...this will be the first in a series of, erm.."neat-o" guitarists--not necessarily the ones who "shred" or who have "superior riffing abilities"--more of an examination of my appreciation--it's not always in fingers up and down a fretboard..well, actually it is...
...Number 1--Wilko Johnson--again, you can look him up on Wikipedia, find the acts he has been associated with, etc. It's his style that I find interesting. As he doesn't play with a pick (rumour has it he was tired of losing them--I can sympathize), he can play rhythm and lead, but more importantly, he actually hits/ attacks the strings, for some really neat percussive effects. Really choppy stuff, which is hard to transfer to writing..."..Ack Ack Ack Ack Ack A-Ack" is the best I can do. Good for funk, like his playing with Ian Dury and The Blockheads (Do It Yourself is the best example), and of course, the first four Dr. Feelgood albums, as well as the brilliantly live "Stupidity". Nothing terribly fancy, just a nice trebly sound, that actually compliments the drums, and fills in a lot of space, so that another guitarist is not needed (sorry to all of my present and former other guitarists)..
...Additionally, he looks, well...weird...in a kind of menacing way. In the early days of pub/ punk rock when people were either trying to emulate Jimmy Page poses, Wilko mostly stood there (see earlier post)..looking menacing. There is some video where he either stands stock-still and STARES as the audience, or walks around as if her were in a jail cell, pacing. Dressed all in black, with an admittedly crude haircut..
..he still tours with his own band, guests on albums, and joins reunions with the remainder of Dr. Feelgood at the Canvey Island Blues festival, among others...each month in the back of MOJO magazine, one can find Mr. Johnson playing somewhere....what a plugger....
..as I said, neat-o...
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