Overview

Go beyond power chords and pumped fists with this six-string symposium

Celebrating the artistry of the alternative rock guitarist, this volume offers a counter-history of rock music through interviews with guitarists from the most innovative bands on the scene. The in-depth discussions—which include conversations with Richard Thompson, J Mascis, James Williamson, Bob Mould, Tom Verlaine, Lydia Lunch, Lee Ranaldo, Johnny Marr, and John Frusciante—fully explore their ideas and innovations. The interviews, as a whole, stand as a document to the alternative-guitar tradition with roots in free jazz, punk, avant-garde, folk, and garage-rock styles. Of particular interest is the conversation between the guitarists themselves, how they both influence and respond to each other and redefine the instrument and the rock genre. From the protopunk of the Stooges to the postpunk of Sonic Youth, from the “Krautrock” of Neu! to the postrock of Tortoise, this book charts the alternative thread as it makes its way through rock guitar from the late 1960s to the present.

Reviews

“David Todd’s Feeding Back is essential reading. And his conversations with alternative guitarists are unfailingly fascinating. His approach is not axe-ist, which is to say, he focuses on the uses of the guitar as a songwriting tool, and rarely slips into gear talk or other muso-musings. His introductions to each conversation are extremely well-written, and he comes prepared to every interview, in some cases knowing more about the artist’s back catalog than the artist him- or herself. (Refreshingly, Todd doesn’t confine his interviews to players of one gender). Feeding Back isn’t just for guitar aficionados; it’s for anyone who loves music. This is the best rock book I’ve read in many, many years.” —James Greer, musician and author of Guided by Voices: A Brief History

Author Biography