Jimi Hendrix

[fenderbass]

That dude is in a whole different category, like Steve Bailey, Victor Wooten, Eric Czar, etc. Geez this could be a post of it's own.

 

[j1laskey]

That dude is in a whole different category, like Steve Bailey, Victor Wooten, Eric Czar, etc. Geez this could be a post of it's own.

FZ gets his own post.

 

[fenderbass]

As it happens, I just read that another album of previously un-released Jimi material is going to be out on March 5. I know that some don't like these unreleased tunes, but I do and I'm certainly gonna get my copy.

 

[Jukas]

Machine Gun off Band of Gypsys is still one of my all time favorite songs.

 

[fenderbass]

Machine Gun off Band of Gypsys is still one of my all time favorite songs.

That whole CD is of of my favorites.
I saw a Band of Gypsys DVD that I need to get hold of.

 

[jgln]

Oh, yeah. Santana too.

I'm starting to sound like a real prick now!

I mean, I like his music mostly, but I can get tired of his sound. Although he has one song that I can't remember off the top of my head that I just love. I was surprised when I found out he recorded it.

I downloaded Abbey Road and The White Album the other day and am trying on some Beatles to see what I've been missing. Some songs it's like, "Damn! These guys were geniuses!" and other times... Not so much... But there were plenty of times that I'd forgotten about the great songs that were on those albums. Way more tunes that I liked than I remembered.

I don't like Santana's tones and to me all his music sounds like the same stuff.

 

[jgln]

It is always funny the responses that come up when people talk about Hendrix. Stuff like "Yeah, I used to really dig him, then I started to play and listen to more accomplished players and he just isn't that special.....blah blah blah".

I don't agree. The man was extremely talented and played some incredible stuff. I love sitting down and listening to some Hendrix.

Now the Beatles? I never understood that fascination. But, they were also talented musicians. I will give them that. That music just seemed too "bubble-gummy" for me.

On the note of awesome guitarists.....here is one of my favorite blues players. I especially dig the part when he sings without the mic. Good stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7PTlAae-eE

and another:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZV1kGXqM9w

I can respect why people enjoy Hendrix, I did too once, but when I see him at the top of the list of the best guitarist ever I know it just comes down to a popularity contest. (I play guitar myself)

The Beatles were bubble gum at first but many songs are dark songs even early on like "Hide you love away"

 

[jgln]

Oh, yeah. Santana too.

I'm starting to sound like a real prick now!

I mean, I like his music mostly, but I can get tired of his sound. Although he has one song that I can't remember off the top of my head that I just love. I was surprised when I found out he recorded it.

I downloaded Abbey Road and The White Album the other day and am trying on some Beatles to see what I've been missing. Some songs it's like, "Damn! These guys were geniuses!" and other times... Not so much... But there were plenty of times that I'd forgotten about the great songs that were on those albums. Way more tunes that I liked than I remembered.

I don't think The White Album their best stuff IMO...

 

[fenderbass]

I dig all these mixed opinions on Hendrix & the Beatles. Both were awesome in their own ways. The Beatles did their best stuff after hearing the Beach Boys, of all things...
As for Jimi, there are few bands from those days that I still listen to, other just haven't stood the test of time, like Journey, Boston, that kind of stuff. Zeppelin, Hendrix, early Who, Rare Earth, now that's some music I can keep playin', can you dig it?
Then there's the old school funk - Parliament/Funkadelic. Now Eddie Hazel was right up there with Hendrix. Of course, this is all one dude's opinion.

 

[Devin]

I can respect why people enjoy Hendrix, I did too once, but when I see him at the top of the list of the best guitarist ever I know it just comes down to a popularity contest. (I play guitar myself)

Perhaps. But, I also play guitar, and I like Hendrix just as much, if not more than I did before I started playing. I just always think it is funny when people throw in the "well, since I started playing I don't like/appreciate him as much". Um, ok.

I don't consider him to be the greatest guitar player ever. I actually don't think that one person can hold that title. There are so many extremely talented players out there. Plus, there are so many different styles that it is hard to label a player who plays predominantly one style (or maybe a couple of styles) as being the "greatest" ever. I do still like him quite a bit, though.

And, to add some more entertainment, I love this guy's work. I hope like hell that I am rocking like that when I am his age:

 

[NateLTB]

It would've been Jimi's 70th birthday today. Happy Birthday Jimi!

 

[gingerdawg]

It would've been Jimi's 70th birthday today. Happy Birthday Jimi!

Day late.....It was Yesterday (It is my B-day, too)
Happy Birthday Jimi!

 

[fenderbass]

Perhaps. But, I also play guitar, and I like Hendrix just as much, if not more than I did before I started playing. I just always think it is funny when people throw in the "well, since I started playing I don't like/appreciate him as much". Um, ok.

