Guitar is a 1986 solo studio album by American jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock. He recorded the album with producer Bill Laswell at RPM Sound Studios in New York City. As the project's sole instrumentalist, Sharrock performed and overdubbed his guitar improvisations onto other sections of a song he had recorded beforehand.
Guitar was released by Enemy Records to positive reviews from critics, who praised Sharrock's compositions, playing, and use of distortion. The album was named the eighth best record of 1986 by rock critic Robert Christgau, while jazz writer Ian Carr said it epitomized the electric guitar's range as an instrument.
Guitar was viewed by Sharrock as the culmination of a period in his career spent developing his sense of composition. After releasing his first record—Black Woman—in 1969, he experimented with different influences during the 1970s.[1] When he recorded "Dance with Me Montana" in 1982, the song's chord progression changed his perspective on composing and inspired him to pursue more melodic ideas. "You listen to [it], and it's like a blind man struggling to get out of a room", Sharrock recalled. "Guitar was a crystallization of all of the things that I had discovered in that song."[2]
In the early 1980s, Sharrock had also worked on projects with Material, an experimental band fronted by Bill Laswell,[3] who had convinced Sharrock to unretire in 1981.[4] With Laswell, Sharrock would also form the band Last Exit during this period and depart from the lyrical jazz guitar he had played with a Gibson L-5 in favor of more heavy metal-influenced shred guitar using a Gibson Les Paul Custom. According to Reverb.com writer Jay Laughton, Guitar is the first in his series of "metal–inflected jazz albums".[4]
Sharrock recorded Guitar at RPM Sound Studios in New York City,[5] with Laswell helping produce.[6] As the sole instrumentalist for the project, Sharrock first recorded his performance of a song's introductory passage and chord statement before overdubbing his improvisations onto the finished recording.[7] His compositions on the album included a blues piece called "Black Bottom", the berceuse "Broken Toys", "Devils Doll Baby"—which featured Sharrock's frenzied slide guitar playing—and "Princess Sonata", a suite showcasing his range of techniques.[7] Sharrock cited Guitar as the first time he was able to play both powerfully and melodically in the same way saxophonists John Coltrane and Albert Ayler had late in their careers.[2]
Guitar was released in 1986 by Enemy Records.[5] Reviewing for The Village Voice in September of that year, Robert Christgau found Sharrock's avant-garde jazz playing "funky and beautiful" but also daring sonically. He said his songs feature expressive melodies, relaxed tempos, and definite song structures, which are sometimes "either counterpointed or strung together in a suite".[3]Ken Hyder from Hi-Fi News & Record Review appreciated how Sharrock had abandoned the rhythmic strumming style of his past work in favor of "a post-Hendrix feedback electric guitar sound" in an elaborate overdubbing process that sustained his well–defined guitar lines. Hyder recommended the album to listeners of all genres and said Sharrock's playing recalled blues, R&B, and folk melodies. "Throughout all the distortion he avoids the one-dimensional emotion trap and comes up with something intensely warm and human."[8] At the end of 1986, Christgau named it the year's eighth best record in his list for the Pazz & Jop critics poll,[12] and later wrote that both Guitar and Sharrock's next album—Seize the Rainbow (1987)—could restore any listener's interest in jazz fusion.[13]
In a retrospective review for the Chicago Tribune, Greg Kot believed that as a showcase for a solo guitarist, Guitar was "bloodied and beautiful",[14] while AllMusic's Sean Westergaard called it "a beautiful statement by one of jazz music's most unique voices" in Sharrock, whose unadulterated timbre sounded both "powerful and beautiful".[7] Jazz critic John Fordham said the album was a "sensational, terrifying exercise in abstract sounds, fragmented blues, feedback and slide-guitar splinterings," but also "one of the most effective antidotes to the prim and studiedly dramatic conventional jazz-guitar performances on the circuit" at the time.[15] In the Spin Alternative Record Guide (1995), Guitar was ranked 86th on a list of the "Top 100 Alternative Albums".[11] According to The Absolute Sound, Laswell helped produce Sharrock's playing within a glossy, expansive sound that offered both an intimate jazz feel and an intense rock quality, which in the process helped "shine a light into Sharrock's spiritual depths".[6] In The Rough Guide to Jazz (2004), Ian Carr felt Guitar epitomized the breadth of the electric instrument, "ranging from impressionistic sound poetry to abstract-expressionist blitzkrieg".[16]
