CREEM SHOWCASE

CREEM SHOWCASE

Generally, we at SHOWCASE like to present a variety of the newest—and therefore, the snazziest—rock equipment for the edification of you, the reader.

This month we’ve taken a different approach. Scott K. Fish and Billy Cioffi look back on rock’s most influential drummers and guitarists, respectively—those players whose styles were so unique that they kept vitality and innovation alive. You’ll surely enjoy reading it, since—if you don’t—you’ll be left out of the millions of conversations at holiday parties and get-togethers all over the United States, as sanguine students of culture discuss the very concept of this month’s SHOWCASE.

ALEX VAN HALEN

The Van Halen brothers have earned quite a reputation, but while the spotlight has generally been on Eddie, Alex has established himself as a heavy metal drummer of note. Alex’s style is based on the harddriving simplicity that characterizes heavy metal drumming, yet he has the chops and taste to weave his drumming in and out of Van Halen’s songs, exploding here and lying back there, beautifully unique and musical.

Alex’s father was a musician, exposing Alex and Eddie to many types of music—both boys were trained, reportedly, to be concert pianists. This background shows in Alex’s playing. He’s forceful, but he’s not simply a basher. Van Halen’s music demands heavy drumming, but Alex has not let that eliminate his musical drumming. He’s in a band where the other musicians are good enough where they don’t need that metronomic, relentless backbeat accompaniment from the drummer. Alex and Eddie, especially, seem to have a great time throwing each other musical left hooks. The competency and mutual trust is there to pull that off successfully.

“Jump” has been Van Halen’s biggest single to date. Their first single was a remake of the Kinks song “You Really Got Me,” followed by “Dance The Night Away,” and a remake of Roy Orbison’s “Oh Pretty Woman.” Much of the band’s material, particularly the earlier songs from 1978 to 1980, was blues-based. Like John Bonham, Van Halen refused to fall back on blues cliches. He used the blues form to create his own ideas.

Alex’s fans will have to depend, it seems, on Van Halen’s albums and tours to see and listen to his drumming. He doesn’t seem to be involved in any clinics. The latest Van Halen albums have won more mass acceptance than the earlier ones, but they’re all worth listening to, especially Diver Down.

THE DRUMS: Ludwig. Three bass drums (26"x28", 24" x 28" and 24" x 14"), five single-headed toms (12", 13", 14" and 18"), two Roto toms (Remo), and a snare ■K I ■ drum (61/2"x14"). ■ m. I I CYMBALS: Paiste. A 20" ride, a 24" ride, a 20" China, a 20" medium, a 20" heavy, an 18" rude, a 20" rude, 15" hi-hats (top hi-hat is a 2002, bottom hi-hat is a rude), and a gong.

ELECTRONIC DRUMS: Simmons, three pads.

NEIL PEART

Neil Peart replaced Rush’s original drummer in the mid-’70s, also taking over the role of chief lyricist and contributing songwriter. Many of his fans are as taken by Peart’s lyrics as they are by his drumming. He has been given the misnomer “science fiction lyricist”; a person deeply influenced by writer Ayn Rand. This stemmed from Rush’s 2112 album, in which Ayn Rand was acknowledged as having written a book with a similar story line. Peart has said that of the 13 or 14 albums he’s recorded, perhaps a total of two-and-a-half albums worth of songs deal with sci-fi topics. He termed the sci-fi label as a critical cop-out.

Peart plays a massive double bass drum set-up with multiple cymbals and several percussion instruments. On the last two Rush tours he played two drumsets. The second, smaller drumset incorporated an acoustic snare and bass drum with several Simmons electronic drum pads.

Peart is often regarded as a multi-percussionist, but by his own admission he is not. There are times when he’ll play the chimes and other percussion instruments, but these parts have been worked out and memorized in rehearsals. The drumset is Peart’s main instrument.

Peart’s style is marked by crisp drumming and original contributions in both common-and odd-time signatures. Peart rarely fails to surprise the listener. He is a convincing drum soloist who utilizes the full potential of his drumsets and is not afraid to improvise.

