Kick-ass obscure guitarists vol. 1

[ctgblue]

I saw Riot opening for Vandenburg opening for KISS in about '85.

Kiss had Vinnie Vincent at the time, Adrian Vandenburg's playing was like he was giving a clinic for all the other guitarists, just phenominal

[jikarpert]

ehh isnt the second one yngwie ?? :P

[patriotpizzaman]

Three of my all-time favorites from the 80's for sure! Always liked Ronnie the best but, Akira was a beast and Adrian was very good too.

[musicalmessage]

Akira ftw. most underrated guitarist along with Criss Oliva of Savatage. My idols :)

[chickenbeek]

Liked Le tekro's leads here and there from their first album a little of the second,

but Akira is King, he was smoking Eddie and pretty much all those guys in 1985.

And has continued to since really, him up against Lynch or Eddie ect right now this day? No contest.

[andykrikkit]

I only know Ronni Tekrø of these guys. He is so so fast, but to me what is great about him is that a lot of his solos are actually NOT at breakneck speed. He is faster than most, but unlike guys like Yngwie Malmsteen he doesn't go fast ALL the time. AND, let's not forget the RIFFS guys! Instantly recognisable, like intuition, 10.000 lovers, Caught between the tigers, seven seas, my religion... the list goes on and on. To me, the guys who writes the best songs with the best riffs win.

[Channel450]

Caught between the tigers is the most kickass song i've ever heard

[dinosliquors]

vandenburg is defenitly the best

[bloodthirst72]

Akira is legendary.  Dude was like the asian Eddie Van Halen.

[adrianrockero]

@bloodthirst72 Agree

[Cgolfsoccerguy]

I love Akira is fantastic one of my favorite guitarists.

[dannyhood66]

Akira is someone i forgot about" he's got to be playing still" I hope?

[Usercool]

@dannyhood66 I saw Loudness live in may so yeah, he's still playing & kicking ass. :-)

[Cgolfsoccerguy]

lol first guy sounds like an evh spoof sorta.

[nehocyrrah]

@Cgolfsoccerguy Yeah!!! I think hes very influenced by EVH... Hes got the same flow and dive bombing effects!!

[BladeLizard]

Akira Takasaki was already playing faster than Herman Li 20 years ago dudes! Some of his solos are at Breakneck speed!

[Drew927]

awesome a list of audio 80s riffs

[Bissmarkpl]

vanderbergs shit sounds so much like metallica somehow (kill em all style) or is it just me

[zakkattack99]

sounds like racer x to me

[cards7509]

adrian vandeberg reminds me alot of randy rhoads

[loopster39]

Your damn right Jasonjk74! Some people do not know shit because they were not even around when Vandenberg was opening for Kiss back in the day. Not just anybody opens up for Kiss.

[loopster39]

Vandenberg is one of the best guitarist out there and is very talented and was very much liked in the 80's.

[dannyhood66]

@loopster39 Yeah he's good,''And he even had his own Adrian vandenberg guitar school,at one point i heard in Europe i think? But i have not heard him play lately. Hopefully he's creating something new,that doesn't sound like the 80s,because there is to many unnecessary sounding guitarist ,'neoclassical is so 20 +years sounding ago..God forbid if he sounds like vandenberg' even though i liked the song, ''wait till the shit hits the fan'' lots back then..That's only if i want to listen to good 80s

[dgoss1966]

Takasaki had every 80s metal trick in the book at his disposal. No two solos were the same with this guy. That counts for a lot.

LeTekro was caught up in the "lookithowfasticanpick" school of guitar. Check out his solo, "Sapphire" and you'll hear all you need to know.

Vandenberg left me cold. He was like the runner up in the auditions for Europe. John Norum bored me and so does Vandenberg. At least they didn't mindlessly sweep all over the place. I can too, but I also know when to stop.

[ajaxrules1975]

@dgoss1966 Listen on YouTube to "Adrian Vandenberg solo collection". Solo's from Whitesnake live (next to Campbell) and a few other Vandenberg solo's, also one acoustic. And listen to "Whitesnake Crying in the rain Live 1987". Perhaps you find him less boring after seeing these vids.

[dgoss1966]

@ajaxrules1975 It's not that I believe these guitarists are boring per se, but they tend to play within a tight stylistic framework and don't play outside that. Chris Poland, Jeff Beck and the like are VERY unpredictable, and I find that very refreshing.

[uvainstruments]

Not only Adrian Vandenberg was underrated, he is an great player/composer,also all of the Vandenberg album covers were designed and painted by Adrian himself,he is really a true artist

[chillichomper]

Tekro sux. Sloppy and can't alternate pick to save his life. Akira is the best one here followed by Vandenberg.

[sunexerxfaenxgal]

ey dude, you dont even know what the fuck sloppy means

[EILIVdrummer]

No!

He kicks ass!

And he invented lots of things!

[claraboomday]

Vandenbergs vibrato is just so unique...all great guitarists though!!

[theonegt]

Adrian Vandeberg sounds like a very unique guitar player of the 80s.

I like his style very much.

[lsk22lsk]

absolutley Tekrø! he ass whooping everyone else.

[Jasonjk74]

I love all these guitarists, but they're hardly obscure! Loudness, TNT, and Vandenberg (and Whitesnake, which Adrian was also in) were all huge bands.

[gerndo]

Nice comp.

[Modes9]

These guys all play very well, but Adrian is my favorite. He's one of the few rock guys who can "tell a story" like a jazz player. His solos never sound like a collection of fast licks thrown together. Every idea is a continuation of the idea he just played and leads the listener to what he's about to play. Adrian is probably the most underappreciated guitar player of the 80's.

