MR

At their prime, melodic rock guitar heroes were:
Neal Schon (Journey), Frankie Sullivan (Survivor), Mick Jones (Foreigner), James Young (Styx), Tommy Shaw (Styx), Tom Scholz (Boston), Gary Pihl (Boston, ex Sammy Hagar), Barry Goudreau (RTZ, ex Boston), Paul Dean (Loverboy), Steve Lukather (Toto), Gary Richrath (ex Reo Speedwagon), Dave Amato (Reo Speedwagon), Howard Leese (Paul Rodgers, ex Heart), Mick Ralphs (ex Bad Company), Dave Colwell (Bad Company), Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Jeff Watson (ex Night Ranger), Brad Gillis (Night Ranger), Craig Chaquico (ex Starship), Van McClain (Shooting Star), Rich Williams (Kansas), Steve Morse (Deep Purple, ex Kansas) etc.

Who are guitar heroes in recent melodic rock?

I'd name two of them (and their selected discography), and I'm interested in your contributions...

JOSH RAMOS:
1992 - The Storm (The Storm)
1996 - The Storm (Eye of the Storm)
2000 - Two Fires (Two Fires)
2002 - Robert Fleischman (World in your Eyes)
2002 - Two Fires (Ignition)
2002 - HardLine (Hardline II)
2003 - Ramos (Living In The Light)
2003 - HardLine (Live at the Gods)
upcoming Hardline (Just Add Water)
upcoming Ramos/Hugo album

MIKE SLAMER (I'm aware he's been out there since 70's, but his prime is now)
1982 - Streets (1st)
1997 - Streets (King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents)
1985 - Streets (Crimes In Mind)
1988 - Warrant (Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich)
1990 - Warrant (Cherry Pie)
1998 - Steelhouse Lane (Metallic Blue)
1999 - Steelhouse Lane (Slaves Of The New World)
2000 - Steve Walsh (Glossolalia)
2001 - Seventh Key (Seventh Key)
2003 - Khymera (Khymera)
2004 - Seventh Key (The Raging Fire)
2005 - Seventh Key (Live in Atlanta)
2006 - Slamer (Nowhere Land)
upcoming Terry Brock's second solo album

I've got one for you. The new band Eden's Curse's guitarist (Thorsten Koehne). He's awesome! The bands one of the best new bands in years to boot!!! Listening to their songs, gives me hope of more new melodic rock to come! Check him out...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T_5vfIc70U

Here's another clip from the making of Eden's Curse's album. Pretty cool to watch. He really is an awesome guitarist!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhIYf-WC ... re=related

Excuse me. One guy smokes all their asses.

Mr. Keith Scott.

Rockindeano wrote:Excuse me. One guy smokes all their asses.

Mr. Keith Scott.

No Samples? BTW, you owe me a PM Mr. Deano!

Dude, I'm with you, Ramos kicks ass. I would add Dean Cramer to the mix of current great melodic rock guitarists. Here's a link to Goodbye Thrill's MySpace page with a few clips. http://www.myspace.com/goodbyethrill And, the dude can fuckin sing too.

This is getting harder and harder to define since we're all getting older. Some of these guys are almost as old as Schon, even though he has been in the industry since the late 60's. Here's some names off the top of my head:

Timmo Tolkki, Stratovarius
Zakk Wylde, Black Label Society/Ozzy
Ronni Lé Tekrø, TNT
Thomas Youngblood, Kamelot
Roland Grapow, Masterplan
Tak Matsumoto, TMG
John Petrucci, Dream Theater
Richard Z. Kruspe, Rammstein
Josh Ramos, Hardline
Pete Lesperance, Harem Scarem
Magnus Karlsson, Place Vendome

Rockindeano wrote:Excuse me. One guy smokes all their asses.

Mr. Keith Scott.

As much as I will agree with Senor Scott's smoktitude. I think KS doesn't qualify under the 'recent' category...in that most of his most memorable work was done in the 80s and early 90s. In my opinion, Mike Slamer's best work was done in the past 10 years (we wont count the tracks he recorded with Warrent! )

Rockindeano wrote:Excuse me. One guy smokes all their asses.