Moving Pictures is the classic Rush album to date. All The World’s A Stage, recorded live in 1976, is an excellent example of early Peart. Exit: Stage Left is a fine live performance recorded in 1981.

■■■ DRUMS: Tama. Two bass drums (14" x 24"), four coninl C cert toms (6", 8" 10" and 12"), double-headed toms BH| (12", 13" and 15"), an 18" floor tom, agong bass drum HE W^T (14"x20"), a 13" timbale, two snare drums E^k m m (Slingerland 5" x 14"), an 18" bass drum and five or six Simmons pads.

CYMBALS: Zildjian. An 8" splash, a 10" splash, two 16" medium crashes, a 20" medium crash, a 22" medium ride with an 18" medium crash on top, an 18" swish with rivets, a 20" China Boy hi-hat, a 22" medium ride with a 16" medium crash on top, two pair of New Beat hi-hats (13"), and one-octave Crotales (tuned cymbals).

Peart currently has one double-bass kit in front of him, and a singlebass kit immediately behind him—the cymbals are from both kits.

KEITH MOON

Keith Moon had all the makings of a great rock drummer—unique style and superb showmanship. Moon replaced the Who’s first drummer, in the mid-’60s, when he was about 18 years old. The group’s hit singles with Moon included such classics as “I Can’t Explain,” “My Generation,” “Substitute,” “Happy Jack,” “Pictures Of Lily,” “I Can See For Miles,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “Who Are You.” Moon did some minor songwriting for the Who with songs such as “Cobwebs And Strange” and “Dogs Part Two,” which is a drum feature.

Moon was one of the first rock drummers to use double bass drums and multiple tom-toms. He rarely depended on a straight backbeat; rather, he utilized the whole drumset and his array of cymbals with unrelenting rolls and fills. In any other band, Moon would almost certainly have been guilty of overplaying, but his style of drumming worked perfectly with Pete Townshend’s guitar antics and John Entwistle’s bass playing. Entwistle was really the timekeeper in the band.

T. Bruce Wittet wrote an excellent tribute to Keith Moon in Modern Drummer several years ago, uncovering some interesting aspects of Moon’s drumming. He always kept his hi-hat in a closed position and used both feet for double bass drumming. Moon cited jazz drummer Elvin Jones as an influence, and it’s remarkable how similar their concepts were.

Among the most representative records of Keith Moon’s drumming are Tommy, Live At Leeds, Who’s Next, The Who Sell Out and Who Are You. He recorded his own album, Two Sides Of The Moon, and played on some other artist’s albums. They include Jeff Beck’s Truth, Flash Fearless, Nilsson’s Pussy Cats, Bo Diddley’s The 20th Anniversary Of Rock And Roll and John Lennon’s Sometime In New York City.

VLJB DRUMS: Premier. Two bass drums (22"x14"), four ■ I”! EL melodic toms (10", 12", 13" and 14"), three regular mjy ■■■ toms (12", 13" and 14"), two single-headed toms (15" HE ■ ■ and 16"), two double-headed floor toms (16" and 18") E^kl ■ and 51/2" or 6V2" snare drums.

CYMBALS: Zildjian. A 22" ride, an 18" crash, two 20" crash cymbals and a 22" crash, a 22" ride, a 14" or 16" splash and a 30" gong.

STEVE SMITH

Riding at the helm of Journey or driving his Vital Information band, Steve Smith is an interesting combination of a rock and jazz drummer. Journey (with singer Steve Perry and drummer Smith), has changed greatly since 1975, when their first album was released. Initially, Perry was not in the band. He joined the band and first appeared on their Infinity album in 1978. And the original drummer was Aynsley Dunbar. Smith took over the drums on the Infinity tour.

Smith has his roots in jazz drumming—he was a student at Berklee College of Music in Boston. His first important gig was playing in the fusion band of Jean-Luc Ponty. Later, Smith turned down an offer to play jazz with Freddie Hubbard in order to join Montrose. His next move was to join Journey.

Smith’s work with Journey is solid and subtly complex. “Who’s Crying Now,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms” and “Still They Ride” are Journey songs backed by the Steve Smith touch. He knows when to lean into the drums and when to lie back and shade the music.

