Thread by @sheilakathleen

It's the birthday of the father of the power-chord and all-around rock 'n roll icon, Link Wray. A little thread. #LinkWray #BOTD

First, we have to talk about "Rumble." "Rumble" (1958) was considered so dangerous that radio stations refused to play it. **"Rumble" is an instrumental**. In Twitter-ese: Let that sink in.

And you know what? The people who were afraid of it weren’t wrong. Those who were afraid of “Rumble” sensed correctly that the song was part of what was shattering society's status quo. Step aside, grown-ups. The kids are in charge now. And they're all on motorcycles.

"It's the sexiest toughest chord change in all of rock 'n roll." -- Steven Van Zandt on "Rumble". More guitarist appreciation from that interview, included in the documentary Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World.

"The first time I heard 'Rumble' ... it was something that had so much profound attitude ..." -- Jimmy Page. Here, he listens to Link Wray's "Rumble" and talks about it:

I love how Jimmy Page just bursts out laughing when he's listening to the Link Wray record (in Tweet above). He can't contain it. The sound is still so audacious. It hasn't "dated" at all. It's a MONSTER.

Link Wray tells the story of how "Rumble" was born - almost by accident. (Naturally, I am happy about his shirt). LW: "Now the kids are screaming because now something is happening."

"Rumble" is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the "singles" category. But Link Wray is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Which is kind of like a film being nominated for every Oscar EXCEPT Best Director. #LinkWray

I'll just pull out a couple of my fave tracks. In his version of "Good Rockin' Tonight" when he wails “Have you heard the news? There’s good rockin’ tonight” it sounds like a threat. And when he goes up the octave? Run for cover.

His version of "Fever" is pure sex.

I am trying to picture turning on the TV in 1959, complacent, thinking I know what I'm about to see ... and then hearing ... this. I'd be SHOOK.

He grew up in a town dominated by the KKK, and his family (Shawnee) was persecuted, crosses burned on their lawns. They would hide and put blankets over the windows. His music says in no uncertain terms: “You do not want to mess with me.”

I jsut realized there's only one live clip in this whole thread - so I'll close it out with a clip of him in 1974 doing "Mystery Train." #LinkWray

Link Wray fans and guitar nerds: fave LW tracks? Thoughts?