The overrated shredder post gave me this idea: I listed two players who I think were underrated at their crafts.
guitarists: I don't think I have ever made it a secret that Wolf Hoffmann is God so I would certainly say he is underrated, but I would also have to give the same to one of his contemporaries and countrymen, Matthias Jabs as well. Matthias has been the "new" guitarist for the Scorps for 25 years and has always had to live with the ghosts of both Uli Jon Roth and Micheal Schenker. I think Roth and Schenker are fine guitarists, but both together aren't as good as Jabs in my ears.
bassists: Have to go with another Scorp here in Francis Buccholz and former Ozzy low strung axe-man Bob Daisley. Both are as good as they get, but don't get mentioned often in music forums.
drummers: Kirk Arrington of Metal Church was an oustanding drummer who nevergot the kudos he deserved. Another would be Phil Rudd of AC/DC. He's a total "in the pocket" guy who might not be very technical but Phil has the timing of an expensive Swiss watch. I mean the guy is absolutely perfect and timing and metre doesn't get better than him.
vocalists: Here's one nobody knows.... Andy Kuntz of Vanden Plas. They are my favorite band and he is certainly one of the biggest reasons why. He doesn't have one of thosegreat "God given" voices (or hereditary or whatever you want to call it) but if you listen carefully to most all of Vanden Plas songs carefully, you get a vocalist that gives you8 a lot of bang for the buck. It sounds like every word has been practiced. His control over his voice and delivery are incredible.
Next I would have to say Udo. I mean nobody sounds like Udo. People talk about Ozzy being unique and instantly recognizable which to me is an excuse for his inability to sing, but it is true to a point. Having said that, I think Udo takes that a step farther and he can remember the lyrics to his songs. He is a living legend and still going strong.
keyboards: Have to go with another Vanden Plas member, Gunter Werno. The fact that he has more side projects offered to him than he can ever do is a testament to his playing. With all of the elite musicians out there, he is the only one I can think of that clearly stands above the rest. WHile I never "hated" keyboards if they were used right and by the right band, until Vanden Plas, I was never a fan.
Producer: A producer is as important to the sound of a band as any musician so they deserved recognition. My top choice is Dieter Dirks who helped both The Scorpions and Accept perfect the "teutonic" sound they brought about. Dirks' signature sound are the "hidden" guitar licks buried deep in the mix which he used the technique with both Scorps and Accept. Some of them you don't hear until you have been listening to the CD for a week or so. That is production.
Second would be Flemming Rasmussen. He was the former producer of Metallica. Metallica went to shit when they dropped him. Is it accident ? Hmmm.....
Bryant
guitarists: I don't think I have ever made it a secret that Wolf Hoffmann is God so I would certainly say he is underrated, but I would also have to give the same to one of his contemporaries and countrymen, Matthias Jabs as well. Matthias has been the "new" guitarist for the Scorps for 25 years and has always had to live with the ghosts of both Uli Jon Roth and Micheal Schenker. I think Roth and Schenker are fine guitarists, but both together aren't as good as Jabs in my ears.
bassists: Have to go with another Scorp here in Francis Buccholz and former Ozzy low strung axe-man Bob Daisley. Both are as good as they get, but don't get mentioned often in music forums.
drummers: Kirk Arrington of Metal Church was an oustanding drummer who nevergot the kudos he deserved. Another would be Phil Rudd of AC/DC. He's a total "in the pocket" guy who might not be very technical but Phil has the timing of an expensive Swiss watch. I mean the guy is absolutely perfect and timing and metre doesn't get better than him.
vocalists: Here's one nobody knows.... Andy Kuntz of Vanden Plas. They are my favorite band and he is certainly one of the biggest reasons why. He doesn't have one of thosegreat "God given" voices (or hereditary or whatever you want to call it) but if you listen carefully to most all of Vanden Plas songs carefully, you get a vocalist that gives you8 a lot of bang for the buck. It sounds like every word has been practiced. His control over his voice and delivery are incredible.
Next I would have to say Udo. I mean nobody sounds like Udo. People talk about Ozzy being unique and instantly recognizable which to me is an excuse for his inability to sing, but it is true to a point. Having said that, I think Udo takes that a step farther and he can remember the lyrics to his songs. He is a living legend and still going strong.
keyboards: Have to go with another Vanden Plas member, Gunter Werno. The fact that he has more side projects offered to him than he can ever do is a testament to his playing. With all of the elite musicians out there, he is the only one I can think of that clearly stands above the rest. WHile I never "hated" keyboards if they were used right and by the right band, until Vanden Plas, I was never a fan.
Producer: A producer is as important to the sound of a band as any musician so they deserved recognition. My top choice is Dieter Dirks who helped both The Scorpions and Accept perfect the "teutonic" sound they brought about. Dirks' signature sound are the "hidden" guitar licks buried deep in the mix which he used the technique with both Scorps and Accept. Some of them you don't hear until you have been listening to the CD for a week or so. That is production.
Second would be Flemming Rasmussen. He was the former producer of Metallica. Metallica went to shit when they dropped him. Is it accident ? Hmmm.....
Bryant
