{ Lick That Riff! }

Well the decade is nearly up now and I thought that I should do a little review of it. It has seemed to have gone so fast! It has also seen the revival of guitar-based music within popular culture, but also by the end of the decade, we see Guitars used less and less within this culture as 80′s-esque electronica has been bought back.

So, what were the big events? We’ve seen technological advances far beyond anyone expected. We’ve seen some of the greatest guitar players that graced the planet, sadly pass away. We’ve seen skinny jeans, robot guitars, metrosexuals, reality TV, Talent shows, Indie Revival, Simon Cowell, Twin Towers, Big Brother, Harry Potter, the G8 summit, Global Warming, Millennium Bug, Social Networking, SARS, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, Recession, Depression, 3D Movies, Nu Rave and many many more!

When put like that it seems like a pretty hectic decade, and on reflection a lot of those terms above aren’t guitar related. Simon Cowell has tried to kill the guitar, and with it decent music. He would sooner have a pianist playing a slow and painful ballad, bringing along a slow and painful death to good music.

But when broken down, what were the big guitar events of the first decade of the 21st Century. Well to begin I’m going to start with a morbid topic.

Obituaries

Ok, so I know that this isn’t the best way to end a decade, but these people are all legends in their own right and it only seems right to honour that legend.

Les Paul – Well I start with the sad passing of one of the most influential guitarists since the electric guitar was invented. He was an amazing player and also a great inventor. Everyone knows the Gibson Les Paul as standard, but Les was messing around with electronics and prototype guitar since he was 12. He also set the basis for multitrack recording, which was a massive invention in the way music was recorded. Rolling Stone magazine put him at #46 in the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, which I think is an unfair justification to a great man and guitarist. He died this year in August, and he was still playing towards the end of his life at the grand old age of 94. So, to Les, we salute you.

George Harrison – What can I say about George, that probably hasn’t been said before. The lead Guitarist in the most successful band in history, probably says it all. The Beatles to date have sold over 1 billion albums worldwide! One Billion!!! That’s Mega! He was always known as the quiet Beatle, and he didn’t write too many songs. This was mainly because he felt intimidated by the presence of Lennon/McCartneys songwriting abilities. But when he did write a song it was amazing. He penned some great songs, “Something” being one of the best songs on Abbey Road. But for guitarists the song that he will be remembered for was the timeless classic, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” with his best friend Eric Clapton lending a hand on the solo’s. Rolling Stone Magazine put him at #21 in their all time list of the greatest Guitarists, and rightly so. He sadly passed away on November 29th 2001 to Throat Cancer. He will always be remembered, as the Beatles are as fresh as ever entering the new decade. Long Live Harrison! Long Live the Beatles!

Dimebag Darrell – Born as Darrell Lance Abbott in Texas. He was best known for his time with Pantera and Damageplan. I don’t know much of Darrell as his music isn’t my sort of music. I do know he was and still is loved within the Guitar world and his death shook it to the core.  He died in 2004 on stage while performing with Damageplan. He was shot five times, including once in the head, which killed him instantly. Such a sad way to go when all he was trying to do was make music. The gunman also killed three other people at the venue, and was later shot dead himself by a police officer. Dimebag also wrote a lot for guitar magazines and had a regular column in Guitar World. He will be sorely missed by many guitarists around the world, but I’m sure he’s also influenced many. R.I.P Darrell, a tragic way to go.

Joe Strummer – Joe, a great in my eyes. Rhythm Guitarist and songwriter in the British Punk-rock band The Clash. I only started listening to The Clash properly around two years ago, and it was only then that I realised what I was missing out on. These are a great band and probably one of the better Punk bands (I always think The Sex Pistols were slightly overrated, when you had other bands of the Clash’s calibre.) A lot of Guitarists should know a good few of The Clash’s songs, “London Calling” being a great example of two guitarists working together in perfect harmony. “Should I Stay or Should I Go” is also a great guitaring song from The Clash. Joe Strummer passed away in 2002 suddenly from heart failure. He will be sadly missed and he left a Legacy that was felt by all who heard his music.

Other Guitarists To Note – Mark St John (KISS), John Lee Hooker, John Entwhistle(Bassist in The Who), Johnny Ramone (The Ramones), Paul Atkinson (The Zombies), Johnny Cash, Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd), Jeff Healey, Tim Krekel and David Williams (Session guitarist)

So Moving on from the morbid depression of death. Now onto the best Bands albums of the decade. I would usually put my own opinion in here however I don’t want to get shot down too harshly. So instead I’m going to use NME Magazines top 10 albums of the decade.

1) The Strokes – Is This It

2) The Libertines – Up The Bracket

3) Primal Scream – XTRMNTR

4) Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not

5) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell

6) PJ Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

7) Arcade Fire – Funeral

8 ) Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights

9) The Streets – Original Pirate Material

10) Radiohead – In Rainbows

Now I don’t think this list is the greatest of all lists. I do however agree with the top two. You have to remember that NME Magazine is more of an Indie/Alternative magazine, so some of these selections would differ with it being a guitar magazine. Some albums that I would take out of this list would be; Fever To Tell, Funeral, Original Pirate Material, In Rainbows, Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea. I would probably replace these with American Idiot, One By One, B.R.M.C, Get Born, Audioslave, but thats just my opinion. What do you think the albums of the decade were?

Have you liked this decade musically?

Anyway that’s part one of the post done, be sure to check back tomorrow for part two, and I promise no death this time.

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