Albums that as a guitar player you felt obligated to buy and ended up hating

[santellavision]

Just don't like Pat Methany. I just don't get him. Kinda' like Yanni or Kenny G to me.

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

Hm...I liked GTR.

My biggest disappointment was "Surfing With the Alien", but "Passion and Warfare" was almost as bad.

[Rodan]

Any Jeff Berlin record I ever had (gave 'im a coupla chances)...and "Thunder From Down Under", by Frank Gambale.

I liked - and still like - a lot of fuso-type stuff, but I advocate a very high setting on the BS meter when handling anything that calls itself "Fusion". Be it ultra-tricky or just ultra-slick, music in the service of showing off is something less than Music.

[jwhitcomb3]

I mostly don't go in for guitar heroics. Count me in on the not "getting" Hendrix. But Blow By Blow and Wired are all time favorites. Fonky, mon.

[zorrow]

Alcatrazz-cuz it had that Yankme J Valvestem guy on it.....snore

There were a couple Steve Vai albums that I can't seem to remember.

Soul to Soul- by SRV (gasp)

No sh*t! Ok, revenge is sweet:

Anything KISS. Too many Ace fans around, so I did give KISS a good try. I failed. To me it was soooo boooooring...

HAHAHAHAaaaa!!! NOT a big Kiss fan either, at least not of the guitar playing......but they were fun to hear at the roller-rink.

The avatar is just some old HFC laughs,

Well man, that Alcatrazz album with Yngwie is one of my preferred guitar-oriented albums ever. Talk about different tastes!

Back to the main topic now: I don't like Black Label Society... or almost anything that Zakk Wylde does, for that matter. Chop-wise, no doubt the man is amazing. However, I find his stuff pretty lacking of good ideas. Great image, great technique, ballsy playing and all... but his solos and songs usually fall short to my expectations. Sad but true.

[G Man]

While I'm not going to bother going through all of the guitar gods who do nothing for me, I would like to point out how nice it is now that we can check out an album for free, or at least several cuts, online now before laying our money down. Grooveshark/Spotify/Pandora/Youtube have all saved me several $$s over the past recent few years.

[rj2858]

Al DiMeola - Casino. Yeah, guy could play, but I just couldn't make it through that album - never tried another one either.

To those who didn't like "Beano" or Hendrix; I'm guessing that you listened to them well after they came out. No skin off my nose what anyone likes, I don't get how some of you guys like what you do, but I'd guess if you heard them when they came out, you may have felt differently.

[mark_tampa]

GTR, with Steve Howe and Steve Hacket (or Buddy Hacket or something like that). The name of the band was the abbreviation for guitar, for crying out loud. It had to be good! I don't remember if I got all the way through it, but I know I never listened again.

And a second vote for Passion and Warfare. Another one that never got a second listen.

2nd on GTR - Even worse (guess I just wanted to be punished in the day) I bought a Steve Hacket solo tape as he was supposed to be a guitar god, never made it through the first two songs before putting tape over the erase protect tabs and using it as a blank cassette.

Hate to say this, but never really got into Frank Zappa. Bought "Live in New York" for his novelty tunes. Some were OK (Titties and Beer), but his guitar work just didn't cut it for me. For someone to be surrounded by great musicians like Terry Bozzio, I always thought they could have done better.

Kiss was OK when I was a kid (Kiss Alive), but somebody had posted a concert video of a week or two ago on Gear Page - Yuck.. Skipped over every 5 minutes of the concert to see if there was something I might enjoy, nothing.

[velorush]

Whatever the "breakout" album was for Keith Urban.

Read a couple of articles in Guitar mags that all touted his instrumental prowess. The album was nothing but over-produced "new country" crap. I listened to it all the way through, didn't hear a single memorable guitar part, and gave it away to the first 40 something woman wearing denim that showed interest.

EXACT thing happened to me! Reviews, Premier Guitar article... no guitar on the uber-hyped album (though he can play - saw him on a Crossroads with John Mayer). Fortunately, the 40-something denim-clad recipient of my CD was my wife (a fan of said over-produced "new country" crap).