I don't consider him to be the greatest guitar player ever. I actually don't think that one person can hold that title. There are so many extremely talented players out there. Plus, there are so many different styles that it is hard to label a player who plays predominantly one style (or maybe a couple of styles) as being the "greatest" ever. I do still like him quite a bit, though.

And, to add some more entertainment, I love this guy's work. I hope like hell that I am rocking like that when I am his age:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iru0NKm63OY

Well put.
And yea, that old dude jams, I'll be happy if I can even lift by old Fender when I'm that age (it weighs a ton), let alone play it.
And yes, I forgot about Jimi's Bday yesterday. Geez, 70... Well Buddy Guy still jams at 74...

 

[Devin]

Well Buddy Guy still jams at 74...

Another one that I really enjoy listening to.

 

[jgln]

Perhaps. But, I also play guitar, and I like Hendrix just as much, if not more than I did before I started playing. I just always think it is funny when people throw in the "well, since I started playing I don't like/appreciate him as much". Um, ok.

I don't consider him to be the greatest guitar player ever. I actually don't think that one person can hold that title. There are so many extremely talented players out there. Plus, there are so many different styles that it is hard to label a player who plays predominantly one style (or maybe a couple of styles) as being the "greatest" ever. I do still like him quite a bit, though.

And, to add some more entertainment, I love this guy's work. I hope like hell that I am rocking like that when I am his age:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iru0NKm63OY

That's why I don't ever vote in those polls or answer when asked who I think is the best guitar player, I will tell you who I like as a guitar player though.

 

[jgln]

Jimi aside, I will say I think his bass player and drummer were incredible.

 

[fenderbass]

Jimi aside, I will say I think his bass player and drummer were incredible.

Noel Redding was awesome. I love seeing old footage of them performing. I watch Noel as much as I watch Jimi, but I play base so I'm bias....

 

[stratslinger]

Well Buddy Guy still jams at 74...

Buddy Guy is so awesome to see perform live... And you know, within the first two songs, exactly how he's feeling. I've seen him, I think, three times now. Two nights he was on cloud nine, and the shows were amazing. And the third night he was feeling just a little off - the show was still great, but just not quite up to the other three nights.

Totally the difference between a guy like him and a poser like Kenny Wayne Sheppard. Don't get me wrong - Sheppard is a great guitar player. But a bluesman? Not a bit. Go and see him play, you might as well just stay home, put in one of his CD's, and turn it up a little louder. Not a lick of improvisation, not a bit of emotion going on. He's 100% technician. Where a guy like Buddy Guy is 100% emotion, or a guy like B.B. is 50% showman, 50% emotion.

Jimi, well, some of his older stuff is a little tough to listen to these days because so many of the players who've come after him have refined those things he started doing... But before he started playing like that, how many other people were doing the things he did with a guitar? The man's due a ton of respect, and all the other artists who came after him owe him a ton of credit.

 

[fenderbass]

Buddy Guy is so awesome to see perform live... And you know, within the first two songs, exactly how he's feeling. I've seen him, I think, three times now. Two nights he was on cloud nine, and the shows were amazing. And the third night he was feeling just a little off - the show was still great, but just not quite up to the other three nights.

Totally the difference between a guy like him and a poser like Kenny Wayne Sheppard. Don't get me wrong - Sheppard is a great guitar player. But a bluesman? Not a bit. Go and see him play, you might as well just stay home, put in one of his CD's, and turn it up a little louder. Not a lick of improvisation, not a bit of emotion going on. He's 100% technician. Where a guy like Buddy Guy is 100% emotion, or a guy like B.B. is 50% showman, 50% emotion.

Jimi, well, some of his older stuff is a little tough to listen to these days because so many of the players who've come after him have refined those things he started doing... But before he started playing like that, how many other people were doing the things he did with a guitar? The man's due a ton of respect, and all the other artists who came after him owe him a ton of credit.

Man, I could go on forever on Buddy Guy. I wish I had seen him, but I haven't. He was just here in Portland not long ago with Johnny Lang (I can take him or leave him, always looks like he's taking a dump in his pants when he plays) and I missed that, too. Frickin' work. But I did see Ana Popovic at a small venue on the coast...
But Buddy is always in rotation on my little cheap @ss MP3 player.
Cheers to all blues guitar slingers!

 

[jgln]

Buddy Guy is so awesome to see perform live... And you know, within the first two songs, exactly how he's feeling. I've seen him, I think, three times now. Two nights he was on cloud nine, and the shows were amazing. And the third night he was feeling just a little off - the show was still great, but just not quite up to the other three nights.

