Michael Angelo Batio (metal, rock, genre, albums, fan)

dac · 04-22-2009, 09:20 AM

If you think Batio is a good guitarist, you've spent way too much time reading the magazines at guitar center and not nearly enough time listening to his (and others') music. The dude makes Satriani look like Gilmour for christ's sake.

Guybrush · 04-22-2009, 11:07 AM

I personally don't listen to Batio much at all unless he comes on at random. I have his albums, but collecting music is a bit of a hobby for me and I have albums from almost every famous guitarist out there.

However, I find it a bit ridiculous when people say "that guy sucks" and "if you like that guy, you don't know anything". "That guy" is of course a variable. In this case, just substitute it for Batio.

Let's just say that unless you don't know what a guitar is, it should be obvious that he is a good guitarist. It's the one thing he's got going for him and the one thing he is famous for. If you don't like it, that's fair. If you don't think he's as brilliant as someone else, that's alright too. I much prefer listening to Mark Knopfler's laid back guitar than I do Batio's finger frenzies, but I'm not gonna spend my time here trying to convince people he's a bad guitarist when he's obviously not. You might be surprised, but it is possible to discuss without polarizing and putting people down for what they like.

pahuuuta · 04-22-2009, 11:07 AM

hes got skill at guitar his music isnt something i could like listen to on a regular basis but hes got skill.

mr dave · 04-22-2009, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

Let's just say that unless you don't know what a guitar is, it should be obvious that he is a good guitarist.

sorry, as someone who's been playing guitar since the average user on this site was in pre-school / kindergarten i'm gonna have to disagree.

he's about as 'good' as any 17 year old you see in a music store playing along to whatever classic rock is being pumped through the air. the ONLY reason he stands out and has ANY sort of recognition is because of his ridiculous multi-necked guitars. otherwise he's about as 'good' as that guy from poison, or that guy from whitesnake, or that guy from RATT... ie he's a generic cheeseball.

while his ambidexterity is impressive, it's clear that one hand is dominant. if all he was concerned with was how his music sounded as it was played he could easily use a sampler/loop effect to recreate what he does with the 2nd neck. but that doesn't draw nearly as much attention.

as for the quad guitar. WTF was that? he only used 3 of the necks. the bottom right never got touched. the two on the left were played THE EXACT SAME WAY, the one of the top right was still played using his 'regular' hands, only they're crossed but he's still fretting with the left and picking with the right. the only time he holds onto both necks at once is when the other guy is noodling or he's holding a bend. ultimately there is NO reason to be using a multi-neck guitar for that solo, it's not like they're in different tunings, or have different tones, or 12 strings, or any valid reason to have multiple necks. just 'HEY LOOK AT MY CROTCH'.

the 2nd video is significantly better but still cheesy as hell, it's like something you'd hear over the closing credits to some 80s b-grade action movie mashed in with a leftover alice in chains riff from the dirt sessions.

his whole hand over the neck instead of under the neck is on the same level as some balding pot bellied middle aged wanker dancing a two step while picking and grinning with his guitar behind his head because he's 'pulling a hendrix'.

Slayer99 · 04-22-2009, 10:38 PM

Awsome!

boo boo · 04-22-2009, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

sorry, as someone who's been playing guitar since the average user on this site was in pre-school / kindergarten i'm gonna have to disagree.

he's about as 'good' as any 17 year old you see in a music store playing along to whatever classic rock is being pumped through the air. the ONLY reason he stands out and has ANY sort of recognition is because of his ridiculous multi-necked guitars. otherwise he's about as 'good' as that guy from poison, or that guy from whitesnake, or that guy from RATT... ie he's a generic cheeseball.

I hate Batio more than anyone can imagine, but I don't agree with this.

He gets recognition because he plays fast and clean and his stuff is pretty intricate, which is not easy to do and for that he deserves credit. He's certainly one of the more skilled shred guitartists.

