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Great Guitarist?

Theophilus Punoval

Theophilus Punoval

The Queen says it's OK...
To be honest, every list of great guitarists I've seen here doesn't mention Prince. Frankly, the guy's amazing. Watch him tear "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" to shreds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifp_SVrlurY&feature=related

Is it the general wierdness? The fact he wears purple? That Michael Jackson said he looked like a doll that had been dropped into a barrel of pubic hair?

I can't figure it out. I'm guilty of it myself. But he can play with the best of them.
 
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Probably because he's not only a good guitarist, he plays many instruments as well as guitar, and writes, produces, arranges, etc. Also, he plays in a genre outside of that which typically celebrates guitarists. Like Chet Atkins or Andres Segovia, he probably won't make Guitar Gods Magazine's list of top 10 shredders, but he can play with the best of them.
 
He's never gotten much respect, IMO, because people tend to see him as an "act", and NOT a real musician?

Steve
 
gearhound said:
He's never gotten much respect, IMO, because people tend to see him as an "act", and NOT a real musician?

Steve
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I agree! He was too busy building Prince the brand! He was also the front man 100% of the time, and a lot of guitarists feel he didn't pay his dues. There are many other guitarists who are better conveyors of emotion than Prince, and are well above his level of play. IMHO
Regards,
Jim
 
gearhound said:
He's never gotten much respect, IMO, because people tend to see him as an "act", and NOT a real musician?

Steve
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I also agree...any "artist" that feels the need to put a smokescreen of superficial bullshit so pronounced that I have to make an effort to weed through nonsense to access their work will lose me every time
 
Everybody

kneeOhFight said:
I also agree...any "artist" that feels the need to put a smokescreen of superficial bullshit so pronounced that I have to make an effort to weed through nonsense to access their work will lose me every time
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That lets just about everybody out, then. Jagger (and by extension the Stones), Dylan, Bowie, Elton John, Lady Gaga, the whole schmengie. About the only rock musician without a smokescreen is Ringo Starr. Prince was just more flamboyant, even though it's really tough to out-flamboyant Sir Elton.

Zappa didn't convey much emotion in his solos either. In the clip of "WMGGW" you can see the Purple One is connected to the song and not just throwing note together.

Maybe Prince is too much of a showman.
 
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Prince plays guitar? I didn't even know. That was a pretty sick solo, but far from the greatest guitar solo of all time.

Great song too!
 
He helped reinvent the guitar like Joe Satriani, Van Halen or Eric Clapton? That's like saying Cheap Trick and Tom Petty belong in the RR Hall of Fame. Even Hendrix wasn't into himself the way Prince is.
 
I'll tell you who I need to listen to - that's Eddie Hazel from Parliament/Funkadelic. I just recently learned about The Maggot Brain here on AK. I am on the hunt for a good lp version of that recording.
 
He ripped up that solo! :thmbsp: One of my favorite Beatles tunes of all time. Harrison was highly underrated as a writer during his time with the band.
 
Not About Better

cool9 said:
He helped reinvent the guitar like Joe Satriani, Van Halen or Eric Clapton? That's like saying Cheap Trick and Tom Petty belong in the RR Hall of Fame. Even Hendrix wasn't into himself the way Prince is.
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Eric Clapton?? The man copped riffs note-for-note from Freddie King! (Note: he had the class to admit it at the time.) He's a great player, but he didn't reinvent anything. As for Van Halen, there's no doubt he's a guitar monster. And while nobody is into himself the way our purple friend is, that's not the point. Lennon was into himself too, and don't even mention Macca or Jagger. If you stacked every rock guy who's into himself you could climb to Mars. Even Meat Loaf is into himself!

We're treading on thin ice here, so I'll say this: the guys you mentioned are very very enjoyable but I think Prince is neglected. This thread is not about who's better.
 
Prince is pretty amazing, all the way around, but his guitar playing was never front and center. I think his persona was more of a showman (critics say one of the best) and singer than a guitarist. Many of us classify guitarists in one genre or another and may turn our nose up at the music Prince was playing. His talents are undeniable.
 
LouStools said:
Eric Clapton?? The man copped riffs note-for-note from Freddie King! (Note: he had the class to admit it at the time.) He's a great player, but he didn't reinvent anything. As for Van Halen, there's no doubt he's a guitar monster. And while nobody is into himself the way our purple friend is, that's not the point. Lennon was into himself too, and don't even mention Macca or Jagger. If you stacked every rock guy who's into himself you could climb to Mars. Even Meat Loaf is into himself!

We're treading on thin ice here, so I'll say this: the guys you mentioned are very very enjoyable but I think Prince is neglected. This thread is not about who's better.
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Somehow I can't picture Freddie King playing in Cream or Derek And The Dominoes. Clapton may have been influenced by Freddie, but he definitely developed his own style and influenced countless guitarists (myself included).
Prince has always been a favorite of mine. For awhile he was making amazing music. I like that he didn't hold back in the jam as usually happens when stars get together in that type of situation.
 
Estring said:
Somehow I can't picture Freddie King playing in Cream or Derek And The Dominoes. Clapton may have been influenced by Freddie, but he definitely developed his own style and influenced countless guitarists (myself included).
Prince has always been a favorite of mine. For awhile he was making amazing music. I like that he didn't hold back in the jam as usually happens when stars get together in that type of situation.
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I'll get crucified for this but...... you could say that, in the Clapton examples, the supporting cast is as good or better than the frontman. Take away the greats around Clapton (be it John Mayall, Cream, Derek and the Dominos, etc.) and the rest of his career (and style) is woefully lacking. Prince may have been a showman but HE was the show (and star). I agree with others though, Prince spent so much time building his own myth and image that any skill he has gets overshadowed.
 
Estring said:
Somehow I can't picture Freddie King playing in Cream or Derek And The Dominoes. Clapton may have been influenced by Freddie, but he definitely developed his own style and influenced countless guitarists (myself included).
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I gotta call you on that one. Check out "Hide-A-Way", "San-Ho-Zay" and "Side Tracked" and you'll hear everything Clapton did then and is doing today. It's to Clapton's credit he admits it; other successful rockers haven't.

Cream and Derek were rock outfits and rock wasn't King's style. Also, FK resembled Leslie West so he didn't fit in with the look of the time.

Maybe Prince isn't recognized because he's sui generis.
 
Before anyone crucifies dodag they should read Clapton's autobiography and some of this'll make a whole lot of sense. Clapton has never been 100% comfortable or wanted to be the leader of a band. He has been forced into the lead role most of his career to pursue what he considers pure music. He is most comfortable as a sideman, in a group and/or especially playing off another great guitarist.

I'll part company with and leave dodag to the wolves where he says "the rest of his career (and style) is woefully lacking". 461 Ocean Blvd, Slowhand, From the Cradle, Going to Escondito, etc... speak volumes to the contrary.

OK back to Prince. He can play, but he's not my cup of tea.
 
I saw Prince on TV one time a while ago, and I was just amazed when he threw down a solo. He's a good player, but I never even knew until I saw him sort of by accident.

Kind of like Beck in that way...(not Jeff).
 
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