Every new electric guitarist should learn a Ramones song, but some people mistakenly think this means his style is easily replicated. Few realise Johnny produced that tirade of power chords using all downstrokes – even live, when the Ramones often played at adrenalin- (or substance-) fuelled tempos far in excess of their albums. The sound is wildly aggressive in a way that down-up alternate strumming can’t match, and it directly inspired the rhythm styles of 80s thrash and 90s pop-punk, and any song that makes use of a regular eighth-note power cord part carries Ramones DNA.
02 STEVE JONES
Some of Steve’s best playing with the Sex Pistols was on debut single Anarchy In The UK. In 2012, Steve told TG...
“We banged it out in rehearsal while John was in the corner figuring out the words. I like the fact that it has two guitar solos. Out of all of the Pistols singles, that was the slowest. If you wanted to attach ‘punk’ to it, it’s not a fast track; it’s laid-back, almost like Booker T & The MGs. There are loads of [guitar] tracks on that – I don’t even remember how many. I used one of those MXR Phase 90s on one of the rhythms as well. At the time, [producer] Chris Thomas kept telling me to tune-up and it drove me mad, but looking back I’m glad he did and I’m glad we spent time on it. I think that’s what makes the Pistols album different from The Clash or The Damned. We didn’t just go in and crash, bang, wallop.”
03 MICK JONES
A punk-rock innovator who refused to be painted into a corner
This story is from the July 2020 edition of Total Guitar.
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This story is from the July 2020 edition of Total Guitar.
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