[nandosarkis]

le tekro is my favorite of those too...

the solo for tonight i'm falling it's breathtaking! holy shit!

[bbtguitar]

tonight im falling!

Ronni Le tekrø is best

[tmh1717]

out of the 3 vandenberg brings the best song writting and melodic solos...that actually get somewhere

[neukim]

They are all famous.... How can you say "never heard of".....?

[OctaviousLecter]

yeah, i was thinking the same, i mean... obscure??? they are well known on the Hard Rock media :D

[nandosarkis]

yea, i was think the same, of course they r known, at least for those who listen to 80's rock...

[Usercool]

@neukim I guess he means mainstream famous.

[rokinrandy]

@neukim He probably means in the U.S...I hope these guys are famous somewhere because they deserve it.. Just a few hardcore 80's metal fans know about these guys..And it's a shame because these guys are so amazing

[NewMexicoSunset]

Not a bad compliation. Yes, I'd never heard of the cat from Loudness. Pretty good player.

The thing most younger folks today don't get about this era was the musicianship. I played guitar back then, and we were conscience about our chops. You felt self-conscience about your chops.

I studied Randy Rhoads back then. Other great players from the era were DiMartini and George Lynch (more of his work post Dokken).

Today an inspiration is Neal Schon. Neal has put out great music post-Journey.

[danophile07]

akira takasaki of loudness are world famous! hes a living legend how can u not have herad of him

[stefanusprins]

dude 'Adje' Van Den Berg unknown outside of his own country..? :S yes, he's well known here in holland but songs as Burning Heart and Different Worlds are known all over the world!! which makes him famous all over the world.. ;)

[keeponlivin81]

How about Chet Thompson from Hellion? I have love for Akira,Ronnie and Adrian but, Chet is on very few peoples radar. He rips.

[mangobanan]

I saw TNT live supporting BLS and Ozzy last year. Ronni le Tekrö blew Zakk Wylde completely away, I'm sure Zakk was curled up in the fetal postition crying backstage during Ronni's solo spot.

[faustoj26a]

Dude, i´m agree Akira is totaly amazing....amazing!!! letekro wow O_O!!! Vandenberg is amazing!!Excellent musical selection, but you must check out my PFL and see David Byrd´s!!he´s also so F&/&%k talentous!!! ad i think Akira is the best!!!

[SwampLeech]

Vandenberg is a legend

[darthschantzy]

i just heard that he died from his liver cancer. that sux

[ferr3816]

The drummer from Loudness died, not Akira...

[MemineMax]

No one talking about Takasaki?

I've known him for 3 years now... FUCKING BEAST FROM JAPAN!!! :P

[rocklover2000]

thanks for posting this

[SnopElsker]

who hasn't heard about Ronni Le Tekrø?

He's huge!

From Norway

[luigiperso]

guitarist you have never heard of? Lol......

By the way,you should say 'best ROCK guitarists you have never heard of'. There are guitarists who you don't hear but are masters in their field. Check Frank Gambale's video 'Modes no more mystery' and be blown away by the sheer musicianship and technical ability.

To say that there's 'best' guitarists is pointless....it's not a football match. But thanks for posting this video

[cbat36]

any guitar player has heard of these guys, Vandenberg and LeTekro especially kick but, trendy america certainly the younger crowd hasn't heard them especially non musicions

[gpsaras]

never heard before!!!!????

i'm a huge fun of TNT but a fun too of the other bands you have post.

at least you have a great taste in music...but...

NEVER HEARD???

NO WAY!!!

THEY ARE LEGENDS!

[kalvander]

WHO hasn't heard of Vandenberg?

[GeezaBun]

Good stuff. didnt know much about the Ronnie guy but knew plenty of Akira, he is a wizard. Seen Vandenberg a couple of times in the 80's and thought he was very able but a kinda lame band.

Nice one!

[jeffloomis1]

to

newchapter66: Vandenberg wrote still of the night, give me all your love, looking for love, crying in the rain, is this love, children of the night and more in whitesnake and some good instrumentals. anything more to say about him??

[michaels2boys]

Half of the songs you mentioned were written by John Sykes and David Coverdale. Adrian didnt play one note on the WhiteSnake lp that broke them big in 87' except they replaced Sykes' solo and let Adrian play one solo on the whole lp.

[troynew2006]

You forgot to add: because he had an injury.

[michaels2boys]

The injury that Adrian had did'nt happen till late 89, for the Slip of the Tongue lp, Steve Vai played on that. The lp i'm talking is the lp from 87 that broke them huge in the U.S.That lp was JOhn Sykes.

[kalvander]

yeah people like the state thier opinions as facts, he did not write them

[novaduh]

you guys forgot chris impellitteri

[acefukkinfrehley]

Ronni's best solo is on the song ''Purple mountain's Majesty'' from ''Realized Fantasies''

[MyFatCatIsOld]

Ronni is pretty famous where I come from

[Cartin666]

Where do you come from?

[MemineMax]

Duh, you're Norwegian XD

[cliffjumper1984]

AKIRA is the best hands down

[eekdog2005]

I always listened to Ronni LeTekro because i never knew what he was going to do in his solo, it was always unique.

[Ledfingers1234]

I think Vandenberg's best solo is from the song " this is war," it really shows off his skills

[newchapter66]

Agree! All are fantastic guitar virtuosos but Vandenberg is just an average good one (great person, however). I have seen him during the 80s 90s onstage and messes up too much - should stick to the studio recordings, which he does best.

[poisonmauricio]

all are good!!!!!!!!!!!

[Targuis]

Adrian vandenberg is God.