Steve Rothery

[kenlearn]

I've got a simple question. There may not be a simple answer. What CD's does Steve Rothery shine the most. I love his style of play and am looking to expand my collection of Steve Rothery guitar playing. Thanks.
Ken

[Scott Bails]

Wow.

Not a simple question at all. I'm sure you'll get many, many different answers.

Without giving it too much thought, my first response would either be Misplaced Childhood or Marbles.

But then, any self-respecting Marillion fan should have these in their collection anyway.

[Progtopia]

Eesh. What a question!

Misplaced Childhood, Clutching at Straws, Marbles, Brave, and "Easter" from Season's End.

[Progatron]

I love his style of play and am looking to expand my collection of Steve Rothery guitar playing.

What do you have so far?

[Soul Dreamer]

Agreed with everything mentioned so far, I'd like to add the solo in This Strange Engine (the song) starting at 11:22 and ending at 12:40...

[kenlearn]

I don't have anything. I have just heard some things here and there. I've read of comparisons to David Gilmour and Andrew Latimer. Really peaked my interest.

[Progatron]

OK. Go with what Progtopia said!

[Yaman Aksu]

His "style of play" went through very noticeable big changes starting with the Radiation album in 1998 --- his style has become more diverse since that time. So, if you mean his "classic sound" pre-Radiation, I'd suggest picking *any* Marillion album with a release date before 1998, especially Misplaced Childhood or Clutching at Straws, but personally I prefer the first two albums that came before those two (you'll find plenty of classic Rothery in the first two albums). A key part of his clean (non-distorted) sound (within his classic sound) is the Roland JC (Jazz Chorus) amp which has a very distinctive built-in "Chorus" effect -- it's also an amp with a very clean sound.

[mozo-pg]

I really liked Rothery's playing on Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall (particularly Comfortably Numb). At minimum, a huge influence.

[progeezer]

If it's only one album, either "Brave" or "Marbles".

[meimjustalawnmower]

I really liked Rothery's playing on Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall (particularly Comfortably Numb). At minimum, a huge influence.

Heh heh. :)
I'm also fond of his contributions to all of the Camel and Genesis albums.

[Jeremy Bender]

I really liked Rothery's playing on Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall (particularly Comfortably Numb). At minimum, a huge influence.*snerk* I love Marillion and Rothery's playing, but apart from Fish being a Gabriel knock-off, their sound has always reminded me of 70's Pink Floyd.

For the original question, I'd go for Misplaced Childhood for the early years and Afraid of Sunlight for the later years.

[iguana]

quite honestly ... don't stray too far from his latter-day contributions to MARiLLiON ... from “brave” onwards he started to gently modify his custom sound and to ease things around ... and, strangely enough, it's the albums “somewhere else” (which i otherwise hate) and “happiness is the road”, that see him at his most experimental and forward-moving without sacrificing his evocative and atmospheric playing.

this one kills me everytime:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjRSKu5MNOE

[strawberrybrick]

Brave.

[mozo-pg]

I'd also take Brave or Marbles.

[Wilton Said...]

I think his most eclectic playing is on This Strange Engine and Marbles. TSE (the song) features two of his best solos ever. The album also has some diverse rhythm and textures from the acoustic Man of a Thousand Faces, the poppy One Fine Day, and the rocked up An Accidental Man.

[Dodie]

'Seasons End', 'Holidays in Eden' (which has some of his best guitar solos in the so-called trademark style, which as others have noted is Gilmour-Latimer-Hackett influenced), 'Brave', 'This Strange Engine' and 'Marbles'.

Much as I love 'Afraid of Sunlight', and rate it as one of Marilllion's best albums, it doesn't have that much in the way of Rothery solo highlights (although it does have some of his best rhythm playing). The same is also true of 'Anoraknophobia' and the unfairly maligned 'Radiation' - both albums I really like but not much of Rothery's signature style soloing. In fact, the most recent album 'Sounds That Can't Be Made' actually has a greater number of classic melodic Rothery moments than the previous couple of albums put together.

If we're talking about 80s Marillion, then 'Misplaced Childhood' and 'Clutching at Straws' are the pick of the crop.

[ChrisXymphonia]

To me Brave is probably the album that has the most of Rothery's playing on it. Listen to it with headphones and you will notice that he has countless overdubs with all kinds of neat little parts tucked away deep in the mix.

[mozo-pg]

To me Brave is probably the album that has the most of Rothery's playing on it. Listen to it with headphones and you will notice that he has countless overdubs with all kinds of neat little parts tucked away deep in the mix.

That probably explains why Brave is my favourite Marillion album.

[Stickleback]

The Wishing Tree

[Wilton Said...]

I think his most eclectic playing is on This Strange Engine and Marbles. TSE (the song) features two of his best solos ever. The album also has some diverse rhythm and textures from the acoustic Man of a Thousand Faces, the poppy One Fine Day, and the rocked up An Accidental Man.
I would have to agree with the above post. However, for a good cross section of his more David Gilmour influenced playing, I'd go with the live album Thieving Magpie which was the last album with Fish. It features material from all Fish albums and has some great solos like script for a Jesters Tear, Sugar Mice, and Chelsea Monday. The live Made Again from the H era has Splintering Heart (2 great solos), Easter, and all of Brave.

[TheH]

For me it will always be the early singing guitar style (the Gilmour influenced style if you want so) what I want to hear from Steve.

On later records he proves to be a very good guitarist, but doesn't have any specific style at all.

And original or not, I want to have my singing guitar solos back.

[progeezer]

Brave & Script

[arise_shine]

I'm pretty sure every 80s and 90s Marillion has been named in this thread. :) I'll go for Misplaced Childhood.

[GuitarGeek]

I'd say go for Misplaced Childhood, Clutching At Straws, and Season's End. I actually don't remember a whole about Season's End, except that it includes the wonderful Easter, which has one of Rothery's very best solos.

[Adinfinitum]

I have many favorite guitarists like Howe, Hackett, Page, Lifeson, VH, Gilmour, but, hands down, the guy who writes the most melodic, memorable solos (IMHO) is SR. And this is coming from a guy who really hasn't been a Marillion fan since Holidays in Eden.

[everythingtoexcess]

I'd say Seasons End for sure. To me that was the absolute peak of his tasty, tasty solos and there are also a good fistful of his better rhythm parts. There are probably individual songs on other albums that I like better, but for the biggest concentration of some of his best work, that's what I'd suggest.

[Progatron]

Just spent part of an evening with Steve Rothery and he is a class act. What a night!

[skysaw]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8BC5Sjmsxs

My favourite Rothery solo.

[Wilton Said...]

I would have to agree with the above post. However, for a good cross section of his more David Gilmour influenced playing, I'd go with the live album Thieving Magpie which was the last album with Fish. It features material from all Fish albums and has some great solos like script for a Jesters Tear, Sugar Mice, and Chelsea Monday. The live Made Again from the H era has Splintering Heart (2 great solos), Easter, and all of Brave.
I just realized that I agreed with another poster.... I didn't look at who it was, I just agreed. I only know just noticed that the other poster is myself. I'm an idiot. At least I didn't disagree.