Whether or not nature or nurture, it appears inevitable that Tony Gilkyson would develop into a musician. His father, Terry, was a people singer who wrote hits for Dean Martin, Frankie Laine, and Disney (“The Naked Requirements”), and sister Eliza is an acclaimed singer/songwriter.

An alumnus of country-rock’s Lone Justice and punk-rockers X, the 71-year-old has recorded with Peter Rowan, Exene Cervenka, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Alice Cooper. His newest solo album, the instrumental Avenging Angel, deftly charts from a “light-hearted Bakersfield romp” to noir moods, from cool R&B to blistering nation twang.

 After two solo albums with vocals, why all-instrumental this day trip?
I noticed how necessary instrumental music was to me, from the very starting of my listening to well-liked music. The very first songs that rocked my world as a boy had been “Evening Practice” by James Brown and Elmer Bernstein’s “Stroll On The Wild Aspect.” I used to be mesmerized by Travis Wammack’s “Scratchy,” and the James Brown instrumental “Suds” with Les Buie acquired my consideration. For years, I attempted to determine who the guitar participant was on Nelson Riddle’s “Route 66 Theme.” (Ed Observe: The lead guitarist was Tony Rizzi, and Bob Bain doubled the upright bass on Danelectro six-string bass.) And Chuck Berry, after all; the final two solo choruses in “No Explicit Place To Go” grabbed me.

On some songs, you’re doing nation choosing in a funk tune.
Very observant of you (laughs)! To me, all of it comes out of the identical factor; sadly, a form of cultural ignorance goes into attitudes about them. I believe they’re very intently aligned.

Rob Douglas [bassist/producer] was invaluable for this document, as a result of he’s acquired an incredible ear, and he all the time got here by with perspective and concepts.

Did you undergo phases of absorbing this model or that?
Sure. This can be a document by somebody who has assimilated this, that, and the opposite with a reasonably very long time in every. Once I acquired into nation, I appreciated Roy Nichols’ taking part in as a result of he may play lighthearted fantastically, however he may get a bit of darkish, too. I may detect anger in his taking part in. I used to be additionally taken with Amos Garrett – and baffled by how the hell he did what he did. The primary Nice Speckled Chicken album is fairly mind-boggling, and the albums he did with Geoff and Maria Muldaur, and Paul Butterfield’s Higher Days. Harvey Mandel’s taking part in on Charlie Musselwhite’s first document, Stand Again, was very putting to me. You immediately comprehend it’s him. And his solo album, Cristo Redentor – what a beautiful document. I jumped into Jesse Ed Davis wholeheartedly; he and J.J. Cale had been so understated, however in a method that acquired your consideration. I’m impressed with guitar gamers who understate greater than overstate.

Did you do a lot session work, and was it difficult?
You imply ass-clenching (laughs)? Certain. Nothing too horrific involves thoughts, however in all honesty, taking part in on the Stroll The Line soundtrack was not simple replicating Luther Perkins. I “do Tony” fairly good, however I used to be not a reader, and it’s a really intense setting, in all probability not well-suited for me.

What had been your experiences in Lone Justice and X like?
Lone Justice was all hillbilly stuff, and Maria McKee was the real article. I didn’t get enamored with X till their third document, Extra Enjoyable In The New World, as a result of it appeared more-vulnerable, displaying extra of their influences. Once I left Lone Justice, I stated, “I’m simply not gonna be in bands anymore; I’m gonna do my factor… until X calls.”

Dave Alvin and I had each left bands and had been chomping on the bit to blow our brains out on guitar. Within the late ’70s and early ’80s, guitar was reinventing in a method that was actually based mostly on feeling. Decrease it; don’t make an enormous manufacturing out of it. That actually resonated with me. Once I first noticed the Blasters, Dave had perhaps three guitar licks, however he had extra charisma than lots of guitarists who had greater vocabularies. It slot in the identical method that Keith Richards matches. To me, punk-rock in bands just like the Ramones was liberation at its absolute best. You had been in a position to develop into part of the music so that you just’re forgetting the mundane in your life.

What gear did you utilize on the album?
The beat-up Kay Sizzler has been my main guitar for 25 years. I acquired it from Subway Guitars, in Berkeley, and it had probably the most fantastic neck, however I wasn’t loopy about these Kay pickups. I put reissue Filter’Trons in it, which had been overwound and nothing like authentic Filter’Trons. However by a clean-sounding amp, it’s nice. My major amps had been a Tremendous Reverb with CTS audio system and a Gibson GA-20.

I additionally used my Creston Tele that’s wired out-of-phase, and I performed my Concord Patrician round-hole by a Leslie on “Zanak Panak.” That tune is based on the idea that Xanax is form of the major-Seventh chord of anti-anxiety medicines – efficient however creepy.

This text initially appeared in VG’s January 2024 problem. All copyrights are by the writer and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.