Hendrix - was he really that good?

most of the effects that JImi "pioneered" had been done before.....I'd go so far as to say that about 90-95% of them were pioneered by the Beatles, with the help of Sir George Martin.

Geoffrey Emerick and George Martin certainly employed a lot of those effects but Les Paul really pioneered just about everything in multitrack studios - Jimi really pioneered using studio effects on the Guitar, where the beatles used tape flange, phase shifting and back masking through the entire field.

I think the real appeal of Hendrix is that he was, among many other adjectives, truly authentic. He wasn't trying to be anything except what he felt and that is impossible to fake.
He was a shy, black American who dressed like a gay, space pimp and sang about completely absurd things and decades later you'll find his albums on fifteen year-old-girls play list's as well as in staunch audiophiles collections. He was a virtuoso guitar player who couldn't sing very well yet remains a house hold name on the same order as Michael Jackson, John Lennon and Elvis. How many solo guitarists can your Mum and your Daughter name? (unless they're big 60's instrumental band stand fans with big chess record collections, of coarse.) And this despite what should be a cautionary tale of excess and self control he is celebrated as an entertainer rarely mentioned as a casualty. I think we accept that some things are too good to last.

People who like R&B associate with him, psycidelic fans, acid jazz, heavy metal, grunge, classic rock, blues and everything in between enjoy his music and often lump him into far flung sub genres of all kinds of music. Millions of guitar players found the blues through Jimi, yet he recorded and wrote but a single 12 bar blues song (and we can all play it).

Hendrix could have been austere and obnoxious and people would have lapped it up but I don't think his star would shone as brightly today if so. When people say they don't like someone, specifically entertainers and public persona's, it is often because they don't believe that person is authentic. They don't always realize it. I recognize that myself all the time, I can't stand people who don't seem true to themselves. And that is a generalization not an indictment as to why Vic doesn't like Hendrix's music, I meant it more so to explain why Hendrix is so beloved among people who have no other interest in guitar music. Hendrix was as provocative as Floyd, as brash as Zeppelin, as strange as Beefheart and as brave as Gentle Giant but somehow he is completely accessible.
He was pathologically individualistic to the point of subversion much like Micheal Jackson, and John Lennon and that really appeals to alot of people. Music is an escape.

Greybeard said We were spoilt rotten with music. There was a burgeoning live music scene - just about every pub and club had live music at least once a week. The music that was popular was melodic - people could sing or whistle most of the well known tunes.

So why is it better than Hendrix? Because you like it right? It's the same way for fleaaa.

I'm not really taking sides because for me I know I like what I like and there's nothing someone can tell me or any critic can write that will change my mind.

Agree with Cnev. As it is many people rate Hendrix, though I genuinely believe Vic doesn't like Hendrix - if his name had almost vanished from popular music this topic wouldn't be here. I'd hope though that somehow I would have found out about him still and I am certain that I would still have loved him just as much.

This is the beautiful thing about music.

One persons Mozart is another persons scatman John (you might need to YouTube scatman John :D )

It's great we have these different tastes, otherwise, the wide variety of music out there would not exist

Exactly Al that's why you can't really compare artists against each other. Everyone is unique and every listener's experience is unique also.

If everyone heard the same thing and thier brains interpreted it the same we'd all like the same music but we don't and that's the cool thing.

If I listed all the music/artists that didn't do much for me I'd have a million people tell me I was crazy or I didn't know what good music was but it wouldn't matter I like what I like and alot of times I don't really know why I like it myself other than I do.

cnev, please show me where I said "better than Hendrix"?

I didn't say you did I asked you what was better about it since you seemed to infer that it was and you had already said you agreed with Vic "I understand what Vic is saying -- and I agree with him.

Can you explain why you posted that statement then if it you weren't inferring that the music YOU grew up with was better or whatever than Hendrix? Why make the statement then about the music scene if somehow you didn't think it was better what was the point.

Anyway my point to you was you were telling fleaaa he was looking at this from a fans point of view and you are doing the same thing with the music you described because that's what you like and what you think is good.

I genuinely believe Vic doesn't like Hendrix

It's not that I don't LIKE Hendrix....and maybe you're right in saying that I prefer "safer" classic rock. Just that I can't understand the fascination and hero-worship of him....although I wish I could actually play 1/10th as well as him! I'm willing to concede he was a great guitarist....in a lot of people's eyes, he was the greatest. He was a showman, an entertainer...and yet, there's something about his music that just leaves me cold.

I have to mention one thing - he was famous for his use of the wah-wah pedal. I have to say, I have NEVER liked the sound of the wah-wah and never will. Never owned one, never will. Maybe that's a big part of it.....I do associate Hendrix with that pedal, so consciously or subconsciously, maybe there's a mental block there?

Whatever....each to his own, etc etc etc. You keep listening to Jimi, if that's what turns you on... but I'd rather listen to some heads-down no-nonsense mindless boogie or some 60's sing along pop/motown. (And a bonus point for anyone who can tell me who played "Heads-down no-nonsense mindless boogie"....and no, it wasn't Status Quo. Double bonus points for anyone who can play the riff!)

Keep on rockin' guys - to paraphrase Cat, "play what you enjoy.....and enjoy what you play!"

:D :D :D

Vic

To be honest, cnev, no, I can't be bothered arguing with someone who seems intent on reading more into what is written than is.

So then expalin to me what that statement meant and what was the purpose of posting it. Since you already stated you agree with Vic who said "Was Hendrix really that good" one can ONLY infer your statement was made to support you and Vic's point of view that the music scene you grew up with that was soo melodic was better.....I'm sure you didn't post that because you were trying to say the opposite.

I was just curious as to what it all meant that's all. I think you are the one reading more into this than there is and I surely am not looking to argue, debate maybe, but not argue.

You can't argue opinions. But I reread your post again and again and that statement (if not meant to infer that the music of your time was better) than it had no relevance to the conversation so which is it, it can't be both?

Sorry that I am not intelligent enough to understand the point you were trying to make maybe if you dumb it down for me I can grasp what you were actually trying to convey.

And again my point was not about Hendrix it's how you are doing the exact same thing fleaaa does. He likes Hendrix so you think he glosses over the bad...you don't like Hendrix so you exaggerate the bad..what's the difference.

Like Vic said you like what you like Hendrix isn't better than anything else nor is the music you grew up with it's just music put out there for people to enjoy if you like it great if not no bigggie.

Used the guitar like a paintbrush. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyzmk0qio5E Don't think anyone mainstream (defining mainstream as 'someone I've heard of') has really done it as well since.

Vic....... have you listened to any of the ones I listed....... I believe they don't actually use the wah pedal *Don't sue me if one does :lol: *

Thanks for that Imalone - I don't think I ever heard that - very cool that had to be Billy Cox and Buddy Miles.
- Vic, something just occurred to me - do you not.... um... imbibe? If you know what I mean. I don't want to promote or condone anything here but I know my Hendrix experience was often appreciated under certain conditions as a young man. I may have solved this whole debate! Half kidding, of coarse. I'm not saying substances are required to enjoy anything at all but a certain mindset is helpful.

AXis uses a boat load of wah, freedom and dolly dagger too. Yeah the boy liked his wah.

A few years ago I read a guitar player poll that asked what the most over used effect was and the resounding answer was the Wah wah. When i read that I added a second wah to my board and went from only using it to skank to having one notch filtered at all times. Shows what kind of a jerk I am!