Five Critical Slide Guitar Albums You Must Own

OK, so I readily admit that this post is going to anger some folks. But let’s get one thing straight: this is not a “best of all time” list or any kind of garbage like that. It’s simply five classic albums that have influenced my slide playing more than any others. It should also be noted that these are “rock” albums and not “blues”, “Hawaiian”, or any other genre. This explains the absence of Elmore James, Robert Johnson, etc. So without further ado:

The Allman Brothers - At Fillmore East

Without question, this album has probably shaped and influenced more contemporary slide guitarists than any other 20th century recording. Much has been said about Duane Allman that won’t be regurgitated here. You can read plenty about his life and times elsewhere. But I’d like to make a few comments about this album in particular. Duane’s tone on this record is the stuff of legend. He played a sunburst Les Paul (or an SG) through a 50w Marshall for the entire album. Nothing more, nothing less. His spartan rig allowed the unadulterated tone of corricidin bottle on steel to flow through to the vinyl. The amps were most likely on “10″ and Duane would use the volume knob on the guitar to control the gain. The speaker cabinets were 4×12 Marshalls loaded with AlNiCo JBL’s. Every slide track on this album is played in Open E tuning (low to high E,B,E,G#,B,E) and Duane used this tuning to it’s fullest potential. While the basis for many of his ideas and motifs was firmly rooted in Elmore James and Jesse Ed Davis, Duane built a complete house on their foundation. Take “Statesboro Blues” for example. Listen to the Fillmore version back to back against the Taj Mahal version from Taj’s first album with Davis on slide. The Taj Majal version was the inspiration for the Allman’s classic cut, and the genesis of Duane’s classic riff. But listen carefully to what Allman did with the part. He boldly took single line playing where no one had dared trod before. Part of this may have been due to the high gain/long sustain rig that he played, but I’d like to believe that the better part of it had to do with Allman’s unprecedented creativity with the slide. Duane’s intonation on this album tends to be somewhere between right on the money and slightly sharp, but he always used that in a musical way. In other words, his “feel” transcends any intonation issues because he simply had no fear of the slide. This album is the first place a budding young slide guitarist should start. I dare say there’s not a slide player alive who won’t credit this album as an influence in some way. And oh yeah, the non-slide playing on this record is pretty good too. And oh yeah, there’s another guitar player on this record named Dickey Betts who is not too shabby either!

Little Feat - Waiting For Columbus

After years of listening to Duane Allman, Lowell George’s laid back playing felt like a liesurely walk around a pond after running a sprint. I like to think of Lowell George as the Anti-Duane and his playing has always helped me keep my enthusiasm in check. For starters, their tones are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. Whereas Duane favored Gibsons and Marshalls, Lowell preferred Stratocasters and Fender amps. This album is no different. Lowell played a Strat through most likely a Fender Twin/Reverb. I think most importantly, “Columbus” taught me that slide playing doesn’t have to be “blues” and in fact, it can fit right in at the very fringes of rock. (If you’ve heard “Tripe Face Boogie” from this album, then you’ve heard “the very fringes of rock”). But blues or not, Lowell’s playing always lended a slinky sort of soul to whatever he was playing on top of. In fact, in certain places, his playing is so sparse, you’ll find yourself wondering how he is getting away with playing so little, but then you’ll realize that if the part were to disappear, the arrangement would fall apart. Such is the elusiveness of Lowell George’s playing. But, esoteric musings aside, any young guitarist would be well served to learn all the blistering slide licks in “Fat Man”, “Old Folks Boogie”, “Dixie Chicken”, “Willin’”, and “Sailin’ Shoes”. The tones on this record would prove to become highly inspirational to a number of important players who would follow, namely Bonnie Raitt, Lee Roy Parnell and Ben Harper. Essential stuff.

