album has been attributed to Rush dumping Terry Brown as a producer. Don't get me wrong, I like the album, just found your choice interesting. I'd add Rush's Vapor Trails album to the list. Lifeson's guitar work on this ablum is amazing. No wild solos or in your face stuff. Instead, his approach is more of total package kind of thing. Not many players could pull this off. In an effort to improve the responsiveness of e-mail for everyone, the e-mail servers will be out of service. We are hopeful that this change will improve the performance of e-mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Posted July 24, 2002 Author Share Posted July 24, 2002 Wow! This is gonna be real helpful when browsing through the discount bins at my fav CD outlets ! Good to see Faith, Hope, Love already mentioned. Nevertheless, I'm gonna recommend another King's X record as well. http://www.kramerskorner.com/kingsx/images/covers/earcandy.jpg King's X / Ear Candy This record really showcases Ty Tabor's masterful guitar arrangements. It's not about wailing leads, but rather about fantastic textures that are perfect for the songs. Just listen to the opening riffs of The Train, the fabulous interwoven parts of Mississippi Moon, the trippy acoustic timbres of Thinking And Wondering and the funky rhythms of A Box and Sometime. This album is a master class in songwriting and arrangement. Guitars aside, never have drums been recorded so spaciously and toneful. Hearing is believing - you'd swear you were in the room with the band. As always, Doug Pinnick's stunning bass grooves and fantastic singing are the icing on the cake. http://gs.cdnow.com/graphics/COVERART/AMG/M/45/93/00264593.jpgThe Vaughan Brothers / Family Style Obviously, every record by Stevie or Jimmie is a must-have. Many expected the brothers to duke it out relentlessly on their first and only collaborative effort. They didn't. Instead, they chose to record the songs they couldn't release under their own name for stylistic reasons. With the exception of the final track, there isn't any blues on the album. That doesn't mean it's a dog, however. Au contraire. Enter a fantastic rhythm section, wonderful strat sounds that pale even Knopfler and positive, humorous, uplifting vibes. It's abundantly clear the brothers had a ball making this one! The grooves are deep enough to swallow the Grand Canyon and the guitar playing, though not blues, is simply outstanding. Those guys know how to play the funk, for sure! Pop it into your car stereo and crank it. http://gs.cdnow.com/graphics/COVERART/local/M/75/25/00077525.jpgDanny Gatton / 88 Elmira Street It's nearly impossible to choose just one Gatton record. It's practically a sin to do so and leave out the other ones. Gatton was a truly one-of-a-kind player the likes of which we'll never encounter again. His virtuosity is matched only by his outstanding overall musicianship. No senseless egotripping here, just amazingly well-crafted pieces of music that happen to be spectacular. His tones are to die for, his approach of the instrument from another planet. Prepare to be humbled. To be continued! Oscar plays a stock Gibson Les Paul with P90's, a stock Epiphone Alleykat (both strung with .011's with a wound G), a Fender HotRod Deluxe, a Fender Frontman 15 Reverb and a Vox ValveTone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlChuck Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 Some of my personal favorites: http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000027LG.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg Tony Williams Lifetime, Believe It!, 1975, wherein Allan Holdsworth steps out front and center to rule the earth... now available on a CD compilation named The Collection, which includes this recording plus the lesser follow-up Million Dollar Legs, which has some blatant commercial overtones http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000009RC2.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg The Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Inner Mounting Flame, 1971... Birds of Fire is better recorded and has better playing overall, but this one is where the Mahavishnu conception first hit the world... http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000005CBT.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg Wayne Krantz, Two Drink Minimum, 1995. A modern guitar master, a great talent worthy of wider recognition. http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000005BEK.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg Pat Martino, Footprints, 1972 (originally titled The Visit). One of my favorite jazz guitarists, one of my favorites from his discography. This date was a tribute to Wes Montgomery. That's enough for now, I could go on for hours... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcohol Posted July 26, 2002 Share Posted July 26, 2002 Jimi Henrix: Axis Bold as Love Live at the Fillmore New years Eve "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality." [Dante Alighieri] (1265-1321) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junior4242 Posted July 26, 2002 Share Posted July 26, 2002 Jimi Hendrix - Live at the Fillmore East, Electric Ladyland. Santana - Lotus and Caravanserai John McLaughlin - Shakti McLaughlin and Santana - Love, Devotion, Surrender Larry Coryell - Spaces McLaughlin, DeLucia, DiMeola - The Guitar Trio Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life Miles Davis - Live Evil I know I'm forgetting something... http://www.mp3.com/TheSolarChurch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan_Frenchie Posted July 26, 2002 Share Posted July 26, 2002 Hi, It's nearly impossible to choose just one Gatton record. It's practically a sin to do so and leave out the other ones. Gatton was a truly one-of-a-kind player the likes of which we'll never encounter again. His virtuosity is matched only by his outstanding overall musicianship. No senseless egotripping here, just amazingly well-crafted pieces of music that happen to be spectacular. His tones are to die for, his approach of the instrument from another planet. Prepare to be humbled. I do agree include ALL Danny Gatton records !!! And please add : SRV + A. King, BB. King : Live at the Regal and Cook County Jail, Peter Green (All of them), John Mayall and friends, T. Bone Walker (Best of, 2 CDs) Stan. Love + Learning + Music = LIFE !!! (some money welcomed as well ...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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