In praise of Roy Buchanan

One of the great guitarists most people have never heard of, Roy Buchanan (1939-1988) was a wonderful exponent of the blues and one of the greatest champions of the Fender Telecaster sound.

It has been said that Buchanan had been approached by The Rolling Stones following the death of Brian Jones but their lifestyle on and off the road did not appeal to him. Like Mick Taylor who would replace Jones, Buchanan was too much of a soloist in my opinion to fit into a band like the Stones and he managed to carve out a niche career with his unique sound and style of playing.

This is a very good album, released in 1973 he covers Hey Joe and dedicates it to Jimi Hendrix who had made it so famous in 1967. The rest of the album is made up of original songs mostly written by Buchanan. Featuring Billy Price on vocals, Dick Heintze on keyboards, John Harrison on bass and Robbie Magruder on drums it’s a solid blues album. Buchanan shines throughout and the Telecaster in particular demands clean playing with nowhere to hide and Buchanan could adapt to any blues style or tempo with consummate ease. It’s a spill-over from the Blues boom of the late Sixties and whilst those early exponents mostly went down a more commercial route Buchanan stuck to his roots. The title track begins with a Hendrix inspired chord progression followed by a Cream/Ten Years After style vocal and is my favourite track on the album.

The Best Guitar Player You Never Heard Of was an apt nickname for Buchanan. He never reached the heights he deserved and his life was cut tragically short like only a blues man could have been; an alcoholic who died in jail from an apparent suicide.