‘Gently Weeps’: Is Prince the most underrated guitarist of all time?
On April 21st, 2016, it was announced that Prince had passed away. Queue an unlimited number of tributes committed to the musician, which proved to be some of the most difficult for people to write. Firstly, because of how emotional they were about his passing, but also thanks to the fact that he was an artist incredibly difficult to pin down.
When we think of different musicians, we think of specific aspects that make them recognisable. When people mention John Bonham, we picture a drummer. Adele, a vocalist. Jimi Hendrix, a guitarist. However, with Prince, we don’t tend to think of him as a singer, a musician, or a songwriter. There were so many aspects to his performance, and he was such an individual that we mainly think of Prince as being… Prince.
Realistically, this is a compliment. He was a musician so hard to define that his name became an adjective (as well as a symbol). His prowess was respected but not understood. Prince’s mind was a feral beast, one beautiful and aloof, mysterious and picturesque. He was responsible for some of the greatest music of recent decades and a blueprint for embracing creativity relentlessly, pulling no punches.
Because of how much he cemented himself as an individual, certain parts of his musicianship often fell under the radar. One of the parts of his performance that was most commonly overlooked was his ability as a guitar player. He never put guitar playing at the forefront of his discography, and when he did solo, it wasn’t as we know it.
The guitar solo is sacred in rock music; in fact, it’s arguably one of the defining factors of rock. A section of a song where every other instrument goes supportive as the lead guitarist comes to the front of the stage and flexes their musical muscles. It can be fun, but when Prince included solos in his work, he didn’t count on them being a singular event. They were surrounded by other exciting elements and were often supportive of themselves rather than being front and centre.
Because of his approach to the solo, he is often overlooked during conversations about who the best guitar player is, but his name should be thrown in the ring. One video that went around shortly after his death made people realise just how excellent he was on the six-string when he performed a solo for the outro of ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ with Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty.
During this performance, Prince stands to the side of the stage, covered in shadow, occasionally seen but rarely until the last 90 seconds of the track, where he steps forward and delivers a face-melting solo for one of the greatest songs ever written. His hands dance up and down the fret as he skims through octaves and plays open and closed notes, intertwining them perfectly while maintaining the swagger that he was known for.
If you ever need more proof during a solo that you are witnessing something truly magical, look at the faces of those playing with him. Musical legends are in awe of the person they’re standing near, smirks arising on faces as a crowd sits in stunned silence. By the time the song finishes, Prince throws his guitar into the air and leaves the frame as quickly as he enters it.
Of course, one solo doesn’t make you the greatest guitarist of all time, but Prince shows what he was capable of with this performance. We see it laid out bare in his cover, and then when you’re aware of it, you hear it in his studio work, too. His guitar work was one of many aspects of his musicianship overlooked in pursuit of being himself. There is so much of his work in the world; still, he’s music’s greatest mystery. There will never be another.
