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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
 Posted - 09/18/2007 : 13:33:18
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Today it is 37 years since Jimi died, and for me he�s the best guitar player/songwriter ever.
Totally before his time, the one who invented �electric guitar playing� and the use of effect pedals to an extent never done before.
After all these years most of his songs still sounds fresh and timeless, could you say that about the Beatles?
And no guitarist has come near Hendrix since 1970. There have been many really good and inventive guitarists of course, but ask Yngwie, Vai, Van Halen, Fripp etc if they think they are better than Hendrix�.
What�s your opinion about Jimi?
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bosshog
Silver Member
Canada
493 Posts |
Posted - 09/18/2007 : 16:21:22
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Goran,
I would hestitate to say best songwriter. I would leave that for Dylan or someone else behind the scenes.
No doubt Jimi revolutionzed the guitar but I think effects were a main part of his allure. I mean his moment also coincided with huge amps (probably the best ever made) and the emergance of effects. Also, it coincided with a massive social movemnet in the United States.
His version of Star Spangled banner could say more about the sixties than any text ever could. I think his talent also was a combination of a strong determination and god given beauty. It is probably best that he went to the grave early so his legacy is still intact...
BH |
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Dirk
Platinum Member
Netherlands
1309 Posts |
Posted - 09/18/2007 : 16:58:28
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To say that Jimi is the best guitar player ever is a little overstated.
Sure, the albums sound good enough, but live he was a pretty sloppy player, his guitar was horribly out of tune a lot of times and not to mention the fact that he was usually under the influence of some kind of drug, whatever they had lying around which didn't really help his playing much either.
But hey, that was Jimi, and that's why we still love him today, that's what made him to what he is today plus the fact that no one had ever seen something like that before.
Fly on, little wing.... |
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pawnshop_trash
Gold Member
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - 09/18/2007 : 20:03:11
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| Jimi Hendrix changed the timbre of popular music. I can only think of a handful of other people (Chuck Berry, Leo Fender, Les Paul, ...?) who can also claim that distinction. |
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StratoSphere
Double Platinum Member
Canada
2232 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2007 : 04:18:49
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Jimi is a God. although i wouldnt say best. because again what defines the best? speed? technical ability? stage presence? (he actually has all 3)
i partly agree that Jimi was sloppy when playing live. one thing about Jimis live playing was that he never played a song the same way twice. even the rhythym parts he would play a G chord and next time around he would play it barred on the third fret. he did all kinds of stuff like that all the time. he also used his thumb to fret bass notes. he was the master of improv.
another big thing was the lefty flip guitar. i forget what song it is during Woodstock, but you can see him accidentally turning down his guitar volume with his arm in the middle of a song. im lefty too and have tried playing a flipped guitar and its not as easy as it looks.
did you know that the Woodstock set was almost all imrov and the band never got a chance to rehearse as a group? anyone whos ever played a live show knows thats insane. the fact that the show turned out that well is a miracle. so i agree that he was sloppy when playing live at times but a lesser guitarist wouldnt have been able to pull it off.
nonetheless, jimi was one of the few guitarists ever that "had it". nobody knows what it is, but some refer to it as "voodoo" or "mojo." just everytime you hear his playing you know right away its him. and it cant be copied even if you replicate his gear. i guess this ties in with tone coming from within or whatever. ive heard a lot of imitators but nobody comes close to the original "Little Wing" or even "Voodoo Chile."
thats voodoo baby! |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2007 : 07:27:31
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OK, live it could happen that Jimi played sloppy, but it also very often happened that he got the �flow�. You know, when you don�t know what your play but it is the best you ever done, this happens sometimes. Jimi was there most of the time I think.
We know that some of his live concerts was below medium because they have released every inch of recoded tape by him. Things that no one alive would have allowed to be released.
Remember that his work as Jimi Hendrix Experience/Band of Gypsies was done within a period of circa four years, that�s a lot of recorded stuff in that time frame. As you know they release anything by Hendrix�..
The feeling and groove he had was usually something blues players had but he took it further, but primarily he was a blues player, he took risks, and as you know this creates mistakes AND the �flow�.
He was often out of tune, of course, there was no Floyd Rose around, and he was for sure dive bombing. But listen behind the out of tuneness and the sloppy playing on some of his live recordings and you find the beauty of his playing even here.
The drugs, did they �make� his music or hinder it?? I don�t know, but many of the greatest musicians have also been heavy on drugs, Miles, Charlie Parker, Little Walter to name few.
I saw Hendrix once and was of course amazed, I was very young, but I don�t remember much except that their equipment was the same size as a garage band of today�
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2007 : 09:24:02
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yeah hendrix was for sure one of the best ..i personally believe in 'the best' when it comes to music ...it's not a sport where you have a winner and losers....it's about as joe satriani put it..."the quality of the expression" and jimi had it in spades...i'm with stratosphere on this call it 'mojo' or whatever you want but like he said you know these players the minute you here them....clapton,beck,the edge,vai,van halen,satch,all the kings, etc......many are called but few are choosen.......
i was born the year hendrix died and i've always tried to carry a little of his excitement into my playing...it's very easy to forget(and i'm as guilty of this as anyone)that you are not only there to play but also to entertain...you don't have to wreck your gear or set your guitar on fire...just let the music take you and try to (as i think he did) think outside the box...... .....
btw...i'm a leftie as well but i play right handed...my first guitar teacher was too lazy/supersitious to turn the strings around for me....he was from the country and back in the late 70's/early 80's there was still the belief with older people that southpaws(or cithog in gaelic) were children of the devil..... he used to hit me across the knuckles with a ruler when i turned the guitar around... ........maybe after seeing hendrix he was right..... .(goes off singing).........'goin' down to the crossroads,tryin' to flag a ride.... |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2007 : 10:52:38
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Hi Franzoni
I'm going down to Rosedale.
