On January 8th, 1991, Steve Clark passed away. He was a former co-lead guitarist and one of the founders of Def Leppard. He wasn't about shredding for the sake of shredding. Sure, the guy was incredibly talented, but his solos weren't just a blizzard of notes. He was all about melody, about making you feel something. Imagine a storyteller, weaving a captivating tale with his guitar instead of words; his musical guitar ideas were very vocal-like. It made it easier to craft a lyric that matched a mood and build a lyric around, and an example of this was the 1981 classic “Mirror Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)” That was pure Steve.
He knew a great solo wasn't about showing off, (but check out the opening and closing solo intro & outro to 1983’s “Photograph” when he lit it up) it was about serving the song not his ego. He'd craft these memorable phrases, these little musical hooks that would get stuck in your head for days. And his tone? Oh man, that Gibson Black Beauty with the Kahler tremolo – a sound unlike any other Gibson player. He even had these special coil tap Dirty Finger switches to split the pickups, giving him even more tonal options. And those GHS Boomers strings? Snappy and bright, perfect for his style as he was a giant rockstar on stage.
But here's the thing: Steve wasn't just a gearhead. He had a deep understanding of how music worked. He knew how to make every note count, and how to build tension and release like a musical orgasm. That's why he was such a huge influence on so many guitarists and music fans.
His riffs and solos showed you a technique and tone that was unique to him (Check out his melodic and warm 1987 classic song “Hysteria”) But honestly, the best way to understand Steve Clark is to just listen, listen to it all, like his slide guitar work on "Action Not Words". Let his music wash over you and feel the emotion, the passion, the sheer joy of Steve Clark’s guitar playing.
Steve Clark was my generation’s Jimmy Page. RIP Steve
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