Robert Quine

Robert Quine
Robert Quine (first from right) as part of Richard Hell and the Voidoids in 1977
Robert Quine (first from right) as part of Richard Hell and the Voidoids in 1977
Background information
Birth nameRobert Wolfe Quine
Born(1942-12-30)December 30, 1942
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
DiedMay 31, 2004(2004-05-31) (aged 61)
New York City, U.S.
GenresRock
OccupationMusician
InstrumentElectric guitar
Years active1975–2004
LabelsSire, RCA, Infidelity, Lust/Unlust, Zoo Entertainment, Red Star, Tzadik

Robert Wolfe Quine (December 30, 1942 – May 31, 2004) was an American guitarist. A native of Akron, Ohio, Quine worked with a wide range of musicians, though he himself remained relatively unknown. Critic Mark Deming wrote that "Quine's eclectic style embraced influences from jazz, rock, and blues players of all stripes, and his thoughtful technique and uncompromising approach led to rewarding collaborations with a number of visionary musicians."[1]

His collaborators included Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Lou Reed (notably on The Blue Mask), Brian Eno,[2] John Zorn, Ikue Mori, Marc Ribot, Marianne Faithfull (Strange Weather), Lloyd Cole, Matthew Sweet and Tom Waits.

Lester Bangs wrote that he was a "pivotal figure" and "the first guitarist to take the breakthroughs of early Lou Reed and James Williamson and work through them to a new, individual vocabulary, driven into odd places by obsessive attention to On the Corner-era Miles Davis."[3] Quine was ranked 80th by Rolling Stone magazine's David Fricke in his list of "100 Greatest Guitarists".[4]

  1. ^ "Robert Quine - Biography & History - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  2. ^ "Robert Quine interview- Perfect Sound Forever". Furious.com. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  3. ^ Bangs, Lester (ed. Greil Marcus) (1987, 2003). Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung. Anchor Books (a division of Random House). New York. ISBN 0-679-72045-6
  4. ^ Fricke, David (December 3, 2010). "100 Greatest Guitarists: David Fricke's Picks". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 3, 2018.