Jimi Was The Best Bar None!

#1. Explain to everyone HOW Hendrix was so influential. Sure, he blew people away; the same way George Lucas blew people away with the first Star Wars movie. Of course, now you look at the '77 Star Wars movie, and you are amazed at how dated the special effects are. Same with Hendrix. The Fuzz box was a new gadget in 1966, and Hendrix was the first to exploit its full potential. Everyone was amazed--at the time. It wore off.

#2. Clapton's influence was second only to the Beatles. Clapton was the first of the "modern" rock guitarists. Clapton was the original guitarist of the Yardbirds, who pioneered Blues and Hard Rock. He formed Cream, the original Power Trio, which influenced such as Led Zepplin, ZZ Top, Bad Company, Beck, Bogart, & Appice, and, oh yes, Jimi Hendrix. Clapton also recorded with a lot of differnet artists from the Beatles to Delaney & Bonnie. Hendrix's style was not conducive to jamming or recording with others; on the occasions he did, he was really toned down, and simply ordinary.

#3. Hendrix blew Clapton away? Hendrix blew everyone away when he first came out. I never said he wasn't original or a great showman--he was. In fact, it is more his originality that made him "great," since he was basically a blues guitarist. He pushed things to the limits, but the downside was he was often sloppy as hell, and made a lot of mistakes. It goes with the territory. But you seem to confuse being "awesome" with being influential. Did Clapton, Townshend, or anyone else drastically change their styles after hearing Hendrix? Please enlighten us with examples besides the Robin Trower/Ernie Isley clique.

#4. Hendrix had ONE style. Hendrix had ONE stlye: Hendrix style. He could play soft, sure. but so could a lot of others. Don't confuse stlye with dynamics.

 

Hendrix murdered Clapton live. And yes, Clapton's style is influenced by Hendrix's. If you listen to 'Wheels Of Fire', on songs like 'White Room', the influence is very apparent.

Clapton has one style. SLOW. He is also insanely BORING nowadays. All guitarists have their own sound, but that doesn't mean that they can't play many styles (like Hendrix.) And for techniqual ability? Well, let me know when you can play 'Machine Gun' note for note, sound to sound.

Hendrix wasn't as versatile as, say, Buckethead, Eric Johnson or Joe Satriani, but at the time, people didn't really cross over genres much. His music had elements of blues, rock 'n' roll, jazz, folk, soul, pop, prog, psychedelia and funk. Sure, he could be sloppy live, but he was always looking to develop and take his music to the next level.

Duane Allman was an amzing guitarist, for sure, but bear in mind that the only song he wrote was a two-miniute acoustic duet with Dickey Betts, called 'Little Martha'. And do you know where he got that inspiration from? Hendrix (he dreamed that Hendrix taught him the melody.) Maybe Allman was just as good, if not better a player, than Jimi, but Hendrix made up nearly all of his own music, whereas Allman jammed to other people's.

Btw, Hendrix was scheduled to record with Miles Davis a week after his death - would one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time wanted to have played with an average, sloppy blues guitarist? No.

 

Of course his influence is going to be apparent; he was one of the most influential guitarists of the time.

I tell you what, I would've absolutely LOVED to have seen Hendrix play some nice Bossa Nova like João Gilberto. Maybe even some Flamenco like Paco de Lucía or John Williams.

For Christ's sake, Hendrix couldn't even read music, let alone understand music theory! How can you possibly say this kind of shit?! Is there something mentally wrong with you that you totally ignore the facts and indulge in your own ignorance?

Just stop...Seriously. You're making a fool of yourself.

I think you're the arrogant and opinionated one here. Not only are you being totally ignorant, and not willing to even look at the facts, but you're saying that everyone who disagrees with you is wrong?

I've admitted that Hendrix was a great and hugely influential guitarist, but he was by no means the best; you're giving him far too much credit than he's worth.

He's probably one of my most favourite guitarist, and I think he's amazing, but to say that he was a 'master at all styles' is totally ludicrous.

