Buckethead's importance in the guitar playing?

[nesquick]

a question for all those who went to a gn'r show or for those who know the answer: was buckethead THE main guitar player or just an additional guitarist? when you listen to a new gn'r bootleg, does buckethead play an imporant part in the whole guitar sound or not? did he do rythmic parts? or just some solos?? ?
my question: did fortus + finck both make more than buckethead alone?

PS: I think the band is MUCH better now that he is gone. more cohesive and tigher.

[Butch Français]

Buckethead is, IMO, the one that stands out on the live DVD's I have.

[Caligula13]

well, i think that fink and fortus had more work to do but it was BH's playing that kicked the shit.

[KeVoRkIaN]

My eyes tend to wander but in Toronto and London,ON my eyes were fixed on Buckethead for a great majority of the shows.  It was trance-like

[Saul]

Listening to and watching the live videos you can hear and see that bucket plays a VERY important part in almost all of the songs. And the visual part of the show .. he adds a ton , you just need to be looking at him a couple seconds to see him doing one of his patented "moves" ... robot arms , guitar stretch , side stepping with his feet , simple head twists , etc etc .... personally I'd rather see Bucketheads stuff then watch robin do that spider walk/float on air thing. But thats just personal opinion. No diss to robin fans. 

[Voodoochild]

Buckethead played some important stuff, but sometimes he didn't played anything. Or he was just acting like a side man, like in The Blues, when he used to be between Brain and Pittman and playing just the bass notes in his guitar. Hell, I can't hear him in the mix in this song. 

[slashedguns]

I think Buckets contributed well to the live shows,however i still think he achieved what he wanted out of joining GNR,to boost his personal career and album sales. And id hazard a guess to say that while he was in GNR his solo record sales were never higher

[oneway23]

Like Caligula pointed out, Finck and Fortus may have been more prominent collectively, but BH's playing always brought things beyond that threshold that exists between a great band and a transcendental experience....He definitely put the new band over the top into that rare territory that all amazing live acts exist in...

[BucketvsSlash]

bucket was definately lead guitar but sometimes played a lot of riffs while Finck took lead..I really liked how they did make room for each other and how there were three guitar parts and sometimes only two if needed. For example: The It's So easy from new gnr..right around the "so eeeeeasy when nothing seems to please me"..Buckethead plays that only on guitar.

[Buddha_Master]

Man, I think I'm still bummed that he isn't part of this new gnr. He really did add massive credibility musically to this group. I think it is a loss that will not be easily repaired. Replacing someone of Slash's caliber in a band like this is impossible. But with Buckethead, Axl pulled off the impossible. You know how many debates there was because of Bucket? Was he better than Slash? He actually began to convince more and more that he was, myself included. He was special and different, in his own right, and his abilities couldnt be questioned. If Axl replaces Bucket's parts on CD, as happy as I will be that I will have the album, there will be this great big cloud hanging over it.

[ppbebe]

Yap. His tranquility, like Stillness encompasses movement, lent spice to the stage full of clamor. Too bad, It must be hard to find someone who matches up to the impacts this unique individual made visually and musically.

my question: did fortus + finck both make more than buckethead alone?

To me It?s like asking if onion and tomato both make more than potato alone in Spanish omelet. Each one has different taste and task. When you forget to buy potatoes you?ll have another dish.

[GNR_Green]

Bucket played the intro part in You Could Be Mine, it focuses on him on my DVD.

Shame he's gone, he's an amazing player.

[nesquick]

Well, first of all when I created this topic it was just to know if BH was that important in the band's guitar sound....or not. I never liked Buckethead, never ever. But I just want to know if he played that much guitar when he was on stage. that's all.
 

[F*ck Fear]

I think his recording on the album will be killer....I watched each guitar player when I saw them live in Toronto Canada,but I went to see Axl.

[Acquiesce]

I recently got a DVD of the new band (it was the first time I ever seen them) and I have to say that no he was not an important part of the band's sound. I'm always hearing how Buckethead was the most important member besides Axl, but he certainly didn't seem like it in the DVD I watched. I expected him to be the main guitarist with Finck doing a solo here and there and Fortus on rhythm, but I felt Finck seemed a bit more like the main guitarist instead.

I was never much of a Finck fan before this DVD.  I used to think they needed Buckethead because it was a better alternative than Finck on lead, but after watching this DVD I have totally changed my mind. Finck did a fine job with the solos he did. I also don't think Buckethead stood out  musically anymore than  Finck or Fortus.

After watching this show, I really don't understand where the Buckethead hype came from. Besides his looks, he didn't stand out at all. Musically, I didn't find him  to be anything special. He also did not have that charisma many guitar greats have that make you fix your eyes on them.

[BucketvsSlash]

There were a few times were Bucket wouldnt play,like i said when it wasnt needed..But he contributed a lot.Given his caliber,he played a lot even when it looked like he wasnt.

[Saul]

I think what I will miss most and what will be missing most from the new GNR "studio videos" for MTV etc will be seeing Bucket and Axl together in the videos. Those two coulda been bigger then axl and slash. 

[elevendayempire]

The presence of Buckethead - or an equally talented shredder - is integral to the new GN'R's sound and look. Finck and Fortus are talented guitarists, no doubt about it, and both take leads in some songs (November Rain, The Blues, SCOM etc) but the show-stopper in most of the songs is when Buckethead lets rip (see - Madagascar, Nightrain outro, YCBM, Chinese Democracy, Paradise City outro, Rocket Queen outro, and so on). I think having a quirky shredder on board is vital to the band - it shows that they have someone who's a better technical player than Slash on board, it's part of their image, and it's a key element in many of the songs. If not Buckethead, then someone like John 5 or Ron Thal - they need someone a bit kooky and out there to separate them from the herds of tattooed rockers like Slash and Dave Navarro (as talented as they are).

I'd argue, though, that now that Buckethead's out of the band, his parts must be re-recorded. Must be. The general public - you know, the vast majoirty of the people who'll buy CD, the ones who haven't lived and breathed GN'R for the last ten years - have no idea who the current lineup of GN'R actually is. To them, the band playing on CD will be fresh and new, and it therefore has to be the current incarnation of GN'R. To release CD with Buckethead's playing on it, and then tour with a different band, would be akin to releasing a new album with Slash's playing on it, and touring with Buckethead. It makes the new guy seem like a hired gun, not an integral member of the band with songwriting credits - and the new band must have the chemistry that comes from playing as a coherent unit.

SG

[yagami1gnr]

The presence of Buckethead - or an equally talented shredder - is integral to the new GN'R's sound and look. Finck and Fortus are talented guitarists, no doubt about it, and both take leads in some songs (November Rain, The Blues, SCOM etc) but the show-stopper in most of the songs is when Buckethead lets rip (see - Madagascar, Nightrain outro, YCBM, Chinese Democracy, Paradise City outro, Rocket Queen outro, and so on).

First of all, Buckethead does an amazing job on Nightrain, but I think does all. Also The Paradise outro is played by Richard. Honor mention on YCBM and KOHD. However, what he almost did in the other solos was shredding. This shredding was good in some but bad in others i.e. Rocket Queen, It's so Easy. I forgot to include  Madagascar, but it seems like he could have done more, just my personal opinion.

[grog mug]

Buckethead is GNR's best guitarist by far.  I know its not possible in some people's eyes but he really needs to make a comeback.  Besides Axl he was the ultimate in stage presence and guitar playing.  He can play ANYTHING on guitar, sometimes with just one hand.  Great on Madagascar, The Blues, and ecspecially You Could Be Mine and Nightrain.
BRING BUCKETHEAD BACK!!!