Robert Smith on why David Bowie was one of the greatest guitarists of all time: “One of the unsung heroes”
In conversations surrounding the greatest guitarists of all time, there are certain names that will crop up time again and again. Jimi Hendrix, for example, is likely to appear towards the top of almost everyone’s list. Jimmy Page and Brian May usually feature somewhere in the top ten, while more recent additions to the greats include St. Vincent and Jonny Greenwood. However, one name that rarely appears on the list is David Bowie.
Though he is widely considered to be one of the most imaginative and innovative artists of all time, Bowie has rarely been recognised for his instrumental prowess. He’s not remembered for being a great guitarist; he’s remembered for penning extraordinary anthems that would transcend generations and for creating peculiar personas to accompany them.
He’s known as the red-haired, lightning-struck, extra-terrestrial fashion icon Ziggy Stardust. He’s known for the euphoria-inducing ‘Heroes’ and the otherworldly ‘Life on Mars’. He’s known for extending his artistry far beyond technical talent, for allowing it to envelop his entire being, and for his ambitious visuals and stage presence. But perhaps that all overshadowed his talent with a guitar.
The Cure frontman Robert Smith certainly thinks so. During an interview with Music Express in the early 2000s, the eye-shadowed gothic post-punk icon referenced their cover of the Bowie song that has a saxophone – presumably referring to ‘Young Americans’ – before sharing his thoughts on the songwriter.
“Bowie is a fantastic instrumentalist,” Smith commented, before acknowledging that this opinion strays a little from public opinion, “One of the unsung heroes. Really, one of the best guitarists of all time.” When his bassist, Simon Gallup, accused him of exaggerating Bowie’s talents in this area, Smith quickly jumped to his defence.
“No!” he exclaimed, “When he plays acoustically and only picks chords! He simply sits there and plays old songs from Hunky Dory with a twelve string. Huge!” Smith went on to recall a time he sat with Bowie in his dressing room while he played him an acoustic rendition of Hunky Dory opener, ‘Changes’.
His guitar playing on the record certainly takes a backseat to theatricality, to tales of legendary artists and life on Mars, but it is stunning nonetheless. If we, like Smith, delve beyond the art pop flourishes and into the guitar melodies at the core of tracks like ‘Queen Bitch’ and ‘Song for Bob Dylan’, we just might find a reason to bump Bowie up the list of the greatest guitarists.
The guitar parts might not seem as intrinsically and uniquely Bowie as certain other aspects of his artistry, but they are staggering nonetheless. ‘Queen Bitch’ is a particular highlight, with twangs that will have you itching to get up and dance, while closer ‘The Bewlay Brothers’ features some slightly more subdued strums. It’s easy to imagine how a one-on-one 12-string acoustic rendition of ‘Changes’ would cement Smith’s opinion on Bowie’s playing, too.
Smith’s opinion of Bowie certainly doesn’t match up with the common consensus on his place in music history. It’s not necessarily that people consider him to be an untalented guitarist, but more that his playing is entirely overshadowed by other elements of his musicianship. Still, Smith was right to point out his skilful strums, an element of his songwriting that has often been overlooked.
