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Robert Quine

1942-2004
guitarist's guitarist

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Robert Quine and Basic album To those in the know, Robert Quine is one of the most original and influential guitarists of the past 25 years. A founding member of the groundbreaking punk rock ensemble, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Quine has gone on to collaborate with a diverse array of musicians during his career, including: Lou Reed, Brian Eno, John Zorn, Matthew Sweet, Tom Waits, Lloyd Cole, They Might Be Giants, and Marianne Faithfull.

Quine's guitar speaks with a distinctive and versatile voice that immediately identifies him. Shrieks of feedback, throbbing drones, fractured chords, and keening lead lines are all part of Quine's sonic vocabulary - one that often leaves the listener feeling assaulted, yet enlightened. are the introductory words in the bio section about the late great Robert Quine at Steve Caratzas' exceptional Robert Quine web site. It includes a number of photographs and the following sections: bio, recordings, influences, gear, current projects, ask quine, and links

Ex-Richard Hell and the Voidoids guitarist Robert Quine, following his attention-grabbing appearance on Lou Reed's The Blue Mask, joined up with former Material drummer Fred Maher and recorded an instrumental album, entitled Basic, devoted to Quine's gutsy guitar playing. Along with Richard Lloyd, Quine went on to lend his instrumental support to some of Matthew Sweet's best work in the 1990s, among other session assignments. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

He was an extraordinary mixture of taste, intelligence and rock 'n' roll abilities, coupled with major technique and a scholar's memory for every decent guitar lick ever played under the musical sun, Lou Reed said in a statement quoted by thestate.com.

As his cousin Tim Quine wrote in Encounters with Quine, My cousin Robert Quine was a bona fide guitar hero (number 80 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" - right after Cliff Gallup of Be Bop a Lula fame and before Derek Trucks).

This page is maintained by Douglas Boynton Quine; please E-Mail recommended additions, or corrections to the webmaster: [webmaster]

Robert Quine Famous Quotes at 1-famous-quotes.com

Robert Quine Musical Memorials

  • June 12, 2004 (1-3 pm): Rick Kelly's Carmine St. Guitars, 42 Carmine Street, Greenwich Village, NY, NY
  • July 31, 2004 (9 pm): Light A Candle for Quine memorial initiated by Michael Carlucci of Subterranean Records, 5 Cornelia Street, NY, NY
  • December 4, 2004 (3-8 pm): CBGB's Gallery, 313 Bowery, Greenwich Village, NY, NY
    Tributes, Musical and Otherwise From 25 of QUINE'S Friends and Colleagues
    Hosted by Marc Ribot, Jim Marshall, Ivan Julian, Richard Hell, and Jody Harris with
    Roberta Bayley, Susan Beschta, Steve Caratzas, Michael Carlucci, James Chance, Don Fleming, Bill Frisell, Jason Gross, Jody Harris, Richard Hell, David Hofstra, John Holmstrom, Ivan Julian, Legs McNeil, Jim Marshall, Bill Milkowski, Thurston Moore, Jenny Muldaur, John Picarella, Sylvia Reed, Marc Ribot, Saito, The Shams, Hugh Shirato, Syd Straw, Hal Wilner, Yo La Tengo, John Zorn

Robert Quine Links / Reviews / Web Sites

  • Nightclubbing | Richard Hell and the Voidoids: As Pat Ivers and Emily Armstrong continue sorting through their archives of punk-era concert footage to digitize it for the Downtown Collection at N.Y.U.’s Fales Library, they have uncovered some archival video of Richard Hell and the Voidoids with Rob Quine - http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/nightclubbing-richard-hell-and-the-voidoids/. They also provide a brief history and photographs of the group (Aug. 20, 2012).

  • Robert Quine: The Hits a well illustrated compliation of Robert Quine's hits (musical and physical) by cousin Tim Quine (May 31, 2010)

  • Encounters with Quine a musical and personal review (March 26, 2010) by cousin Tim Quine with musical links and personal anecdotes

  • RobertQuine.com comprehensive web site by Steve Caratzas

  • Someday Quine will be recognized for the pivotal figure that he is on his instrument - he is 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. - Lester Bangs article on Clash (1977)

