Zakk Wylde recently shared his thoughts on underrated guitar players, spotlighting Frank Marino as a personal favorite and Don Mock as a guitarist of John McLaughlin’s caliber that few people recognize.
Known for his heavy metal roots as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and mastermind behind Black Label Society, Wylde’s influences extend far beyond the metal genre. During a recent appearance on the Lipps Service podcast, he named several guitarists he believes deserve more recognition, ultimately going beyond the five initially requested.
The first guitarist Wylde mentioned was Elliot Easton, the melodic mastermind behind the Cars. He praised Easton’s creativity and versatility, noting, “There’s not ‘most’ or ‘least’ in this list, just five guys that are phenomenal and that most people don’t know about. Elliot Easton from the Cars. Just amazing. He’s so creative, and he has great chops too—he’s playing country stuff and new wave stuff. It’s just, like, wow. What made you think to put that in there?”
Wylde also acknowledged the Cars as a band with a unique sound, whose influences aren’t always obvious. He expressed his love for new wave music, stating, “I love all that stuff, man. You know, I listen to it when I’m lifting and everything like that. Obviously, to get me out of what I do.”
Next, he highlighted Neil Thomas Giraldo, a musician, producer, and songwriter known for his work with Pat Benatar: “Neil Giraldo. He’s phenomenal. You had Eddie [Van Halen] and Randy [Rhoads], and then Neil Giraldo was just… Obviously, with Pat Benatar, you’re not thinking Ozzy or Van Halen, but Neil had chops and creativity. Just listen to those solos and all those songs. Truly amazing writing, amazing playing, great technique, tone. He’s the real deal.”
As his third choice, Wylde celebrated Frank Marino, who was considered by some as Jimi Hendrix’s successor: “I’d have to throw Frank Marino because he’s one of my heroes that people don’t know about. But when they hear him, they’re just like, ‘Oh my God.’ Just put on the Mahogany Rush live album, the first one [1978’s ‘Live’]. Just beyond ridiculous.”
Wylde also mentioned Allan Holdsworth, Robin Trower, and Steve Morse, before recognizing jazz legends Pat Martino and Joe Pass: “Here’s another good one, but in the jazz world, he’s not unknown. For aspiring guitar players, if you’ve never heard of him, Pat Martino is pretty insane. And then you have Joe Pass. But Joe Pass and Pat Martino are just absolutely beyond silly.”
Finally, Wylde gave a shoutout to Don Mock, commending him for his contributions as both a player and educator: “But here’s another guy, Don Mock. He was one of the instructors over at GIT in California. I think he was one of the main guys that fired up the teaching staff over there. But he has an album out, I think it’s ‘Mock One’. It’s pretty insane. He has a guitar synthesizer thing that he uses, and his technique, with the pentatonic, is like John McLaughlin. That album he has is pretty devastating.”
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