Smith made a bold move in releasing his two Vital Information albums. A lot of rock musicians give lip service to their jazz influences, but Smith has used part of his financial success with Journey to get Vital Information off the ground, and to give something back to the jazz world. His drumming with Vital Information is far removed from his work with Journey and covers the full spectrum of jazz styles.

When he’s not otherwise occupied, Smith has developed quite a reputation as a clinician. He’s one of those drummers who not only plays well; he’s also capable of transmitting what he does to others.

DRUMS: Sonor. Two bass drums (24"), an 8" x 12" tom, a 9" x 13" tom, a 14" x 14" floor tom, a 16" x 16" m HH floor tom, a Slingerland Radio King snare drum, a NoHE m ■ ble & Cooley snare drum.

Iml M CYMBALS: Zildjian. A 22" K. Ride, 13" A.K. hi-hats (A. Brilliant New Beat top, K. Medium Dark bottom), a 16" A. crash, an 18" K. crash, a 20" deep ride with rivets, a 20" swish and a 13" splash. ELECTRONIC DRUMS: Dynacord (Studio), seven pads.

PHIL COLLINS

Phil Collins isn’t just a drummer, he’s a complete musician. That would seem to imply that those who only play drums are not musicians...which is not the case. Collins, however, has established himself as a great rock drummer, and gone on to prove himself a first-class vocalist, lyricist, arranger and songwriter.

Phil’s first major gig was with Genesis, who started in 1967 with Chris Stewart on drums. He left and was replaced by John Silver, who also later quit to be replaced by John Mayhew. Then Mayhew quit. Genesis ran an ad in Melody Maker that was answered by Phil Collins.

He first appeared with Genesis on the 1971 album Nursery Cryme. Collins remained in the drum chair, except for some backing vocals, through Foxtrot, Genesis Live, Selling England By The Pound and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. When singer/songwriter/guitarist Peter Gabriel quit Genesis, Collins took over lead vocals and drumming, making his lead vocal debut on Trick Of The Tail. When Genesis went on tour, Bill Bruford helped Collins with the drumming for a short spell. Then, when Bruford left, Collins brought in Chester Thompson, a magnificent drummer who still helps with the drumming chores on Genesis tours and on Collins’s solo concert tours.

In 1980, Collins released a solo album called Face Value. Collins’s drumming on this LP was the distillation of his style with Genesis. There is some excellent drum machine programming on the album, coupled with the huge, full sound of Collins’s drums. (Rumor has it that the drums were recorded in a stone room.)

Collins has also appeared on more than six albums with Brand X, a jazz/fusion group. His drumming on these records is a departure from his drumming on his own albums or with Genesis. People who have thought of Phil as a pure rock ’n’ roller are pleasantly surprised by his jazz stylings on Brand X’s albums.

Because Collins plays so differently in many different musical settings, it’s difficult to isolate representative albums of his work. The 1973 Genesis Live is an excellent representation of Collins with Genesis in that era. Face Value is a must. The more recent Genesis albums Duke, Abacab and Three Sides Live are good and any of the Brand X albums are worth a listen.

DRUMS: Gretsch. A 20" bass drum, single-headed I IE toms (8", 10", 12" and 15"), floor toms (16" and 18"). ■■■■ CYMBALS: Sabian. (All AA Brilliant Models). 14" IT regular hi-hats, a 22" China with rivets, a 12" splash, a ■ ^Ll I 16" medium crash, an 18" medium crash, a 20" medium crash, a 20" medium heavy ride, a 20" China with rivets. (14" hi-hats with Simmons set.)

ELECTRONIC DRUMS: Simmons, five Simmons pads.

JOHN BONHAM

John “Bonzo” Bonham stands out as a classic rock drummer. He played a basic four-piece Ludwig drumset of oversized dimensions, sometimes augmented by tympani. His style was powerful and direct— Bonham had the remarkable ability to play things that seemed impossible, considering how heavily he played.

Led Zeppelin was, at first, the final configuration of the Yardbirds. Guitarist Jimmy Page had wanted drummer B.J. Wilson, but singer Robert Plant brought in Bonham instead.

