Mean Old World

This is one of the foundational records for the electric blues guitar solo. Recorded for Capitol with Freddie Slack's band, Walker steps forward and plays a fluid, single-note electric guitar solo that changed the trajectory of the instrument. Instead of strumming chords, he plays melodic lines similar to a jazz horn player, utilizing string bending and a smooth, sophisticated tone. B.B. King frequently cited this specific record as the moment he realized he needed to get an electric guitar. It is the birth of modern blues lead playing.