Neil McCormick __________________________________

The end of the guitar? The Edge & Jimmy Page talk shop

After U2’s shows at Wembley last Saturday, I found myself in a huddle with The Edge, Jimmy Page and Noel Gallagher. Inevitably the talk was of guitars. Well, they were talking guitars, I wisely refrained from offering my thoughts on how I mastered the lead solo from ‘Johnny B. Goode’.

The white haired Page was effusively enthusiastic about Edge’s performance, almost wide-eyed with childish pleasure at the sheer array of dazzling sounds he produced. Page is amongst the most lyrically virtuoso players of his rock generation, although it is easy to overlook how much of his breakthrough style was based around a specially constructed board of effects pedals now considered the rock standard (including Fuzz Box, Wah, Chorus and Delay). The Edge has taken this approach to extremes. He is an effects maestro, who never plays two songs on the same settings and has a futuristic hub beneath U2’s stage to house his vast array of sound altering technology.

Both appear in what must be the first feature length film aimed entirely at guitar geeks, the soon to be released ‘It Might Get Loud’, along with Jack White (of The White Stripes). The three guitarists compare and contrast styles, with White playing the role of plucky primitivist, ready to squeeze sound out of any piece of wood with strings. In one fascinating / incredibly dull sequence (delete according to your level of guitar obsession), Edge demonstrates how he creates the pulsing, phased riff of U2’s ‘Elevation’. With his effects units turned off, the riff is revealed as just two notes, which he cheerfully acknowledges would be unlikely to impress your friends if played on acoustic guitar.

Somehow I doubt this is going to be one of the great date movies.

<<Read More>>