Buckethead: Greatest Guitarist Of Our/All Time?

**Frownland** · 02-08-2012, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

I've known about Buckethead for around 5 years now because a friend unfortunately loves his music. I agree with you that Buckethead's technique is fantastic, but I hate the style of music he plays. It usually sounds frenetic, meandering, and pointless to me. The only mood it puts me in is irritated.

At best, he kind of creeps me out, so that's something positive, I suppose. I'll try listening again to one of his songs from start to finish, but I find them so boring and devoid of what I value in music that I don't know if I'll be able to unless someone pays me.

Try Electric Tears, it seems like one of the sides of Buckethead you would enjoy (or as far as I can read from that post)

Mrd00d · 02-08-2012, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

I've known about Buckethead for around 5 years now because a friend unfortunately loves his music. I agree with you that Buckethead's technique is fantastic, but I hate the style of music he plays. It usually sounds frenetic or overly-slow, with songs sometimes meandering aimlessly and at other times being much too repetitive. Overall his music sounds pointless to me. The only mood it puts me in is irritated.

At best, he kind of creeps me out, so that's something positive, I suppose. I'll try listening again to one of his songs from start to finish, but I find them so boring and devoid of what I value in music that I don't know if I'll be able to unless someone pays me.

Phhhbt. Like a bucket on your head isn't a gimmicky method??? Phhhbt. I hate his stupid bucket.

He's a regular sweetheart. There's nothing inherently creepy about the man (Brian Caroll). I guess the Michael Myers mask and the KFC bucket is the creepy bit. Or how he does the robot and acts mechanical.

But I wanted to say, about his bucket/mask... He's shy. He makes music that people love and that I'm sure he enjoys, but doesn't want it to follow him home. Some people really dislike this for multiple reasons, but I see nothing wrong with that. He wants his privacy. He does not want the rockstar treatment. He doesn't want to get caught at the grocery store or bank or wherever and bombarded with publicity or fans or anything. Again, he's shy. I think his outfit is smart and I respect his will to privacy. It took ages for the masses to finally figure out his name.

I just wanted to share with you. It's not a gimmick. It's a matter of privacy. And once that was established, it becomes his stage persona. Which many people enjoy and many people detest. But try not to be bothered with it, if possible.

If I knew you and your taste better, Vegangelica, I'd try to personalize a recommendation for you. But BH is not for everyone. If you're not down with instrumental shred, funk, ambient, acoustic, or mellow rock [whatever the term to describe his softer works like Colma, Electric Tears, etc.] then he may not be for you.

Do you enjoy instrumental music? I'm gonna throw some Buckethead, Brain & Travis Dickerson out for you to sample. Thanatopsis

blastingas10 · 02-09-2012, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

I like Buckethead a lot and think his playing is impressive. I like that he "dares" keep things simple when they sound good that way, yet he has a big bag of tricks that he can draw from. What I don't like about him is some of the music seems overly simplistic and gets old fast. Drum machine and soloing on top of chords. That's okay, but when it seems he commits every musical idea that strikes him to record, it gets a bit predictable and there's a lot of material that I personally am not that interested in. Finding a truly great Buckethead song is like trying to find a diamond in a pile of coal.

Here's one of my favourites which I believe I've yet to see posted in any thread yet.

Perhaps this would suit you a little more.

Octave Of The Holy Innocents - Child King - YouTube

Dr_Rez · 02-09-2012, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

Phhhbt. Like a bucket on your head isn't a gimmicky method??? Phhhbt. I hate his stupid bucket.

Yes but it kind of is mocking gimmiks people use to back up not having talent. he has an incredible amount of talent on multiple instruments and producing. Also the fact he has never been photographed (except 2/3 times before he was buckethead) shows how incredibly devoted to it he is.

I mean he tried out for ozzy and didnt get it because he refused to take it off. He tried out for the chili peppers and they said he was great but way to wierd. Same thing has happened with other bands.

Guybrush · 02-09-2012, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrd00d

I can get behind that... But since you brought up Crime Slunk Scene, I must ask you to re-evaluate "King James", "Fairy and the Devil", and maybe "Gory Head Stump 2006" and "Electronic Slight of Hand", if for no other reason than a personal favor. Please? I really dig King James and Fairy and the Devil. Out of the 11 tracks, I have those + Soothsayer at 5 stars, which is almost half, which goes with my 50/50.