In addition to what he played, drummers have constantly marveled at Bonham’s studio drum sound. Many have tried to duplicate it, but none have succeeded. Part of that sound was that John Bonham played his drums wide open and they were miked at a distance, rather than close-miked. The other part of the sound was the inner part of Bonham.

He was also a superb blues drummer...which was undoubtedly the foundation of his great rock drumming. Bonham never failed to create something unique where lesser drummers would have been satisfied to hammer out blues cliches. Bonham came up during a time when rock drummers were expected to perform extended solos, but Bonham’s shorter solos were his best, such as the drum break in the extended version of “Whole Lotta Love.” The shorter solos were always full of surprises and amazingly clear of rock drumming cliches. (One of his trademarks was playing solos with his hands. This technique had been used by jazz drummers, such as Papa Jo Jones, for years. That may very well be where Bonham picked it up, but he was probably the first rock drummer to utilize that technique so effectively.)

The first four Zeppelin albums are classics. Of the six albums that followed (Houses Of The Holy, Physical Graffiti, Presence, The Song Remains The Same, In Through The Out Door and Coda), Zeppelin fans continue to debate their relative merits. Certainly there are excellent examples of Bonham’s drumming throughout.

John Bonham died in September, 1980. His contribution to Led Zeppelin was such that, in spite of rumors that he would be replaced by such drumming luminaries as Kenney Jones, Cozy Powell or Alan White, Led Zeppelin disbanded.

LJj PJJ DRUMS: Ludwig. A bass drum (14" x 26"), a 12" x 15" ^■l B tom, two floor toms (16" x 16" and 16" x 18"), a snare ■ MH drum (6Y2" x 14"), and one or two tympanis.

IB I | CYMBALS: Paiste. 15" Sound Edge hi-hats, a 16" lm I I medium 2002, an 18" ride 2002, a 24" ride 2002 and a 38" Symphony gong. Extra cymbals: An 18" medium 2002 and a 20" medium ride FO602.

ERIC CLAPTON

Eric Clapton is one of the first white blues guitarists to gain the respect of his peers as well as acknowledgment and praise from his varied influences. Clapton’s first studio as well as live “tracks” were done as a member of the Yardbirds, and they give the listener a unique opportunity to compare emerging masters Jeff Beck and Clapton. The U.S. release of Having A Rave Up by the Yardbirds has one side featuring Clapton and the other side Beck, and it’s fascinating to compare their individual techniques. Clapton, for example, plays on “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” and Beck on “Smokestack Lightning.” Clapton holds to the roots and plays them with respectful fervor while Beck beats up on tradition. As praiseworthy as his work was in the Yardbirds, when Clapton left to join John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, it proved to be a giant leap. In Mayall’s band Clapton extended the language of traditional electric blues guitar. His contribution during the Bluesbreakers consisted of combining superb technique, such as vibrato, and gorgeous melodic structure without sacrificing any authority, fire and spontaneity. It was a combination of command, control and passion.

Upon leaving the Bluesbreakers, Clapton formed what was probably the first “supergroup”—Cream. At the time, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker were the ideal musicians to combine with Clapton. The drummer and the bass player were young, very adventurous and consummate musicians with singular passion for their instruments. The effect of Cream on pop and instrumental music was electrifying. Never had a rock ’n’ roll band attained such universal acclaim both as musicians and as pop stars. The debut of Fresh Cream sent shockwaves through the record and radio world. Here was a rock band that stood relatively motionless and let their fingers do the dancing. Their voices were just as unusual for the idiom of blues, sweet and melodic, unlike the familiar whiskey-throated blues singers of the past. They were providing a direct link between the past and the musical revolution of the ’60s. Cream’s certified masterpiece is Disraeli Gears. More so than Fresh Cream, this second LP functions as a reflection of the time as much as any record of that era. The reedy tone of Clapton’s guitar soared ominously and sweetly. Perhaps because of the distance from the American source, Clapton was able to be more objective and discerning in his references and this allowed him to hold close traditional values while altering the musical setting. A good example is “Sunshine Of Your Love.”

