Welcome to 1979, the last year of the great music decade that was the seventies! Here are two absolutely exemplary guitar instrumentals from two guitarists divided not only by the vast expansion of the Atlantic Ocean and the north American Landmass but also coming from diammetrically opposed guitar traditions and styles. To all intents and purposes Frank Zappa`s fusionist flurries and highly modal guitar solos would seem a million miles away from the delicate sonorifics and nascent power of Peter Green`s guitar style.
But you decide; Green`s Slabo Day is an absolute triumph of phrasing, tone, meter, understated elegance and power – Zappa`s Watermelons in Easter Hay a similar victory of substance over stylistics. These tracks are available on In the Skies and Joe`s Garage. If this doesn`t move you then perhaps you need to get your hearing tested. Here`s a link to a Zappa exegesis site for those of you who want to learn more. There is also some amazing guitar playing from Steve Vai on a lot of Zappa`s albums especially on the “You are what you is” album from 1981.
Cheers,
Jake Edwards