But to your point, I can agree. Not every album is gold by far, but many are. Let me do the opposite of what I usually do and find a couple examples of his work I don't enjoy...

Bermuda Triangle (2002). From 19 tracks, I can only listen to three. But those three are not only superb but very different from his usual. For reference, those are "Bionic Fog", "Splintered Triplet", and "Whatevas".

Bucketheadland (1992) I can barely listen to this pile of demos and b-sides. Theres like ... 2 for 33. Park Theme and Home Run Derby are all I can stand. Same with Bucketheadland 2 from 2003... hardly but two tracks out of a bunch that I can stand. So in this case, your original point rings true. Luckily he's got ... 35 solo albums and overall, about 100 albums he's an active member of to choose from and listen to; to pick and choose the style of Buckethead that is up your alley.

Day of the Robot (1996) Not up my alley. Only 5 tracks, but none of them stick in my book. It's a skipper. Not bad, per se, but not my style.

Forensic Follies (2009) Weird album. I can only enjoy a couple off this release. And they're bizarre. But in general, it's not a bad release, just not my style.

Etc. etc.

So I see your point. Sometimes, depending on the album, a good song is "a real diamond in the rough" [2009 - sweet BH album] and others are 50/50 and some are god damned perfect.

P.S. I enjoyed your last avatar, but missed the rats. Glad to see the Rat King is back.

Thanks for a great post, Mrd00d. I'm gonna go through the titles and see if any of these songs will click with me. And I'm glad you like my new rat king

Quote:

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

At best, he kind of creeps me out, so that's something positive, I suppose. I'll try listening again to one of his songs from start to finish, but I find them so boring and devoid of what I value in music that I don't know if I'll be able to unless someone pays me.

I don't find him to be a creepy sort, generally. He definetly has a heart which he sometimes shares with the world through songs like "For Mom" from Colma which I personally makes him more than just a gimmick.

I still see some sense in your criticism, though.

On a side note, some of his songs or part of his songs are quite playable for beginner guitarists, like the one above, although he does have very long fingers for some of his chords.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blastingas10

Perhaps this would suit you a little more.

Octave Of The Holy Innocents - Child King - YouTube

Mnyeah, it's alright.

Dr_Rez · 02-09-2012, 03:32 AM

@Tore: Have you heard all of Accoustic Shards? Its really a brilliant album.

ps I saw him play a few months back and his fingers a ****ing massive. He makes Hendrix hands look like a child.

Guybrush · 02-09-2012, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RezZ

@Tore: Have you heard all of Accoustic Shards? Its really a brilliant album.

ps I saw him play a few months back and his fingers a ****ing massive. He makes Hendrix hands look like a child.

Yup, I like Acoustic Shards a lot

It's interesting to hear the proto versions of songs that later end up on his albums.

Dr_Rez · 02-09-2012, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

Yup, I like Acoustic Shards a lot

It's interesting to hear the proto versions of songs that later end up on his albums.

Yea I have definitly noticed alot of songs off Welcome to Bucketheadland for instance that were recorded much better and made longer in later albums.

blastingas10 · 02-09-2012, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RezZ

@Tore: Have you heard all of Accoustic Shards? Its really a brilliant album.

ps I saw him play a few months back and his fingers a ****ing massive. He makes Hendrix hands look like a child.

It's really strange how long those fingers are.

When did you see him? I saw him around October I think. I was lucky enough to receive a toy from his big bag of toys. It was a hot wheels. There were a few people that handed him some things and he took them, so when me and my friends go see him again next month, we're all going to sign a basketball and give it to him; since he's a basketball fan.

Dr_Rez · 02-09-2012, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blastingas10

It's really strange how long those fingers are.

When did you see him? I saw him around October I think. I was lucky enough to receive a toy from his big bag of toys. It was a hot wheels. There were a few people that handed him some things and he took them, so when me and my friends go see him again next month, we're all going to sign a basketball and give it to him; since he's a basketball fan.

September 4 2011 at a place called the Alter Bar in Pittsburgh. And my buddy got a bunch of the toys sadly I did not. Also he didnt have his band with him it was just backing tracks, granted if your a guitar nut and buckethead fan you dont need the whole band

02-09-2012, 03:32 AM	#16 (permalink)
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