Robert Quine Interviews

  • Interview by Jason Gross (November 1997) Who is Robert Quine? According to him, he 'remains one of the most compelling, appalling and universally hated figures in music history.' If you think that's a little too generous, Kenneth Coleman has written his own tribute to Quine. Let me just say that I don't see how you can just say that Quine is a sideman or collaborator who happened to work with Richard Hell, Lou Reed, Brian Eno, Tom Waits, Matthew Sweet and others- he's been an important part of their music, critically shaping it. Since most of his work has been working with these better-known performers, he hasn't become a household name himself. His guitar playing is certainly distinctive enough to warrant this but the fact is that he technically has only two albums to his name (both collaborations). Even so, anyone familiar with his work is rabid about him as I found out when I asked around to drill up some support for this interview. Any old session man can play the right notes in time but Quine just plain TEARS IT UP and takes no prisoners. You KNOW when he plays a solo. How about calling him a guitarist's guitarist? You get the picture. ....

  • Noise Annoys: Guitar Adventures With Robert Quine: I-94 Bar Interview (May 2000) A handful of songs into just one album, and Robert Quine had staked a claim as one of the most distinctive guitar sounds on the New York punk scene. Quine was part of that small but influential coterie of musicians, artists-turned-musicians and assorted dilettantes that populated a seedy ex-biker bar called "CBGB and OMFUG" at 315 The Bowery, on the Big Apple's seamy Lower East Side. He was the principal guitarist in Richard Hell and the Voidoids, a unique quartet spitting out some of the New Wave's most disturbing music. pdf1 pdf2

Robert Quine Videos

  • Nightclubbing | Richard Hell and the Voidoids: As Pat Ivers and Emily Armstrong continue sorting through their archives of punk-era concert footage to digitize it for the Downtown Collection at N.Y.U.’s Fales Library, they have uncovered some archival video of Richard Hell and the Voidoids with Rob Quine - http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/nightclubbing-richard-hell-and-the-voidoids/. They also provide a brief history and photographs of the group (Aug. 20, 2012).

  • Posthumous release of Robert Quine playing lead guitar on King Cocktail's Your Lead or Mine Robert Quine, Posthumous release with King CocktailNYC's King Cocktail Featuring Robert (Bob) Quine On Lead Guitar
    Many years ago, when I lived in NYC, my friend, Robert "Bob" Quine graciously accepted an invitation from my band at the time, King Cocktail, to record lead on one of our songs, "Your Place or Mine". This track was never released, and shows the amazing talent of one of rocks most under rated, and under appreciated avant gard players, my friend, Quine. The song is called "Your Place or Mine" and features Quine on lead guitar. Hope you like it. R.I.P. Quine - January 8, 2013

  • A Night With Lou Reed DVD with Robert Quine (1983 concert at the Bottom Line in New York City performance on DVD, released January 12, 1999)
    1. Sweet Jane
    2. I'm Waiting for My Man
    3. Martial Law
    4. Don't Talk To Me About Work
    5. Women
    6. Waves of FearRobert Quine, A Night with Lou Reed
    7. Wild Side
    8. Turn Out The Lights
    9. New Age
    10. Kill Your Sons
    11. Satellite Of Love
    12. White Light / White Heat
    13. Rock 'N' Roll

  • Robert Quine, Coney Island Baby videoConey Island Baby: Live in Jersey video by Lou Reed with Robert Quine (1987 performance on VHS, released August 26, 1992)
    1. Sweet Jane
    2. I'm Waiting for My Man
    3. Martial Law
    4. Legendary Hearts
    5. The She Goes Again
    6. Walk On The Wild Side
    7. New Sensations
    8. The Gift
    9. Doing The Things That We Want To Do
    10. I Love You Suzanne
    11. Coney Island Baby
    12. White Light / White Heat

Robert Quine Albums / Discography (incomplete)

Robert Quine's discography by Steve Caratzas

  • Robert Quine and Blank Generation albumBlank Generation by Richard Hell & Voidoids (including Robert Quine) - 1977 (CD May 18, 1990)
    1. Love Comes in Spurts
    2. Liars Beware
    3. New Pleasure
    4. Betrayal Takes Two
    5. Down at the Rock & Roll Club [Alternate Version]
    6. Who Says? (It's Good to Be Alive)
    7. Blank Generation
    8. Walking on the Water
    9. Plan
    10. Another World
    11. I'm Your Man
    12. All the Way

