[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Too many people think they know Hendrix, and too many of his "hit singles" dominate the narrative. Too many old wives tales and burnt out hippie myths perpetuate the lore. Acid in the headband? Seriously? Lame. Has anyone even listened to the Electric Lady sessions? Do people even read/watch his actual interviews, or is the legend better for them? Can they handle that aside from in the bedroom or with a guitar in his hands, the man was sincerely shy, kind, and funny? What is amazing is that all we had of Jimi were five short years, and yet, it comes across as an eternity. I mean, the guy went from a virtual nobody at the start of the Monterey Pop Festival, lit his fucking guitar on fire, and within a year topped even the Beatles in fanfare and buzz. I grew up on Hendrix's music, not his hype. I LOVE every single piece of music that Hendrix did, whether live, on an album, or even snippets and outtakes from the studio. The guy's personality is so remarkable to me, the guy was permeated with an authenticity and genuine love and kindness that is rare among any human beings, let alone super-star artists. I mean, John Lennon was great, but the guy was kind of abrasive in real life to real people. I know its cliched, but in actuality I think that only Jimi and Jerry Garcia maintained that kind of sincere kindness, they were like that shy friend you love to hang out with, but for no particular reason other than that you like their company.

This is a thread to celebrate Jimi. I'm talking about the real Hendrix. What are your favorite songs? Best performances? Laugh out loud moments? Crazy outfits? Esoteric lyrics? Stage banter and personality in his interviews? Share accordingly.

"And they call girls groupies and passive people hippies and all that.. Its because they're fucking, not in looooove man, that is the problem sometimes.."

 

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by foreverasskiss

i was obsessed with him when i was a teen. Axis: taught me to appreciate more beautiful or "pretty" music.

Agreed, I was obsessed with Hendrix back in high school. BUT, the older I get, the more I appreciate the craft, substance, and poetry of Jimi Hendrix. I mean, the guy should become a Saint, by his personality alone. He said things that had to be said, and in the way they had to be said.

that and the first Doors album

Another great record, but the Lizard King was just too damned weird for this planet, and the Multiverse had to absorb him and send him along his way to one of the other 11 dimensions which better suited him.

before that, everything had to be loud and distorted. there were exceptions of course. 80's indie rock and some 70's rock shit.

And yet, ironically Hendrix was also the first person to play his guitar that damned loud and create music out of that much feedback, we forget this after the fact in a world filled with guitar feedback, but before Hendrix, feedback was not part of music, it was an accident meant to be avoided. Hendrix was the first person to say, "I'm going to use feedback like a paint brush." Then came Black Sabbath, and suddenly playing guitar with a stack of amps at full volume became somehow the norm. We are in his debt for this, even with our tinnitus

meh, looking over his discography i would say Axis of course.

Axis is a great record, probably the better of his "studio" albums, but you got to check out some of the Electric Lady studio work. Jimi had a premonition of his own death, and felt he had to put out as much of his art as possible. Its almost surreal to think about it now actually, the same exact thing happened to Tupac, which is why we have SIXTEEN Makaveli bootleg tapes around LA Swap meets, there were over 48 hours of tapes to work with, Tupac was possessed. So was Hendrix in 1970.

songs:

Little Wing

One of my favorites just to marinate on with a beer.

If 6 was 9

Few people realize how deeply and personally self-reflective this song was.

Castle Made of Sand

When I first heard this song when I was 15, it made me fucking tear up. Music had never had that kind of impact on me before, I mean seriously, who writes lyrics like that AND matches it with such superb instrumentation? To think, Jimi was never confident with his voice, and yet it is such a soulful and iconic sound, so expressive, so natural.

Bold as Love

Exactly. Tie this with Message to Love and you epitomize what Jimi was about.

yea, i like the soft wussy psych shit.

No shame in that, Hendrix was great at it. I think he was revolutionary in how he syncretically blended all the styles of his era without ever sounding forced. His records were at once everything simultaneously.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by foreverasskiss

"castles made of sand" destroys and devastates me after i hear it, but later i feel very defiant and happy in loving such great art.

Exactly, it was the kind of somber optimism that was Hendrix. The guy was ALWAYS smiling, and yet never lost touch with reality (see "Machine Gun")..

talking about him painting pictures: my favorite moment in song is the ending to "May This Be Love" where the cymbals and guitars mimic the sights and sounds off the mist and rainbows of a waterfall. genius shit. and he did it.

Exactly. Hendrix in the studio was another animal, could you imagine what he would do with modern synthesizers and computers? Then again, Hendrix superb use of ambiance, feedback, and resonance ONLY works in Analog in my opinion. Digital sounds like a Casio Keyboard when pushed too far..

underrated?!?! i don't think so!!! just too people are ignorant.

yes, totally fucking underrated. Even people who claim to be "Hendrix fans" don't really dig deep into his music. Critics, writers, and fanboys continually just write about the same cliched songs and gigs, but rarely if ever delve into the depths of Hendrix's personality, discography, or stage presence. Actually, I kind of like it this way, its rare that such a mainstream and overly popular artists is at the same time very underground and under-appreciated. I feel the same way about Bob Marley. Like a BILLION fucking people own Legend, and practically EVERYBODY has heard "Could You Be Loved" or "Buffalo Soldier" and everybody screams and shouts to "Redemption Song" but honestly, do they even know what those songs actually mean? Have they ever even glossed the surface of albums like Survival, Uprising, or Confrontation? Hardly. Few artists are allowed to be so popular, and yet at the same time so obscure. With the Beatles of Zeppelin, people know it all. With Hendrix people often don't know what the fuck they are talking about

[Rob Instigator]

I am a fucking huge Jimi fan.

