Ax Man Rumble
The ultimate Ax Man Link Wray passed away earlier this month. Before Wray electric guitarists produced only clean sounds and jazz style chords. Wray made the big leap and produced a new sound by inventing fuzz-tone, adding feedback, distortion and noise. He pioneered the power chord.
Look over there to the left for a moment and consider: Pete Townshend stated in liner notes for a 1974 Wray album, “He is the king; if it hadn’t been for Link Wray and ‘Rumble,’ I would have never picked up a guitar.”
And Townsend isn’t the only one. Add to the list Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan, Neil Young and Bob Dylan all of whom have cited Wray as an influence. That’s some serious heavy hitting.
This is the BUT! section…Wray was named as one of the hundred greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, BUT still has not yet been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. SAY WHAT??? He is, however, a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. At least there is some sense in the world.
His music has been featured in numerous films, including Desperado
It is thus easy to wander from Link Wray over to Arthur Kane and The New York Dolls. As Wray gave us that new rock sound the Dolls gave us a new rock experience adding an extreme visual aspect to go along with their sound. The Dolls were a hint of what was to follow, something we termed Punk and perhaps, just perhaps they could be said to have influenced all your favorite Hair Bands
Can you imagine being a New York Dolls groupie? Those memories would be some of the Best in Town Cookies, eh Lady?
Everyone is trying to get to the bar.
The name of the bar, the bar is called heaven.
The band in heaven plays my favorite song.
They play it once again, they play it all night long. ~ ‘Heaven’, The Talking Heads
