Blondie’s Chris Stein once picked his favourite guitarist of all time
Above all else, Blondie were a band with style. From the outfits to the feel of the songs and the way they played their instruments. However, this wasn’t style above substance, no this offered up both in such a way that presupposed that substance wasn’t merely enough in the world of rock ‘n’ roll. And they continue that mantra even today.
As Chris Stein said of their output himself: “We’re a pop art band. Not a pop band.” Heralding from the birthplace of Andy Warhol’s hip movement, Blondie basked in the bohemian escape of music. By the time that they arrived a certain P word was on everybody’s lips. Punk clawed its way out of the darkened depths of degeneracy and never even brushed itself clean after it clambered into a sauntering snarl.
Joey Ramone was the bowl cut Frankenstein monster that the cultural New York cocktail shaker had poured out as an emblem of the disintegration of humanity after a fair glug of The Velvet Underground and The New York Dolls had been slung in there. The place they were serving this most-vile concoction was none other than the CBGBs: The spiritual home of seventies artistic heathenry.
The CBGB was the trading place for a slew of bands—some of the greatest of all time. And one guitarist in particular who graced that stage had a profound impact on Stein. Speaking about his favourite guitarist of all time, the suited Blondie star proclaimed: “Ricky Wilson from The B-52s. He was just awesome, in his own quirky style.”
Their debut single ‘Rock Lobster’ became a hit in the underground scene. It might have only sold about 3000 copies, but punk being so far into its infancy, that was considered somewhat of a hit. Hell, the Ramones debut album only fetched around 5000 sales in its first year of release. Thus, The B-52s were able to travel from Athens, Georgia to play gigs at the CBGB and Max’s Kansas City.
Therein they began catching people’s imaginations with their sense of fun attitude. It said that punk didn’t have to necessarily be angry to have swagger. One of these people was Stein who continued: “I saw guitars of his where he would have the middle two strings, the D and the G strings, removed. I’d say listen to ‘Rock Lobster’ because it’s not normal. That simple part is played in probably a very weird and exotic way.”
As Stein once said, “In the early days, I often felt that I was taking a math test when we were playing. It was a profound feeling of having to prove myself.” The B-52s, however, were playing with half a guitar, so it became clear to Stein that it wasn’t a test that you had to pass with flying colours—it was more of art exhibit that you simply had to put your own stamp on.
