The Greatest Loss Of 2009

Everyone will probably remember 2009 in music for the one "icon" with the nice sculptured nose, the hit singles, comeback tour that never happened but the 120 hours of rehearsal footage which grossed hundreds of millions worldwide. But for anyone who has been stubborn or nutty enough to decide to make a go in the music business, the little old man with the tongue sticking out has had a greater influence than anyone before or since probably ever has. You see, he could go from any guitar store from Auckland, New Zealand to Anchorage Alaska (well, not that there are many if you travel East to Anchorage, but I meant heading West, the long way around) and find one with his name on it. Well, not his birth name of Lester William Polsfuss, but a short, snappier stage name.

Les Paul passed away in August, but what he did for the business is more than Mr. Jackson could ever do. Paul started back in the 40s, developing instruments and equipment in his head that had yet to be found. The electric guitar was a start, and many would give him deserved kudos for that alone, but putting that sound out to the masses was perhaps his biggest coup.

He invented the eight-track recorder (not the eight-track and its idiotic playing sequence) for studio recording. And in an interview with Popmatters a few years back (one I jumped at but never got), Paul also mentioned making these: the first solid body electric guitar, bass guitar, the use of echoing, delay, reverb and phasing. Basically every little trick that a guitar-driven rock band still uses today Paul is responsible for.

Legend has it he once entered a recording studio where the Rolling Stones were working on an album. While talking with an unaware Ronnie Wood (not that he's aware now), Paul proceeded to point to every piece of equipment in the studio. "Do you see that?" "Yeah." "I built that." "Do you see this recording console?" "Yeah." "Yeah, I made that too."

So when the world mourned the loss of the so-called "King of Pop," Les Paul is often not given anywhere close to the same amount of ink. However he's remembered in probably one (if not several) songs in your cd/iTunes/record/eight-track collection, provided your play list isn't classical. Oasis, Clapton, Zeppelin, Stones, Green Day, Metallica, Beatles, Rush, Neil Young, David Bowie, Pearl Jam, U2 all have Mr. Paul to thank.

RIP my good man, RIP.