Guybrush · 04-23-2009, 03:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

sorry, as someone who's been playing guitar since the average user on this site was in pre-school / kindergarten i'm gonna have to disagree.

he's about as 'good' as any 17 year old you see in a music store playing along to whatever classic rock is being pumped through the air. the ONLY reason he stands out and has ANY sort of recognition is because of his ridiculous multi-necked guitars. otherwise he's about as 'good' as that guy from poison, or that guy from whitesnake, or that guy from RATT... ie he's a generic cheeseball.

while his ambidexterity is impressive, it's clear that one hand is dominant. if all he was concerned with was how his music sounded as it was played he could easily use a sampler/loop effect to recreate what he does with the 2nd neck. but that doesn't draw nearly as much attention.

as for the quad guitar. WTF was that? he only used 3 of the necks. the bottom right never got touched. the two on the left were played THE EXACT SAME WAY, the one of the top right was still played using his 'regular' hands, only they're crossed but he's still fretting with the left and picking with the right. the only time he holds onto both necks at once is when the other guy is noodling or he's holding a bend. ultimately there is NO reason to be using a multi-neck guitar for that solo, it's not like they're in different tunings, or have different tones, or 12 strings, or any valid reason to have multiple necks. just 'HEY LOOK AT MY CROTCH'.

the 2nd video is significantly better but still cheesy as hell, it's like something you'd hear over the closing credits to some 80s b-grade action movie mashed in with a leftover alice in chains riff from the dirt sessions.

his whole hand over the neck instead of under the neck is on the same level as some balding pot bellied middle aged wanker dancing a two step while picking and grinning with his guitar behind his head because he's 'pulling a hendrix'.

Mr. Dave, for all I know, Batio could be a good guitarist while you are a brilliant one .. And I am not talking about wether or not his music is good. My one and only point is that he knows how to play guitar and knows it well. You don't get to where he is without a lot of practice. I'm not saying he's better than other famous guitar virtuosos - in my earlier post I wrote that I think there's inflation in guitar skill because there are so many insanely good shredders.

But is he good? Yes of course he is, he's frequently found on the best shredders list and you don't get there without knowing how to play guitar. Think of my reply as a retort to the usual bashing that goes on around here. If you like Satriani but don't like Batio, you don't have to stoop to the level of cheap insults and say Batio can't play guitar worth ****. Instead, you could promote a little discussion and write why you much prefer Satriani's style or why you don't like Batio.

In a way, I also think this is getting ridiculous. Here we have one of the world's most famous guitar shredders and I have to defend him being "good at guitar" on a music forum. How good do you have to be good here? Near impossibly, inhumanly awesome?

boo boo · 04-23-2009, 03:49 AM

Thing is I hate Batio's music and I also know for a fact that he's the kind of egotistical douchebag who picks fights with kids over the internet.

However, he is good at what he does, he's not so much a musician as he is a performer (sometimes there is a difference) and nobody gets to where he is without being good at what he does, which is shredding.

So I have some respect for him on that level, again I think of him as a modern vaudevillian act, he gives people a show, he seems to enjoy it and the people love it. So I have no right to complain.

I think it's possible to f*cking despise a musician while still giving him credit for being talented.

FireInCairo · 04-23-2009, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

sorry, as someone who's been playing guitar since the average user on this site was in pre-school / kindergarten i'm gonna have to disagree.

he's about as 'good' as any 17 year old you see in a music store playing along to whatever classic rock is being pumped through the air. the ONLY reason he stands out and has ANY sort of recognition is because of his ridiculous multi-necked guitars. otherwise he's about as 'good' as that guy from poison, or that guy from whitesnake, or that guy from RATT... ie he's a generic cheeseball.

while his ambidexterity is impressive, it's clear that one hand is dominant. if all he was concerned with was how his music sounded as it was played he could easily use a sampler/loop effect to recreate what he does with the 2nd neck. but that doesn't draw nearly as much attention.

