16 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 G U I T A R P L A Y E R . C O M16 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 G U I T A R P L A Y E R . C O M

CULTURE

B Y J I M B E A U G E Z P H O T O G R A P H B Y J . B . L A W R E N C E

Nels Cline’s Musical Life in Five Riffs

NELS CLINE follows two distinct tracks in his guitar playing, alternating the avant-jazz arc he explores solo along with the psychedelic-punk-freakout

textures he brings to Wilco. Here are the five riffs that changed his life, and inspired his own fearless fretting.

“Turn! Turn! Turn!” Byrds

“I had to listen carefully

to see what was going on

here,” says Cline. “I learned

later in life that I have this

great love—as does much

of western culture—with

the major ninth. I think

that sound, which has

to do with the idiomatic

aspects of open strings on

a guitar, is what created

the term ‘jingle jangle’—

not just the timbre of a

12-string, but the sound

of ringing, open strings.

That sound is irresistible.”

“Happenings Ten Years Time Ago” Yardbirds

“This is one of the most

marvelous and excit-

ing and colorful recorded

performances of a song.

If you think about audio

engineering at that time—

which was a 4-track deck,

I’m sure—I don’t even

know how they did it.

There are so many crazy

things going on with the

guitar. It’s sort of like sat-

ellite Sputnik psychede-

lia. It still gives me a rush.”

“Manic Depression” Jimi Hendrix Experience

“This is the song that con-

vinced me I was going to

play guitar. When you hear

the intro riff, and all the

other stuff he does in the

solo, he goes completely

mad. I was sold. There

was no way I was not

going to do music for life

after that. It was like being

jolted with electricity—like

flying—and it still feels like

that every time I hear it.”

“Marquee Moon” Television

“‘Marquee Moon’ is a ver-

itable feast of memora-

ble and influential guitar

riffs. Tom Verlaine’s long

guitar solo ends in one

of the most memora-

ble examples of a mix-

olydian scale in its most

rudimentary form, and

it sounds like absolute

poetry. Then, there’s this

beautiful, John Cipollina-

influenced thing he plays

with his finger, but I do it

with the bar. That’s where

I get my penchant for the

‘wiggle’—which I use all

over songs like Wilco’s

‘Impossible Germany.’”

“West Germany” Minutemen“The Minutemen had

an incredibly diverse,

poetic vision. I played on

a double bill at McCabe’s

Guitar Shop with them

in the ’80s with Char-

lie Haden’s Liberation

Music Orchestra. I found

D. Boon’s note choices

and phrasing to be almost

spooky. His presence, cha-

risma, power, and com-

mitment was galvanizing.”

> Watch Nels Cline discuss and perform these riffs at guitarplayer.com.

M O R E O N L I N E

gpr0218_front_culture_f.indd 16 12/18/17 12:45 PM

http://guitarplayer.com