Best guitar work on Hair/Glam Metal Bands

8794 Views 67 Replies 26 Participants Last post by MehYam, Aug 14, 2005

RCB

Discussion Starter · Aug 10, 2005 (Edited)

Well, its generally an underated genre, but there were great guitar players out there, doing some interesting stuff.

To me the most underated of them all is Winger 1st album. I mean, you can hate the lyrycs, but the guitar work in that album is great IMHO. Playing "Seventheen" is among my favourite when y like to play some rhythm guitar.

My top 5 would be:

1) Whitesnake/Slip of the tongue
2) Winger/Winger
3) Steve Stevens /Atomic Playboys
4) Europe/Out of this world (Kee Marcello s solos in this record are amazing)
5) Winger/Pull
6) Mr Big/Lean to it and
7) Extreme /3 sides of every story
8 ) Blue Murder/Blue Murder
So, what are your favourite guitar works in Hair/Glam metal ?

1 - 20 of 68 Posts

jemsite

· #2 · Aug 10, 2005

I don't think it's "underated genre" rather just more musically pointless and easily forgetable.

guitvai1

· #3 · Aug 10, 2005

Well I spent a good portion of the 80's and early 90's at the infamous Gasworks & Rockn'Roll Heaven in Toronto where Hair Metal was KING. It's really what got me into guitar in the first place. Here are my picks:

1. Europe - Kee Marcello
2 Mr. Big
3 DLR (with Vai and Sheehan)
4 Extreme (Nuno rocks)
5 Dokken - George Lynch

RCB

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 10, 2005 (Edited)

Well, I certainly dont forget it. I listen to winger much more often than I listen to Vai, even though I love vai. But then again I listen to Piazzolla or Pat Metheny more than I listen to Vai or Satch.

Its about tastes. I find that a lot of "shred guitar" albums are pointless compared to the albums listed above. But that has to do with my personal tastes.

May be its because I dont care for the lyrics at all. Even though I know them and understand them, I really dont care for them. May be its because english is not my native language, hence I can "ignore" the idiocy and clishes that plague those lyrics.

BTW I forgot to include:

Extreme/3 sides of every story.

jemsite

· #5 · Aug 10, 2005

a vocal extractor would help dramatically

extreme wasn't a hair/glam band in the context of the other offenders listed above

... glen

marianozz

· #6 · Aug 10, 2005

Same happened to me, i grew up lisening to lots of that crap ( :lol: ) when i didnt really know any english, so its the music that got me, and nowadays when i listen to those records i find myself smiling at the idiocy of the lyrics...

But man those were the times

edit: i remember Beavis & Butthead's nerdy friend (Stewart was it?) had a Winger tshirt :lol:

RCB

Discussion Starter · #7 · Aug 10, 2005

Well I agree about the "vocal extractor" but may be a "lyrics modifier" would be even better. I mean, most of this guys were actually good singers, so its not the vocals, but mostly the lyrics.

I do think Extreme fits the profiles just as well as. I mean, its the same kind of sound, structure, etc. BTW I really like Extreme, so when I put them among that top 7, Im actually praising them.

Come on Glen how can you not like Kee Marcellos solos in Out of this Earth?! Or Reb Beach rhythm playing?! Even if you really dislike those CDs, the playing in there is quite interesting.

jemsite

· #8 · Aug 10, 2005

Some of Reb's (& a few others) playing was interesting but the whole package was dreadful. If I never heard a glam song again I would certainly not feel deprived.

Here in the States, it's as hard for me to imagine people listening to (or buying) this music today just as it would be very, very, very surprising to find in 15 years people listening to J.Lo songs... glen

RCB

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 10, 2005

Yeah, Im well aware that none of this guys are able to sell a record in the states. Not that they do sell them elsewhere.... as a matter of fact, they dont. Thats why I have such a hard time finding some videos or concerts (ive been looking for a live concert of winger for years, .mpg. avi, original DVD, original VHS, you name it).

I forgot adding one more record to the (now) top 8:

Steve Stevens/Atomic Playboy

whatshisname

· #10 · Aug 10, 2005

Too bad all of those bands suck. You know, not like these new metal bands, that have guys that can actually play and sing. (sarcasm mode OFF)

I love 80's rock above all! Was there a lot of cheese? Sure, but there's a lot in any decade. BUT, unlike now, with some of the 80's stuff that was exactly the point! Good fun rock music then, as opposed to overly serious dumbed down nu-metal. I'll take the former!

