Search - Chris Spedding :: Guitar Graffitti

Incendiary stuff from a hidden great

A. J. Mcconnachie | Sydney Australia | 03/31/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Spedding would have to be the world's most overlooked guitar hero. Despite decades of high quality session work and a handful of excellent solo albums, he's still anything but a household name.



"Guitar Graffiti" catches him at his late seventies solo peak. The album builds slowly through a number of in-the-studio tracks which highlight his eccentric, detached vocals and his idiosyncratically English slant on the New Wave with material such as "Video Life" and "Bored Bored". Spedding then revs up a notch with "Walking" - a rocker where he starts to stretch out on his trademark Gibson Flying V.



From here the record catches fire with a succession of live guitar workouts. Unlike your average electric guitar hero, Spedding's solos ooze precision, feel and economy - in front of a vocal, adoring crowd he and his band rip into highlights such as "Breakout" and "Hey Miss Betty". Sure the man's singing may be limited, but the live tracks which end this album transcend all that.



If you needed one cd to prove Chris Spedding's credentials as a world class rock and roll guitar player, this would be the one."

What can you say? It's Chris Spedding

Laura Betterly | clearwater, fl | 03/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Spedding is a guitarists guiarist. His solo works are sometimes not as polished as his works with others, but worth a listen. Although I love his guitar playing, he does still need some work as a vocalist. That said, it wouldn't discourage me from owning this album.

"