10 Most Underrated Guitarists Of All Time
8. East Bay Ray
From the moment you hear their name, Dead Kennedys have you where they want you. They’re a band who set out to shock, from the clever, satirical “Holiday In Cambodia” to the base “I Kill Children”. Part of what makes their shock tactics so effective, though, is the bouncy, surf infused guitar work of East Bay Ray, whose jazzy technical chops provide an amusing counterpoint to Jello Biafra’s profane rantings.
Ray joined Dead Kennedys after jobbing as a rockabilly guitarist, and his relatively clean, reverb-heavy sound set the band apart from their contemporaries. Tracks like “Police Truck”, particularly, are given a noirish shimmer by Ray’s lead lines, giving a cinematic bed for Biafra to sneer over.
It’s not always the most technically complex playing, but his bright, chiming riffs are completely different from the aggressive work of fellow ‘80s punks or the chord-favouring pop punkers in the Kennedys’ wake. Their outrageous humour may be their selling point, but Ray is their secret weapon.