I'd Rather Be the Devil

John Martyn, 1973. Solo by John Martyn.

Martyn runs his guitar through an Echoplex, turning a Skip James blues into a pulsing, looping trance.

I'd Rather Be the Devil is John Martyn's reworking of a Skip James blues, and he runs his guitar through an Echoplex to create a pulsing, looping trance. The echoes build on each other, creating a hypnotic texture that seems to expand and contract with the rhythm. His playing is percussive and intense, turning the old blues into something otherworldly. It was a radical approach for a folk guitarist, and it still sounds ahead of its time. Listen for the way the echoes stack up and interact, turning a single guitar into a swirling, rhythmic cloud of sound.

I'd Rather Be the Devil by John Martyn is featured in our Folk Rock (#20) list. The solo is played by John Martyn and the song was released in 1973.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Folk Rock Guitar Solos — #20

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