Players The Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston recounts the stories behind five of the band's classic tunes From Listen to the Music to Long Train Runnin’, China Grove and more, Johnston reveals the jams, studio wizardry – and political movements – that sparked some of the Doobies' biggest hits “A lot of weird things happened”: Ian Hunter on Mott the Hoople’s All the Way From Memphis Poorly promoted by the band's record label, All the Way From Memphis nonetheless became a classic, and was later covered by Michael Schenker and Brian May How John Osborne overcame tinnitus and mental health difficulties to make a career-defining album with his brother TJ The Brothers Osborne's self-titled LP was molded by trying times, but nonetheless finds the duo coming back stronger than ever, with some of John Osborne's tastiest playing to date Latest Players Peter Green on his time with John Mayall and Fleetwood Mac, and wrestling with his demons By Elliot Stephen Cohen published 5 August 24 Having blown minds with Mayall and then formed Fleetwood Mac, the late blues guitar genius suddenly walked away at the peak of the latter band's first run of commercial success. He would endure years of horrors before making it back to the stage David Cassidy on seeing Hendrix, learning from the session guitar greats, and jamming with Paul McCartney and John Lennon By Matt Blackett published 26 July 24 A mega-star with the Partridge Family, Cassidy was nonetheless a serious guitarist, and worked in the studio with the likes of Larry Carlton and Mick Ronson Robert Cray on Animal House, and the origins of the Blues Brothers By Jimmy Leslie published 19 July 24 Before he came to fame in his own right, Cray played in a band with singer Curtis Salgado, on whom John Belushi's Jake Blues character was partially based With a helping hand from Greta Van Fleet's Sam Kiszka, Hannah Wicklund has her eyes on the prize By Andrew Daly published 18 July 24 Armed with a pink Tom Anderson Raven – and, on occasion, Kiszka's Gibson Murphy Lab SG – Wicklund is back with an album the blues-rocker says is her most authentic to date David Bowie and the Cure guitarist Reeves Gabrels on the joys of taking your tone into uncharted waters By Joe Bosso published 16 July 24 Countless guitarists have gone on record badmouthing effects, citing them as – among other things – a crutch. For his part, alt-rock guitar legend Reeves Gabrels is having none of it Ben Harper on playing with Jack Johnson and Harry Styles, and the crazy Martin Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie built By Jimmy Leslie published 15 July 24 As he celebrates his latest album, Wide Open Light, Harper shares memories of his family's iconic Folk Music Center, what he learned from legends like Taj Mahal, and the Taylor he's “head over heels for” Vinyl Treasures: Steel Guitar Favorites shows Jerry Byrd at the very top of his game By Jim Campilongo published 12 July 24 On this outstanding album, Byrd packs in every steel-guitar treat one could hope for, including tone sweeps that convincingly replicate the human voice Mark Knopfler on the guitars he couldn't send to auction, and that all-star version of Going Home By Gary Graff published 11 July 24 Following the release of One Deep River, Knopfler reflects on the guitars he’s loved – including his “serial number zero” Strat – the music that keeps his passion youthful, and how he’d like a do-over on that Dire Straits Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction How Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner transformed Lou Reed's moody, street-smart performances into an album of twin-guitar-led hard rock heroics By Gary Graff published 2 July 24 After Reed’s dark concept album, Berlin, bombed, guitarists Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner helped him get his groove back. The result was Rock ’n’ Roll Animal, the live classic that revitalized Reed's spirit and rescued his career Scott Henderson on trombone-emulating pedals, and balancing dense arrangements with blues progressions By Bill Milkowski published 1 July 24 Scott Henderson spent lockdown training his ears and building improv skills. As his new album, Karnevel!, shows, his jazz chops reached new heights, but his blues-rock roots remain as strong as ever 123456789Archives Get The Pick NewsletterAll the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors LATEST ARTICLES1MXR’s Randy Rhoads Distortion+ pedal is finally here – bringing a slice of his legendary “chip pan” pedalboard to market 2Fender launches the first-ever Certified Pre-owned Reverb store – offering its second-hand instruments at a discount 3After the 2010 Tennessee floods, Keith Urban had to abandon his ruined guitar collection for last-minute eBay buys in the studio4The Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston recounts the stories behind five of the band's classic tunes 5Universal Audio’s new Anti 1992 amp-in-a-pedal aims to emulate the Van Halen-loved Peavey 5150 amplifier
Peter Green on his time with John Mayall and Fleetwood Mac, and wrestling with his demons By Elliot Stephen Cohen published 5 August 24 Having blown minds with Mayall and then formed Fleetwood Mac, the late blues guitar genius suddenly walked away at the peak of the latter band's first run of commercial success. He would endure years of horrors before making it back to the stage
David Cassidy on seeing Hendrix, learning from the session guitar greats, and jamming with Paul McCartney and John Lennon By Matt Blackett published 26 July 24 A mega-star with the Partridge Family, Cassidy was nonetheless a serious guitarist, and worked in the studio with the likes of Larry Carlton and Mick Ronson
Robert Cray on Animal House, and the origins of the Blues Brothers By Jimmy Leslie published 19 July 24 Before he came to fame in his own right, Cray played in a band with singer Curtis Salgado, on whom John Belushi's Jake Blues character was partially based
With a helping hand from Greta Van Fleet's Sam Kiszka, Hannah Wicklund has her eyes on the prize By Andrew Daly published 18 July 24 Armed with a pink Tom Anderson Raven – and, on occasion, Kiszka's Gibson Murphy Lab SG – Wicklund is back with an album the blues-rocker says is her most authentic to date
David Bowie and the Cure guitarist Reeves Gabrels on the joys of taking your tone into uncharted waters By Joe Bosso published 16 July 24 Countless guitarists have gone on record badmouthing effects, citing them as – among other things – a crutch. For his part, alt-rock guitar legend Reeves Gabrels is having none of it
Ben Harper on playing with Jack Johnson and Harry Styles, and the crazy Martin Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie built By Jimmy Leslie published 15 July 24 As he celebrates his latest album, Wide Open Light, Harper shares memories of his family's iconic Folk Music Center, what he learned from legends like Taj Mahal, and the Taylor he's “head over heels for”
Vinyl Treasures: Steel Guitar Favorites shows Jerry Byrd at the very top of his game By Jim Campilongo published 12 July 24 On this outstanding album, Byrd packs in every steel-guitar treat one could hope for, including tone sweeps that convincingly replicate the human voice
Mark Knopfler on the guitars he couldn't send to auction, and that all-star version of Going Home By Gary Graff published 11 July 24 Following the release of One Deep River, Knopfler reflects on the guitars he’s loved – including his “serial number zero” Strat – the music that keeps his passion youthful, and how he’d like a do-over on that Dire Straits Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction
How Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner transformed Lou Reed's moody, street-smart performances into an album of twin-guitar-led hard rock heroics By Gary Graff published 2 July 24 After Reed’s dark concept album, Berlin, bombed, guitarists Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner helped him get his groove back. The result was Rock ’n’ Roll Animal, the live classic that revitalized Reed's spirit and rescued his career
Scott Henderson on trombone-emulating pedals, and balancing dense arrangements with blues progressions By Bill Milkowski published 1 July 24 Scott Henderson spent lockdown training his ears and building improv skills. As his new album, Karnevel!, shows, his jazz chops reached new heights, but his blues-rock roots remain as strong as ever