Achtung Baby is now acclaimed as U2’s finest achievement, but the 1991 album nearly didn’t get made. In fact, its beginnings nearly split the Irish band apart.
Back in the late 80s, My Bloody Valentine revolutionised many players’ ideas of what a guitar sounded like. It was a mix of borrowed gear, happy accidents and “sound as an infinite horizon”… and still sounds awesome.
A figure who wielded his Fender Strats like Excalibur? The forefather of neo-classical shred? A believer in the mystical, wearing tights and playing old madrigals? It can only be great Ritchie Blackmore.
Considered an atypically ‘pop’ experiment and even doubted by its own author, Polly Jean Harvey’s fourth album was nevertheless her biggest UK album. Isn't it time it’s considered simply a great record?
When The Beatles split in 1970, the question in everyone’s lips and ears was: which of these masterful songwriters would deliver the finest solo record? John Lennon or Paul McCartney? It turned out the answer was George Harrison.
Does Ireland’s first guitar hero deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as SRV and Eric Clapton? Quite probably. Rory Gallagher was a pioneer with a sound and style as unique as his battered Fender Strat.
Master of the Whammy pedal, preacher of righteous riffs and fan of – frankly – quite old gear, Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello is a guitar player like no other. His imagination is as important as his gear, but here’s a guide to the tools and sounds of his trade…
Eric Clapton’s solo career since 1970 has encompassed everything from rootsy JJ Cale-alike shuffles to shiny AOR to stark acoustic blues. Here’s an overview of the best and his highly influential classic gear, too...
From upstart beginnings in the early 60s, Eric Clapton soon established himself as one of the decades’ most lauded players. Here’s a Part 1 guide to the man jokingly dubbed Slowhand.
From teenage ‘indie’ beginnings, Johnny Marr has flourished into one of the finest guitar stylists in rock music. He’s famously driven and single-minded, constantly seeking out great instruments and unique sounds to build a unique catalogue of stellar guitar music.
