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Thread: Best Prog/Rock acoustic player?

  1. #26
    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by trurl View Post
    Hmmm, hard to say but I'd be taking a close look at Steve Morse. Howe is very good at Chet Atkins-style picking for a rock guy but real Nashville pickers would eat him for lunch. Hackett is a better nylon player but again, serious classical players would p0wn them both.
    No doubt. But those Nashville pickers and serious classical players wouldn't hold a candle to these guys in the rock world, either.

    The point being that Howe is a better "Nashville picker" than most country guys are at rock music (most, being the operative word - I know guys like Paisley and Urban could hold their own), and I can't imagine many serious classical players would be able to do what Hackett does with an electric guitar.

    Quote Originally Posted by WytchCrypt View Post
    I'll take Hackett on classical (nylon string) and Howe on steel string
    I'm inclined to agree - love them both.



    A few mentioned here with whom I'm not familiar. Such as:

    Quote Originally Posted by Yves View Post
    It has been documented on this site that I am a big fan of Bruce Cockburn's acoustic work.
    Do Cockburn or Giltrap have any albums of solo acoustic works? I'd especially be interested in those without vocals. Thanks!
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

  2. #27
    Steve Morse. If you've never seen his classical guitar interludes live, well, let's just say they are a revelation.

    John Williams (prog reference, the band Sky) is another master

  3. #28
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    As soon as I saw the thread title I thought of Ian Anderson. There is no question that Howe and Hackett play better acoustic guitar but as an overall acoustic instrumentalist, I have to rate Anderson above all others.

  4. #29
    Member BobM's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by musicislife View Post
    McLaughlin.

    Towner.

    DeLucia.

    Gismonti.
    Towner - classical genius
    McLaughlin - super fast on anything, sometimes with feeling too
    Paco - amazing flamenco and always with feeling
    Gismonte - is that 2 people playing? How does he do that?
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  5. #30
    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by musicislife View Post
    McLaughlin.

    Towner.

    DeLucia.

    Gismonti.

  6. #31
    [QUOTE=Scott Bails;326641
    Do Cockburn or Giltrap have any albums of solo acoustic works? I'd especially be interested in those without vocals. Thanks![/QUOTE]

    There's a Cockburn compilation of his instrumentals from the various albums titled Speechless.

  7. #32
    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Thanks, Reid!
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

  8. #33
    Member WytchCrypt's Avatar
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    I don't know if this was a common thing Steve Hackett did on all his early 90's shows, but when I saw him in San Jose he had a full band and after they played the show, for the encore he came onstage alone with a chair and classical guitar and just played unaccompanied for about 20 minutes. It ranks as one of my all time fave live concert experiences
    Check out my solo project prog band, Mutiny in Jonestown at https://mutinyinjonestown.bandcamp.com/

    Check out my solo project progressive doom metal band, WytchCrypt at https://wytchcrypt.bandcamp.com/


  9. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wah3 View Post
    Steve Morse. If you've never seen his classical guitar interludes live, well, let's just say they are a revelation.
    He gets my vote too. Not only is he a great classical player, but he can hold his own with the best Nashville chicken pickers too.

    Honorable mention: Gary Green and Ray Shulman. Check out their acoustic guitar duo in "Excerpts from Octopus" on Playing the Fool.

    Agree about Gismonte, Towner, De Lucia, etc., but I don't expect many would consider them "prog" (as opposed to progressive).

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    Quote Originally Posted by Reid View Post
    Allan Holdsworth, on the rare occasions when he plays one.
    Beat me to it. I actually like Holdsy's acoustic work better than much of his electric product. His work on Nevermore is breathtaking...

  11. #36
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    UK doesn't count. If you were just to listen to this album, and no other and judge the level of playing here, each of them would win any "best of" poll hands down.

    If you listen to a body of work then you have to also consider the amount of sheer output someone like Paco DeLucia or Egberto Gismonte has put out over someone who only occasionally touches an acoustic.
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobM View Post
    UK doesn't count. If you were just to listen to this album, and no other and judge the level of playing here, each of them would win any "best of" poll hands down.

    If you listen to a body of work then you have to also consider the amount of sheer output someone like Paco DeLucia or Egberto Gismonte has put out over someone who only occasionally touches an acoustic.
    No argument there. Just saying I deeply enjoyed that piece. I also greatly enjoy his solo pieces on Velvet Darkness, and his collaboration with Gordon Beck.

    I'm not measuring Johnsons here...

  13. #38

  14. #39
    Quote Originally Posted by BobM View Post
    UK doesn't count. If you were just to listen to this album, and no other and judge the level of playing here, each of them would win any "best of" poll hands down.

    If you listen to a body of work then you have to also consider the amount of sheer output someone like Paco DeLucia or Egberto Gismonte has put out over someone who only occasionally touches an acoustic.
    Seriously, just the 4 I mentioned make all the "Hackett and Howe are best" comments appear silly.

