9 - 9 ('Nine to Nine') is, appropriately, track number nine on Murmur, the debut album by R.E.M. released June 1983. https://youtu.be/8ikzjDslNSE Before we get into the musicological, here are some facts about the song. It was written at some point in 1981 and started to appear in live sets mid-way through the year. It... Continue Reading →
R.E.M. – 7 Riffs Of Reckoning
During the mid-1980's, I would while away countless hours attempting to learn the guitar parts that weave through the ten tracks on Reckoning, the sophomore album from R.E.M. I became a fan of the band via this record (or more accurately, after seeing them perform 'Pretty Persuasion' on a T.V. show) and discovered their first... Continue Reading →
6 Guitar Players That Influenced Johnny Marr (Part 2)
In part one I introduced three great players who had a major influence on Marr - James Honeyman-Scott, James Williamson & John McGeoch. All three are in some way directly or indirectly related to punk/post-punk/new wave guitar culture, but the next three are most certainly not. #3 - Nils Lofgren Many people will be familar... Continue Reading →
6 Guitar Players That Influenced Johnny Marr (Part 1)
I've been posting clips to my Instagram where I play 'in the style of' some of the players that JM has mentioned as influences. So, here's a short serialised blog to compile them and talk some about where you can hear their traces in his music. There's no priority order; I'm not claiming #1 is... Continue Reading →
HGP 