Chrome Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 This guy was something else ... Guitarist Robert Quine found dead Played with Lou Reed, Tom Waits, Matthew Sweet Tuesday, June 8, 2004 Posted: 8:50 AM EDT (1250 GMT) LOS ANGELES, California/NEW YORK (Billboard) -- Guitarist Robert Quine, one of punk rock's most daring soloists, was found dead Saturday in his New York apartment. He was 61. According to close friend and guitar maker Rick Kelly, who discovered Quine's body, the musician died of a heroin overdose Memorial Day weekend. He had been despondent over the recent death of his wife. Born in Akron, Ohio, Quine was heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground, whose music he recorded obsessively while living in San Francisco. He moved to New York in 1971 and became the lead guitarist for bassist Richard Hell's important group the Voidoids, with whom he recorded two albums. His skittering, unpredictable work with Hell defined the possibilities of punk guitar. During the '80s, he recorded and toured frequently with Lou Reed and played on saxophonist/composer John Zorn's best-known albums. Quine made key guest appearances on Tom Waits' "Rain Dogs" (1985) and Marianne Faithfull's "Strange Weather" (1987). In 1989, he began a long association with Matthew Sweet; he also worked regularly with Lloyd Cole. In 2001, Universal released a three-CD box of Quine's live 1969 recordings of the Velvet Underground, "The Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes." "Robert Quine was a magnificent guitar player -- an original and innovative tyro of the vintage beast," Reed said in a statement released to Billboard.com. "He was an extraordinary mixture of taste, intelligence and rock'n'roll abilities coupled with major technique and a scholar's memory for every decent guitar lick ever played under the musical son. He made tapes for me for which I am eternally grateful -- tapes of the juiciest parts of solos from players long gone. "Quine was smarter than them all. And the proof is in the recordings, some of which happily are mine. If you can find more interesting sounds and musical clusters than Quine on 'Waves of Fear' (from Reed's 1982 album "The Blue Mask"), well, it's probably something else by Robert." "He was a marvelous guitarist, a soulful music lover with high standards and had an eviscerating wit," Patti Smith Band drummer Jay Dee Daugherty told Billboard.com. "He did not suffer fools gladly, but made up for it with a thinly disguised generosity of spirit." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Burke Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 Yea, my friend just sent me an article about this. Bad news..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 Wow - that is sad. How does a guy like that get to be 61? Too bad he had to go that way ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man with the Golden Arm Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 (edited) >>RIP<< Edited June 8, 2004 by Man with the Golden Arm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Skid Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 Just finished listening to Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend. I had forgotten what a great disc this was, and how much I loved Robert's guitar playing on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Burke Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 (edited) Just finished listening to Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend. I had forgotten what a great disc this was, and how much I loved Robert's guitar playing on it. I had forgotten how amazing that album cover is. Wow....! Don't remember Quine being on this one. I'll definately dig it out so I can give it a spin tonight. Edited June 8, 2004 by Brandon Burke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 Oh, man, that's sad. I have some vinyl of Reed's early 80's band (LIVE IN ITALY) w/Quine on guitar that's just great... He figures in most of the books I've read about the 70s NYC scene. Bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Skid Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 Don't remember Quine being on this one. I'll definately dig it out so I can give it a spin tonight. Yeah, I didn't either. He's also on Sweet's 100% Fun, which is sounding really good now. Pop music with a punk edge -- Sweet is a good songwriter, and the guitar work on both albums keeps things interesting. Lloyd Cole and Richard Lloyd also play on Girlfriend; Quine is on 10 out of the 15 tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chaney Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 A truly wonderful guitarist that I knew mainly through his work with Lou 'LOU!' Reed. I had heard about this yesterday but at that time his death was being attributed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. (Is it still called a wound if it leads to death?) Glad I kept quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTMX Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 Time to break out Zorn's Filmworks, Volumes 1 & 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 Sad news indeed. RIP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Good remembrance of Quine on Fresh Air today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 Listened to "Basic" with Fred Maher tonight. An interesting and under-rated album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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