Review: Wired For Sound – A Guitar Odyssey

Wired For Sound – A Guitar Odyssey
Mpi Home Video

Street: 06.26

Wired For Sound documents the role of the Gibson guitar throughout the evolution of rock music. Through interviews and a dash of live music, we see how, from the very beginning of its blossoming from the blues, rock has been intrinsically bound to the Gibson guitar. The interviewees are a diverse and well-qualified bunch; from Tom Petty and Robert Krieger all the way to Tony Iommi and Steve Perry and back to Travis Tritt.

They all tell slightly entertaining stories about themselves and how much they love guitars and even do a little bit of playing for the camera. I’m pretty sure they were primed a bit to never mention the “F” word (Fender) because they all hold Gibson guitars during the interview and never mention that other brand that was so very present during the same time period. Despite the rather commercial flavor this biased angle gives, the video fans of classic rock will find a lot to watch and appreciate here. However, there is one problem that I cannot forgive with this film. They forgot Jimmy Page.

Ok, I’m guessing that nobody forgot Jimmy, I’m sure he told them to go wank themselves when he was approached about the film, but doesn’t that basically sink the whole idea? Go ahead and pretend like nobody has heard of a Stratocaster if you wish, and go ahead and pretend that the guitarist from Hootie and the Blowfish is someone whose opinion we give a shit about, but for fuck’s sake don’t make a damned movie about the Gibson guitar and rock and roll and pretend like Jimmy Page didn’t single handedly make the Les Paul the rock guitar of the twentieth century. –Jesse Kennedy