Robert Quine

Punk rock guitar hero Robert Quine has died of a heroin overdose, at age 61. His lead guitar work on Richard Hell & the Voidoids' "Blank Generation" was particularly phenomenal, but he also contributed significantly to two more of my favorite albums--Lou Reed's New Sensations and Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend--along with albums by Tom Waits, Lloyd Cole, John Zorn and Marianne Faithfull, among others.

"Robert Quine was a magnificent guitar player--an original and innovative tyro of the vintage beast. 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 sun. 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." --Lou Reed

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