 

I guess I said some stuff on here that I shouldn't have, so yeah, I apologise for saying some ignorant stuff and behaving like a kid, but I do think that Hendrix was the best. It is an argument that I can back up, even if the sheer acoustic brilliance of guys like Paco De Lucia is awe-inspiring.

But btw, I don't think that 'everyone who disgrees with me is wrong'. Music is entirely subjective, but just because you prefer someone, it doesn't make it better. I prefer many bands to The Beatles, but they are arguably the 'greatest' band ever.

 

And yes Hendrix did read music and he did play with many great soul artists prior to the Experience-How would anyone play as a studio musician who could not read it?-He eplayed for Little Richard-Sam and Dave-and many others-ya can't fake it in the studio-too expensive.

 

No, he couldn't read or write music; he improvised.

Source #1:

Subtitle: Rock Star (4th Paragraph)

Source #2:

"Because he was unable to read or write music, it is nothing short of remarkable that Jimi Hendrix's meteoric rise in the music took place in just four short years. His unique musical language continues to influence a whole host of modern musicians, from George Clinton to Miles Davis, and Steve Vai to Jonny Lang."

- http://www.guitarsite.com/hendrix.htm

 

I stand corrected-your right' and that makes him all that much more amazing!-alot of the stuff on Electric Ladyland is difficult with alot of chord changes-I have never read his complete bio-just bits of it. He's buried about 150 miles North of me here in Washington and I had a friend years ago that did some took some pencil etchings from his head stone-I had one but of course it grew legs on day-It used to be a popular thing to do' not sure anymore if you can still get that close to it-It has a nice guitar on the head stone and lots of people go to the grave nearly every day-I can only speak for me and anyone else that ever saw him live-his recordings do not do him justice-he was just fantastic to watch-he did not jump around or light the thing on fire other than that one time-as far as I know-I saw him 3 times the last being at the Isle Of Wight in 70'-In 67 in San Francisco he was fresh from Europe and put on a great show-He always had a smile on his face when he played and never looked like he took it all real serious-non of the egsadurated posing that so many players use to make it look so hard to do-He made it look real easy-but it wasn't---So' thanks for the info there LA---it's a shame he went out so soon as he had so much natural talent' no tellin what he would be doing now-------Here is a short bio I found-----If Jimi Hendrix could not be called the greatest musician in history, it would be hard to find another person who could be. Hendrix's music is timeless and spans various genres, from rock to soul, blues to pop, jazz to rap. Jimi Hendrix has influenced modern music in countless aspects with his unreplicable talent and style.


Jimi Hendrix was born Johnny Allen Hendrix at Seattle's King County Hospital on November 27, 1942 at 10:15 a.m. Jimi's father, James A. Hendrix or Al, renamed him James Marshall shortly after his mother abandoned him. As a young child, Jimmy (as he was called by his family) loved to listen to his father's R&B and blues records and he soon became very interested in music.



When Al saw his son's love for music, he bought Jimmy a small guitar when he was five. Jimmy took to it almost immediately, but he could not read or write music which forced him to learn songs by hearing. Soon Jimmy was playing the songs he heard on the radio and on his father's records. Jimmy's natural talent for the guitar was obvious and he made no waste of it.


As a teenager, Jimmy played with local bands in Seattle. He joined the army in 1961 and was stationed in Ft. Knox, Kentucky, but left early in 1962. Jimmy started his career as a guitarist after leaving the army, playing guitar for Little Richard, Sam Cooke and the Isley Brothers. He soon moved to New York City in Greenwich Village, where he was exposed to new sounds and people.


In 1966, Jimmy formed a band, in which he played guitar and sang, in the Village. His band was popular and played regularly in Greenwich Village, which led to his meeting with Chas Chandler, the former bass player for the Animals. Chandler saw Hendrix play and was very impressed and at the end of the show he invited Jimmy to come to London.


Jimmy moved to London in late September of 1966 and his success came quickly. As his manager, Chas changed Jimmy's name to "Jimi", which he thought was more original and catchy. On October 6, the Jimi Hendrix Experience was formed with, of course, Jimi, Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. The trio recorded "Hey Joe" and it was released at the end of the year.