as for the quad guitar. WTF was that? he only used 3 of the necks. the bottom right never got touched. the two on the left were played THE EXACT SAME WAY, the one of the top right was still played using his 'regular' hands, only they're crossed but he's still fretting with the left and picking with the right. the only time he holds onto both necks at once is when the other guy is noodling or he's holding a bend. ultimately there is NO reason to be using a multi-neck guitar for that solo, it's not like they're in different tunings, or have different tones, or 12 strings, or any valid reason to have multiple necks. just 'HEY LOOK AT MY CROTCH'.

the 2nd video is significantly better but still cheesy as hell, it's like something you'd hear over the closing credits to some 80s b-grade action movie mashed in with a leftover alice in chains riff from the dirt sessions.

his whole hand over the neck instead of under the neck is on the same level as some balding pot bellied middle aged wanker dancing a two step while picking and grinning with his guitar behind his head because he's 'pulling a hendrix'.

Thank you Mr Dave, for expressing what I am too lazy to coherently put together.

mr dave · 04-23-2009, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boo boo

I hate Batio more than anyone can imagine, but I don't agree with this.

He gets recognition because he plays fast and clean and his stuff is pretty intricate, which is not easy to do and for that he deserves credit. He's certainly one of the more skilled shred guitartists.

really? i don't hear it. he sounds like every other 80s 'metal' guitarist i've ever heard on the radio. the only reason i've ever noticed him anywhere else are his ridiculous guitars with superfluous necks. yes he gets listed with shredders because he's still putting out solo guitar music. they have to fill a list with X amount of people (how often are rolling stone lists filled with great choices???), to my ears it's his guitars and not his music that makes him stand out.

i also stand by my opinion that the bulk of 17 year olds (especially the metal kids) in music stores have just as many chops as him, they might not be as clean or quick but they're also not middle aged yet. sure he's 'technically' good but anyone can sit in a room for hours on end everyday and learn to sweep pick arpeggios. yes it takes practice and discipline, so does learning the basic chords it's part of learning an instrument. i don't see how i'm blind bashing him here, i'll stop posting in this thread if people want to keep talking about how 'great' his skill seems.

i never said he couldn't play, i said he was a giant overrated cheeseball (in different words).

04-22-2009, 09:20 AM	#11 (permalink)
dac MB's Biggest Fanboy Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land Posts: 2,852	If you think Batio is a good guitarist, you've spent way too much time reading the magazines at guitar center and not nearly enough time listening to his (and others') music. The dude makes Satriani look like Gilmour for christ's sake. __________________

04-22-2009, 11:07 AM	#12 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	I personally don't listen to Batio much at all unless he comes on at random. I have his albums, but collecting music is a bit of a hobby for me and I have albums from almost every famous guitarist out there. However, I find it a bit ridiculous when people say "that guy sucks" and "if you like that guy, you don't know anything". "That guy" is of course a variable. In this case, just substitute it for Batio. Let's just say that unless you don't know what a guitar is, it should be obvious that he is a good guitarist. It's the one thing he's got going for him and the one thing he is famous for. If you don't like it, that's fair. If you don't think he's as brilliant as someone else, that's alright too. I much prefer listening to Mark Knopfler's laid back guitar than I do Batio's finger frenzies, but I'm not gonna spend my time here trying to convince people he's a bad guitarist when he's obviously not. You might be surprised, but it is possible to discuss without polarizing and putting people down for what they like. __________________ Something Completely Different

04-22-2009, 11:07 AM	#13 (permalink)
pahuuuta Craziest Thing Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: New York Posts: 459	hes got skill at guitar his music isnt something i could like listen to on a regular basis but hes got skill. __________________ *He Who Makes A Beast Out Of Himself Gets Rid Of The Pain Of Being A Man*

04-22-2009, 10:38 PM	#15 (permalink)
Slayer99 Groupie Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 5	Awsome!