Continuing the tributes to artists that often work behind the scenes and do not get the credit they are due.
Dick Wagner & Steve Hunter are two great guitarists that often worked together. Unfortunately, Dick Wagner passed away in 2014. They had a long relationship with famed producer Bob Ezrin, who often relied on them as session musicians on albums he was producing. They did session work with Aerosmith, Kiss, and the original Alice Cooper group, among many others. Here’s a link to an older article (Feb 1998) getting into their work together.
Most notably in their long careers, they were the guitar backstops for two legendary artists, Lou Reed and Alice Cooper. They joined Lou Reed, playing on his live albums Rock and Roll Animal, and Lou Reed, Live. They worked with Alice Cooper when the Alice Cooper group disbanded and he started his solo career with Welcome to My Nightmare. With both artists, they often collaborated on guitar arrangements that would allow them to showcase their individual talents as well as to create legendary guitar duels.
The playlist here includes individual work: Steve Hunter with his first band, Mitch Ryder’s Detroit; and Dick Wagner with his second band, The Frost. They also played together on Peter Gabriel’s first solo album, from which two tracks are included. Finally, there are three songs from their work with Alice Cooper.
I’ve also included Lou Reed’s Rock ’n’ Roll Animal, which I think is a tremendous album, and really highlights how these two great guitarists work so well together in the creation of classic rock.