While posting about a deceased guitarist and living singer-songwriters the other day, I was reminded of Link Wray, and how Richard Thompson nabbed the riff from “Rumble” for “Shoot Out the Lights.” Let’s hear the trademark of the Shawnee Indian who invented punk after losing a lung in Korea in the context of a song prompted by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, said song being the work of a British singer-songwriter-guitarist, performed here in Chicago (in 1983) with a band including a piano accordion (not an instrument prominent in punk). Now that’s world music for you.
two of my favorite quotes from Thompson (non-lyrics):
intro to Want to See The Bright Lights Tonight, “Here’s a medley of my greatest hit.”
in an interview: “In American 100 years is a long time. In Europe 100 miles is a long distance.” That pretty much sums up the differences in world views perfectly, imop.
the list of my favorite quotes from his lyrics is too long to even begin. Just don’t sit on my Jimmy Shands…