Gangster of Love
If you have never come across the pure joy that is the music of Johnny "guitar" Watson then i'm afraid that you've got some catching up to do, but what fun that catching up could prove to be. The man's career has its roots in the Houston Blues scene of the 1950s, but was defined by an unerring knack for the constant reshaping of his musical skills to remain relevant, and interesting, until his untimely death in the midst of a final welcome comeback in 1996, whilst touring Japan. Despite origins as a pianist, it was Watson's incredible 1954 instrumental "Space Guitar" that earned him his first real attention, and features techniques so far ahead of their time it is spooky.
Some stunning upbeat Blues numbers followed, including the inspired "Gangster of Love" in1957 (and again in the early 1960s and late 1970s), as well as a jazz album for Chess Records in 1964, and another reinvention as funk supremo in the 1970s. He was even able to ride the electro train semi-successfully with 1984's long player "Strike on Computers", and a stunning reprise came once more with the grammy nominated 1994 offering "Bow Wow". The constant shedding of musical skins can lead to some duds in the repertoire, but when he hit form, Watson was a musician and performer who could cut it with the very best. And to return to perhaps his most famous hit, the afore-mentioned Gangster of Love, his sense of fun and of funk is encapsulated in the lines describing the gangster character's love ride from state to state: "The sheriff says 'is you Guitar Watson?' In a very deep voice, I say yes sir Brother Sheriff, and that's your wife on the back of my horse!". Brilliant.
Some stunning upbeat Blues numbers followed, including the inspired "Gangster of Love" in1957 (and again in the early 1960s and late 1970s), as well as a jazz album for Chess Records in 1964, and another reinvention as funk supremo in the 1970s. He was even able to ride the electro train semi-successfully with 1984's long player "Strike on Computers", and a stunning reprise came once more with the grammy nominated 1994 offering "Bow Wow". The constant shedding of musical skins can lead to some duds in the repertoire, but when he hit form, Watson was a musician and performer who could cut it with the very best. And to return to perhaps his most famous hit, the afore-mentioned Gangster of Love, his sense of fun and of funk is encapsulated in the lines describing the gangster character's love ride from state to state: "The sheriff says 'is you Guitar Watson?' In a very deep voice, I say yes sir Brother Sheriff, and that's your wife on the back of my horse!". Brilliant.
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