Jump to content
Hamer Fan Club Message Center

How Cool Is This?


Recommended Posts

Couldn't agree more: One of my all-time fave, all around players giving props to one of my all time fave 80's virtuosos!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have said for I guess 20+ years now that the most underrated guitarist/musician in the modern music genres I have ever been exposed to is Nuno Bettencourt. He is a monster guitar player and a total package musician (multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter). Listen to Dr. May, he is spot on in his assessment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Jeff R said:

I have said for I guess 20+ years now that the most underrated guitarist/musician in the modern music genres I have ever been exposed to is Nuno Bettencourt. He is a monster guitar player and a total package musician (multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter). Listen to Dr. May, he is spot on in his assessment.

Ditto. Felt the same about Vito until he had health issues and quit the business altogether. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, IMO much of what accounts for Nuno's underrating was the timing. There was a metric shit ton of 6 string-slingers everywhere in the late 80's. Every day, you saw/heard another seeming virtuoso appear.  The formulaic approach to corporate hair rock dictated the style and substance, so that few managed to truly step out and shine. Nuno was one of those who, despite having seriously kickass chops, timing, phrasing and all-around talent, fell under the marginalizing effect of creating music that the record companies were hawking. Extreme was a very much a formulaic band in that sense.

But to those of us who took notice of all the shredders and had developed perhaps an enhanced sensibility towards who was doing what, Nuno stood out for all the reasons that JeffR cited. To this day, I still hear passages and marvel at his wicked technique and his marriage of various styles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, diablo175 said:

Yeah, IMO much of what accounts for Nuno's underrating was the timing. There was a metric shit ton of 6 string-slingers everywhere in the late 80's. Every day, you saw/heard another seeming virtuoso appear.  The formulaic approach to corporate hair rock dictated the style and substance, so that few managed to truly step out and shine. Nuno was one of those who, despite having seriously kickass chops, timing, phrasing and all-around talent, fell under the marginalizing effect of creating music that the record companies were hawking. Extreme was a very much a formulaic band in that sense.

But to those of us who took notice of all the shredders and had developed perhaps an enhanced sensibility towards who was doing what, Nuno stood out for all the reasons that JeffR cited. To this day, I still hear passages and marvel at his wicked technique and his marriage of various styles.

I agree.  And it didn't help that Nuno and Vito had the obvious VH comparisons when they arrived on the scene.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, scottcald said:

I agree.  And it didn't help that Nuno and Vito had the obvious VH comparisons when they arrived on the scene.  

Oh yeah, a LOT of that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Ed Rechts said:

Blows my mind that a guy with such a gifted  vibrato and killer phrasing could quit playing completely. I know he said he was investing his time to care for his ailing father, and that he had some disgust for the music business (understandable) but c'mon, man...nobody can be THAT good and not want to noodle around occasionally.

Ah Vito .... maybe some day he will come back around and play some more for us ... we can only wait and hope ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vito definitely injured himself (he's been more forthcoming about that recently) and I say he went into a depression at having lost his ability to play (this happened to me). There's enormous shame and loss when this happens --- to me it explains it all -- then shit happens...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, BubbaVO said:

Dr. May has the hair thing going on.   I'm hoping mine will stay in place long enough to look like his. 

But with my luck, it'll be:

8248Heavenandhell_690.jpg

 

c84cf8343394b77854bd5dabb30d387e--scorpi

 

Klaus' was much worse than Ronnie's, I think because of how puffed out the sides were.  He reminded me of:

 

flattop.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Toadroller said:

On a tangential note, about Dr. May's hair.*

Brian-May-getty.jpg

Rotkcastpic.JPG

* Don't get me wrong; lifelong Queen and May fan here. I even saw Highlander 2, The Sickening in the theater opening night.

If he gets that old, I hope he keeps playing in this endless age.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nino is a freakin' genius.

I have seen Extreme 4 times, first time on the Pornograffiti tour, and every time I am utterly blown away by Nuno's ability.

