With one of the most infectious guitar licks ever conceived, here’s Duane Eddy, the grand master of twang, with this morning’s CarTune, “Forty Miles of Bad Road.” 

Few melodies evoke the solitude of the open road with as much power as this deceptively simple tune. Just close your eyes and listen. You’re on a tar-bound two-lane in the middle of nowhere, ticking off the miles, tapping your fingers in time on the steering wheel.

Partnering with session musician Al Casey, Eddy co-wrote “Forty Miles” in 1959. With its fresh, impossibly catchy sound, the song shot up to number 9 on the pop charts and also appeared on Eddy’s 1960 LP, $1,000,000 Worth of Twang. Eddy strung together a series of instrumental singles in the late ’50s and early ’60s, as did fellow electric guitarist Link Wray, expanding the instrument’s potential for generations of rock musicians to follow.

Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and now past his 75th birthday, Eddy continues to perform. This delightfully spare live version of “Forty Miles” was recorded at the summer 2009 NAMM benefit at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.