Hendrix...

stratman3142

Perhaps it helps to be an old git like me to get it. He created sounds I'd never heard before. Viewing the past through the lens of the present doesn't capture what it was like hear something truly original (the musical equivalent of disruptive innovation) at the time.

RandallFlagg

and he had that gimmicky "ooh look I play my guitar upside down and facing the other way" thing. Why he didn't just play it like a normal person is beyond me. 

Sassafras

Octafish said:

Sassafras said:

guitartango said:

Sassafras said:

Yeah, he never had a number 1 hit in the UK. What a loser.

Nor have you  

Yeah, that's something me and Hendrix have got in common.
When You think about it, I'm at the same musical standard as he was.

He had a posthumous No1, bet you haven't........... yet

Well, I'm not about to top myself just to prove you wrong.

digitalscream

Lewy said:

p90fool said:

digitalscream said:

p90fool said:

I find it amazing that any fellow musician would think that Hendrix was all about "tired old blues licks". 

I think you've misunderstood what I was saying.

No, I get that we have to listen to lots of weaker imitators who focus on the simplest aspect, but on the other hand, someone like Nile Rodgers can take a tenth of what Jimi Hendrix was about and build an entire genre around it. 

Well I think in that example one could argue that had Hendrix not come along, Rodgers would still definitely have heard Curtis Mayfield and would have drawn the same influence and created the same output.

And, equally, EVH would've been largely the same because his original influences were Cream and Clapton. I'd argue that the heavy rock/metal crowd (and everything that came from there) took more influence from EVH than from Hendrix.

My point, really, is that while Hendrix clearly had an influence on a lot of folk...that influence wasn't all-encompassing and across all genres. I grew up listening to Cream and Peter Gabriel, later Ozzy/Queen/Iron Maiden, and the first time I heard Hendrix was when I was about 11 or 12 - by comparison, my reaction was, "Really? What's all the fuss about?".

So yes...I'm not doubting that he was very influential at the time, but by the 80s that had pretty much died out IMO and the only folk left hanging their hat on him were the poor imitators.

I can appreciate that this isn't necessary a popular view, but still...I do find the condescension that always pops up in these discussions ("Oh, you just don't understand his music") a bit stale.

Kilgore

Edit.

DaevidJ

I guess the real question is if you take any of these artists out of the time line, would music as we know it be any different... 

WiresDreamDisasters

digitalscream said:

Lewy said:

p90fool said:

digitalscream said:

p90fool said:

I find it amazing that any fellow musician would think that Hendrix was all about "tired old blues licks". 

I think you've misunderstood what I was saying.

No, I get that we have to listen to lots of weaker imitators who focus on the simplest aspect, but on the other hand, someone like Nile Rodgers can take a tenth of what Jimi Hendrix was about and build an entire genre around it. 

Well I think in that example one could argue that had Hendrix not come along, Rodgers would still definitely have heard Curtis Mayfield and would have drawn the same influence and created the same output.

And, equally, EVH would've been largely the same because his original influences were Cream and Clapton. I'd argue that the heavy rock/metal crowd (and everything that came from there) took more influence from EVH than from Hendrix.

My point, really, is that while Hendrix clearly had an influence on a lot of folk...that influence wasn't all-encompassing and across all genres. I grew up listening to Cream and Peter Gabriel, later Ozzy/Queen/Iron Maiden, and the first time I heard Hendrix was when I was about 11 or 12 - by comparison, my reaction was, "Really? What's all the fuss about?".

So yes...I'm not doubting that he was very influential at the time, but by the 80s that had pretty much died out IMO and the only folk left hanging their hat on him were the poor imitators.

I can appreciate that this isn't necessary a popular view, but still...I do find the condescension that always pops up in these discussions ("Oh, you just don't understand his music") a bit stale.

Oh, well that's coz you just don't understand music.

digitalscream

WiresDreamDisasters said:

digitalscream said:

Lewy said:

p90fool said:

digitalscream said:

p90fool said:

I find it amazing that any fellow musician would think that Hendrix was all about "tired old blues licks". 

I think you've misunderstood what I was saying.

No, I get that we have to listen to lots of weaker imitators who focus on the simplest aspect, but on the other hand, someone like Nile Rodgers can take a tenth of what Jimi Hendrix was about and build an entire genre around it. 

Well I think in that example one could argue that had Hendrix not come along, Rodgers would still definitely have heard Curtis Mayfield and would have drawn the same influence and created the same output.

And, equally, EVH would've been largely the same because his original influences were Cream and Clapton. I'd argue that the heavy rock/metal crowd (and everything that came from there) took more influence from EVH than from Hendrix.

My point, really, is that while Hendrix clearly had an influence on a lot of folk...that influence wasn't all-encompassing and across all genres. I grew up listening to Cream and Peter Gabriel, later Ozzy/Queen/Iron Maiden, and the first time I heard Hendrix was when I was about 11 or 12 - by comparison, my reaction was, "Really? What's all the fuss about?".

So yes...I'm not doubting that he was very influential at the time, but by the 80s that had pretty much died out IMO and the only folk left hanging their hat on him were the poor imitators.

I can appreciate that this isn't necessary a popular view, but still...I do find the condescension that always pops up in these discussions ("Oh, you just don't understand his music") a bit stale.

Oh, well that's coz you just don't understand music.

