Is it just me or does this:

sound surprisingly similar to this:

um...

While listening to the wonderful BBC Radio 2 documentary about the late, great guitarist John McGeoch on Saturday night (worth the licence fee on its own etc etc), I wondered if there was a guitar player who has emerged in the very recent past that might one day be the subject of an hour long, prime time radio documentary.

We all know about Johnny Greenwood, Johnny Marr and Ryan Adams, but I'm thinking far more recently than that. Which player has debuted this century that has the potential to influence future generations?

As a Word reader, I like to think of myself as a discerning sort of chap who makes informed decisions about the entertainment I consume. I'm not one to be swayed by fads and fashions - quality is what counts. Except that I have a rather shady past and I feel the need to come clean about it. I was a coloured vinyl addict.

My problem first began as a small child when I was blinded to the musical shortcomings of my mother's copy of Living Doll by Cliff Richard by the bright yellow of its grooves.

Then, when I was old enough to spend money on records I would buy any old rubbish, as long as it was a nice colour. Whitesnake's Snakebite e.p. on beautiful snowy white vinyl; I Don't Care by Klark Kent in kryptonite green and, horror of horrors, Out of the Blue by ELO on double blue.

It wasn't all bad; Be Stiff by Devo in "lemonade" looked and sounded great, Miss You by the Rolling Stones in 12" pink (ooh-er missus) was a cracking record, and Don't Come Close by the Ramones was a red vinyl delight.

It wasn't long before I progressed to the harder stuff - why settle for just one colour when you can have a whole load of them in the form of a picture? Your Just What I needed by The Cars and Are Friends Electric by Gary Numan soon blighted my record collection.

They're all long gone to the second hand record shop, which is now long closed. Although I feel more erudite and grown up without them, I have to admit to missing the cheerful silliness they bought to my rather dour and serious music collection.

So, who else will admit to allowing their better musical judgement to be swayed by pretty colours and pictures?