10 THE BEATLES (1966)
With the burden of Beatlemania weighing heavily on their shoulders, W the Fab Four channelled their energies into expanding the possibilities of studio recording on Revolver. As well as incorporating elaborate orchestrations, tape loops, sound effects and exotic instruments, the band updated their guitars from the early Rickenbacker-dominated sound. Harrison, Lennon, and McCartney introduced the Gibson SG, Epiphone Casino, and Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 into their arsenal, beefing up their tone in line with the more rock-orientated sounds brought to the fore by the likes of Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck in 1966. The experimentation yielded stunning results, like the raucous psychedelia of She Said She Said and the harmonised twin lead guitar lines of And Your Bird Can Sing, courtesy of Harrison and McCartney. George Harrison was starting to experiment with Indian music, and his sitar playing on Love You To brought something new to rock music, but it's McCartney's electrifying solo on Taxman that provides the album's greatest guitar moment. The result was one of the highlights of The Beatles' career. After Revolver, guitar music would never be the same again.
09 WHEELS OF FIRE CREAM (1968)
Cream's third LP was released at the apex of their short career, showcasing everything that made them special. It became the world's first platinum-selling double vinyl album, consisting of two sides of new studio recordings and two sides of live recordings. The opening track and hit single White Room is the quintessential Cream power rock sound, with Eric Clapton's wah solo a highlight of the album. Born Under A Bad Sign and Sitting On Top Of The World present British Blues at its finest, and the live rendition of Robert Johnson's Crossroads features arguably Clapton's greatest guitar solo.
08 TRUTH JEFF BECK (1968)
This story is from the August 2022 edition of Total Guitar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2022 edition of Total Guitar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
POSITIVE GRID SPARK 2
The sequel to the world's most popular smart guitar amp is here
JACKSON PRO PLUS XT SOLOIST SLAT HT6 BARITONE
We get low with this fast-playing, all-black modern metal machine
GUILD POLARA DELUXE
A’70s staple gets a bit of are-jig, o4 years after it was introduced
NEURAL DSP NANO CORTEX
Neural DSP's second pedal might be the ultimate compact all-in-one rig
EPIPHONE JIMI HENDRIX LOVE DROPS FLYING V
Prepare to kiss the sky with Epiphone's latest 'Inspired By...' model
JIMMY PAGE
\"I was using what was really meaty!\"
EDDIE VAN HALEN
“You either capture the vibe or you don't!”
MYTH BUSTERS: THE CABLE DESTRUCTION TEST
Need to know whether gear is worth your cash? Who you gonna call...
JOHN FRUSCIANTE'S LETTER FROM AMERICA
Our July 2006 issue featured none other than John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the cover, with a line of text promising discussion of meditation, drugs, Hendrix and some chat about the band’s then-latest album, Stadium Arcadium.
CHALLENGE CHARLIE
Ata time when TC's staff were getting, frankly, rather silly, one man stood up to take on the daftest of all our challenges...