I had Are You Experienced in my walkman for at least 8 months straight when I was in 8th grade. I would just flip the cassette over and over and over....

Jimi sang about shit that made me think someone else was out there thinking the deep thoughts.

Manic Depression has captured my soul
I know what I want but I don't know how to go about getting it.
Music sweet music
I wish I could caress and kiss...

Jimi taught me what a true guitar master should do. He could play rhythm and lead at the same damn time. he could play like all the old bluesmen, behind the back, behind his head, etc., and he even could play with his fucking teeth!

and not miss a fucking NOTE!

Voodoo Chile (slight return) holy fuck. I love that fucking song.

Well, I stand up next to a mountain
And I chop it down with the edge of my hand.
Well, I stand up next to a mountain,
Chop it down with the edge of my hand.
Well, I pick up all the pieces and make an island,
Might even raise just a little sand.
Cause Im a voodoo chile,
Lord knows Im a voodoo chile, baby.

I didn't mean to take up all your sweet time,
Ill give it right back to you one of these days.
I said I didn't mean to take up all your sweet time,
Ill give it right back one of these days.
And if I don't meet you no more in this world
Then ill, I'll meet you in the next one and don't be late, don't be late.
Cause Im a voodoo chile, voodoo chile,
Lord knows Im a voodoo chile, hey hey hey.
Im a voodoo chile, baby.


my brother and I would watch the Woodstock movie over and over again to get to Jimi. He could give a fuck about people and what they thought of him. he played with two british dudes who GOT IT.


so much fucking noise and skronk in AYExperienced. then so much soul in his fucking blues recordings.


I was a pretty depressed 8th grader, and Jimi and his music got me through it all.

Will I live tomorrow?
Well, I just can't say
Will I live tomorrow?
Well, I just can't say
But I know for sure
I don't live today
No sun comin' through my windows
Feel like I'm livin' at the bottom of a grave
No-ho sun comin' through my windows
Feel like I'm livin' at the bottom of a grave
I wish you'd hurry up and rescue me
So I can be on my miserable way

[Mortte Jousimo]

I have listened Hendrix 30 years. I was ten when I heard first time All Along the Watchtower from the radio & it changed my life totally. I still think it´s the best Hendrix song, because it´s so amazing he could have put so much into a single song about he´s genius. I think also it´s one of the only songs where cover version is just better than the original.

Well, I don´t know is Hendrix underrated in any way, but I also agree the most people of the world got really wrong picture about him, maybe also his music.

[Mortte Jousimo]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

And yet, ironically Hendrix was also the first person to play his guitar that damned loud and create music out of that much feedback, we forget this after the fact in a world filled with guitar feedback, but before Hendrix, feedback was not part of music, it was an accident meant to be avoided. Hendrix was the first person to say, "I'm going to use feedback like a paint brush." Then came Black Sabbath, and suddenly playing guitar with a stack of amps at full volume became somehow the norm. We are in his debt for this, even with our tinnitus .

This is not true wholly. Pete Townshend was the first who used feedback and Jimi had admitted he got influences from him (also the Who played loud right in the beginning). But of course Jimi took it much more far.

Here´s my top20 Hendrix songs:
1. All Along the Watchtower
2. 1983 (a Merman I sould turn to be)
3. the Wind Cries Mary
4. Love Or Confusion
5. Voodoo Chile (the long version from E. Ladyland, To me this is the number one blues-piece of all time, it´s sad many seem to know only Slight Return-version)
6. Bold As Love
7. Angel
8. Hear My Train a Comin (acoustic is best, BBC-Sessions version is second best, anyway all the versions I´ve heard are just great)
9. Burning Of the Midnight Lamp
10. Room Full of Mirrors (Live version from the Royal Albert hall is greatest)
11. Hey Baby (new rising sun)
12. Drifting
13. Machine Gun
14. Little Wing
15. Are You Experienced
16. I don´t live today
17. You´ve Got Me Floatin´
18. Somewhere
19. Beginning
20. Highway Chile

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Pete Townsend had feedback, but I'm not quite sure he knew how to use it

[Mortte Jousimo]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

Pete Townsend had feedback, but I'm not quite sure he knew how to use it

Well, I really like the way Townshend use feedback for example these pieces:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUkJYkVTITU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIPjfnAC2dM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=squNu9bPzqU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4_UHD5GR0o

Townshend didn´t use feedback almost at all after 1967. I think he also understood Jimi was a lot better in feedback than he was.

[Genteel Death]

yeah, he sure is underrated...