  15. #40
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by musicislife View Post
    Seriously, just the 4 I mentioned make all the "Hackett and Howe are best" comments appear silly.
    Although the title of the thread makes your list of 4 appear silly.

  16. #41
    Paco De Lucia a rock player? mon ti fuck man

    No love for Jan Akkerman? As far as players from the more widely known "classic rock or prog" sort if area, he's a fair bit more skilled than Hackett or Howe(though stylistically speaking i can see why he might be less enjoyable).Fripp too on acoustic.

  17. #42
    Akkerman wins on lute, that's for sure

  18. #43
    I like a lot of Mike Oldfield's acoustic moments. Like "Taurus 3" or the end of "Orabidoo."

    I think Anthony Phillips did something really special with the use of acoustic guitar on "Trespass" and on "The Geese and the Ghost."

    Ian Anderson - "Dun Ringill." Wow. What amazing atmosphere.

    But I think for creativity and versatility, Steve Howe kind of plumbed the depths of how to incorporate acoustic guitars into a mammoth rock concept between The Yes Album and Going for the One.

    Finally, Mike Johnson, who takes the Howe approach about 5 steps farther.

  19. #44
    The greatest acoustic guitarist to ever touch upon progressive rock was Feliu Gasull on the Feliu y Joan Albert album (with J. A. Amargos of Musica Urbana). Andre Duchesne's and Rene Lussier's works with Conventum were extraordinary, occasionally beyond belief, as was Cedric Vuille's and Jean Huguenin's input with Nimal and L'Ensemble Raye. The greatest current players (IMO) are Mike Johnson (with both TP and Hamster Theatre) and Paolo Angeli (particularly on Nita - L'Angelo sul Trapezio), closely followed by Jim O'Rourke and Marc Ribot.

    I like Ian Anderson's playing, but Jansch, Harper and Martyn were the finest British "rock" folkies. Again, IMHO.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  20. #45
    Member Oreb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yves View Post
    It has been documented on this site that I am a big fan of Bruce Cockburn's acoustic work.
    And you're not alone!

    Check out the version of 'Deer Dancing Around a Broken Mirror' on Circles in the Stream and consider the thread question answered

    I've posted plenty of times that I don't have respect for 'virtuosity' or 'chops' as something to admire in and of itself: what makes Bruce great IMO is that he never allows his skill to get in the way of the music's spirit.

    Does it matter that this waste of time is what makes a life for you?

  21. #46
    chalkpie
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    The greatest acoustic guitarist to ever touch upon progressive rock was Feliu Gasull on the Feliu y Joan Albert album (with J. A. Amargos of Musica Urbana). Andre Duchesne's and Rene Lussier's works with Conventum were extraordinary, occasionally beyond belief, as was Cedric Vuille's and Jean Huguenin's input with Nimal and L'Ensemble Raye. The greatest current players (IMO) are Mike Johnson (with both TP and Hamster Theatre) and Paolo Angeli (particularly on Nita - L'Angelo sul Trapezio), closely followed by Jim O'Rourke and Marc Ribot.

    I like Ian Anderson's playing, but Jansch, Harper and Martyn were the finest British "rock" folkies. Again, IMHO.
    Wow - nice post there viking scrotum. I saw Marc Ribot solo with just an acoustic and it was incredible. Huge Tom Waits fan here, so a big fan of MR. This cat can improvise like nobody's business. I need to hear more Rene Lussier - am really just a novice there - but I do own Le trésor de la langue, which is mindblowing of course.

    I also dig Jansch and co big time, but for me Ian is beyond pure gold. His picking patterns/arpeggios/chords are utter perfection in my view. Tull fanboy talking? Yeah maybe, but really that has no bearing on how good he is.

    Thanks for reminding me of that Paolo Angeli, I bought that a few years ago in that big ReR sale.

  22. #47
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave (in MA) View Post
    Although the title of the thread makes your list of 4 appear silly.
    Everybody's definition of "progressive" is different. Nothing about that term implies "rock".

  23. #48
    chalkpie
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    Probably a bit O/T here, but perhaps my most listened to acoustic musicians are probably either Paul O' Dette and/or Ronn McFarlane (both lutenists). I can't tell you how many times I've spun all 6 volumes of the Complete Dowland Lute Works with O' Dette.


  24. #49
    How about Adrian Legg? I have a couple of CDs I bought about 20 years ago that are pretty amazing.

    Guitars & Other Cathedrals
    Guitar For Mortals

    and the late great Michael Hedges. And the alive and living Mike Keneally!
    Last edited by Reid; 10-30-2014 at 01:44 AM.

  25. #50
    Quote Originally Posted by musicislife View Post
    Everybody's definition of "progressive" is different. Nothing about that term implies "rock".
    So true. And one could namecheck someone like Graeme Taylor seeing how Gryphon were a "prog" band, yet Taylor in essence wasn't a rock guitarist to begin with.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

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