Song Quotes by Rick Nielsen

Some people collect this or that. I'm a musician; I collect guitars.

— Rick Nielsen

I think every one of our songs could be a Top 10 record.

— Rick Nielsen

I prefer to be an equal-opportunity offender of the guitar.

— Rick Nielsen

To me, a day off is sitting at a piano or with a guitar and writing.

— Rick Nielsen

We're a band's band. We have real songs, real players, real problems. Real ups, real downs.

— Rick Nielsen

I think I've probably had one of my guitars on display at every Hard Rock Cafe in the world.

— Rick Nielsen

I have too many options when it comes to guitars.

— Rick Nielsen

People are like, 'Why are you playing that five-neck guitar?' I want to hurt. I want to play.

— Rick Nielsen

Hendrix was a different kind of guitar player. It was like, 'Holy cow, this guy can sing, he can play all this…

— Rick Nielsen

I've seen bands come out and begin their concerts with these long, slow, boring songs. Are they kidding, or what?

— Rick Nielsen

I always hated watching bands: the guy would break a string or be out of tune, and I have perfect pitch, so…

— Rick Nielsen

I just wanted to write about stuff that was happening in real life, and that's not just love songs about your girlfriend.

— Rick Nielsen

My parents were both opera singers, and they also were both heavily into religious and church music.

— Rick Nielsen

The Sex Pistols had it all - they had the snarl, they had the I-don't-give-a-crap attitude - plus, they could play.

— Rick Nielsen

I started out as a drummer, and when I was 9, my drum teacher had an album out. He was the rudiment…

— Rick Nielsen

I never tried to emulate The Beatles, and I never really wanted to be like The Rolling Stones. I never really felt…

— Rick Nielsen

I took one guitar lesson, and they wanted me to play 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' or 'Michael Row the Boat Ashore,'…

— Rick Nielsen

In 1977, I had Paul Rivera hotrod six Fender Deluxes for me. At that time, a lot of studio guys in L.A.…

— Rick Nielsen

We all record together. We do it live; then, after that, we do overdubs, if we need to, to repair stuff. Usually…

— Rick Nielsen

Basically, I try to let the song dictate what guitar I use. If it's a really loud, crazy song, I'll pull out…

— Rick Nielsen

We played with AC/DC. There are actual recordings of us doing 'Johnny B Good' together.

— Rick Nielsen

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - those guys were great.

— Rick Nielsen

We may not be proud of every song we've ever done - or been forced to do - but I believe we've…

— Rick Nielsen

The Ramones were American, and I knew about them, and I thought they were interesting. But they were like a pop band…

— Rick Nielsen

The song 'Hello There' was written because we never got a soundcheck. 'Hello There' was our soundcheck.

— Rick Nielsen

Soundgarden and Metallica, The Ramones, Everclear... I think they all wanted to see if we still knew how to play.

— Rick Nielsen

I love guitars, and guitars love me, but sometimes they need new homes where they can live to rock another day.

— Rick Nielsen

I've owned about 2,000 guitars through the years because I've traded a lot and given away and sold some stuff.

— Rick Nielsen

I always use my Les Paul. I have a Hamer as well. I use a Tele and an Esquire - once in…

— Rick Nielsen

If you don't have a great chorus, write a good bridge first. I often do that and find I write good bridges.

— Rick Nielsen

Some bands, they're too snooty, or they think they're too this or that and wouldn't talk to us. And some other bands…

— Rick Nielsen

Our band is rock n' roll. We were never just a studio band trying to make everything perfect. It was never supposed…

— Rick Nielsen

We're basically a rock band - guitar, bass, drums and vocals. But we take it further than that. We can be rotten,…

— Rick Nielsen

If you can say something special on the guitar, then you're going to perk my ears up. But if you're just gonna…

— Rick Nielsen

It's an honor that people give a crap about us. We're in a rock band; we're not supposed to be treated with…

— Rick Nielsen

I always thought I wrote good bridges. I was a bit more impressed with the bridges I wrote than maybe the songs…

— Rick Nielsen