Although the later Cream albums were influential to a generation of guitarists and listeners, Wheels Of Fire and subsequent live Cream records amply demonstrate Clapton’s formidable athletic ability. Brilliant bursts aside, they are just not as innovative as the first two albums. If Clapton never makes another record, his place in history is assured with Derek & The Dominoes and the album Layla, unquestionably one of the greatest rock ’n’ roll albums ever recorded. Working with the late Duane Allman and a band that complemented him perfectly, the double record set a standard that Clapton himself would have a problem living up to. In a sense, many have felt that much of Clapton’s later solo work is somewhat anti-climactic compared with the zenith Clapton reached on nearly every cut. The truth is that although Clapton has never flown quite so high as he did on “Layla,” his playing at the recent Live Aid concert was sensational. He was as good or better than he’d been in years.

JEFF BECK

Startlingly innovative with a primitive and angry originality, Jeff Beck had a galvanizing effect on the theory and practice of rock ’n’ roll guitar.

CLASSICGUITARS FOR CLASSIC GUITARISTS

TELECASTER

When Leo Fender first introduced this solid-body instrument, it had about the same effect as the Wright Brothers did with the Kitty Hawk. It set the standard by which all others—at the time—were judged. To this day its single cutaway, flat, stripped-down design is the meat-andpotatoes guitar of the working class musician (i.e., Bruce Springsteen, Roy Buchanan, James Burton). The earliest Broadcaster and the one pick-up Esquire are among the most sought-after by collectors and • players alike. Jeff Beck used an Esquire on most of his early records with the Yardbirds. The feedback screech of “I’m A Man” and the fuzz-tone enhanced solo in “Mister You’re A Better Man Than I” all emanated from this particular marriage of man and machine. James Burton’s guitar work throughout the ’50s and ’60s was typical of the Telecaster clean-picking sound. It’s interesting to note that many times what people assume to be another instrument is actually a Telly...the shattering lead break by Jimmy Page in “Stairway To Heaven,” according to several interviews, is actually a Telecaster—although the tone i? very reminiscent of a Les Paul.

STRATOCASTER

The introduction of the Fender Stratocaster broke the guitar sound barrier. It kicked the electric guitar into the rarified atmosphere.for which it is so aptly named. Jet engines were around for a while before Chuck

Yeagar broke the sound barrier, and the Strat was around for about 10 years before Jimi Hendrix brought the instrument up from the skies. Not to imply the Strat wasn’t used on classic guitar records previously—after all, Buddy Holly and the instrument were inseparable and surf music would never have existed were it not for the sound of the Strat. Hendrix, however, redefined the entire milieu with his use of the Stratocaster tremolo bar and an awesome blend of technique and invention that created music and majesty from what was once considered cacaphony.

GIBSON LES PAUL

The Les Paul is the easiest to play of the classic guitars, but the hardest on which to come up with a distinctive style. This could be because several players (including its namesake) have carved a niche with this particular sound. The violin cutaway of the Les Paul is a nearlyperfect aesthetic blend of innovation and tradition...a classic Les Paul instrument has been known to cause many a guitarist to become tearyeyed with desire. The Les Paul has been responsible for thousands of spectacular guitar solos: witness Eric Clapton’s work on John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers’ first recordings. Clapton’s sound is absolutely wondrous. In recent years, Clapton has been identified with the Stratocaster—most notably on “Layla”—but the mid-’60s recordings with Mayall will curl your hair.

If anyone could be called a prime mover in exploring the powerful expressiveness of guitar, it is Jeff Beck. Beck ignited the rock scene with his use of feedback techniques and his use of sounds that—until his emergence—were primarily considered noise. There are a number of guitarists from whom Beck drew as a source of inspiration...in fact, Beck is a virtual encyclopedia of guitar history. His first major-league gig was with the Yardbirds. (He was recommended for the job by Jimmy Page.) Jeff Beck was one of the first of the ’60s innovators to play the electric guitar as “electric” first and “guitar” second. While Beck was an extraordinary blues guitarist capable of great sensitivity, it was the rude use of the electronic screech and feedback seemingly borne out of frustration to express himself that best distinguished his playing. He knew about Scotty Moore, Elvis’s pioneer guitarist, and Eddie Cochran, B.B. King and Les Paul, but Beck’s special contribution lies in his combination of natural technique and a go-for-broke daring that has always given his playing an explosive first-time feel. Beck has never been languid; even in his most sensitive moments he displays a definite angst. Beck was the first Atomic Blues player. One of his more interesting innovations is his ability to place a particular blues lick where you least expect it. Beck would toss them in slightly out of kilter and grab your attention. Like the baseball player who “hits ’em where they ain’t,” Beck swoops in and drops it right in front of the listener.