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Guitar is a 1986 solo studio album by American jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock He recorded the album with producer Bill Laswell at RPM Sound Studios in New York City As the project s sole instrumentalist Sharrock performed and overdubbed his guitar improvisations onto other sections of a song he had recorded beforehand GuitarStudio album by Sonny SharrockReleased1986StudioRPM Sound New York GenreAvant garde jazzjazz fusionmetalLength37 25LabelEnemyProducerBill LaswellSonny SharrockSonny Sharrock chronologyDance with Me Montana 1982 Guitar 1986 Seize the Rainbow 1987 Guitar was released by Enemy Records to positive reviews from critics who praised Sharrock s compositions playing and use of distortion The album was named the eighth best record of 1986 by rock critic Robert Christgau while jazz writer Ian Carr said it epitomized the electric guitar s range as an instrument Contents 1 Composition and recording 2 Release and reception 3 Track listing 4 Personnel 5 References 6 External linksComposition and recording Edit A Gibson Les Paul Custom played by Sharrock on the album Guitar was viewed by Sharrock as the culmination of a period in his career spent developing his sense of composition After releasing his first record Black Woman in 1969 he experimented with different influences during the 1970s 1 When he recorded Dance with Me Montana in 1982 the song s chord progression changed his perspective on composing and inspired him to pursue more melodic ideas You listen to it and it s like a blind man struggling to get out of a room Sharrock recalled Guitar was a crystallization of all of the things that I had discovered in that song 2 In the early 1980s Sharrock had also worked on projects with Material an experimental band fronted by Bill Laswell 3 who had convinced Sharrock to unretire in 1981 4 With Laswell Sharrock would also form the band Last Exit during this period and depart from the lyrical jazz guitar he had played with a Gibson L 5 in favor of more heavy metal influenced shred guitar using a Gibson Les Paul Custom According to Reverb com writer Jay Laughton Guitar is the first in his series of metal inflected jazz albums 4 Sharrock recorded Guitar at RPM Sound Studios in New York City 5 with Laswell helping produce 6 As the sole instrumentalist for the project Sharrock first recorded his performance of a song s introductory passage and chord statement before overdubbing his improvisations onto the finished recording 7 His compositions on the album included a blues piece called Black Bottom the berceuse Broken Toys Devils Doll Baby which featured Sharrock s frenzied slide guitar playing and Princess Sonata a suite showcasing his range of techniques 7 Sharrock cited Guitar as the first time he was able to play both powerfully and melodically in the same way saxophonists John Coltrane and Albert Ayler had late in their careers 2 Release and reception EditProfessional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusic 7 Hi Fi News amp Record ReviewA 8 MusicHound Jazz5 5 9 The Penguin Guide to Jazz 10 Spin Alternative Record Guide10 10 11 The Village VoiceA 3 Guitar was released in 1986 by Enemy Records 5 Reviewing for The Village Voice in September of that year Robert Christgau found Sharrock s avant garde jazz playing funky and beautiful but also daring sonically He said his songs feature expressive melodies relaxed tempos and definite song structures which are sometimes either counterpointed or strung together in a suite 3 Ken Hyder from Hi Fi News amp Record Review appreciated how Sharrock had abandoned the rhythmic strumming style of his past work in favor of a post