This also happened (around the same time - I was trying to broaden my horizons - not a fan of country music) with an interview with Nels Cline about the new Wilco album. I listened to it once and mailed it to HFCer and Wilco fan, Aceldama - for FREE. Where was Nels on that album?

Steve Vai: Passion & Warfare. Liked that cassette so much that I threw it out of my truck window to the pavement, backed up over it, & proceeded to do a burn out on it. Eff you Vai, eff you very much.

Nuther vote for Beck's Blow By Blow. It blew alright. Still don't know what to make of Beck.

Though I believe Vai has the theory and concept of guitar like no one else and I love to watch him play live, I am amazed at how much of an effort it is to get through some of his music. I've always found Joe Satriani more listenable and blamed the difference on Vai's years with Zappa.

I excitedly recorded a friend's vinyl copy of Blow by Blow onto a cassette of my own (around '86), but when I listened to it, I found it tiresome. Great licks, amazing playing, but an effort to get through.

One that I did buy and wish I had my money back is "Larry and Lee" featuring Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour. It's a 56-minute lesson that great session men usually: 1) Provide tasty licks for someone else's work and 2) Don't have enough original ideas to carry their own albums.

Was that not one of the greatest disappointments in a CD purchase? I find Carlton's contributed songs more listenable than Ritenour's, but to me the only song worth repeating on the entire CD is "Remembering J.P." (Carlton), that incidentally, didn't remind me of Joe Pass at all. Again, love seeing either of these guys play live, but the CD was as Johnny B said.

Just don't like Pat Methany. I just don't get him. Kinda' like Yanni or Kenny G to me.

Oh my... no you didn't! Are you unaware of Metheny's complete and utter disdain for Kenny G? He has a real REAL problem with Kenny G and seems to share it any time he's given any sort of prompt. Just one e.g. Pray he doesn't read your comment.

Totally get Hendrix, but I was a fan way before I played guitar - began in high school with second-hand bootlegs on eight-track given to me by an old stoner type I used to work with. I could listen to him all day, even now. Edited to add: Hendrix, not the aforementioned old stoner benefactor.

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

My first exposure to Blow by Blow was when the cd jukebox company put a copy on the jukebox at the restaurant I waited tables at. If no one payed money fora song, it played songs randomly. So although I initially didn't like it much, I learned to like all the songs on the album via familiarity.

[hamerjunkie]

I bought a Robin Ford cassette years ago, never listened to it all the way through......

[LefThanDed]

My Bloody Valentine 1991 "Loveless".

Another pre-internet case where the "G" word (genius) was getting thrown around. Listened to it again last month and it's basically droney guitars fed thru a pitch shifter. For an entire CD. Whatever...

(Sounds like the artwork)

[Eric Weston]

Hee Heee...so much of the "guitarist's music" is missing the best part about music.

Jet fast runs and arpeggio's blew me away for a year or so.....so did guys who could try to "make their guitar talk" (and I don't mean Frampton..he DID IT ) .

That new effect box...and a new amp that had even MORE gain.....wait, SEVEN STRINGS, BABY!!!!

None of that compares to falling into a deep groove with a really tight drummer and bassist. That's when the real fun begins.

I always wanted to be drummer anyways.....

[tommy p]

While I'm not going to bother going through all of the guitar gods who do nothing for me, I would like to point out how nice it is now that we can check out an album for free, or at least several cuts, online now before laying our money down. Grooveshark/Spotify/Pandora/Youtube have all saved me several $$s over the past recent few years.

You got that right!

Can you say "Jimi Hendrix" ? I went on a mission to buy his 3 ( I think) main releases... I was deteremed that I was going to like them come hell or high water. To this day, I still don't get it.

I have a 2-CD collection of Hendrix because I thought I had to. I'm with you. I've tried and tried and don't think I'll ever "get it".

[polara]

I never got into guitar heroics much so I can't think of anything I bought "as a guitar player" per se. When I was a kid and Led Zeppelin had ended I got that record by The Firm and hated it, so I guess that was it. But I dislike it 'cos the songs were bad, not because of the guitar playing.