The Jimi Hendrix Experience became a sensation in England and their next releases "Wind Cries Mary" and "Purple Haze" were hits. In May of 1967, "Are You Experienced?" was released and stayed at number two on the charts for the rest of the year.


The band decided it was time to move their sucess to the United States also, and they played at the Monterey Pop Festival. It was during this concert that Jimi infamously torched his guitar at the end of the show before busting it

into pieces. Needless to say, they were a hit.


The Jimi Hendrix Experience's fame kept rising and in December of 1967, they released their third album, Axis: Bold as Love.


A few months later, Mitchell and Redding both quit the band, but this did little to stop Jimi. He quickly found a six-piece band with Mitchell and formed the Band of Gypsys. They went on to play at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in New York. Once again Jimi performed a stunt for the crowd, this time playing a mangled version of "The Star Spangled Banner."


In August of 1970, Jimi halted production of two albums, one a jazz collaboration with Gil Evans and "The First Ray of the New Rising Sun", to tour in Europe. A week into the tour the bassist, Billy Cox, fell ill and the band returned to London to allow Cox to recover.


Jimi stayed with his girlfriend, Monika Dannemann, in London when he returned. On the night of August 17, Jimi took some sleeping pills, hoping to sleep through the next day. Jimi had also been drinking and during the night he vomited, but did not wake up due to the pills he had taken. Unfortunately, Jimi suffocated in his sleep and Dannemann found him the next day. She called an ambulance, but it was too late; Jimi was dead at the age of 27. The world since had been missing a great musician and we are left only to speculate what music could have been.

Since Jimi's death, his father has taken over the Hendrix estate, selling the rights to Jimi's music and setting up foundations in Jimi's name.

 

Note: The bio starts with the line " If Jimi Hendrix could not be called the greatest musician in history"-That is not me but the author of the bio-Personally' I think "the best MUSICIAN in history "may be pushin it-just guitar-not the oboe or french horn-and definately not the HARP!-

 

Fintan Amphlett is every bit as good as him. Have you seen this guy play?

 

Hendrix was very good, if not the best, at what he did, which is playing with gadgets at high volume. I still have yet to hear anyone use a wah-wah pedal better than Hendrix. But as far as guitar playing, well... a great guitarist, but certainly not the best ever. I have an old album of his stuff with Little Richard--he sounds like a Beach Boys guitarist. Very boring and ordinary. Here's an interesting article about Hendrix and Clapton you should read:
http://twtd.bluemountains.net.au/cream/jhecalternate.htm
I guess I should clarify an earlier statement: as far as guitar technique, simply playing the guitar, he was not that influential. His sound, however, and the way he used gadgets was. Clapton's use of the wah-wah in his solo on Blind Faith's "Presence of the Lord" was quite obviously influenced by Hendrix. But Clapton's technique, his actual playing, was not. Listen to Clapton's magnificent version of "Little Wing" on the Layla album; nary a tad of Hendrix influence in the music. As I have repeatedly said, Hendrix's legacy was that he expanded the sound of the electric guitar. But he really didn't influence the playing style all that much; B. B. King, Muddy Waters, Elmore James...these guys were the ones who pioneered the lead guitar, and their influence dwarfs that of Saint Jimi. You take away Jimi's toys, and he was just another blues guitarist. A fabulous blues guitarist, but not the best. It was his sound, using the fuzz and the Vox wah-wah, that made his playing so original. But it really only fit his style of music. I saw Erine Isley at the Atlanta Kool Jazz Festival back in the mid 70s do "Machine Gun" a la Hendrix, and I mean note for note. But it was the sound, the gadgets, that made Hendrix's sound unique. In that aspect, he was influential, such as in Miles Davis's "Bitch's Brew."

 

I will have to beg to differ, I'm afraid. Elmore James, Muddy Waters, BB King et al pathed the way for guys like Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck, but before that there was Lonnie Johnson, Son House, Robert Johnson etc, and they paved the way for them. And before that there was Lead Belly, and so on and so on. Guys like Muddy Waters don't really influence a great deal of music anymore - Hendrix does.