Although it would later be overshadowed, make that overwhelmed, by Led Zeppelin, the first Jeff Beck Group and the album Truth is quite possibly the first “heavy metal” album. There is no doubt that the combination of sex symbol lead singer and virtuoso lead guitarist set a trend in rock.

Jeff Beck’s style has taken some radical twists and turns in 17 years of recording. After the demise of the first Jeff Beck Group, his next act came to be known as the Rough And Ready Band after the title of its first LP. It was not the commercial and artistic success that the previous album had been. Though critics and audiences misunderstood the record, it was way ahead of its time. Rough And Ready accurately predicted a decade of rock-jazz and rhythm and blues fusion. Later, when Beck released Blow By Blow and Wired, he transcended labels to assure himself of his place in guitar history. Today he still remains unpredictable and unfailingly interesting.

EDDIE VAN HALEN

Eddie Van Halen is significant because he is the first major guitarist to emerge as a direct result of the influence of the late-’60s guitar stars. Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, for example, used as their listening sources for technique the great players of the ’50s and earlier decades while Beck and Page were using Scotty Moore, Eddie Cochran, B.B. King and Buddy Guy as inspirations.

Van Halen cites Eric Clapton as his major influence. He points out in many interviews Clapton’s recorded performances on “Crossroads,” on Cream’s Wheel Of Fire and “I’m So Glad” (Fresh Cream) as being particularly influential in the beginning. Van Halen and his band parallel the British bands of the ’60s in the sense that they began as journeymen in rock bands that played for anyone who would pay them and some who wouldn’t. Playing in a trio and forced to be inventive to cover a lot of bases, Van Halen used his natural musical ability to develop a style that is an interesting dichotomy. The guitarist’s raw, cranked-up leads are punctuated by devastating technical acrobatics and innovative approaches to what is now a classic form: high-energy rock ’n’ roll. The other unique thing about Van Halen is his total acceptance by his contemporaries and his influences. Just as Clapton, Page, Beck and, most of all, Hendrix were recognized as special, Eddie Van Halen is accorded the same respect. The special “thing” that makes Stevie Wonder ask Jeff Beck to play on “Superstition” or George Harrison and Aretha Franklin having Clapton guest on their records makes Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson want Eddie on “Beat It.” It’s the special sound that allows the player to transcend any genre and just “be.” With his homemade guitars, roaring feedback, refined harmonics, two-handed neckwork and kamikaze dive bombing vibrato, Eddie Van Halen is the yardstick by which his contemporaries are assessed. He is, above all, the real thing.

