Hard-rock fans know the mysterious guitarist Buckethead from his tour of duty with Guns N’ Roses.We funkateers know him via collaborations with Bootsy Collins (in Praxis) and Bernie Worrell (Praxis and Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains).
Buckethead’s tripped-out virtuosity is barely overshadowed by his personal oddness. (Never seen without a KFC bucket on his head and a mask over his face.) Gotta love a guy whose main obsessions include Japanese movie monsters, robots and amusement parks.
His 2005 CD “Enter the Chicken” (credited to Buckethead & Friends) was produced by Serj Tankian of System of a Down.
One track off that album – “Three Fingers” – features vocals by Saul Williams (whom I blogged about recently). It’s available as a FREE MP3.
To hear it streaming on my Vox blog, click here. To download it, click the song title below.
“Three Fingers” (MP3) 
Album available at iTunes Music Store
Album available at Amazon
He's got this amazing technical virtuosity, but chops alone don't make it. You need melody and some spirit too. That's where I think Buckethead falls down. Interesting, but not moving.
ReplyDeleteUnlike say, Eric Johnson, who has blindingly amazing chops, and a beautiful melodic sense to back them up.
^ Sorry to say I've never heard of Eric Johnson.
ReplyDeleteBut I hear what you're saying about Buckethead. Jazz heads would put it like this: "Does he swing?"
I personally prefer Fiuczynski to Buckethead. Equivalent technical chops, but Fuze swings. He knows how to groove.
Among guitar players, EJ is the leading candidate for greatest living player. He won Guitar Player Magazine's best player award for several years running, til they retired him from eligibility.
ReplyDeleteHe was well known on the Austin scene but his national breakthrough started when Prince saw him on the PBS program Austin City Limits. Based on the recommendation of Prince and some other artists like Christopher Cross.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Johnson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htobScsOB70
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8CWVJhagZM
Ok guys, specially odocoileus, try to listen to Soothsayer by Bukethead! You say he doesn't play with emotion hear the album colma!
ReplyDeletebuckethead has mad musical expertise period listen to praxis or axiom funk he's in all that
ReplyDeleteusually, people who find shortcomings with buckethead just haven't heard but half of his music
ReplyDelete