  • Robert Quine, Queen of Siam albumQueen of Siam by Lydia Lunch with Robert Quine (I'm told) - 1979 (August 11, 1998 on CD)
    1. Mechanical Flattery
    2. Gloomy Sunday
    3. Tied And Twist
    4. Spooky
    5. Los Banditos
    6. Atomic Bongos
    7. Lady Scarface
    8. A Cruise To The Moon
    9. Carnival Fat Man
    10. Knives In The Drain
    11. Blood Of Tin
  • Material - Temporary Music 1 (1981)
  • Robert Quine - Escape (with Jody Harris) (1981)
  • Robert Quine and Destiny Street albumDestiny Street by Richard Hell with Robert Quine - 1982 (CD August 22, 1995)
    1. The Kid With The Replaceable Head
    2. You Gotta Move
    3. Going Going Gone
    4. Lowest Common Dominator
    5. Downtown At Dawn
    6. Time
    7. I Can Only Give You Everything
    8. Ignore That Door
    9. Staring In Her Eyes
    10. Destiny Steet

  • Robert Quine and Blue Mask albumBlue Mask by Lou Reed with Robert Quine - 1982 (CD: February 9, 1999). Robert Quine says "In the early 80's, I finally had a chance to play guitar with Lou Reed, an association that lasted nearly 4 years. Some great things came out of it, and I'm especially proud of the album"
    1. My House
    2. Women
    3. Underneath the Bottle
    4. Gun
    5. Blue Mask
    6. Average Guy
    7. Heroine
    8. Waves of Fear
    9. Day John Kennedy Died
    10. Heavenly Arms

  • Material - Red Tracks (1982)
  • Get Crazy - film soundtrack (1983)
  • Lou Reed - Legendary Hearts (1983)
  • Lou Reed - Live in Italy (1984)
  • John Zorn - The Big Gundown (1984)
  • Richard Hell & the Voidoids - R.I.P.: The ROIR Sessions (1984)
  • Robert Quine and Fred Maher, Basic albumBasic by Robert Quine and Fred Maher - 1984 (June 28, 1996 on CD)
    1. Pick Up
    2. Bluffer
    3. Fala
    4. Stray
    5. Summer Storm
    6. 65
    7. Dark Place
    8. Despair
    9. Village
    10. Bandage Bait

  • Tom Waits - Rain Dogs (1985)
  • Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche 85 (1985)
  • Wiseblood - Dirtdish (1986)
  • John Zorn - Spillane (1986)
  • Marianne Faithfull - Strange Weather (1987)
  • Matthew Sweet - Earth (1989)
  • Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Funhunt (Live at CBGB & Max's) (1990)
  • Lloyd Cole - Lloyd Cole (1990)
  • Lloyd Cole - Don't Get Weird On Me Babe (1991)
  • Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend (1991)
  • Dim Stars - Dim Stars (1992)
  • Brian Eno - Nerve Net (1992)
  • Lou Reed - Between Thought and Expression (1992)
  • Suzanne Rhatigan - To Hell With Love (1992)
  • John Zorn - Film Works 1986-1990 (1992)
  • Hal Willner - Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus (1992)
  • The Odds - Bedbugs (1993)
  • Matthew Sweet - Altered Beast (1993)
  • Sion - I Don't Like Myself (1993)
  • Matthew Sweet - Son of Altered Beast (1994)
  • They Might Be Giants - John Henry (1994)
  • Lloyd Cole - Love Story (1995)
  • Mike Mainieri - Come Together: Guitar Tribute to the Beatles, Vol. 2 (1995)
  • Richard Hell - Go Now (1995)
  • Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun (1995)
  • Matthew Sweet - We're the Same (1995)
  • Mikel Erentxun - El Abrazo Del Erizo (1995)
  • John Zorn - Film Works V: Tears of Ecstacy (1996)
  • Material - Secret Life (1996)
  • Corin Curschellas - Valdun - Voices of Rumantsch (1997)
  • Robert Quine and Painted Desert albumPainted Desert by Ikue Mori with Robert Quine - May 20, 1997
    1. Mojave
    2. Medicine Man
    3. Desperado
    4. Cheyenne
    5. El Dorado
    6. Santa Ana Excursion
    7. Gundown
    8. Painted Desert

