The Things That I Used to Do
Guitar Slim, 1953. Solo by Guitar Slim.
Slim's distorted, overdriven tone was years ahead of its time and a direct influence on Buddy Guy.
Guitar Slim's slow blues sounds rougher and louder than almost anything else from the early 1950s. His tone is overdriven and fuzzy at the edges, with notes that crack and sustain in a way that anticipates rock guitar by more than a decade. The solo is not fast; its power comes from the snarl of each phrase and the way Slim leans into bends as though shouting. Ray Charles arranged the session and played piano, and the record's success spread Slim's sound widely, with Buddy Guy among those who took his flamboyance to heart. Listen for the distortion on the sustained notes, then remember how early this was; the gap between his tone and his peers' is striking.
The Things That I Used to Do by Guitar Slim is featured in our Blues (#17) list. The solo is played by Guitar Slim and the song was released in 1953.
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Who played the guitar solo on The Things That I Used to Do?
Guitar Slim played the solo on Guitar Slim's The Things That I Used to Do (1953).