JIMMY PAGE

Jimmy Page is the third in what could properly be called “The Yardbird Triumvirate.” It is interesting to speculate on why this particular band proved to be such a launching pad for super-guitarists. Obviously their success would allow them to replace each departing member with one as equally well-known or at least as good, but it seems that the Yardbirds offered some sort of musical factor that attracted Clapton, Beck and Page. It might possibly have been that the other members permitted each of the guitarists to set the band’s tone and taste. Each of the three, especially Page, was a legendary session player prior to the Yardbirds and there are sources who claim that Page appeared on 50 percent of the records released in England between 1963-65. It has never been established, but Page himself is quoted as having ghosted several legendary guitar solos that are credited to others nearly as famous. His credit list reads like a K-Tel pack of England’s Greatest Hits circa mid'60s. At one time in the Yardbirds both Page and Beck shared guitar duties. The recorded apex of this dynamic duo is the version of “Stroll On” featured in the film Blow Up. When viewed today it stands as a priceless record of the creative sparks flying between two of the world’s most incendiary players. Although the Yardbirds broke up (for all practical purposes) after the the Little Games LP, it seems that Page—more than any other former member of the Yardbirds—became an extension of the influential group. It’s interesting to note that throughout the tenure of both Beck and Clapton, Page was always around the group as a bassist, guitarist or an adviser. Keeping this in mind, it isn’t really too much of a jump from the Yardbirds recording the bizarre ‘‘Still I’m Sad” to the awesome “Kashmir” of Led Zeppelin. Page fused his rock and roots sensibilities with Wagnerian ambience to realize Led Zeppelin. One of the most successful bands of all time, Led Zeppelin changed the course of rock music as much as any other group, including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Throughout the ’70s Led Zeppelin, with Page at the helm, completely dominated the genre they were in the process of defining. The major difference between Page and his Yardbird contemporaries is that Page has always been more of a producer. He is a visionary in the studio. Led Zeppelin live was a flash with Robert Plant’s power wail, the thunderous drums of the late John Bonham and John Paul Jones’s bass. Throughout Led Zeppelin’s reign, however, the recorded sound was always markedly different than the live gigs. It never really seemed the band was trying to duplicate the records. From the shattering and stupendous “Stairway To Heaven” to any of a dozen Zeppelin classics, the song always remained the same. The power and majesty of the Page influence is present in the production. Page’s newest band, the Firm, with Paul Rodgers, seems to have given the guitarist new inspiration as he reaches out for new and different textures (like the glassy space-funk guitar of “Radioactive”). Page continues to climb the stairway.

JIMI HENDRIX

Jimi Hendrix is to the art of guitar playing what Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and their ilk were to the sax. Without question, Hendrix will be considered as one of the greatest musicians of this century. He was completely original and totally eclectic. The mark of true genius is how an artist uses those aforementioned qualities and no other guitarist has altered the perception of his instrument quite as much as Hendrix did...and as his recordings continue to do so even to this day.

The background from which Hendrix emerged was pure rhythm and blues. His earliest professional gigs of any note were as a sideman with many of the well-known R&B acts of the early ’60s. Crowded, smokefilled night clubs with acts like Little Richard, the Isley Brothers and Wilson Pickett became his musical conservatory. Throughout the earlyand mid-’60s Hendrix acquired the reputation of a great guitarist who was considered more than a little eccentric. He played constantly. Hendrix had formed a band of his own and was playing at a club in New York’s Greenwich Village when Chas Chandler (former bassist with the Animals and fledgling manager) signed him up and took him to England. In the topsy-turvy world of Mod London he experienced musicians close up that had deeply affected him on record. He had always experimented with feedback and played loud—and many times had been canned for it. Here in England he was expected to be as adventurous as he could. Among the Becks, Townshends and Claptons, Hendrix found open minds and acceptance. The primary difference between the English innovators and Hendrix was his awesome rhythmic fluidity which he had perfected during his years on the chitlin’ circuit. While English guitarists had gone back to this “source,” Hendrix delved in the blues and rhythm and blues of the American black experience. Hendrix was the “source,” or at least the logical extension of it. It is amusing to hear some of today’s hotshot players praise Hendrix and at the same time state their preference for hard rock over R&B, when, in essence, Hendrix was an R&B player first—and that is the basis for much of his style.

Hendrix was much more than a flashy guitar player. He was touched by something very special. He could bring together a number of styles and fuse them into a sound that had never quite been heard before. At times, it seemed as if he really didn’t understand the whole thing himself. Oh yes, he knew his own ability but towards the end he seemed bewildered by his unlimited potential. This is not to say that he was without flaws—sometimes he seemed to be groping for something more in his music and had yet to perceive the doorway to the next plateau. But before he could open it, fate intervened.

Hendrix refined the use of feedback as music. He took cacophony and used it as an aural canvas to paint sonic landscapes never before envisioned. Fifteen years after his death his music lives and continues to inspire a whole new generation of musicians. No guitar player should ever plug in his electric instrument and not give thanks for the cry of love that was James Marshall Hendrix.