June 4, 2008 Playlist

  

The Electric Guitar Special
Pledge Drive!
      
"Factor X" by Rhys Chatham (1983)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Rhys Chatham  "Factor X"  1983 (USA)
Rhys Chatham (pronounced "Reese Chadam") might be the most original and influential electric guitarist since Jimi Hendrix.  Chatham was an academically trained composer who decided to join the "New York downtown scene" at the end of the 1970's with all those punk and "no wave" weirdos.  Along with contemporary Glenn Branca, Chatham created music that brought out the "orchestral" possibilities of the harmonics and overtones of amplified guitars, particularly when  a lot of them are playing together very loud.  Although more directly connected to Branca, Sonic Youth is one obvious example of a recent popular group who learned much from Chatham, and Stereolab is certainly another.  Though it was the lesser known Band of Susans, populated by disciples of Rhys, which most directly applied his techniques to the rock 'n' roll stage.
For your video clips this week, here's a Glenn Branca guitar solo from 1978;  Sonic Youth performing the Chatham-esque "Death Valley '69";  and Band of Susans in their music video for "The Pursuit of Happiness".  Finally, here's the man himself:  Rhys Chatham on his "G3" tour live in Oslo (where he performed versions of his classic tune "Guitar Trio" with pick-up bands all over the world), and here's a clip from a documentary about Chatham's 100-guitar orchestral piece "An Angel Moves Too Fast To See".
 
(N) = New Release
     
Artist (guitarists) Song Album Year Country
Band Of Susans
(Robert Poss, Anne Husick, Mark Lonergan)		 Guitar Trio (Rhys Chatham) The Word And The Flesh 1990 USA
Rhys Chatham Guitar Ring Factor X
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1983 USA
Sonic Youth
(Thurston Moore & Lee Renaldo)		 Expressway To Yr Skull (Madonna, Sean & Me) Evol 1986 USA
 
 
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Stone Free B-side of "Hey Joe" single (UK only)
(Smash Hits compilation LP in USA)		 1966 USA/UK
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Can You See Me? Are You Experienced? (UK version only)
(Smash Hits compilation LP in USA)		 1967 USA/UK
Blue Cheer
(Leigh Stephens)		 Doctor Please Vincebus Eruptum 1968 USA
Les Rallizes Denudes
(Takashi Mizutani)		 Track 4 (untitled) Oz Days Live (various artists) 1973 Japan
The Pink Fairies
(Paul Rudolph)		 Walk, Don't Run
(based on The Ventures song)		 What A Bunch Of Sweeties 1972 UK
   
 
Mission of Burma
(Roger Miller)		 Fun World Vs. (N - reissue)
 1982 (2008 Matador) USA
Chrome
(Helios Creed)		 Brain Scan Blood On The Moon 1981 USA
King Crimson
(Robert Fripp)		 Red Red 1974 UK
Frank Zappa Pink Napkins Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar Some More rec. 1977 USA
   
 
The Guess Who
(Randy Bachman)
 Palmyra The Way They Were
 rec. 1970
 Canada
Santana
(Carlos Santana)		 Jingo Santana 1969 Mexico/USA
Television
(Tom Verlaine & Richard Lloyd)		 Little Johnny Jewel (parts 1 & 2) A & B sides 7" single
(uncut complete version released on a 12" single in 1979)		 1975 USA
Meat Puppets
(Curt Kirkwood)		 Up On The Sun Up On The Sun 1985 USA
 
 
The Velvet Underground
(Lou Reed & Sterling Morrison)		 I Heard Her Call My Name White Light / White Heat 1967 USA
Dinosaur jr
(J Mascis)		 Freak Scene Bug 1988 USA
Funkadelic
(Eddie Hazel) 		Super Stupid Maggot Brain 1971 USA
The Coloured Balls
(Lobby Lloyd) 		That's What Mama Said Ball Power 1973 Australia
 
 
The Mars Volta
(Omar Rodriguez-Lopez)
 Goliath The Bedlam In Goliath (N) 2008 (Universal) USA
Royal Trux
(Neil Haggerty)		 Blue Is The Frequency Veterans Of Disorder 1999 USA
Neil Young On The Beach On The Beach 1974 Canada
      
     
Back to playlists         Back to main