7) Elliott Easton (The Cars). The Cars get no respect. They're dismissed simply as another 80's new wave pop band. Starting in the 70's in Boston, The Cars were a great ROCK band with GREAT songs. Sure......they had rode the New Wave when it was happening. But the band had a great song writer and a distinctive sound. Easton's guitar had a unique compressed lead sound that sticks out. I always thought he was the "rocker" of the group who probably would of fared well in a more overtly "hard rock" band at the time. Favorite Easton moment? The over indulgent whammy bar tinged solo in "Tonight She Comes". No other guitarist could of pull it off in THAT song without me cringing.
6) "Fast" Eddie Clark (Motorhead). It's really cool to love Motorhead. Correction...it's really cool to say you like Motorhead and have their patches, although most people only own a "best of" and could only really sing you one or 2 songs. But most people atleast know them by name, and their equally (if not more) infamous leader Lemmy Kilmister. Lemmy is worthy of the hype for sure. But I've recently formed the opinion that WITHOUT Fast Eddie....the Motorhead "sound" doesn't exist. Motorhead has always been called HEAVY. But I don't think they were NEAR as heavy as they are now, and sadly so. What has recently struck me is the way he acheives such a great metal/rock guitar tone with a single coil strat. Ofcourse that was probably a hold-over from his previous blues background. Yeah...Fast Eddie was no metal or rock guitarist....just a bender in a blues band in England. I think his lack of hard rock upbringing was a huge benefit to the group. Favorite Fast Eddie moment? His opening lick in "Fast and Loose".
5) Jerry Reed. I grew up a fan since I was a kid. In fact, the first three 8-track tapes I knew as a kid were Kenny Rogers, The Statler Brothers, and Jerry Reed. Now, don't get me wrong, I am no authority on Jerry Reed. My knowledge of his music exists in my memories, and a few "best of's" that I've bought/downloaded over the more recent years. But as far as 6-string country "pickers" go, Jerry Reed was the guitar-hero of the landscape for that era of the genre'. My favorite Jerry Reed pickin'? His aptly titled song "Guitar Man" (Later covered by Elvis, w/ Jerry Reed playing session guitar on that version as well!).
4) Steve Jones (Sex Pistols). Enough can not be said about the unknowing genius of Jonesy. That sort of brillance only comes along once in a lifetime and it only lasts a mili-second. The "Bullocks" record would not of been AS good if it were recorded 5 years later with a slightly more seasoned and confident guitarist. His "solos" werent proper..or clean....or credible. But they were great and they were the only kind of solos that would of fit on those songs. Favorite Jonesy moment? His "solo" on "EMI".
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Most Memorable Jerry Reed listening experience: The Saturday in August '05 two days before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans driving West on I-10 towards Lake Charles. Alex and I were evacuating NOLA the very first day after we moved there. Three hour drive from New Orleans to our friend's place in Lake Charles took over ten hours because everyone with any sense in southern Louisiana was trying to get to Texas. We were in two cars loaded with all our worldly possessions following each other in heavy traffic, it was getting dark and we had no idea how to get where we were going. The radio was on, but I wasn't really paying attention to it. Somewhere on I-10 near Lafayette "Amos Moses" came on the radio just as the last of the sunset was turning from orange to purple on the horizon. I cranked up the radio and let Jerry Reed complete the utterly surreal scenario of our escape across the swamps. We had a bit more luck than that Louisiana Sheriff in the song and a week later we were high-tailing it back to NC after Louisiana, Katrina, and the approaching Hurricane Rita ganged up to kick our asses. Jerry Reed IS the Guitar Man and an incredible story teller to boot.
ReplyDeleteI agree Jeff, The Cars get nothing.
ReplyDeleteI love them.
I appreciate you showing some love for ol' Jerry. He had chops that served the music, even when he was being indulgent & flashy. Plus, he spent quite a bit of time as Chet Atkins's side man, which is no mean feat.
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