  • John Zorn - Film Works III (1997)
  • John Zorn - Film Works IV: S & M (1997)
  • John Zorn - Film Works VII: Cynical Hysterie Hour (1997)
  • John Zorn - Great Jewish Music: Burt Bacharach (1997)
  • Reiss - Vibe of Life (1998)
  • John Zorn - Bribe (1998)
  • Material - Best of Material (1999)
  • John Zorn - Godard/Spillane (1999)
  • Richard Hell & the Voidoids - 'Oh' - MUSICBLITZ.com (2000)
  • Kazuyoshi Saito - Cold Tube (2000)
  • The Odds - Singles - Individually Wrapped (2000)
  • Sion - Songs (2000)
  • Wayne Kramer Presents Beyond Cyberpunk (2001)
  • Andre Williams - Bait and Switch (2001)
  • [Quine Tapes] The Velvet Underground: Bootleg Series volume 1: The Quine Tapes (2001) (recorded at Velvet Underground concerts in 1969 by Robert Quine). A long awaited and already acclaimed set of 3 Velvet Underground CDs
  • Lloyd Cole - Etc. (2001)
  • Richard Hell - Time (2002)
  • Michael DuClos - Lustro (2002)
  • Tom Clark and the High Action Boys - Cross-Eyed and Bow-Legged (2002)
  • Lys Guillorn - Lys Guillorn (2003)

Robert Quine Obituaries and Anniversary Rememberances

  • Posthumous release of Robert Quine playing lead guitar on King Cocktail's Your Lead or Mine Robert Quine, Posthumous release with King CocktailNYC's King Cocktail Featuring Robert (Bob) Quine On Lead Guitar
    Many years ago, when I lived in NYC, my friend, Robert "Bob" Quine graciously accepted an invitation from my band at the time, King Cocktail, to record lead on one of our songs, "Your Place or Mine". This track was never released, and shows the amazing talent of one of rocks most under rated, and under appreciated avant gard players, my friend, Quine. The song is called "Your Place or Mine" and features Quine on lead guitar. Hope you like it. R.I.P. Quine - January 8, 2013

  • Alex Zola Remembering Robert Quine at Open Salon.com on the 8th anniversary of his passing. (May 31, 2012) pdf

  • Akron Beacon Journal: "Guitarist Robert Quine dead at 61" (June 8, 2004) pdf

  • Akron Beacon Journal: "Edgy music gives Akron fringe status" (June 10, 2004) pdf ... he became the first of a puzzling subgeneration of Akron-born artists to pass into the greeat beyond. At 61, he was the elder statesman of an absurdly brilliant bunch, all born roughl;y between 1945 and 1950, who collectively represent the city's most noteworthy contributions to art and pop culture....

  • Akron Beacon Journal: "Tough to be famous" (June 17, 2004) pdf ... without Quine's strangled, freak-out guitar work ...

  • BBC News: "Punk guitarist Quine found dead" (June 8, 2004) pdf

  • Billboard: "Guitarist Robert Quine Found Dead" (June 7, 2004) pdf

  • Boston Phoenix: "Punk Pioneer: Robert Quine, 1942-2004" (June 14, 2004) pdf

  • Boston Globe: "Robert Quine, 61, was punk guitarist" (June 9, 2004) pdf

  • CelebrityCafe.com: "Sadly, the fast paced and high low speedway of the rock lifestyle has claimed another." (June 13, 2004) pdf

  • CNN TV News (June 8, 2004)

  • ephilosopher (June 7, 2004) The late W.V.O Quine's punk rocker nephew, Robert Quine, has died of an apparent suicide. He was 61. NYT: "Besides his work with the Voidoids and Mr. Reed, Mr. Quine also played with Marianne Faithfull, Material, James Chance, Tom Waits, Brian Eno and John Zorn. In the 90's he played extensively with Matthew Sweet and Lloyd Cole. He also made duo recordings with the guitarist Jody Harris and the drummer Fred Maher. The four original members of the Voidoids - Mr. Hell, Mr. Quine, Ivan Julian and Marc Bell - reunited to record a song, "Oh," which was released on the 2001 compilation album "Beyond Cyberpunk." Born in Akron, Ohio, Mr. Quine graduated from Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., and the Washington University law school in St. Louis. Mr. Quine's wife, Alice, died last August. His uncle, the philosopher W. V. Quine, died in 2000. He is survived by a brother, William, of Visalia, Calif." more

  • Guardian: "Robert Quine, Guitarist who played for Lou Reed and Tim Waits" (July 2, 2004) pdf text only (77 KB) or pdf with photo (606 KB). "The relentless, agitated, angular guitar-playing of the rock guitarist Robert Quine ... was both highly original and influential ...."

