This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - Jon Butcher's "Goodbye Saving Grace"

If the thought of a combination of Jimi Hendrix, Phil Lynott and Ben Harper raises your interest, you may want to take a second look at the catalogue of one of the era's most underrated guitarists and clear-voiced vocalists in Jon Butcher. However, if you think the only thing that links these four names is that each musician is black, you may just want to move right along.

In fact, Butcher remains one of the most unjustly buried treasures of the '80s, a master musician who represents a stirring cross between the six-string virtuosity of Hendrix, the soulful crooning of Thin Lizzy's Lynott and the seamless, convincing eclecticism of Harper. That's not to say Butcher does not have a voice and tone of his own - as a singer, songwriter and guitarist. The textured grace of this standout track from 1987's Wishes certainly confirms that. Still, ultimately such comparisons, while honorable and flattering, can only do so much to describe the sound of a particular artist. That's why they made vinyl, eight-tracks, cassettes, CDs and, of course, MP3s.

Album Cover Photo Courtesy of Capitol Records