In a new Interview with UltimateGuitar, guitar legend Guthrie Govan discussed working with Steven Wilson.
When asked about his favorite piece, he said:
“Hmmm… maybe [2013’s] ‘Drive Home’? I’m not saying that was necessarily the best playing I ever contributed to a Steven Wilson song – probably not, to be honest – but I always had fun improvising over that chord progression at the end – the fourth chord, in particular, is really nice!
“I have vivid memories of playing that one live in the studio, with the whole band, so there was a very cool, organic energy in the room…
“I kept asking to do more takes for the ending solo but at some point, it became clear that everyone else had already decided that the first take would be the one which made it onto the record… It was just one of those moments, I guess.”
When asked about Steven Wilson’s hatred for Vibrato, Guthrie said:
“Pretty much! I remember him expressing a particular aversion to any note which he deemed to sound overly ‘American’!
“I chose to interpret that as his way of describing the wider, more extreme end of the vibrato spectrum: he’s just not a fan of ’80s-style ‘guitar hero’ histrionics so I guess perhaps the sound of really wide, aggressive vibrato on guitar is something which he associates with the more comical excesses of the ‘Spandex Age’ of rock.
“I have a suspicion that Steven’s ideal guitar player might actually be someone more in the vein of Robert Fripp, who pretty much represents the antithesis of that style…
“Steven Wilson certainly has some unusually specific ideas about what a guitar should and shouldn’t be allowed to do within the context of his band. Ultimately, though, it’s his music and his vision so… whatever works!”