Even if The Smithereens‘ Jim Babjak might not be the first name that comes to mind when listing the most influential guitarists of all time, he for sure makes the cut with his electric guitar tone that has influenced many artists in the industry. The co-founder and guitarist told Guitar World that he later discovered that Nirvana‘s Kurt Cobain was influenced by his playing. They even tried to incorporate it into their ‘Nevermind’ album.
Although Jim is known for his melody comes first mindset and plays it by ear, when it comes to the band’s tracks, he still has made room for himself among the greats with his tone, which has been a reference point in several artists’ musical journeys.
Most notably, Nirvana takes the cake as one of the major bands that The Smithereens influenced. According to producer Butch Vig, when the band was working on their ‘Nevermind’ album, the guys were referencing Babjak’s guitar sound for the tracks.
Jim Babjak’s words about not knowing the impact the band had on Nirvana and Kurt Cobain:
“I wish I had met him, but I never did get a chance. We worked with Butch Vig on a song once, and he told us that when Nirvana was working on ‘Nevermind,’ they were A–B-ing my guitar sound and trying to replicate that sound. So, I’m truly honored.”
Jim didn’t know of Cobain’s words about counting The Smithereens as one of Nirvana’s prominent influences much later after they had the chance to work with Vig, and he shared their admiration to his guitar tone. However, the guitarist wishes he had known about this as he would have loved to meet Cobain and the rest of the band.