Mr. Keith Scott.

Neal Schon smokes his ass. Wake up.

Saint John wrote:
Neal Schon smokes his ass. Wake up.

Agreed!!!

Neal smokes anyone alive. He will never get the credit he deserves, even if he is a major asshole.

7 Wishes wrote:Neal smokes.

That covers it.

NO ONE can match Neal's melodic style.

Saint John wrote:NO ONE can match Neal's melodic style.

I see your hittin that brewsky tonite again,,,,, Always nice in a Nealo-Fantasy-land, aint it SaintDan;)

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:NO ONE can match Neal's melodic style.

I see your hittin that brewsky tonite again,,,,, Always nice in a Nealo-Fantasy-land, aint it SaintDan;)

I'm wrecked and telling the truth. Take off your suicide vest and name a player better.

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:NO ONE can match Neal's melodic style.

I see your hittin that brewsky tonite again,,,,, Always nice in a Nealo-Fantasy-land, aint it SaintDan;)

I'm wrecked and telling the truth. Take off your suicide vest and name a player better.

OK,,, the followin, are not only great and better than Neal on Melodic end of it,, but in addition to that , they shred better,, and they can do anything between classical, melodic, heavy metal , arpeggios,,,, and then some:

*Tony McAlpine
*Steve Vai
*Mathew Mill
*Joe Satriani

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:NO ONE can match Neal's melodic style.

I see your hittin that brewsky tonite again,,,,, Always nice in a Nealo-Fantasy-land, aint it SaintDan;)

I'm wrecked and telling the truth. Take off your suicide vest and name a player better.

OK,,, the followin, are not only great and better than Neal on Melodic end of it,, but in addition to that , they shred better,, and they can do anything between classical, melodic, heavy metal , arpeggios,,,, and then some:

*Tony McAlpine
*Steve Vai
*Mathew Mill
*Joe Satriani

Almost like saying Air Supply rocks harder than Journey. Ridiculous.

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:NO ONE can match Neal's melodic style.

I see your hittin that brewsky tonite again,,,,, Always nice in a Nealo-Fantasy-land, aint it SaintDan;)

I'm wrecked and telling the truth. Take off your suicide vest and name a player better.

OK,,, the followin, are not only great and better than Neal on Melodic end of it,, but in addition to that , they shred better,, and they can do anything between classical, melodic, heavy metal , arpeggios,,,, and then some:

*Tony McAlpine
*Steve Vai
*Mathew Mill
*Joe Satriani

Almost like saying Air Supply rocks harder than Journey. Ridiculous.

You said no one can match him,,, and I said these can not only match him in his area,,, but they smoke him in other areas..... Just cause you lost the arguement, you bring up a poor example? now THATS ridiculous.
If you wanna say based on YOUR OPINION, no one can match Neal's, then its cool,,,, but you cant expect everyone to agree with you , cause its not true when it comes to reality my friend

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:NO ONE can match Neal's melodic style.

I see your hittin that brewsky tonite again,,,,, Always nice in a Nealo-Fantasy-land, aint it SaintDan;)

I'm wrecked and telling the truth. Take off your suicide vest and name a player better.

OK,,, the followin, are not only great and better than Neal on Melodic end of it,, but in addition to that , they shred better,, and they can do anything between classical, melodic, heavy metal , arpeggios,,,, and then some:

*Tony McAlpine
*Steve Vai
*Mathew Mill
*Joe Satriani

Almost like saying Air Supply rocks harder than Journey. Ridiculous.

You said no one can match him,,, and I said these can not only match him in his area,,, but they smoke him in other areas..... Just cause you lost the arguement, you bring up a poor example? now THATS ridiculous.
If you wanna say based on YOUR OPINION, no one can match Neal's, then its cool,,,, but you cant expect everyone to agree with you , cause its not true when it comes to reality my friend

Opinion and "reality" are BOTH opinions, my friend.

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:NO ONE can match Neal's melodic style.

I see your hittin that brewsky tonite again,,,,, Always nice in a Nealo-Fantasy-land, aint it SaintDan;)

I'm wrecked and telling the truth. Take off your suicide vest and name a player better.

