10 Most Underrated Guitarists Of All Time
2. Eddie Hazel
It’s a tricky proposition to steal the spotlight from any lead singer, and that goes double when the singer in question is George Clinton. The funk maestro assembled an incredible band around him, though, and perhaps no one in the genre has played a meaner guitar than Eddie Hazel.
He was a member of Parliament-Funkadelic for a relatively brief while, but these were the good times. He played some of the sweetest stuff you’ll ever hear on “Can You Get To That”, and ran wild on “Funky Dollar Bill”, frequently co-writing much of the albums’ music in that golden period.
Most pertinent, though, is “Maggot Brain”. The opening track from the album of the same name is a showpiece for Hazel, whose evocative, soleful, pained solo was cut in one take while Clinton spurred him on by asking him to imagine his mother was dead. Hazel evokes the spirit of his hero Hendrix on the song; his guitar sounds alternately like it’s singing and weeping.
Post-Parliament-Funkadelic, Hazel worked sporadically, releasing an interesting solo album before dying far too young in 1992. Hazel had far more to give, for sure, but few guitarists - if any - can point to a piece of work as impressive as that 10 minute workout. It’s perfection.