En Melody – Serge Gainsbourg.

History has been kind to the music and art of Serge Gainsbourg. The French singer songwriter is seen as a cult figure with boundless influence stretching into the diverse worlds of Jazz, Rock and Roll, Disco, Electronic and Funk music. Undoubtedly his most impressive ‘Guitar’ track is ‘En Melody‘ which can be found on the classic and collectible concept album ‘Histoire de Melody Nelson‘ released in 1971.

En Melody – Serge Gainsbourg

Its loose, rhythmic, hendrix-esque and full of expression. The sixties personified, this kind of guitar playing would not be out of place on a Cream record. It gives us a sense of improvisation – and it may well be so, as it just references back to the dissonant and screeching hook every once in a while, to remind that something far larger is at play here.

Fall in love with it here –

Brianstorm – The Arctic Monkeys.

In a recent years, it has felt that the artists and bands who manage to break through to the mainstream have an air of manufactured, short lived, reality TV hype. It feels as if The Arctic Monkeys are anything but that, sure, they have the hooks, the melodies and they are cool as cucumbers – but at the same time they sound and feel like a real band, taking us back to a time when a group of people would play their hearts out in a dingy sweaty jam studio.

As they have grown in fame, so has their music. Every album seems to try something different, even just slightly, for better our worse, and along the way they have given us some absolute guitar gems.

‘Brianstorm‘ the opening track from their second full length album titled ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare‘.  Right from the off, the guitar playing has this frenetic energy, as two guitars blend together in this frantic harmonic insanity, which would be sure to make you speed in your car whilst humming along and air drumming on your steering wheel. Its part spy film, part high tempo madness – just enjoy it!

Riff Of The Week 4