OK,,, the followin, are not only great and better than Neal on Melodic end of it,, but in addition to that , they shred better,, and they can do anything between classical, melodic, heavy metal , arpeggios,,,, and then some:

*Tony McAlpine
*Steve Vai
*Mathew Mill
*Joe Satriani

Almost like saying Air Supply rocks harder than Journey. Ridiculous.

You said no one can match him,,, and I said these can not only match him in his area,,, but they smoke him in other areas..... Just cause you lost the arguement, you bring up a poor example? now THATS ridiculous.
If you wanna say based on YOUR OPINION, no one can match Neal's, then its cool,,,, but you cant expect everyone to agree with you , cause its not true when it comes to reality my friend

Opinion and "reality" are BOTH opinions, my friend.

then why do we argue about it,,,, Neal CAN and HAS been matched when it comes to melodic skills

Have a good nite bro,,,

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:NO ONE can match Neal's melodic style.

I see your hittin that brewsky tonite again,,,,, Always nice in a Nealo-Fantasy-land, aint it SaintDan;)

I'm wrecked and telling the truth. Take off your suicide vest and name a player better.

OK,,, the followin, are not only great and better than Neal on Melodic end of it,, but in addition to that , they shred better,, and they can do anything between classical, melodic, heavy metal , arpeggios,,,, and then some:

*Tony McAlpine
*Steve Vai
*Mathew Mill
*Joe Satriani

Almost like saying Air Supply rocks harder than Journey. Ridiculous.

You said no one can match him,,, and I said these can not only match him in his area,,, but they smoke him in other areas..... Just cause you lost the arguement, you bring up a poor example? now THATS ridiculous.
If you wanna say based on YOUR OPINION, no one can match Neal's, then its cool,,,, but you cant expect everyone to agree with you , cause its not true when it comes to reality my friend

Opinion and "reality" are BOTH opinions, my friend.

then why do we argue about it,,,, Neal CAN and HAS been matched when it comes to melodic skills

Have a good nite bro,,,

I have 80 million+ units on my side. You?

[quote="Behshad"]Neal CAN and HAS been matched when it comes to melodic skills

/quote]

By only Tom Scholz, Phil Collen, Brian DiGarmo, Frankie Sullivan, and EVH...none of whom possesses the capacity to master any style like Neal can.

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Saint John wrote:NO ONE can match Neal's melodic style.

I see your hittin that brewsky tonite again,,,,, Always nice in a Nealo-Fantasy-land, aint it SaintDan;)

I'm wrecked and telling the truth. Take off your suicide vest and name a player better.

OK,,, the followin, are not only great and better than Neal on Melodic end of it,, but in addition to that , they shred better,, and they can do anything between classical, melodic, heavy metal , arpeggios,,,, and then some:

*Tony McAlpine
*Steve Vai
*Mathew Mill
*Joe Satriani

Almost like saying Air Supply rocks harder than Journey. Ridiculous.

You said no one can match him,,, and I said these can not only match him in his area,,, but they smoke him in other areas..... Just cause you lost the arguement, you bring up a poor example? now THATS ridiculous.
If you wanna say based on YOUR OPINION, no one can match Neal's, then its cool,,,, but you cant expect everyone to agree with you , cause its not true when it comes to reality my friend

Opinion and "reality" are BOTH opinions, my friend.

then why do we argue about it,,,, Neal CAN and HAS been matched when it comes to melodic skills

Have a good nite bro,,,

I have 80 million+ units on my side. You?

I see you 80 million and raise if with 20 ?

Leo Leoni
Roland grapow
Pete Lesperance
Matthias Jabs
Rudi Schenker

gonna have to think I've just woke up......

I completely forgot one of the most productive guitar players in recent melodic rock... who is also great keyboard player, producer and songwriter...

