best albums for the guitar solos sound

landberkdoten wrote: lucas wrote: Oh, and talking about PF, Gilmour's first album is pretty good in term of guitar playing. Sorry, I don't appreciate it that much

Actually I loved both of David G.'s solo albums... They are great driving cds... About Face has "Lets Get Metaphysical", "All Lovers Are Deranged" and "Murder"... just wonderful.. and the first album has "Mihalis" and "Raise My Rent".. lovely guitar work...!!

I don't think there are so many PROG albums with an outstanding GUITAR SOLO SOUND.

you can count them on your fingers!

I agree with Eric Johnson's Ah Via Musicum, but it is not prog rock.

Andy Latimer's guitar solos are very melodic and moving, but the sound is very ordinary. It is the case for most of the prog guitarists: Steve Howe is technically outstanding, but his sound is really gross: he has never been able to "SOUND", E.G. like Steve Hackett on Spectral Mornings. Definitely the guitar sound on 90125 is BETTER by far, but fer sure technically it is inferior to Howe! IQ's guitarist sounds better, thanks god, but he could have a better sound. Pallas' guitarist is very moving and melodic, but he lack sound quality. Nektar's guitarist had a better sound! He was able to produce great guitar sounds. David Gilmour is another one with a great sound! Manfred Mann's guitarist has a very bland sound, despite, I like what he plays: his best solos are on Watch. Eloy's guitarist has a good sound, especially on the 80's albums. Graeme Taylor's guitar sound (Gryphon) has nothing extraordinary: but he sounds dangerously better on the Heldenleben track (Raindance), from 14:14 to 14:35.

Anyway, the best guitar sound IMO was made by Headpins' guitarist Brian "Too loud Macleod", but you have to like hard rock.

greenback wrote: I don't think there are so many PROG albums with an outstanding GUITAR SOLO SOUND. you can count them on your fingers! I agree with Eric Johnson's Ah Via Musicum, but it is not prog rock. Andy Latimer's guitar solos are very melodic and moving, but the sound is very ordinary. It is the case for most of the prog guitarists: Steve Howe is technically outstanding, but his sound is really gross: he has never been able to "SOUND", E.G. like Steve Hackett on Spectral Mornings. is Definitely the guitar sound on 90125 is BETTER by far, but fer sure technically it is inferior to Howe! IQ's guitarist sounds better, thanks god, but he could have a better sound. Pallas' guitarist is very moving and melodic, but he lack sound quality. Nektar's guitarist had a better sound! He was able to produce great guitar sounds. David Gilmour is another one with a great sound! Manfred Mann's guitarist has a very bland sound, despite, I like what he plays: his best solos are on Watch. Eloy's guitarist has a good sound, especially on the 80's albums. Graeme Taylor's guitar sound (Gryphon) has nothing extraordinary: but he sounds dangerously better on the Heldenleben track (Raindance), from 14:14 to 14:35. Anyway, the best guitar sound IMO was made by Headpins' guitarist Brian "Too loud Macleod", but you have to like hard rock.

It all depends on what we class as a good guitar sound. In the world of Heavy Metal things are more clear cut; thrash/death metal (whatever kids call that crap these days) can be judged on how 'heavy' the gitar sound is. Does it crunch and grind, but at the same time well produced enough to not lose definition at the bottom end etc etc..

In prog, (as with most other forms of rock/pop music) the guitar sound has to be appropriate to the music. Trevor Rabins guitar sound was good..for 90125. Mr Rabin doesn't have many fans around here, but I think he's ok  I dont believe his guitar sound would have improved or added anything to earlier Yes albums, with Howe playing on them. He had a modern, processed sound that gelled well with the Trevor Horn production on 90125.

But, its all about taste. I love Alex Lifesons guitar sound, it's unique as is his technique, but at the same time I can appreciate that some may not like him for the same reasons. Thats where I stand with Steve Howe. I dont like his guitar sound, to me it sounds whiney and weak. Many of his solos sound hurried and scrappy, like he's trying to improvise when improvisation may not be his strength. Steve Hackett is another with a sound which was unique, but open to criticism for being 'weak' The politics in Genesis may have kept Hackett down in the mix, especially after PG left the band, but nevertheless his sound blended with the music well, for this reason I prefer him to Howe, and lets face it Genesis were not a guitar driven prog band.

Blacksword wrote: Steve Hackett is another with a sound which was unique, but open to criticism for being 'weak' The politics in Genesis may have kept Hackett down in the mix, especially after PG left the band, but nevertheless his sound blended with the music well, for this reason I prefer him to Howe, and lets face it Genesis were not a guitar driven prog band.

I think you have to devide Steve Hackett's sound into older and newer stuff. During Genesis (and a while after) his sound wasn't that, well, intersting (?) but surely fit well into the music. His recent sound with a lot of highs is something you need to get used to. When I heared it first I was not very impressed (this was last year - and live). But you can always hear him through the other instruments, what is not too bad, for he plays great. I started listening to his recent stuff after that concert, and I must confess, I realy like his sound, now.

Sound is always a question of taste. I guess, it depends on the guitarist. My guitarist doesn't like Steve Hackett's sound at all and I'm not too happy with his sound, as well, though he absolutly likes his sound.

And don't forget: you can recognize Steve Howe by his sound - and that is something you can not say about every guitarist.

Allan Holdsworth: Gong-Gazeuse, Tony Williams Lifetime-Believe It, UK, Jean Luc Ponty -  Enigmatic Ocean

Steve Hackett: all the Genesis stuff he played on, Voyage of the Acolyte, Spectral Mornings

Robert Fripp: King Crimson USA

David Torn: Cloud About Mercury, first Everyman Band album

Scott Henderson: Tribal Tech, Illicit, Rocket Science, Face First

Bill Connors: RTF-Hymn of The 7th Galaxy, Stanley Clarke

Phil Miller: National Health, NH-Of Queues and Cures, Hatfield & The North, HaTN-Rotters Club

Gary Boyle: Isotope-Illusion

Peter Banks: Flash, Flash-In The Can

Stanley Whittaker: Happy The Man, HTM-Crafty Hands

I'll think of more later

Hi greenback

I have to be honest, I'm not keen on Power Windows. I think PW and 'Hold your fire' are the two albums Rush made during their creative lull. They are stylish, brash and very 80's, but the songs IMO are not very memorable with the exception of a few. I think the albums that followed them; 'Presto' 'Roll the bones' and 'Counterparts' are three of their best guitar albums ever!! ..and thats coming from an old school Rush fan  

I like Marillion too, and recognise Steve Rothery as a great musician, certainly a very melodic guitarist, but to be honest I dont think he's much of an inovator, or that original. I have not heard him play anything that has not been done before by the likes of Andy Latimer (Camel) or Dave Gilmour. (awaits the flying bottles and bricks)

Jan Ackerman of Focus is another little taked about prog guitar hero!!

landberkdoten wrote: lucas wrote: Oh, and talking about PF, Gilmour's first album is pretty good in term of guitar playing. Sorry, I don't appreciate it that much

Never appreciated Dave Gilmour (not to be confused with guitarist Dave Gilmore - e.g. plays with jazzer Steve Coleman!!!) until I heard former Free and Bad Company vocalist, Paul Rodger's tribute album to Muddy Waters. Gilmour's contribution on one  track stands out  from the others with the likes of Jeff Beck, Trevor Raeburn, Slash, etc. there too.