49

MuddyWaters

Peter Sherman/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Muddywasthereatthebeginning,intheDelta,actuallysittingatthefeetofCharleyPattonandSon
House.Hewasakidwhenthoseguyswereintheirprime.Thenheelectrifiedit.Therewasaphysicality
inthewayheplayedtheguitarpercussive,likeadrum.Whenheplaysslide,it'snotonthehighstrings.
It'slower,guttural,anditsoundslikehe'sabouttoripthestringsoff.
IwasalreadyaMuddyfantheMuddyofChessRecordswhenIheardhisLibraryofCongress
recordings,capturedbyAlanLomaxin1941and1942.TheycaughtMuddysoyoung,whenhewasa
completeunknown,maybeselfconsciousandshy,listeningbacktohisvoiceforthefirsttime.Thereis
somethingvulnerableaboutit,butalsofullyformed.ForslideplayersintheDelta,itwasacalland
responsethingwiththemselves.Theslidewouldtaketheothervoice,likeafemalevoiceinachoir.
MuddycarrieditrightonthroughtoChicago.
Thereare"Muddylicks"riffshewouldplayoverturnaroundsthatwereuniquetohim.Youcanhear
someMuddylicksinHendrix'splaying.Lateron,asMuddygotolder,heplayedguitarlessandless.But
whenhedidjumpin,youknewit.HehadBuddyGuyandJimmyRogersinhisbands.Butwhenyou
playedwithMuddy,youdidn'tplaywhathedid,becausethatshitwascovered.ByDerekTrucks
KeyTracks:"Rollin'Stone,""MannishBoy"

50

RitchieBlackmore

Ian Dickson/Redferns
BestknownforthegargantuanriffattheheartofDeepPurple's"SmokeontheWater,"Ritchie
Blackmorehelpeddefineheavymetalguitarbymixingintricateclassicalcompositionwithrawknuckled
bluesrock."Ifoundthebluestoolimiting,andclassicalwastoodisciplined,"hesaid."Iwasalwaysstuck
inamusicalnoman'sland."Blackmoremadewaveson1972'sMachineHead;hissolosontheboogie
rocker"HighwayStar"and"Lazy"remainmodelsofmetalpyrotechnics.Helookedbacktowardearly
Europeanmusicwithhisnextband,Rainbowevenlearningcellotowrite1976'sstomping"Stargazer"
andnowexploresRenaissancestylefingerpickingwithBlackmore'sNight.Butit'shisDeepPurple
workthatinfluencedagenerationofhandbangers."BlackmoreepitomizedthisfascinationIhadwiththe
bareessenceofrock&roll,thiselementofdanger,"saysMetallica'sLarsUlrich."DeepPurple,intheir
finestmoments,weremoreunpredictablethanBlackSabbathorLedZeppelin."
KeyTracks:"SmokeontheWater,""HighwayStar,""SpeedKing"

51

JohnnyMarr

Peter Pakvis/Redferns
TheSmiths'guitaristwasaguitargeniusforthepostpunkera:notashowboatingsoloist,butatechnician
whocouldsoundlikeawholeband.AsakidstudyingMotownrecords,JohnnyMarrwouldtryto
replicatenotjustguitarriffsbutpianoandstringstoo,allwithhisrighthand.Hisvoluptuousarpeggios
oftenplayedonachimingRickenbackerwithincredibleflowanddetailingwereeverybitasessential
totheSmiths'signaturesoundasMorrissey'sbaritone.Andhewasatirelessexplorer:For1983's"This
CharmingMan,"Marrdroppedknivesontoa'54Telecaster,arevelatoryincidentthatRadioheadmay
havebeenalludingtointheirSmithsinspired"KnivesOut.""Hewasabrilliantrhythmplayer,rarely
playedsolos,sofullofsounds,"saidRadiohead'sEdO'BrienpartofanentiregenerationofBritish
guitaristswhotooktheircuesfromMarr."I'vebeeninthestudiowithhim,andthere'snothinghecannot
doonguitar,"saidOasis'NoelGallagher."Theman'safuckin'wizard."
KeyTracks:"ThisCharmingMan,""HowSoonIsNow?"