|
|
|
|
Link Wray : Rumble! The Best of Link Wray |
|
|
Genre: Instrumental Rock |
Dates: 1958 - 1976 |
Wray's "Rumble," which he recorded after puncturing his speaker cone with a pencil, holds the honor of being the only instrumental banned from the radio (it was thought to be able to rouse the rabble of gang warfare). Quicksilver Messenger Service guitarist John Cippolina wrote that the song "taught him to swear." High praise for wordless rock and roll, eh? Wray was no one-shot (though he was a one-hit) wonder, either: "The Swag," "I'm Branded," "Jack the Ripper," "The Black Widow," and "Ace of Spades" all lived up to their titles as well. As such, his hard-boiled, distorted tone made a lasting impact on the guitarists who would go on to make nasty noise and seething solos famous: Beck, Page, Townshend, Hendrix. The claim has even been made that Link invented not only punk rock but heavy metal. Listen for yourself to a giant who will never make the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (thank God). Special treat: Wray's rare and demented vocals on "Ain't That Lovin' You Babe" and "Hidden Charms" (his loss of a lung in the Korean War kept his singing to a minimum, some would say fortunately). On the latter, non-singer Wray performs the difficult feat of successfully covering, and topping, a Howlin' Wolf song.
|
Playlist: 1. Rumble |
Resources:
|
|
|
|