Customer Reviews

The Original Rumble Plus 22 Other Storming Guitar Instrumentals

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I strongly disagree with George O'Leary (in the first review)
that Link was mediocre at best. He is the inventor of
the power chord that influenced a whole generation
of British & American guitarists. The Who, The Kinks
and many more took the power chord to another level
because of hearing Link DO IT FIRST! What about
Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and of course, The Beatles?
You don't think all these British bands played Rumble
(and possibly other) Link Wray song's in their set
at one point? You bet they did. They dug his sound
& his style. He may not have been as technical as
Lonnie Mack (another huge favorite of mine), but he
has his own style and sound. Nobody sounds like LINK.
The first reviewer makes it sound like Link passed away,
but i am hear to tell you that he is ALIVE & WELL.
He still rocks the house at 74 years old.
Link is also a pioneer of "distortion" on guitar.
It is commonplace today, but imagine hearing
"Rumble" coming out of a jukebox for the first time
in the 50's? It scared alot of people. Any rock guitar player
worth his salt has at least dug on a little Link Wray.
Oh Yeah...American guitarist's influenced by Link?
Listen to Link and then listen to Hendrix
and you can hear the passing of the torch.
This is a great CD to start on your Link Wray Way!
Cheers,
Michael Louis Brooklyn, NY

I didn't realize I knew Link Wray's music until I saw the movie "Blow" (it's played in the scene where George and Tuna go to the beach). I couldn't get the song out of my head! I guess maybe that is the best indicator of good music: you can't stop thinking about it. This is probably the best album to buy because it has "Ace of Spades" and "Jack the Ripper"; two of his best songs. But if there is any reason to buy this album it's the first track: "Rumble". If you like the sound a guitar makes (blues, metal, pop, rock,etc.) then you must listen to this song on repeat because I've never heard a guitar played so expressively. It's the kind of song that makes you want to smoke a cigarette and go cruising in an old Chevy.

Link Wray was the inventor or a style of music that is such a deep part of musical history that some people forget it was one mans genius that it's origens can be traced to one man - Link Wray.
We were blessed to live to shae atime in history with this man.

Partisans of Link Wray are not going to like what I say, they may even damn this review without reading and considering it.
As much as I know about music, there is also a lot I don't know. I had never heard of Link Wray until last year when I was looking at a website that proclaimed Wray the "greatest guitarist ever" Since then, I have seen several other references to him and so decided to check him out by buying this CD. Well, maybe you have to be of a certain age and mired in the certainty that musicians that were hot when you were young are the greatest ever and everything else is either fogie music or noise, but there is no way I can say with a straight face that Wray is the greatest or even one of the greatest. A pioneer, yes. An influence, perhaps. But the greatest? You have to be kidding!
If I was a teenager when Wray came on the scene, I'd likely have considered him a groundbreaking phenomenon. But listening today, I find his music so basic and repetitious that even his most advanced tunes sound dated much like some of what was advanced for its time when I was a teenager sounds dated today.
I listened to the "Original Rumble Plus..." several times trying to find some reason to say that Wray is great, but I couldn't find any. Some songs were OK, but nothing overcame the cheesy stench of the Batman theme.
Some music stands the test of time, this CD does not. If this is an example of Wray's best, I don't need to hear more. There are lots better "surf guitar" musicians around including Gary Hoey and even alt-country shredder Junior Brown. In giving this CD two stars, I think I am being charitable. If you are a Link Wray fan, then you probably don't agree. But if you are just Wray-curious, I urge you not to start your Wray experience with this recording.