I've got a post planned that will highlight Robert Quine's work with Richard Hell and Lou Reed, but for today there are two sets of Guest Spots: Quine with The Singers, and Quine with The Artists. Which is not to say that artists can't sing, or that singers aren't artists.
Quine first gained notice on record in 1977 with Richard Hell & The Voidoids. Quine and Jody Harris recorded "Let It Blurt" with Lester Bangs that same year (though the single wasn't released until 1979). Quine and Fred Maher played with Bill Laswell in the bands Material and Deadline.
Quine and Harris released Escape (an album of guitar duets) in 1981. Another album of duets by Quine and Maher called Basic was issued in 1984. Quine once said that the track "65" from Basic was "one of the best things I've ever done in my life. It reflects how I feel about music." He was also proud of his work with Deadline. He quit Deadline before the group entered the studio, but one 1980 gig at CBGB's was captured on tape.
Quine and Maher toured with Lou Reed in 1983. When Fred Maher became a producer, he often called on Quine as a studio musician. This is how Quine ended up on records by Matthew Sweet, Lloyd Cole, and Scritti Politti. Quine's playing could be tasteful and restrained (as on Tom Waits' "Downtown Train") -- or he could tear shit up, as he does with the jaw-dropping leads that drive "Girlfriend" (the title track of Sweet's 1991 breakout album). Check out this TV performance of "Girlfriend" to watch Quine in action.
As you can see from the tracklists, With The Singers is mostly major label stuff that Quine did in the 90's (with Matthew Sweet, Lloyd Cole and TMBG), plus a few less familiar performers. With The Artists goes back to Quine's downtown NYC origins -- playing with Jody Harris, Lydia Lunch, Ikue Mori, Lee Ranaldo, John Zorn, Bill Laswell, and Marc Ribot, as well as Naux (aka Juan Maciel), who replaced Ivan Julian in The Voidoids for the recording of Destiny Street. Quine seemed to prefer playing with another guitarist, switching between lead and rhythm and trading solos.
Quine with the Singers (who are also artists): https://pixeldrain.com/u/ZZLDhrEe
ReplyDeleteQuine with the Artists (some of whom can sing): https://pixeldrain.com/u/Q7fu6FxY
The Hound wrote about his friend years ago. https://thehoundblog.blogspot.com/search?q=quine
ReplyDeleteThank you for that link, it made me both happy and sad to read about Quine (and Lester) in their last days.
DeleteFirst time I noticed him was on Blank Generation. It came out when I was young and ignorent of most english words. In Dutch Blank means White. So, there was Sid Vicous with his swastikas, Clash with White Riot, and here is Richard Hell with a Blank Generation. Pretty confusing for a 12 year old non-english. Robert Quine dropped off the radar pretty quickly. Most of the tunes here, I know, but never associated with Quine. I'm gonna opene up a box of new ears.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing him to a well-deserved attention
BTW what is the design association
BT2ndW He bloody played guitar on Prime Gonzola and Someone Drowned In My Pool. Monster-album
I assume by "design association" you mean Snaggletooth? There isn't one. I don't have the graphic talents of Koen or Stinky, so I sometimes use the Motorhead font generator. Also, I think it's funny. https://store.everyplaylistlouder.com/
DeleteQuite, that's as good an answer as any.
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