I think that's already been well-established.

guitartango

RandallFlagg said:

and he had that gimmicky "ooh look I play my guitar upside down and facing the other way" thing. Why he didn't just play it like a normal person is beyond me. 

Like Freddie, he was a showman, Just watch Woodstock or any live show which captures the spirit of Hendrix 

Rabs

lukedlb said:

@Rabs that was a great interview. kinda ruined my day... but given me a great idea.

Yes. I found it quite upsetting to listen too. What could have been.. 

Kittyfrisk

RandallFlagg said:

and he had that gimmicky "ooh look I play my guitar upside down and facing the other way" thing. Why he didn't just play it like a normal person is beyond me. 

As much as I really do not want to prolong this pointless, click bait, troll thread, this was too much to pass. Forgive me.

Why he didn't just play it like a normal person is beyond me. 

The point is that as a player of his time, he was beyond 'normal' & possibly still would be.
I'm not a huge fan, but I totally respect his style & ability.

What is/was your contribution to music??

digitalscream

Kittyfrisk said:

What is/was your contribution to music??

That seems like an unnecessary personal attack to me.

Much like several others in this thread, just because somebody disagrees with something you treat as a gospel fact.

I often wish people on here could try to be better than that.

Kittyfrisk

digitalscream said:

Kittyfrisk said:

What is/was your contribution to music??

That seems like an unnecessary personal attack to me.

Much like several others in this thread, just because somebody disagrees with something you treat as a gospel fact.

I often wish people on here could try to be better than that.

Personal attack? I think not.

Just because someone disagrees with me or anyone else is neither here nor there, much less treated as a 'gospel fact' (whatever that is. Please clarify?).

Disagreement is fine, healthy, democratic & unless they repeal the law, good clean fun 

richardhomer

Kittyfrisk said:

digitalscream said:

Kittyfrisk said:

What is/was your contribution to music??

That seems like an unnecessary personal attack to me.

Much like several others in this thread, just because somebody disagrees with something you treat as a gospel fact.

I often wish people on here could try to be better than that.

Personal attack? I think not.

Just because someone disagrees with me or anyone else is neither here nor there, much less treated as a 'gospel fact' (whatever that is. Please clarify?).

Disagreement is fine, healthy, democratic & unless they repeal the law, good clean fun 

If you’ll forgive me @Kittyfrisk @RandallFlagg was joking - that’s what he does - and he’s pretty good at it. He wasn’t ‘really’ having a go at Hendrix.

digitalscream

Kittyfrisk said:

digitalscream said:

Kittyfrisk said:

What is/was your contribution to music??

That seems like an unnecessary personal attack to me.

Much like several others in this thread, just because somebody disagrees with something you treat as a gospel fact.

I often wish people on here could try to be better than that.

Personal attack? I think not.

OK, then - if the question wasn't an attack, could you clarify your motivation for asking it, and where it was going to take the discussion?

RandallFlagg

Kittyfrisk said:

RandallFlagg said:

and he had that gimmicky "ooh look I play my guitar upside down and facing the other way" thing. Why he didn't just play it like a normal person is beyond me. 

As much as I really do not want to prolong this pointless, click bait, troll thread, this was too much to pass. Forgive me.

Why he didn't just play it like a normal person is beyond me. 

The point is that as a player of his time, he was beyond 'normal' & possibly still would be.
I'm not a huge fan, but I totally respect his style & ability.

What is/was your contribution to music??

I once played in a band that supported the UK Subs at Downham Market Town Hall, Norfolk in 1988, I think there was almost 35 people in the audience. Charlie Harper was shorter than I expected, he offered to manage our band but we split up after this as the bass player preferred to go fishing instead of coming to the next gig. I don't remember anyone playing their guitars upside down though and I've not heard anything about a blue plaque being commissioned for Downham Market Town Hall to celebrate this legendary night...which is a shame.

Well...you did ask.

RandallFlagg

Back on topic:

Here's and interesting fact for any Jimi Hendrix aficionado's out there. He played at the Barbecue '67 Festival in Spalding, Lincolnshire on 29th May 1967 along with Cream, Pink Floyd, The Move and others. He stayed at the Red Lion Hotel in Spalding for one night. Rick, the hotel owner, told me that Hendrix left a pair of trousers behind when he checked out. He didn't clarify whether it was the only pair Jimi had and so checked out just in his pants or not.

Unfortunately I didn't go to the gig as I was only just over 2 months old but I have stayed in the same room Jimi Hendrix did, I didn't see any discarded trousers though. My left hand was twitchy when I woke up the next morning and I though I heard a girls name on the breeze when I opened the windows to let in some air in the morning.

A blue plaque has been put up at The Red Lion Hotel to commemorate this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-31557062

I think the first 7 songs of the Cornerstones compilation pretty much captures all the Hendrix songs I like, I can't really say I like to listen through any of his albums start to finish but do recognise that he was a supreme talent and would have been quite a sensation back in the mid 60s. Prince was clearly hugely influenced by Jimi Hendrix' looks, playing and stage moves.

Sassafras

This thread seems to have provoked a tragic sense of humour bypass in some people.

poopot

Sassafras said:

This thread seems to have provoked a tragic sense of humour bypass in some people.

Massively so!.

Nikc

I caught a good friend of mine out with similar humour mid gulp at an open mic - I casually leaned over and said - You know I've always thought Robert Johnson was overrated - Seriously he nearly choked