Of course, the technology behind the music in the sixties was far superior to the technology behind the music in the fifties, but BB King, Albert King and many others continued beyond the fifties and sixties. BB King is still going today (he finished his last tour a year or two ago, and has a blues club somewhere in America) but he is still the same as ever. They paved the way for Hendrix, but he was far better, and far more important to the instrument. And if you consider the equipment that is around today compared to Hendrix's time, it makes you realise just how easier it is to sound good today than it was back then.

And I really can't stand Derek And The Dominoe's version of 'Little Wing'. I much prefer Stevie Ray Vaughan's.

 

You still haven't explained WHY. I don't think you can. All you give me are emotional hissy fits.

 

I've given you reasons.


1. Most influential/inspirational
2. Best songwriter
3. Did lots of styles
4. Changed the guitar like no-one else has/will
5. More imaginative than his peers, or indeed any who followed him.

 

They're more like opinions than facts. 'Jimi was the best guitarist in the world' is not a fact.

 

Is this kid thick, or what? I keep asking him for examples, and all I get is "Because I say so!"

1. Most influential to WHOM? GIVE ME EXAMPLES besides the Hendrix clones/knock-offs I've already mentioned. (Trower, Isley, SRV, etc.)
2. Best songwriter? Best at what? He had a few good tunes, a lot of mediocre ones, and a lot of boring ones. Let's face it; his lyrics, like his voice, often sucked. For example:
WELL I,
JUST CAME BACK TODAY
I JUST CAME BACK FROM THE STORM
YEAH
I SAID A, I JUST CAME BACK BABY
I JUST CAME BACK FROM THE STORM
YEAH
FROM THE STORM

WELL I DID NOT KNOW IT THEN
BUT I WAS SUFFERIN', SUFFERIN'!
FROM THE LOVE THAT KEPT ME WARM
IT WAS SO COLD AND LONELY, YEAH
THE WIND CRYIN' THROUGH THE RAIN WAS TEARIN'ME UP
IT WAS SO COLD AND LONELY
CRYIN' THROUGH RAIN WAS TARRIN' ME UP
WOO
A TARRIN' ME UP
I WANT TO THANK YOU MY SWEAT DARLIN'
FOR DIGGIN' IN THE GRAVE, FOR DIGGIN' ME UP

IT WAS A TERRIBLE RAIN BURNIN' MY EYES
THE WIND AND LIGHTNING TOOK US BY SURPRISE
IT WAS YOU MY LOVE WHO BROUGHT ME IN
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, I'LL NEVER STRAY FROM YOU AGAIN
HEY!

I JUST CAME BACK, TODAY
I JUST CAME BACK TODAY MY BABY ON HER WAY
YEAH YEAH YEAH
GOOD THING
GOOD THING

Damn, that was a stupid song. Great guitar hook & all, but those lyrics are almost comical. We're talking DUMB here.

3. Did lots of styles? He did ONE style. Hendrix style. Perhaps you need to understand what "style" is.

4. Changed the guitar like no one else? That's simply personal opinion. He didn't change acoustic. And he certainly didn't change the way 98% players play--you know, the ones who like things line TONE and CLARITY. I hate to be the one to break it to you, all cooped up there in your mommy's garage, but not everyone likes that loud uber-distorted guitar. My advice to you: move yo bum arse out of yo momma's house.

5. More imaginative than his peers? Imaginative in what? Not lyrics. Not songwriting. I'm afraid that John Lennon, who didn't have near the chops Hendrix did, was a lot more imaginative.
Sorry that I don't find the opinion of some 15 year old kid (or a geriatric tuba player) authoritative, but that's the breaks.

 

When I said 'peer', I meant people like Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton. John Lennon wasn't considered a guitar hero. Eric Clapton wrote very little prior to the seventies, Jeff Beck hardly at all. Jimmy Page came to fame in the late sixties (Led Zeppelin formed in 1968) but did little aside from writing riffs (which he did very well.) So there really weren't any guitarists that matched him. And John Lennon? The guy who co-wrote 'Yellow Submarine', 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer', 'When I'm Sixty-Four', 'Revolution Number 9'? Great. Lennon and McCartney never amassed to much on their own.