TOMMY DENANDER:
1999 - Sayit (Sayit)
2000 - Prisoner (Blind)
2000 - Rainmaker (Rainmaker)
2000 - Talk Of The Town (The Ways Of The World)
2001 - Prisoner (II)
2001 - Radioactive (Ceremony Of Innocence)
2001 - Sayit (Again)
2002 - AOR (L.A. Reflection)
2003 - AOR (Dreaming Of L.A.)
2003 - Jim Jidhed (Full Circle)
2003 - Radioactive (Yeah)
2003 - Sayit (Louder)
2004 - Deacon Street (Deacon Street)
2004 - Spin Gallery (Standing Tall)
2005 - Heartbreak Radio (Heartbreak Radio)
2005 - Philip Bardowell (In The Cut)
2005 - Radioactive (Taken)
2006 - Ambition (Ambition)
2006 - AOR (L.A. Attraction)
2006 - Deacon Street (II)
2007 - Frederiksen-Denander (Baptism By Fire)
2007 - Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
2007 - Robin Beck (Livin´ on a Dream)
upcoming AOR (California 101)

7 Wishes wrote:

Behshad wrote:Neal CAN and HAS been matched when it comes to melodic skills

By only Tom Scholz, Phil Collen, Brian DiGarmo, Frankie Sullivan, and EVH...none of whom possesses the capacity to master any style like Neal can.

Woah, lay off the crack pipe dude.

The *only* one in that list that has smoked Schonbag in all respects is EVH. Saying Frankie Sullivan smokes Neal Schon is laughable at best, unless you meant to say Sullivan smokes Fro at lawsuits! I'm sure if Neal had the capacity, he'd be as letigious a motherfucker as Sullivan, but it's kinda hard to keep a hot-shot lawyer on retainer when you're constantly signing 5 alimony checks every 4 weeks.


Seriously speaking, there are things that Schonbag does that are (it pains me to say this, gulp!) unparalleled. His ability to iron a gutwrenching melody out of a song where one doesn't exists is simply stunning. His mastery of bridging the major and minor scales is something of legend...and I'd be willing to bet he never gave it a second's thought. He probably just does it. fucking gifted fro mother fucker...it's times like that when I hate him more than I normally do. Why do the cocksuckers get these kinds of things bestowed on them?!?!

However, while Schon does some things well, there are other things, from a guitar perspective that are average or below average at best. I question his intonation at times. it's not spot on like SRV's. Some of his blues licks are tired, old and unispiring. He's stolen alot of the 'flair' he uses right from Jeff Beck (however, EVH did the same fucking thing)....and for someone who is a master of melody, at times, he injects sensless, out-of-place and stupid speed runs in the middle of a melodic phrase...and his speed runs lack the pick attack of a Yngwie or a Steve Morse. When you play that fast, you have to be precise, or else it just sounds like Mush. Some of Neal's fast runs get mushy.

Another thing that's been mentioned about Fro-bag. Someone said he's got an ability to cop a style. While I agree....that's a double edged sword. You copy a style too many times, you lose your own. While most people here can recognize Neal's style, I will submit that the average listener can't pick it out so easily.

My wife can pick EVH out of a recording. She can pick SRV out of a recording. She can recognize Eric Clapton out of a recording. Brad Paisley as well. With some education, she could probably pick out Zakk, Yngwie and Steve Morse...but not Neal. Neal's style is not so well defined. I can pick him out of a crowd. Maybe most people here....but he's *not* by any means, unique enough to be as recognizable as EVH or Steve Morse to the average listener.

One day, we were listening to Hair Nation and that song 'Stars' came on...and during the solo, she goes "That was Brad Gillis, right?" (I almost drove off the road) Neal also played in that song....I don't think many of you can pick out his parts though...

strangegrey wrote:

7 Wishes wrote:

Behshad wrote:Neal CAN and HAS been matched when it comes to melodic skills

By only Tom Scholz, Phil Collen, Brian DiGarmo, Frankie Sullivan, and EVH...none of whom possesses the capacity to master any style like Neal can.

Woah, lay off the crack pipe dude.

The *only* one in that list that has smoked Schonbag in all respects is EVH. Saying Frankie Sullivan smokes Neal Schon is laughable at best, unless you meant to say Sullivan smokes Fro at lawsuits! I'm sure if Neal had the capacity, he'd be as letigious a motherfucker as Sullivan, but it's kinda hard to keep a hot-shot lawyer on retainer when you're constantly signing 5 alimony checks every 4 weeks.