[LucSulla]

I bought a Robin Ford cassette years ago, never listened to it all the way through......

But, but *Dumble* blah, blah, blah, *Perfect Tone* blah, blah, blah.

TGP completely ruined Ford for me. He went from someone I found pleasantly interesting to hating because of those guys.

[MCChris]

I remember when the "Talk To Your Daughter" album came across my desk at the college newspaper. Little did I know I was holding in my hands the inspiration for untold asshattery a couple decades down the line.

[Steve Haynie]

King Crimson's Discipline album never hit me. It had Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew, but for all the praise they got in Guitar Player magazine that album was not my thing.

[JohnnyB]

Just don't like Pat Methany. I just don't get him. Kinda' like Yanni or Kenny G to me.

Oh my... no you didn't! Are you unaware of Metheny's complete and utter disdain for Kenny G? He has a real REAL problem with Kenny G and seems to share it any time he's given any sort of prompt. Just one e.g. Pray he doesn't read your comment.

Totally get Hendrix, but I was a fan way before I played guitar - began in high school with second-hand bootlegs on eight-track given to me by an old stoner type I used to work with. I could listen to him all day, even now. Edited to add: Hendrix, not the aforementioned old stoner benefactor.

Pat Metheny's discography numbers around 85, not counting compilations. His "breezy Brazilian" (i.e., easy listening) period spans around 6 of those 85 albums, about 7% of his total recorded output, all with the Pat Metheny Group of the '80s. Try listening to "Bright Size Life" or "Song X" and see if he's still a Kenny G to you.

Do you really think Jaco Pastorius, Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Ornette Coleman, Jack DeJohnette, Steve Swallow, Christian McBride, Jim Hall, Joni Mitchell, Lee Konitz, Josh Redman, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden, Herbie Hancock, Roy Haynes, Brad Mehldau, David Bowie, John Scofield, and numerous others of that stature would line up to collaborate with him if he's nothing more than the Kenny G of guitar?

[cynic]

Andrea Bocelli, Whitney Houston, Peabo Bryson, Aaron Neville, Toni Braxton, DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, Natalie Cole, Steve Miller, Weezer, Dudley Moore, Lee Ritenour, The Rippingtons, MIchael Bolton, Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra, Smokey Robinson, Bebel Gilberto, George Benson, Chante Moore, and Aretha Franklin

[JohnnyB]

Andrea Bocelli, Whitney Houston, Peabo Bryson, Aaron Neville, Toni Braxton, DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, Natalie Cole, Steve Miller, Weezer, Dudley Moore, Lee Ritenour, The Rippingtons, MIchael Bolton, Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra, Smokey Robinson, Bebel Gilberto, George Benson, Chante Moore, and Aretha Franklin

Bocelli, Houston, Bryson, Braxton, Bolton, Dion vs. Coleman, Haden, Burton, Swallow, McBride, Hancock, Scofield, Corea? The difference in those artist lists speaks for itself.

[Brooks]

wow, hatin' on jeff beck, al dimeola, & jimi hendrix? tough crowd. i cut my teeth on those guys, along w/ page, VH, & iommi.

can't say i *HATE*, but still gotta agree on steve vai; his music is not a favorite of mine, yet a few of my faves (timmons, govan) are definately standing on his shoulders.

also not a big fan of metheny & chets records.

i ruled out clapton long before listening to beano (but i do like several blind faith tunes, mostly for the vocals).

[LucSulla]

I like Al di Meola, but he has recorded some of the sleaziest sounding fusion ever.

Case in point, a video that I both wonder at due to the playing and laugh at... due to the playing and everything else. If cocaine had a sound, I imagine it would sound like this.

http://youtu.be/vGWfDkx4zyY

[BubbaVO]

If cocaine had a sound, I imagine it would sound like this.

ROTFLMAO

[hamer4ever]

WOOOOW! I have loads of cds/albums, and I must have practically every one mentioned so far. This is a tough crowd. Poor me! YMMV