  • Guitar News Weekly #300: "Robert Quine RIP" (June 14, 2004) pdf

  • Los Angeles Times: "Robert Quine, 61, Punk-Rock Guitarist Playes With Such Artists as Lou Reed and Tom Waits" (June 9, 2004) Robert Quine, a versatile punk-rock guitarist who appeared on albums by Lou Reed, Marianne Faithfull and Tom Waits has died in New York City. He was 61. Quine's playing was first heard on record in 1977, on Richard Hell and the Voidoids' "Blank Generation"....

  • MTV: "Guitarist Robert Quine" (brief: June 7, 2004) Guitarist Robert Quine - whose three-decade career included work with Lou Reed, Matthew Sweet, Tom Waits, John Zorn and Richard Hell - died on May 31, apparently of an intentional heroin overdose. Quine's body was found last weekend by his friend Rick Kelly, who became concerned when phone calls weren't returned. According to Kelly, the guitarist left a suicide note. Kelly said that Quine, 61, had fallen into substance abuse (which had not previously been a problem) after his wife of many years died of cardiac arrest last year. Quine apparently attempted suicide about a month ago as well.

  • Nashville City Paper: "RIP: Robert Quine" (June 18, 2004) pdf... Quine ... was famous for wearing button-down shirts and sorts coats in a setting where anything went clothes wise from ripped jeans to bare torsos. But his guitar work quickly astonished everyone who heard it when he debuted on the 1977 "Blank Generation" with Richard Hell and the Voidoids ...

  • NewYorkMetro.Com: "Delicate rage: Richard Hell remembers Robert Quine, the funny, angry, brilliant guitarist who played for him in the Voidoids" (June 8, 2004) pdf

  • New York Times: "Robert Quine, 61, Punk Rock Guitarist, Dies" (June 8, 2004) pdf

  • NPR: Fresh Air (June 9, 2004)Music critic Milo Miles remembers Robert Quine, a respected guitarist in the New York punk and underground jazz scenes.

  • Perfect Sound Forever online music magazine presents ... Robert Quine tribute also (local copy)
  • The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: "Robert Quine, 61, Akron native, punk rock guitarist" (June 9, 2004) pdf

  • Rolling Stone: "Hell Remembers Quine: Head Voidoid talks about his fallen guitar player" (June 10, 2004) pdf "Part of being a guitar player -- ninety-nine percent of it -- is being obsessive enough to spend thousands of hours listening to records and practicing," Robert Quine told me in 2001. "I've always believed in immersing yourself in good music. Sooner or later, if you have any personality or musical intelligence of your own, you'll come up with your own thing...."

  • The Salt Lake Tribune: "Died: Robert Quine" (brief: June 9, 2004) pdf

  • Shade Robert Quine Dead Person of the Day May 31 2012 (May 31, 2012) pdf

  • The (South Carolina) State: "ROBERT QUINE Renowned punk rock guitarist" (June 9, 2004) pdf

  • Spin: "Robert Quine, 1942-2004" pdf

  • Tallahassee Democrat: "Robert Quine, Guitarist" (June 9, 2004) pdf

  • Telegraph (UK): "Robert Quine, who has died aged 61, was acknowledged to be one of the most original and formidably talented guitarists in rock music; a founder member of American punk rock band The Voidoids, he later worked with Lou Reed, Tom Waiuts, Lloyd Cole and Brian Eno ..." (June 14, 2004) pdf

  • Washington Post: "Punk guitarist Robert Quine" (brief: June 9, 2004) pdf

  • Village Voice: "Robert Quine 1942-2004: A sideman-soloist screaming to be heard, lost in despair" (June 15, 2004) pdf .... Quine had a record collector's encyclopedia of influences, which he defined as "Chuck Berry to Albert Ayler." Born in Akron in 1942, he created his style alone, practicing to '50s and '60s records, citing only the Velvet Underground, Stooges, electric Miles, and one Eno album (On Land) as contemporary models. He used Stratocasters for decades after Ritchie Valens, but decided in his last years the less compliant Telecaster was supreme, tutoring himself with Roy Buchanan albums until he mastered it. His solos from the two Voidoids albums and Lou Reed's The Blue Mask, sourced in the bent-note riffing of "Tallahassee Lassie," the partial-chord clusters of Chuck Berry's intros, and Reed's "I Heard Her Call My Name," are essentials. Later he played sessions, notably for Matthew Sweet....

  • Yahoo / Reuters: "Punk Rock Guitarist Robert Quine Found Dead" (June 7, 2004) pdf

Robert Quine Photographs

Robert Quine photograph Robert Quine Missouri bar certification







Robert Quine photograph


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