The Story of My Life

I first read about Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones in Frank Zappa's autobiography, The Real Frank Zappa Book. The three major things that Zappa had to say about Slim: 1) He was perhaps the first guitar player to use distortion on record. 2) His stage show was rock 'n' roll before the proper advent of rock 'n' roll. 3) His 1953 release, "The Story of my Life," was one of Zappa's favorite tracks as an adolescent. Growing up admiring Mr. Zappa's music, I was determined early on to hear everything that influenced him. Needless to say, it's an endeavor I'm still trying to complete. But thanks to Napster, it wasn't very long before I tracked down a copy of "The Story of my Life."

It is no wonder that Zappa took such a liking to Slim. "The Story of My Life" is utterly filthy - particularly in the context in which is was originally released. 1953 could not have been a good year for lovers of edgy mainstream music. Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" (which sounds flaccid in comparison to Guitar Slim's work) was still a year from release. Elvis Presley would wait another two years before his first recording session. AM radio was still a clubhouse for only the milkiest of white. Young Zappa had to drive hours to find a jukebox - let alone a record store - that carried the likes of Guitar Slim.

Apparently, all of those hours in the car were worth it. Zappa's guitar playing - which I argue relies more on tone than it does on sheer musicality - can undoubtedly be traced back to the screaming licks of Guitar Slim. Frank commented on the song his autobiography:

When I first heard it I thought: "What the fuck is he doing? He really gets 'pissed off at it.' " His style of playing seemed to be 'beyond the notes' -- it had more to do with the 'attitude' with which he was mangling his instrument. What came out was not just the sum total of certain pitches versus certain chords versus certain rhythms -- to my ear, it was something else. Besides the 'attitude,' he also provided the first instance I can recall of a distorted electric guitar on a record. (The Real Frank Zappa Book).

In addition to the musicianship, Guitar Slim was apparently quite the character as well. A description of him seems more similar to an 80s metal guitarist than 50s blues man. He wore outrageously-colored suits on stage and dyed his hair to match. He used a guitar cable hundreds of feet long, enabling him to wade into audiences at shows long before the invention of wireless guitar systems. He displayed his wealth shamelessly. And he drank himself to death at the age of 32.

Still, he looks like such a nice, earnest fellow...

Guitar Slim - The Story of My Life