Best guitarists? George Lynch, Nuno Bettencourt, Reb Beach, Ty Tabor, the list could be virtualy endless! You guys want to remove the vocalists? Personally, I'd rather hear a tenor, or higher, than most of these tuba blowers that are out nowadays...

whatshisname

· #11 · Aug 10, 2005

BTW, the audience might not be as big as it once was, but there are still plenty of people that buy CDs, and tickets, for these bands. Some of us don't worry about being uncool, or out of style.

RCB

Discussion Starter · #12 · Aug 10, 2005

Let me tell you, if you ever get into my car, you ll think you are in the DeLorean from "Back in Time".... they only thing that gets played there (with the only exception of Freak Kitchen) is 80s glam... talk about uncool!

Well I updated the list (i edited my first post). Now I feel it better reflects my preferences.

whatshisname

· #13 · Aug 10, 2005

I see you added Winger's "Pull" to your list. What a fantastic album, that got completely overlooked by seemingly everyone except for the two of us.

Looks like your as big of a loser as I am! :lol:

RCB

Discussion Starter · #14 · Aug 10, 2005

whatshisname said:
I see you added Winger's "Pull" to your list. What a fantastic album, that got completely overlooked by seemingly everyone except for the two of us.

Looks like your as big of a loser as I am! :lol:

Well I know at least 1 other person that likes it, so that makes us at least 3! But then again, its Reb and Kip favourite album, so we are 5 and growing....

Hey I almost forgot! There s also Stewart (even though he s not a person we are few enough to be in need to add him to the list)

fettouhi

· #15 · Aug 10, 2005

Mötley Crüe - Girls, Girls, Girls

Mötley Crue - Dr. Feelgood (this was when Bob Rock was a good producer)
Poison - Open Up and Say Ahh...
Poison - Flesh & Blood (fantastic album)
Whitesnake - Slip of the Tongue (gotta love that)
Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation (their best album IMHO)
Extreme - Extreme (funk & metal done right)
Extreme - Pornograffiti II (strike II)

Regards

André

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jem7vwh

· #16 · Aug 10, 2005

I think that hair/glam metal was 75% terrible.

The vocals were typically lame and shallow.
The drumming and bass were usually very boring.

Really the only thing it had going for it was some good guitar playing. And not every glam band had good guitar playing. For every Vito Bratta, there were 2 CC Devilles though.

Hair bands with solid guitar playing:

White Lion
Winger
Whitesnake
Extreme
Firehouse
Dokken

Terrible guitar playing 80s glam:

Motley Crue
Poison
Warrant
Cinderella
Bulletboys
Great White

I guess new metal's not really any better- but the stuff in the 80's wasn't perfect by a long shot.

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markg5150

· #17 · Aug 10, 2005

How about

Bon Jovi & Def Leppard - Do they count as Hair Metal?

And I can't believe nobody's mentioned Mr Timmons in Danger Danger

guitvai1

· #18 · Aug 10, 2005

Well I certainly agree with the Hair Bands with solid guitar playing" but I have to admit that Warrant had some tasty playing that I liked - ie solo in "Heaven" and riff to "Cherry Pie" as cheesy as that stuff is!!! I saw Cinderella opeing up for Bon Jovi on the "Slippery" tour and they totally blew Bon Jovi off the stage. Mick Mars may not be the best technician out there and has very cheesy solos but I can't help but get drawn in by the melodies.

lhrocker

· #19 · Aug 10, 2005

There was also:

Stryper - Yellow and black attack - Michael Sweet and Oz Fox
Shotgun Messiah - Second Coming - Harry Cody
Ratt - First 3 albums - Warren DiMartini and Robbin Crosby
Rough Cutt - Rough Cutt - Amir Derakk and Chris Hagar
Heavens Edge - Heavens Edge - Reggie Wu and ?????
WASP - Chris Holmes
LA Guns - Tracey Gun

Theres probably a million more, but they slip my mind.

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Dylan7620

· #20 · Aug 10, 2005

how bout some OLD pantera. power metal and stuff...... cheesy as hell but come on....its dime!

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