Seriously speaking, there are things that Schonbag does that are (it pains me to say this, gulp!) unparalleled. His ability to iron a gutwrenching melody out of a song where one doesn't exists is simply stunning. His mastery of bridging the major and minor scales is something of legend...and I'd be willing to bet he never gave it a second's thought. He probably just does it. fucking gifted fro mother fucker...it's times like that when I hate him more than I normally do. Why do the cocksuckers get these kinds of things bestowed on them?!?!

However, while Schon does some things well, there are other things, from a guitar perspective that are average or below average at best. I question his intonation at times. it's not spot on like SRV's. Some of his blues licks are tired, old and unispiring. He's stolen alot of the 'flair' he uses right from Jeff Beck (however, EVH did the same fucking thing)....and for someone who is a master of melody, at times, he injects sensless, out-of-place and stupid speed runs in the middle of a melodic phrase...and his speed runs lack the pick attack of a Yngwie or a Steve Morse. When you play that fast, you have to be precise, or else it just sounds like Mush. Some of Neal's fast runs get mushy.

Another thing that's been mentioned about Fro-bag. Someone said he's got an ability to cop a style. While I agree....that's a double edged sword. You copy a style too many times, you lose your own. While most people here can recognize Neal's style, I will submit that the average listener can't pick it out so easily.

My wife can pick EVH out of a recording. She can pick SRV out of a recording. She can recognize Eric Clapton out of a recording. Brad Paisley as well. With some education, she could probably pick out Zakk, Yngwie and Neal Morse...but not Neal. Neal's style is not so well defined. I can pick him out of a crowd. Maybe most people here....but he's *not* by any means, unique enough to be as recognizable as EVH or Steve Morse to the average listener.

One day, we were listening to Hair Nation and that song 'Stars' came on...and during the solo, she goes "That was Brad Gillis, right?" (I almost drove off the road) Neal also played in that song....I don't think many of you can pick out his parts though...

Great post, Frank. I can't believe someone put Phil Collen and Neal Schon in the same sentence. That dude is mediocre at best. Phil Collen....pfft.

strangegrey wrote:With some education, she could probably pick out Zakk, Yngwie and Neal Morse...

I'm pretty sure you meant Steve Morse and not the former Spock's Beard lead singer/keyboardist.

One day, we were listening to Hair Nation and that song 'Stars' came on...and during the solo, she goes "That was Brad Gillis, right?" (I almost drove off the road) Neal also played in that song....I don't think many of you can pick out his parts though...

The recognizable parts of Neal's playing are much more subtle than most recognizable players. I don't know how to describe it better than just saying that his slurs (or hammer-ons/pull-offs) are what I typically recognize in songs that he plays in that I haven't heard before.

conversationpc wrote:

strangegrey wrote:With some education, she could probably pick out Zakk, Yngwie and Neal Morse...

I'm pretty sure you meant Steve Morse and not the former Spock's Beard lead singer/keyboardist.

Picky this morning aren't we?

conversationpc wrote:

strangegrey wrote:With some education, she could probably pick out Zakk, Yngwie and Neal Morse...

I'm pretty sure you meant Steve Morse and not the former Spock's Beard lead singer/keyboardist.

DAMNIT

I *did* do that...didn't I!!

Yes, I *did* mean Steve Morse.....blame the coffee folks. I hadn't had the requisite full pot of x-mas blend yet! I can be such a bleary eyed motherfucker at 7:15am on a saturday morning...


Let me add, Neal Morse is a genius in his own right....granted, he's a keyboardist. Spock's Beard was never the same after he left. Sorta like Styx without DeYoung.

strangegrey wrote:DAMNIT

I *did* do that...didn't I!!

Yes, I *did* mean Steve Morse.....blame the coffee folks. I hadn't had the requisite full pot of x-mas blend yet! I can be such a bleary eyed motherfucker at 7:15am on a saturday morning...

Let me add, Neal Morse is a genius in his own right....granted, he's a keyboardist. Spock's Beard was never the same after he left. Sorta like Styx without DeYoung.

His two solo albums, "One" and "Testimony" are both excellent, better than anything Spock's Beard has done since then anyway.