The Playlist: Charlie Griffiths
Haken guitarist and TG contributor Charlie Griffiths looks at the songs that fuelled his progressive playing…
The first song I remember noticing… The muppet show Theme – Jim Henson / Sam Pottle
“TV was the only way I would’ve heard music when I was a kid and this was my favourite show. Watching episodes back now it’s amazing to see how great the music and performances were, so I’m sure the Muppets had a big influence on my appreciation of music.”
The tune that made me want to play… Now i’m here – Queen
“When I was a little kid I pretty much exclusively listened to my Queen Greatesthits cassette. I remember being particularly fascinated by the main riff in Now i’m here and I needed to find out how that was done with a guitar.”
The first song I learned… Labamba – Ritchie Valens
The first thing I ever learnt was the C, F and G chord progression. I knew it as Labamba, but I’ve since realised it’s about a million songs, which is actually pretty good going for an eightyear-old kid!”
The track I’d like to cover with Haken… Holywars… the Punishment due –Megadeth
“We’re actually planning to play a whole set of covers on the next Cruise to the edge, which are more on the proggy side, but at some point I’d love to tackle Holywars…, which to me is the perfect metal song. It has a really interesting atmosphere and covers a lot of ground in six and a half minutes; those riffs and licks are a joy to play.”
A track that came together easier than usual… The good doctor – Haken
“Every song we write goes through a million permutations before we’re happy and this one wasn’t that different. But I remember the lyrics came out almost in one sitting. Usually lyric writing is a long process for me, but this was a happy moment of inspiration.”
The song I like to test new gear with… Master of puppets – Metallica
“I tend to revert to my 14-year-old self as I always pull out some classic Metallica, usually Master of puppets. There are heavy riffs, clean sections and epic leads – all the bases.”
A solo I love… Won’t hold you back – Toto
“Steve Lukather’s solo just floors me. It’s really simple, but incredibly powerful. Just the way he plays the first note conveys so much emotion and the tone is just out of
this world.”
A tune I’d play to someone new to our band…
Crystallised – Haken
“Our 20-minute epic Crystallised encapsulates a lot of who we are. You’ll hear the progressive influences from King Crimson and Gentle Giant as well as the more modern metal side with the eightstring riffs. It’s one of my favourite songs to play live.”
A song I’m really proud of performing… Finally Free – Dream Theater
“From a playing perspective I was very proud to be part of Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress throughout 2017. Dream Theater’s music has been a part of my life since 1992 and it was a real privilege to be able to pay tribute to it.”
Haken’s latest album Vector is out now on Insideout Records