Great guitar double-acts/interplay

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UlricvonCatalyst
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Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Sun Jul 29, 2018 4:05 am

Okay, great guitar playing comes in all shapes and sizes, but as often as not it's the guitar soloist or the one-man (/person) orchestra that gets the glory. (Take a bow Johnny Marr, Paul Research, et al.)

But some of the most wondrous guitar to be heard is where two guitars intertwine to the point where it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins, or just complement each other to form a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Obvious examples are Lloyd and Verlaine, Ranaldo and Moore, Renbourn and Jansch, and <ahem> those guys out of The Strokes. A couple of less obvious examples would be the very under-appreciated Wolfhounds....

The Wolfhounds - Restless Spell

The Wolfhounds - Lost But Happy

....and The Feelies (who should be appreciated by everyone who hears them under penalty of law).

The Feelies - Raised Eyebrows

The Feelies - Moscow Nights

The Feelies -- Let's Go

Let's celebrate great, inventive guitar duos. Thin Lizzie are banned, though. :)

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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by dinosaurkale-> » Sun Jul 29, 2018 4:10 am

why no Thin Lizzy ? Iron Maiden too ? Dragonforce ?

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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by MT » Sun Jul 29, 2018 4:18 am

Built To Spill come to mind. Three guitarists all managing to not invade anyone else’s space.

The Cure are another that I think of in relation to this sort of thing. Simple individual parts intertwined to create a more complex whole melody.

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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Sun Jul 29, 2018 4:26 am

dinosaurkale-> wrote:
Sun Jul 29, 2018 4:10 am
why no Thin Lizzy ? Iron Maiden too ? Dragonforce ?
Just being a curmudgeon, D. I have no power to prevent people posting whatever they will here. :)

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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by Pepe Silvia » Sun Jul 29, 2018 5:20 am

MT wrote:
Sun Jul 29, 2018 4:18 am
Built To Spill come to mind. Three guitarists all managing to not invade anyone else’s space.

The Cure are another that I think of in relation to this sort of thing. Simple individual parts intertwined to create a more complex whole melody.
I came to talk about Built to Spill as well. Although they did start as a trio, and are a trio once more, their sound as a 5 piece band was great.

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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by marqueemoon » Sun Jul 29, 2018 6:05 am

Besides the obvious Television...

Fugazi
Swervedriver
Bedhead (3 guitars!) and The New Year
Polvo
Jawbox

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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by MT » Sun Jul 29, 2018 6:27 am

eurotrashed wrote:
Sun Jul 29, 2018 5:20 am
I came to talk about Built to Spill as well. Although they did start as a trio, and are a trio once more, their sound as a 5 piece band was great.
My personal opinion is that BTS sound better when Brett is in the band. Hearing the 5 piece band encore with How Soon Is Now was utterly superb.

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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by mezcalhead » Sun Jul 29, 2018 8:17 am

marqueemoon wrote:
Sun Jul 29, 2018 6:05 am
Besides the obvious Television...

Fugazi
Swervedriver
Bedhead (3 guitars!) and The New Year
Polvo
Jawbox
Yeah, three of my favourite guitarists are actually pairs of guitarists:

Adam Franklin/Jimmy Hartridge
Tom Verlaine/Richard Lloyd
Peter Koppes/Marty Willson-Piper

All good guitarists individually but as pairings the whole is definitely greater than the sum of the parts.
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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by budda12ax7 » Sun Jul 29, 2018 10:01 am

Iron Maiden....

Live 1981
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5jaRipA5_M
Phantom of the Opera Live.


Thin Lizy Live Bad Repetition....with one of the greatest drum tracks ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqSzDJGFCgI

Metallica live 1983....James and Kirk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY4ZaJTyw_I

KISS....say what you want, but check it.....live 1977
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J-jTAqBgm0

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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by cestlamort » Sun Jul 29, 2018 10:31 am

mezcalhead wrote:
Sun Jul 29, 2018 8:17 am
marqueemoon wrote:
Sun Jul 29, 2018 6:05 am
Besides the obvious Television...

Fugazi
Swervedriver
Bedhead (3 guitars!) and The New Year
Polvo
Jawbox
Yeah, three of my favourite guitarists are actually pairs of guitarists:

Adam Franklin/Jimmy Hartridge
Tom Verlaine/Richard Lloyd
Peter Koppes/Marty Willson-Piper

All good guitarists individually but as pairings the whole is definitely greater than the sum of the parts.
Mine, too.
Reg Smithies / Dave Fielding from the Chameleons would be my nomination
John Reis and Rick Froberg from Drive like Jehu.

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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by scottT » Sun Jul 29, 2018 10:38 am

Verlaine and Lloyd are at the top of the heap for me, but a close second is the duo of Steve Hunter/Dick Wagner (Lou Reed and Alice Cooper):

Intro/Sweet Jane Live

My dark horse pick is a personal favorite, not a household name. Guy Kyser and Roger Kunkel of Thin White Rope:

Moonhead

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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by MechaBulletBill » Sun Jul 29, 2018 11:39 am


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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by oid » Sun Jul 29, 2018 1:06 pm

marqueemoon wrote:
Sun Jul 29, 2018 6:05 am
Besides the obvious Television...

Fugazi
Swervedriver
Bedhead (3 guitars!) and The New Year
Polvo
Jawbox
I came here just to put in Fugazi and Bedhead, and find The New Year. I do not think I have ever heard them, but do not see how I could not, perhaps I just forgot about them somehow? Either way I am quite excited to give them a listen, have wanted more Bedhead for years.
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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by Pepe Silvia » Sun Jul 29, 2018 1:20 pm

MT wrote:
Sun Jul 29, 2018 6:27 am
eurotrashed wrote:
Sun Jul 29, 2018 5:20 am
I came to talk about Built to Spill as well. Although they did start as a trio, and are a trio once more, their sound as a 5 piece band was great.
My personal opinion is that BTS sound better when Brett is in the band. Hearing the 5 piece band encore with How Soon Is Now was utterly superb.
I miss both Bretts, Nelson and Netson

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Re: Great guitar double-acts/interplay

Post by antisymmetric » Sun Jul 29, 2018 1:45 pm

Verlaine & Lloyd, obviously. Also:
Lou Reed & Mike Rathke
Sean Eden & Dean Wareham
Watching the corners turn corners

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