New Guitar Heroes
Posted by Andy Lynes on 4 February 2008 - 3:15pm.
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?
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Derek Trucks
is quite popular, isn't he?
Yes, but...
...isn't he also unlistenable?
Something he has in common with the overwhelming majority of guitar heroes, possibly.
I don't know
My brother's a guitarist and an Allman Brothers fan, and he likes him. I have no opinion, really.
Unwelcome widdly-widdly
I'm not necessarily thinking about up-and-down-the-fret-board-at-a-million-miles-an-hour-widdly-widdly-merchants who are, as David said, mostly unlistenable, but guitarists with an influential sound like McGeoch and Marr, or even Page who married speed with considerable style.
How about ...
Jack White? I'm not fan of the White Stripes, but he seems to fit the bill from the live footage I've seen.
Also John Smith. I saw him supporting John Martyn, a stunning player with some guitar hero tricks too, de-tuning the strings to a selected pitch mid song (and then back up again). Using the guitar as a percussive instrument and playing acoustic lead at the same time on 'Winter'.
John Smith - 'Winter'
John Martyn seems to be overlooked as a guitar hero, simply because he doesn't tear up and down the scales. His tone, tunings and technique are almost impossible to play sober. God knows he managed it totally tanked.
Radio 2 doc
Was great I agree. Interesting that Johhny Marr was asked by a magazine if he was sure he wanted John McGeoch in his top ten guitarists when he was asked by them to compile a list, which pissed him off. Wonder which magazine that was?
I don't know what the
I don't know what the magazine was and a quick google has revealed nothing, but its extraordinary for two reasons - firstly that you would ask someone like Johnny Marr for his opinion and then question it, and secondly that McGeoch might be considered not worth mentioning.
For as long as I can remember listening to the radio, the BBC have produced excellent rock-docs and I'm very glad that they're still at it.
John McGeoch
I have to confess I have no knowledge of Mr. McGeough's playing - what is a good example to listen to? The whole post-punk thing passed me by - what have I missed?
One example
Real Life, Secondhand
Real Life, Secondhand Daylight and The Correct Use of Soap by Magazine would be the perfect place to start, then Juju by Souixsie and the Banshees. He also made albums with a later incarnation of PIL which I have never heard as they lost me with "This Is Not a Love Song". There's music and video on his myspace page http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendi...
The Glorious Nels Cline
A guitar hero for the jazz loving indie rock fan