great albums with only 1 guitar track

[d-bolan]

I've been thinking a lot lately about bands with only one guitar player that don't overdub on records. I played in a punk trio in my teens and from the moment I learned about double tracking and panning, that's what I did. I've been in a 2 guitar band ever since and so I haven't had to deal with it much.

The first police record. Pretty much one guitar throughout no? Other great examples? What are/were mixing approaches for this?

Someone once told me that on that first Van Halen record that they had done some crazy panning stuff, like the guitar reverb was on the left and the bass reverb was on the right or something along those lines.

[inverseroom]

Nick Drake Pink Moon
Minutemen Double Nickels on the Dime

[JGriffin]

Someone once told me that on that first Van Halen record that they had done some crazy panning stuff, like the guitar reverb was on the left and the bass reverb was on the right or something along those lines.

It's dry guitar on one side, guitar reverb return on the other. Bass is up the middle and mixed so low as to not really contribute much.

[A-Barr]

Nick Drake Pink Moon
Minutemen Double Nickels on the Dime

Pink Moon is my favorite ND album, largely due to its lack of overdubs ...and I love overdubs!

I don't think the live Band of Gypsies stuff ever suffered from lack of backing guitar tracks.

...then there is all of jazz.

[kayagum]

double tracking and panning

Between Smashing Pumpkins and Metallica, the road to multi-tracking guitar hell started a long time ago....

[MoreSpaceEcho]

Bass is up the middle and mixed so low as to not really contribute much.

interviewer: so, what sort of approach did you use to record the bass on VH1?
ted templeman: uuuhhhh....erm...yunno...i don't remember...whatever. when you have a guitar player like THAT in front of you, you tend to not worry about the bass too much.

most of the shellac stuff is just one crazy sounding guitar.

the first 5ive style record, and the heroic doses record, both featuring MY HERO bill dolan, are mostly just one guitar.

the meters

[kayagum]

Other "no overdub" classics:

Television- Marquee Moon (pretty much the whole album, but especially the title track)

Lou Reed- New York (OK, there were 2 guitar tracks, but there are 2 guitar players- famously Lou on the left)

Richard Thompson- a lot of his stuff sounds like overdubs, but that's because he's a monster guitar player. Check out "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" from "Rumour and Sigh". Or the title track to "Shoot Out the Lights". Or....

[ashcat_lt]

Kinda thinking this belongs over in use your ears, but i'll contribute...

Much of the the Doors stuff.

The first few Low albums are mostly just one guitar, one bass, one cymbal, and one drum.

[kayagum]

Ooh, another one: Billy Bragg- all of his early albums (encompassed in "Back to Basics").

[lionaudio]

Early Ramones!! bass on one side,, guitar on the other..

[Jeff White]

the first 5ive style record, and the heroic doses record, both featuring MY HERO bill dolan, are mostly just one guitar.

YES!!! that guy's incredible!!! Like Jimmy Page at his best's best playing-wise falling down the stairs and landing on his feet every time. Genius.

I'm breaking out some 5ive Style tonight!

[these_go211]

van halen I, II, and women and children first.

[Dubalator]

Any of the early stuff by The Meters.

[Mane1234]

Hellyea Double Nickels On The Dime and most other Minutemen stuff...Might as well toss some Black Flag in there like Damaged...Great album...Much early punk and hardcore...Minor Threat Out Of Step....

Who needs 96 channels of ProTools anyways....

[Miles]

Entertainment, Gang of Four.