Ry Cooder - Into The Purple Valley

Like all good enigmas, Ry Cooder is a difficult to figure out. The sometimes musicologist, sometimes singer, sometimes Cuban apologist, sometimes guitarist, sometimes songwriter, Ry has worn many hats ranging from being a banjo player for Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys (briefly) to a sideman for John Hiatt. But one thing remains consistent among all these forays: when Ry Cooder set his mind to do something, he does it extremely well. This album was my first exposure to the man, and even after hearing many of his other offerings, it remains my favorite. I always thought of this album as representing the ultimate in clean tone electric guitar. In fact, I use it as a tool to “re-ground” myself once I’ve begun to stray too far. (Just like any good quarterback running the most basic patterns over and over in practice, a student of music should never stray too far from his foundation.) Ry dabbles in several instruments and tunings on this album, and his interpretations of the material are all brilliant. Among my favorite moments include the slide solo on “Money Honey”, the finger-picked guitar part for “FDR in Trinidad”, the gritty rhythm and the acoustic slide parts from “On A Monday”, the entire track of “Taxes on the Farmer” and of course the epic “Vigilante Man”. Ry uses the slide much differently from Duane or Lowell in that he tends to use it more as a rhythmic or percussive device rather than a vehicle for solos. I have to say that Ry Cooder is probably my favorite rhythm guitarist of all time if for nothing more than his unique phrasing and uncanny sense of time. Add to this his ability to extract great tone from a fleet of different instruments and you’ve got the recipe for a legendary album. Go get this record. Now.

Derek and the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

So, I know I’m going to catch some flack for including Duane Allman on my list twice, but how do you discount this record? I spent countless hours with this album rewinding, listening, playing, rewinding, listening, cursing, playing some more, etc. At one point when I was 14 or 15, I even hurled the CD across the room in frustration from being unable to figure out the rhythm part on “I Looked Away” (I eventually got it). Most Clapton and Allman fans have heard the stories about how a pair of Blackface Fender champs were used for this album with very little else in the way of effects. Allman played the Les Paul and Clapton played the strat. Trying to write a review of this album is kind of like talking about the Book of John (what else can you say that hasn’t already been written?), but there are a few topics I’ll mention that don’t get talked about much. The quiet, front pickup slide part on “I Am Yours” is quite possibly my favorite slide part of all time. There are tons of clams, the intonation is way off in places and the chord changes were obviously a stretch for a young Duane Allman who was more accustomed to the simpler 1-4-5 changes of the Muscle Shoals R&B sessions. But all that aside, what is most striking to me is Duane’s pure instinct to find the right note. Despite any “distractions” that might have been present at that session, Duane was obviously concentrating on the line with ferocious intensity and letting his ear do all the work. You’ll find the same approach in “Layla” with the slide solos over the coda. It’s highly unlikely that Duane gave the theory of the changes any thought at all, but rather he played what felt right. This album is a self-contained lesson in how to play by ear. I spent about a year with this record alone and it has served me well. These licks, concepts, ideas, riffs and tones literally became a part of me. I don’t think there has a been a more influential recording in my life. Any evolving rock guitarist (slide or otherwise) who ignores this album is doing himself a tremendous disservice.

Jackson Browne - For Everyman

So here’s the deal, compared to Sonny Landreth’s “South of I-10″, calling this album a “slide guitar album” is kind of like calling Jimmy Stewart a poet. (Poetry was hardly Jimmy’s main gig, but when he wrote one, it was brilliant!) There are only two slide guitar tracks on this album, but they are both unbelievable. This was the first album in which Jackson was joined by the legendary David Lindley. They would of course go on to forge a musical partnership that would bring us “Running on Empty”, which is still heard in dentist’s offices and department store dressing rooms all over America. But a few years before “Rosie” became a phenomenon, David joined Jackson to record this album. The entire album is inspired from start to finish, but “These Days” is truly a remarkable track. David is playing a lap steel and the tone he coaxes out of his old Rickenbacker and what he plays is simply stunning. His note choice, his tone, his phrasing, his vibrato and his staggering technique are all the last word in good taste. This track alone would go on to be a huge influence on players as diverse as Ben Harper, Jerry Douglas and Sonny Landreth. In fact, Lindley’s early playing would become one of the cornerstones of Lee Roy Parnell’s playing during his Nashville years. And then there’s “Red Neck Friend”! After the gorgeous cascading lines of “These Days”, Lindley opens up the Dumble and cranks out one of the hardest rocking slide parts ever recorded. If I had to guess, I’d say he has a vox wah pedal turned on with the pedal about halfway down for this track. In any event, it’s the epitome of rock n’ roll slide guitar tone. Learn these licks. They are mission critical. But you will say, “How can I do this, Lindley is playing a steel!” True. But the best thing about these amazing parts is that even though David is playing them on a lap steel, they are easily approximated on a standard six string electric guitar tuned either to open E or open A. (See my lessons on these tunings elsewhere on the site for a detailed explanation.) So, now you have no excuse. Listen to Lindley. Immediatley. — Brian Williams

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