Totally the difference between a guy like him and a poser like Kenny Wayne Sheppard. Don't get me wrong - Sheppard is a great guitar player. But a bluesman? Not a bit. Go and see him play, you might as well just stay home, put in one of his CD's, and turn it up a little louder. Not a lick of improvisation, not a bit of emotion going on. He's 100% technician. Where a guy like Buddy Guy is 100% emotion, or a guy like B.B. is 50% showman, 50% emotion.

Jimi, well, some of his older stuff is a little tough to listen to these days because so many of the players who've come after him have refined those things he started doing... But before he started playing like that, how many other people were doing the things he did with a guitar? The man's due a ton of respect, and all the other artists who came after him owe him a ton of credit.

Yep, but it is like that with a lot of stuff, always breaking barriers. I bet todays sports teams would crush teams of the past. They are always upping the bar so you have to compare talent with the time.

EDIT: I am sorry, I think I mean ability not talent. I mean, if you are on top, well you are on top. But if you can run fast..there is always someone who will work 2x as hard to be faster. Guitar players became that too...who can play faster...but who has talent?

 

[jgln]

This thread has me thinking...am I on my guitar forum or my beer forum??? lol

 

[fenderbass]

That's what makes it a Drunken Rambling and Mindless Mumbling.
Besides, don't beer and guitars/basses/rock 'n' roll go hand in hand?
Cheers to beer, guitars and good music.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Jimi rocks. I love the "Live at Woodstock" cd set. After listening to that, some of his album songs just don't compare.

 

[fenderbass]

Jimi rocks. I love the "Live at Woodstock" cd set. After listening to that, some of his album songs just don't compare.

Have you seen the Live at Woodstock DVD? My wife got it for me when I was laid up after minor surgery, and it was awesome seeing the whole thing, especially when the band screwed up on Fire, and you could see how pissed Jimi was...good stuff

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Have you seen the Live at Woodstock DVD? My wife got it for me when I was laid up after minor surgery, and it was awesome seeing the whole thing, especially when the band screwed up on Fire, and you could see how pissed Jimi was...good stuff

I haven't seen that, I'll have to check it out.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I think people forget how talented he really was....not to mention he was Black during a time when that was really controversial. One thing people quickly forget is that he was big in the UK before here. The BBC interviews are awesome. I've spent a lot of time in the garage listening to those random interviews that pop up on my random itunes shuffle.

 

[fenderbass]

I think people forget how talented he really was....not to mention he was Black during a time when that was really controversial. One thing people quickly forget is that he was big in the UK before here. The BBC interviews are awesome. I've spent a lot of time in the garage listening to those random interviews that pop up on my random itunes shuffle.

People here in the States just weren't ready for his brand of guitar, or so I've read. I remember seeing the footage of the Montery Pop Festival, when he humped his amp then burned his guitar. The camera panned to the audience and a good portion of the people looked bewildered.
Joe Bonamassa was more popular on the other side of the pond, as well...
He's a whole other topic.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

As amazing as Hendrix was one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of his talent was his rhythm playing. The guy played flawless rhythm guitar, while embellishing with lead licks and stuff most of the time. Hendrix was the reason I started playing guitar and has been a huge motivation. My guitar teacher is a classical guitarist but also a huge Hendrix fan. Even with all the knowledge he has of music theory and technical understanding he still gets confused and blown away by the things Jimi did when were earing out songs. Being able to play Jimi's music really helps put into perspective how much a musical force of nature the guy was.

Electric Ladyland can be bought with a bonus DVD thats all about recording the album. It has interviews with his producers, band members(Noel Redding seems like a jealous ass), and even his brother. His producers talk about him being able to literally play his songs backwards or use a right handed guitar still strung for a right hand player(he used a right handed guitar strung for a Lefty to play) and blow people away. They also note how innovative he was at producing in the studio. Not to mention the guy was 23 or 24 when he blew up and died at 27. He changed the whole scene in like 4 years. Enough rambling, Im off to grab my guitar and play Bold As Love, Redhouse, and Pali Gap!!

 

[fenderbass]

As amazing as Hendrix was one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of his talent was his rhythm playing. The guy played flawless rhythm guitar, while embellishing with lead licks and stuff most of the time. Hendrix was the reason I started playing guitar and has been a huge motivation. My guitar teacher is a classical guitarist but also a huge Hendrix fan. Even with all the knowledge he has of music theory and technical understanding he still gets confused and blown away by the things Jimi did when were earing out songs. Being able to play Jimi's music really helps put into perspective how much a musical force of nature the guy was.

