Reply To: Your Picks for the Most Underrated Rock Guitarists

[peter]

On jude77 said

My vote would go to Paul McCartney.  He certainly doesn’t fall in the “Genius” category, and I find his electric playing as stiff as a starched shirt, but on acoustic he has a wonderfully fluid style that is all his own and sounds effortless.  I love how he uses the combination of his forefinger and thumb to create rhythm and he has a tone that’s his. Plus, his playing always serves the song beautifully.  To me, his style is very simple, but remarkably effective.

Right after him I would have to nominate Leo Kottke who isn’t underrated so much as overlooked.  Now that guy does fall in the Genius category.

The Beatles were out slightly before my time. I became a Beatles fan after becoming a huge McCartney fan.. When I finally saw him live in 1989 with a guitarist friend, McCartney played lead guitar and played better than I’ve ever heard him play with the Beatles or solo since. Although he did a fantastic job on songs like “Maybe I’m Amazed.”

On a McCartney fan related note. I got to know his drummer from that tour, Chris Whitten. He was a very popular UK studio drummer who did tracks with Dire Straits, World Party, The The… Legend has it that Paul’s super bossy. So being a HUGE McCartney fan since I was a little boy, I asked him what Paul was like to work with. He told me that he was really easy going, a super nice guy and that he never once told him what to play or not to play, he just trusted him to play and Chris is not someone shy about giving his opinions, so, being a pragmatist, I believe him.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by peter.

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