Actually, I just got back from Rosedale...
It a real place, about 1.5 hours from my home... 
Makes me smile & hum Crossroads for hours.
Regards Dr. Bob |
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redundant
Silver Member
Turkey
247 Posts |
Posted - 09/20/2007 : 20:22:39
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It is not so much Jimi as it is what followed that is problematic. Yes, the man wrote some brilliant songs and "boy could he play guitar" BUT he and Cream-era Clapton have a lot to answer for when it comes to popularizing excessive guitar wanking.  The worse excesses of bloated 70s rock are a direct result of Jimi's jamming (cf. 30 minutes of Zeppelin's Dazed & Confused). Which is a shame, because Jimi understood the power of the 3 minute song too - Purple Haze anyone?
Yes, I suffered through listening to Freebird in my friend's car today, which accounts for the tone of this reply. |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2007 : 13:28:10
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Hendrix was one of my major influences when I started playing guitar. I started playing about 10 years after Hendrix death but his music was still fresh and unique. In 1980 there was of course EVH, Santana and Clapton as well but the raw sound of Hendrix was what caught my ear.
As already mentioned by several of you, he was the first player to use a number of effects and full amp stacks. I believe the development of both amps and effects owe a lot to Hendrix. Without his popularity, the Beatles sound might have lasted a lot longer. If Hendrix was alive today I'm pretty sure he would be using all sorts of technology. At the time he was using the latest stuff and was never afraid to try something new so I think he would have done the same thing today. |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2007 : 22:12:11
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| i agree 100% bossarea.......i think hendrix would have been into guitar synths and all sorts of stuff...and i wish the legendary(if they exist) tapes of hendrix jammin' with miles davis would be released......imho i think he would of dipped into jazz/fusion/blues a lot deeper and we can only imagine where he would have taken it..... |
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StratoSphere
Double Platinum Member
Canada
2232 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2007 : 03:11:12
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| definately, Franzoni, he was already kind of going in that direction with the Gypsies. he said he wanted to get a bigger thing going than just a three piece. it definately would not have been nearly as big commerically, but i bet he would have made some wonderful music. |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2007 : 11:39:38
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I think he also said he was tired of being a Rock'n'roll clown. Sounds like he wanted it to be more about the music and less about burning guitars.
Anyone knows if there's more than one Gypsies album out there? I once read that there would be released a Band of Gypsies 2 with more songs from the same concert but I've never seen it anywhere. |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2007 : 12:12:47
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Yes there are a double CD with all (?) remaining material from the Gypsies two concerts, New Years Eve and Day. I like it a lot even if the original LP/CD has the best Machine Gun take. I think the CD is called �Live at the Fillmore�, it�s not a bootleg.
What Hendrix should have done if he have lived now is the topic of a lot of speculation. Maybe he had been touring endlessly like BB King, playing his old hits, nothing wrong with that. Or he�d take rock music even farther, free form jazz, funk you name it.
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2007 : 12:45:35
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Hendrix??
Yes he is fun to listen to, still is after all that time.
Okay some ideas here:
Could it be that people like him so much because he represents what people like so much about the late 60s?
He was there at the right time.
Could it be that people tried new ideas all the time in the 60s and that people like that idea??
Where are we now when you think of some of the major bands doing new concerts with their older material??
Perhaps Hendrix also helped later scenes such as Punk, but probably people would not like to hear that idea, but think of the attitude of: "Just go for it, find out and see where it leads up to"
I think people also like the idea of "live for the moment" Where is that attitude now in a world where so much is about control, perfection and money?
Perhaps Hendrix did set an example of how things could be done, I do believe there are more people out there but today it is harder to get credit for doing things which are a little different, today people tend to play more safe,taking less risks and loose less money.
Perhaps we could try to have a look for current people who try doing things differently.
I think Prince is one of them, but then perhaps in a different league.
Anyway too much to mention here, and we often repeat ourselves so much about the subject of Hendrix, things like the sloppy playing, drugs etc. etc.
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StratoSphere
Double Platinum Member
Canada
2232 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2007 : 13:38:41
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oh, very true visserman, i think timing is everything. look at Nirvana. they were such a breath of fresh air after the loooong 80s. hey look a guy thats PLAYING A GUITAR and not making sexy passes at chicks!
i never really saw Hendrix as a druggie guy though. i think the whole drug thing is blown out of proportion. i mean its not like he was tripping on acid everyday. i know he smoked a lot of pot but i think him rolling around, playing with his eyes closed etc were just his style of playing and not necessarily him tripping out. |
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Jimi Hendrix
