David Lynch’s favourite guitarist: “I came to appreciate him more and more”
While silent films prove that music isn’t always a necessary element to a great film, when music is used correctly, it can elevate a movie to unprecedented heights. David Lynch was a filmmaker who knew how important music was to his work, and he always picked it perfectly, often working with composer Angelo Badalamenti, which resulted in some indelible pieces of film music.
Badalamenti made some beautiful pieces of work, like the sweeping score for Blue Velvet and his unforgettable Twin Peaks soundtrack, and Lynch actively collaborated with the composer to ensure that the music was just right. In fact, Lynch was a musician in his own right, making the soundtrack for his first film, Eraserhead, with Alan Splet. He contributed to recordings throughout the years, such as working with Julee Cruise and Karen O, as well as releasing various albums and singles, both collaborative and solo.
Lynch made the seductive yet industrial BlueBOB with John Neff in 2001, while Thought Gang came in 2018, which saw him work with Badalamenti, crafting a jazz-influenced blend of experimentation and spoken word. Meanwhile, his two solo albums, Crazy Clown Time and The Big Dream, emphasised his interest in genres like avant-garde and blues, feeling like a natural extension of his cinematic output.
Clearly a multi-talented artist, Lynch performed vocals and a range of instruments on his albums, including guitars and synths, while taking care of production, too. Lynch evidently knew a lot about music – even if he is better recognised for his filmmaking efforts – and in 2014, he revealed who he believed to be the greatest guitarist of all time.
Speaking at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Lynch shared his admiration for a certain iconic guitarist who is widely known as one of the most influential musicians to have ever lived – Jimi Hendrix. “He may be the best guitar player,” he revealed. This might seem like a rather bold claim, but it’s one you can hardly argue with.
“And I’ve seen the film of Jimi Hendrix at Monterey Pop, and that’s when, I guess, a lot of people first saw him. And he and the guitar are one, absolutely one,” he added. “I love Jimi Hendrix, but later on, like everybody else, I came to appreciate him more and more and more, and what he can get out of the guitar. So he took it to another place that all the guitar players – the great ones – they say he took it to another place. Fantastic.”
Hendrix died when he was just 27, but he left an impressive legacy behind as one of the most celebrated guitarists, still adored all these years later. As part of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, he released just three albums, Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold As Love, and Electric Ladyland, but this was enough to secure his legacy forevermore. With his unconventional approach to using effects, Hendrix blended incredible technical proficiency with plenty of creativity, allowing him to bring his most challenging ideas to life.
In another interview, this time with The Quietus, Lynch revealed his love for Hendrix even more: “Well, I grew up in the ’50s, and that’s the birth of rock and roll, so all the rock and roll riffs were completely thrilling to me. Jimi Hendrix jumped that. It was like he lit the after-burners on the same essence that was born out of rock and roll, the combo of rockabilly and rhythm and blues and blues… and then Jimi Hendrix came along and took it to another level.”