Hendrix feedback electric guitar sound in an elaborate overdubbing process that sustained his well defined guitar lines Hyder recommended the album to listeners of all genres and said Sharrock s playing recalled blues R amp B and folk melodies Throughout all the distortion he avoids the one dimensional emotion trap and comes up with something intensely warm and human 8 At the end of 1986 Christgau named it the year s eighth best record in his list for the Pazz amp Jop critics poll 12 and later wrote that both Guitar and Sharrock s next album Seize the Rainbow 1987 could restore any listener s interest in jazz fusion 13 In a retrospective review for the Chicago Tribune Greg Kot believed that as a showcase for a solo guitarist Guitar was bloodied and beautiful 14 while AllMusic s Sean Westergaard called it a beautiful statement by one of jazz music s most unique voices in Sharrock whose unadulterated timbre sounded both powerful and beautiful 7 Jazz critic John Fordham said the album was a sensational terrifying exercise in abstract sounds fragmented blues feedback and slide guitar splinterings but also one of the most effective antidotes to the prim and studiedly dramatic conventional jazz guitar performances on the circuit at the time 15 In the Spin Alternative Record Guide 1995 Guitar was ranked 86th on a list of the Top 100 Alternative Albums 11 According to The Absolute Sound Laswell helped produce Sharrock s playing within a glossy expansive sound that offered both an intimate jazz feel and an intense rock quality which in the process helped shine a light into Sharrock s spiritual depths 6 In The Rough Guide to Jazz 2004 Ian Carr felt Guitar epitomized the breadth of the electric instrument ranging from impressionistic sound poetry to abstract expressionist blitzkrieg 16 Track listing EditAll music is composed by Sonny Sharrock No TitleLength1 Blind Willie 4 412 Devils Doll Baby 4 073 Broken Toys 6 384 Black Bottom 3 555 Kula Mae 5 076 Princess Sonata I Princess and the Magician II Like Voices of Sleeping Birds III Flowers Laugh IV They Enter the Dream 13 00Personnel EditCredits are adapted from the album s liner notes 17 Mike Krowiak recording mixing Bill Laswell production Jeff Lippay assistant engineering Sonny Sharrock guitar productionReferences Edit Excerpts from an Interview with Sonny Sharrock WKCR FM New York City 1989 by Ben Ratliff WKCR FM January 1990 Archived from the original on September 8 2020 Retrieved August 15 2015 a b Sharrock Option 42 47 53 1992 a b c Christgau Robert September 2 1986 Christgau s Consumer Guide The Village Voice New York Retrieved August 15 2015 a b Laughton Jay March 10 2017 Remembering Sonny Sharrock The American Guitarist Reverb com Retrieved September 7 2020 a b Sonny Sharrock catalog Jazz Discography Project Retrieved August 15 2015 a b The Spirit On Beyond Fusion The Absolute Sound 163 67 44 2006 a b c d Westergaard Sean Sonny Sharrock Guitar gt Review at AllMusic Retrieved July 13 2015 a b Hyder Ken 1986 Modern Music Lovers Will Adore Sonny Sharrock Hi Fi News amp Record Review London 31 7 12 109 Holtje Steve Lee Nancy Ann eds 1998 Sonny Sharrock MusicHound Jazz The Essential Album Guide Music Sales Corporation ISBN 0 8256 7253 8 Cook Richard Morton Brian 1992 The Penguin Guide to Jazz Penguin Books p 972 ISBN 0 14 015364 0 a b Weisbard Eric Marks Craig eds 1995 Sonny Sharrock Top 100 Alternative Albums Spin Alternative Record Guide New York Vintage Books ISBN 0 679 75574 8 Christgau Robert March 3 1987 Pazz amp Jop 1986 Dean s List The Village Voice New York Retrieved August 15 2015 Christgau Robert July 1988 Sonny Sharrock Ronald Shannon Jackson Power Tools Playboy Retrieved August 15 2015 Kot Greg September 19 1993 Sharrock N Roll Strikes A Chord Chicago Tribune Retrieved August 15 2015 Fordham John 1996 Jazz on CD The Essential Guide 3rd ed Kyle Cathie p 425 ISBN 1 85626 204 9 Carr Ian 2004 Sonny Sharrock The Rough Guide to Jazz Rough Guides p 714 ISBN 1 84353 256 5 Guitar booklet Sonny Sharrock Brooklyn New York Enemy Records 1986 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link External links EditGuitar at Discogs list of releases Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Guitar Sonny Sharrock album amp oldid 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