He makes it all sound so effortless, so beautifully timed, great phrasing, insane speed, articulate...  Geeez...  Rock God no question.  He could fit into any era and any genre and sound perfect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw Extreme in a little club in 1990 very shortly after Pornografftii came, he blew my mind-an unknown at the time Alice In Chains opened. 

I remember buying 3 Sides the day it came out and not liking it at all, I kind of lost interest after that. 

Not long ago on The Gear Page somebody made some hand winging, outrage post about how they couldn't believe Nuno was playing in Rhiana's band and that he should put Extreme back together. The guy obviously had no clue as to which paid better. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nuno was sparklingly funky and joyful. Kinda Van Halen-ish with some extra neoclassical chops (as the customs dictated back then), but also very groovy and tasty. To me the first two Extreme albums are far from being generic. They sounded wild, ear-friendly and musically solid. Still play them from time to time.

As of Vito Bratta goes... well, awesome player and all, but White Lion still was to me a generic 80's band. Nothing to do with the uniqueness of Extreme, IMHO --sorry.

PS: I've praised Brian May here often enough for you all to know I worship him as my preferred guitarist EVER. He remains my biggest influence, my biggest inspiration and my biggest musical idol. My fanboy-ism for him is almost irrational, so I have zero credibility when I say he's just the best --though I know he's actually the best. :P:lol: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, zorrow said:

PS: I've praised Brian May here often enough for you all to know I worship him as my preferred guitarist EVER. He remains my biggest influence, my biggest inspiration and my biggest musical idol. My fanboy-ism for him is almost irrational, so I have zero credibility when I say he's just the best --though I know he's actually the best. :P:lol: 

May is an amazing guy and player.  Do you own a Deacy amp?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, scottcald said:

May is an amazing guy and player.  Do you own a Deacy amp?  

I don't know if Zorrow still has it. We both bought the Doxy Maxx FX pedal years ago. I have it connected to a mixer into my stereo. Has very authentic sounds, not only with the RS clone. Definitely needs a TB in front of it. I also like a compressor after the TB.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, zorrow said:

As of Vito Bratta goes... well, awesome player and all, but White Lion still was to me a generic 80's band. Nothing to do with the uniqueness of Extreme, IMHO --sorry.

I think that makes him all the more remarkable.  No offense meant to Mike Tramp's girl-wooing vocals, but that band would have had almost nothing if it wasn't for Vito Bratta.  He also seemed to always play to the song.  For an 80's cock-rock guitar slinger, he was remarkably tasteful and understated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, sixesandsevens said:

I think that makes him all the more remarkable.  No offense meant to Mike Tramp's girl-wooing vocals, but that band would have had almost nothing if it wasn't for Vito Bratta.  He also seemed to always play to the song.  For an 80's cock-rock guitar slinger, he was remarkably tasteful and understated.

Tramps vocals make White Lion almost unlistenable. They are so overly affected with baby-talk coo-choo-choo that I want to smash him for ruining one of the most beautiful guitar voices of the era with barely bubble gum vocals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love Vito's playing too, his solos were mini compositions within the songs. Most of his solos have to be non-improvisational they are just so well thought out, really structured and meticulously executed. I also played in a cover band waaaayyy back when which took on "Wait" and a couple of other WL songs in the set list back in the hair days and I found out really quick you wouldn't be prissing and pouting around the stage like a C.C. Deville wanna-be when that "Wait" solo rolled around.

On Nuno, it's the rhythm guitar on those first two Extreme records that is still embedded in my DNA today thanks to me wearing those cassettes out in my college dorm room. Learning how to creatively phrase and really sync your hands together, while locking into the bass and drums like a taut bench vise. The rhythm guitar on "Get The Funk Out" will choke-slam your ass as a player and then give you a boner the size of a bus when you finally get it and "get it." The best rock rhythm guitar players in my mind ever are EVH and Nuno. As stunning and renowned as they both are for guitar solos, they are true masters at really carrying songs and simultaneously stun-gunning the fuck out of you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...