Buckethead.
 

I shouldn't like this guy's stuff at all. It's nothing like what I usually listen to but for some reason I've become obsessed with it of late.

Am I being seduced by the whole 'enigma' or is this guy really as abso-fucking-lutely brilliant as these clips seem to suggest?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8akmP6Sjv2o

http://youtube.com/watch?v=C-2w9b8i7GU


I imagine a majority of you here will absolutely hate it, I half do myself, but there's something about it I just can't deny (especially the first clip.)

I hear that his playing on the upcoming GnR album is still there, despite leaving/being kicked out of the band. It definitely makes me a lot more intrigued to listen to Chinese Democracy than I was before.

I preferred the second... I too have a strange appreciation for fretwankery. Buckethead isn't too OTT on that side of things, but it's pretty silly. Have you seen the Buckethead lesson? The sweep picking at the end is pretty absurd.

I find Eric Johnson compelling in a similar fashion.

This is, objectively, utter guff, but I do love the mad Swedish xenophobe. This piece in particular reminds me of Les Rallizes Denudes. Yeah, I did just say that.

Allen 'Robot' Van Wert goes quite a distance into absolute absurdity.

his albums on Tzadik are decent. actually, maybe not.

Why the bucket? anyone know.

eh............

meh...

Buckethead actually plays with a kinda dark ambient/breaks/turnable-based group, but i have forgotten what its called

I dunno, I don't think you're talking about Thanatopsis, that's the only thing I've really bothered with outside of a few of his boring solo albums..

Ah, yes, here it is. An album I own, embarrisingly. So yeah, an obscure buckethead side project for you, Gonervill: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p...0:fxfoxqw0ldae

I can definitely see a connection with the EJ piece. Really quite brilliant (albeit in a way that's ultimately quite silly). I'm not a fan of Buckethead's more Malmsteen-like excesses (as in the 'lesson' you mentioned), but when he calms down a bit I think he's great.

I dunno. I won't allow myself to get too excited about it, but there's definitely something going on there.

The Van Wert clip is just silly, and nothing but.

The story is that he wears it because people kept talking about his really greasy hair. Ozzy wanted to hire him for his band but backed off when he couldn't persuade him to remove said KFC bucket and his mask.

The reason for him 'leaving' Guns N Roses changes depending on where the story comes from, but the most widely circulated is that he was kicked out because he never turned up for rehearsals. People from the Buckethead camp claim that he wasn't kicked out at all, but that he left of his own accord because he couldn't deal with Axl's personality.

hes a good player, no doubt. but he plays the most un-interesting stuff. kinda a waste of talent if you ask me. i thought it was rad when he was with gnr for a second though.

I agree. Playing in a band that with such heavy commercial demands would reel him in. I've listened to some of the solos he did with them and it shows he would've added something to the equation long-term, even though, while he was a member, he was forced to play parts written by Slash.

This offers a good straight comparison between the two:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wMYnl22cqGU

I'm not sure which I prefer, but the difference would've been really intriging to see develop. Buckethead clearly never fit into GnRs 'outlaw'/'Cowboy' image - I can't imagine him rolling on stage with a bottle of JD. Either way, seeing him long term in such a high profile band would've been fascinating.

pfffff...joe satriani ftw.

i loved the first praxis record he played on (transmutation) the rest i believe is pony. a friend saw him with g'n'r and his solo spot involved break dancing and a nunchuka display....

He's alright. I do like the enigma part. And he's way less annoying to watch than Vai/Satriani. Great guitarists, but seriously...Melodramatic much?

I hate it when virtuoso guitarist play "ballads" - stop it, now! Just play feedback solos foir 30 minutes, goddammit. That means you, Buckethead. Otherwise, I'll just go back to saying "Ner ner ner Caspar Brotzmann kicks your shit into the kerb ner ner ner".