Electric Ladyland can be bought with a bonus DVD thats all about recording the album. It has interviews with his producers, band members(Noel Redding seems like a jealous ass), and even his brother. His producers talk about him being able to literally play his songs backwards or use a right handed guitar still strung for a right hand player(he used a right handed guitar strung for a Lefty to play) and blow people away. They also note how innovative he was at producing in the studio. Not to mention the guy was 23 or 24 when he blew up and died at 27. He changed the whole scene in like 4 years. Enough rambling, Im off to grab my guitar and play Bold As Love, Redhouse, and Pali Gap!!

Cool you mentioned Pali Gap. That tune blows me away every time I hear it.
Rock on....

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Cool you mentioned Pali Gap. That tune blows me away every time I hear it.
Rock on....

That's personally my favorite song of his. After that's its a damn close tie between his Woodstock version of Izabella, his Monterey Pop festival version of Killing Floor, and his cover of Born Under A Bad Sign.

 

[fenderbass]

That's personally my favorite song of his. After that's its a damn close tie between his Woodstock version of Izabella, his Monterey Pop festival version of Killing Floor, and his cover of Born Under A Bad Sign.

Ahh, a true Jimi fan.
Izabella (from Woodstock) is up there on my list as well.
I look forward to the next release in march, hope it's good stuff....

 

[jgln]

As amazing as Hendrix was one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of his talent was his rhythm playing. The guy played flawless rhythm guitar, while embellishing with lead licks and stuff most of the time. Hendrix was the reason I started playing guitar and has been a huge motivation. My guitar teacher is a classical guitarist but also a huge Hendrix fan. Even with all the knowledge he has of music theory and technical understanding he still gets confused and blown away by the things Jimi did when were earing out songs. Being able to play Jimi's music really helps put into perspective how much a musical force of nature the guy was.

Electric Ladyland can be bought with a bonus DVD thats all about recording the album. It has interviews with his producers, band members(Noel Redding seems like a jealous ass), and even his brother. His producers talk about him being able to literally play his songs backwards or use a right handed guitar still strung for a right hand player(he used a right handed guitar strung for a Lefty to play) and blow people away. They also note how innovative he was at producing in the studio. Not to mention the guy was 23 or 24 when he blew up and died at 27. He changed the whole scene in like 4 years. Enough rambling, Im off to grab my guitar and play Bold As Love, Redhouse, and Pali Gap!!

I'd be very curious to hear how his upside down guitar playing sounded. I mean the guitar strung upside down and I don't mean his right handed guitar stung for a lefty, I mean playing a guitar strung upside down.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

I'd be very curious to hear how his upside down guitar playing sounded. I mean the guitar strung upside down and I don't mean his right handed guitar stung for a lefty, I mean playing a guitar strung upside down.

They don't mention the quality just that some guy gave em his guitar so Jimi played it to show it didn't matter how it was strung, smiled and gave the guitar back.

 

[jgln]

They don't mention the quality just that some guy gave em his guitar so Jimi played it to show it didn't matter how it was strung, smiled and gave the guitar back.

LOL I have a friend who can't play and it don't matter to him either. Sounds the same no matter what.

 

[fenderbass]

So, have to resurrect this thread...Anybody get the latest posthumously realesed CD, People, Hell & Angels? Got mine over the weekend, Like it a lot. I think it displays some of Jimi's best playing.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

So, have to resurrect this thread...Anybody get the latest posthumously realesed CD, People, Hell & Angels? Got mine over the weekend, Like it a lot. I think it displays some of Jimi's best playing.

I haven't yet but I've been meaning to, I should do that today.

 

[Airplanedoc]

It's pretty good, I picked it up a couple days ago.

 

[EoinMag]

I can respect why people enjoy Hendrix, I did too once, but when I see him at the top of the list of the best guitarist ever I know it just comes down to a popularity contest. (I play guitar myself)

The Beatles were bubble gum at first but many songs are dark songs even early on like "Hide you love away"

Yep, Rory Gallagher is a much much better guitarist than Jimi, and that's not opinion, it's fact.

 

[fenderbass]

Yep, Rory Gallagher is a much much better guitarist than Jimi, and that's not opinion, it's fact.

Even Jimi himself said that...
Best guitarist lists are garbage that deosn't mean anything to me, mainly 'cause guys like Galagher aren't usually mentioned, of Eddy Hazel, etc.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Who cares what guitarist is better than another? It's all opinion based.

For me Hendrix is the best ever because I look at guitar before Hendrix and after Hendrix. Only person I think had close to as much effect on changing the guitar as him (in mainstream music mind you) are Chuck Berry and Eddie Van Halen.

JMO Hendrix is my number 1 guitarist, but honestly there can be a case for many many guitarists and what you value makes your list. My dad loves Lindsey Buckingham, I don't find him exceptional. Some people really love Jack White or John Mayer, I don't get it.