I love his lyrics:

HELLO MY FRIENDS
SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU AGAIN
I WAS SO ALONE
ALL BY MYSELF I JUST COULDN'T MAKE IT

HAVE YOU HEARD BABY
WHAT THE WIND'S BLOWIN ROUND
HAVE YOU HEARD BABY
A WHOLE LOT A PEOPLE COMIN' RIGHT ON DOWN
COMUNICATION, YEAH, IS COMIN' ON STRONG
It DON'T GIVE DAMN BABY
IF YOUR HAIR IS SHORT OR LONG
I SAID GET OUTTA YOUR GRAVE
OH EVERYBODY IS DANCIN' IN THE STREET
DO WHAT YOU KNOW
DON'T BE SLOW
YOU GOT TO PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
CAUSE IT'S TIME FOR YOU AND ME
COME TO FACE REALITY
FORGET ABOUT THE PAST BABY
THINGS AIN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE
KEEP ON STRAIGHT AHEAD
KEEP ON STRAIGHT AHEAD
STRAIGHT AHEAD BABY
STRAIGHT AHEAD BABY

WE GOT TO STAND SIDE BY SIDE
WE GOT TO STAND TOGETHER AND ORGANIZE
SEND POWER TO THE PEOPLE, THAT'S WHAT THEIR SCREAMIN'
FREEDOM OF THE SOUL
PASS IT ON, PASS IT ON, TO THE YOUNG AND THE OLD
YOU GOTTA TELL THE CHILDREN THE TRUTH
THEY DON'T NEED A WHOLE LOT OF LIES
BECAUSE ONE OF THESE DAYS BABY
THEY'LL BE RUNNIN' THINGS
SO WHEN YA GIVE 'EM LOVE YOU BETTER GIVE IT RIGHT
WOMAN AND CHILD AND MAN AND WIFE
THE BEST LOVE TO HAVE IS THE LOVE OF LIFE

HELLO, MY FRIENDS
IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN
NOW I'VE BEEN ALL BY MYSELF
I DON'T THINK I COULD MAKE IT ALONE
I DON'T THINK I COULD MAKE IT ALONE

'Not everybody likes that uber-distorted guitar'. He didn't have an 'uber-distorted' sound. Maybe you're getting deaf in your old age.

I don't know how many time I'm going to have to say this, but I like John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia etc. But they really do have only one style, be it jazz fusion or flamenco. And seeing as how Hendrix wasn't an acoustic guitarist, it's hardly surprising that he hasn't had much influence on the instrument.

Hendrix has inspired generations of guitarists, even if he hasn't had a huge effect on their style. When I listen to a guitarist I like, such as SRV or Gilmour, I don't think 'Wow, I want to be just like that'. But they make me want to play. Youtube has loads of videos of guitarists paying tribute to him, from Malmsteen to Clapton.

And he's not the best 'because I say so'. He was way ahead of his time, has inspired/influenced countless guitarists, was a great songwriter, a virtuoso, played a wide style of genres (although you seem to define 'Red House' and 'Third Stone From The Sun' as the same) a great showman, great live improviser and an innovator. And that's not opinion.

 

Well, that's better. At least you put some thought into that post rather than simply emotion. By the way, Lennon had nothing to do with "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" or "When I'm Sixty-Four"...those were both Mccartney compositions. With the start of "Rubber Soul" they rarely wrote songs together. As far as getting deaf, the years spent in front of 100 watt tube amps have indeed taken their toll. But I've listened to Hendrix a lot longer than you have, and I have never understood the Jesus complex people have built up around him. He made some amazing sounds, but his lyrics were often comical (like the ones you posted...talk about cliches). Electric Ladyland was, from an engineering standpoint, one of the best. But again, if you've heard a few Hendrix tunes, you've heard 'em all.

 

We'll have to beg to differ, then.

Peace.

 

Ya think?

 

Aye.