Tommy Guerrero’s Top 10

Photo by Andrew Paynter

I’ve photographed Tommy Guerrero on tour with his various groups, playing with like-minded friends Isotope 217, Tortoise, and Blonde Redhead.

On a trip to San Francisco, I stayed at Tommy’s loft in the SOMA district. We talked for hours about great records, including Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew to the Latin Playboys. I remember looking through TG’s vast collection of records, tapes, and CD’s, ranging from free jazz to the most soulful (and obscure) music I had ever listened to at the time.

Here’s a list of Tommy’s Top 10 Favorite Albums, in his own words.

1. Bad Brains, I Against I
This is one of my all-time favorites. Seeing them live for the first time when my old band Free Beer played with them at Ruthies Inn in Berkeley was insane. Rastas were playing some of the heaviest, fastest music ever, smashing any preconceived notions I might have had. I think I was 15.

2. The Cure, The Head on the Door
The heartbreaker album...need I say more?

3. Rush, Moving Pictures
Love ’em or hate ’em...bassist Geddy Lee is a bad m.f.! I spent hours trying to learn [track three] “YYZ.” I think he’s the reason I play jazz bass.

4. Bill Withers, Just as I Am
Bill Withers is possibly my all-time favorite artist. Pure honesty mixed with true raw talent. He is the reason I play a nylon string acoustic.

5. Public Enemy, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
The heavy content was so fresh after all the braggadocious bull. Put a lot of people in check. The guilt resurfaced on many a face.

6. Eric B. and Rakim, Paid in Full
Completely changed rap. Rakim’s style was/is unparalleled. Made me start writing rhymes. Who didn’t? All-time favorite MC.

7. Motorhead, Ace of Spades
This was the exception for the punks. I was 14, spiked hair with bleached tips, had this written on the back of my shirt my first year in high school, and got fucked with everyday. It’s a memory that I keep close, to remind me to “never let ’em grind ya down.”

8. Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols
Seen some footage on the “telly” and changed everything forever. Straight up.

9. Coltrane, Ole
The title track is one of my favorite traveling songs. Eighteen minutes of push-and-pull tension. Melodic, fluid, and extremely visual. Great for the long haul.

10. Latin Playboys, Latin Playboys
A Chad Blakes production. David Hidalgo’s voice. Old/new/primitive/contemporary/angular/mellifluous. This is the album I wish I could make.