Space Guitar

Album: I Heard That (1954)
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Songfacts®:

  • Fifty and more years on, this short guitar instrumental, although fairly uptempo in places, does not sound particularly impressive, but the techniques used here by Watson inspired a generation of guitarists, including Frank Zappa and Eric Clapton.
  • Although the horns sound somewhat out of place, Watson uses heavy feedback, and this is arguably the first appearance of shredding on record. The Frank Zappa segue tracks "Wet T-Shirt Nite"/"Toad-O-Line" of two decades and more later were arguably influenced by "Space Guitar."

    Watson's later work as a funk and rhythm and blues artist was much less impressive, but if he encouraged Frank Zappa to pick up a guitar, and laid the ground for such innovative virtuosos as Joe Satriani, then the world has much to thank him for. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

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