A Narrative Of Mr. Hendrix

They say he was a god. They say he was a deity like no other. Framed by a halo of long, wiry, black hair, his slender figure was clad in a bright costume that mocked the rainbows of the heavens. Perhaps this “wild man” and his use of the guitar blessed with an electric soul to make sounds comparable to “chickens being strangled” was the one who was needed to “come around and charge things back up again”.

And deep in a chaotic pit of thousands of anxious Woodstockers, with litter adorning the soggy and muddy earth that encompassed their feet, antiwar demonstrators, Vietnam veterans, black militants, white separatists, gays and antigays, government supporters and government protestors, drug users, and drug opponents all waited for the “Black Elvis” to rise before them on the stage in which he would entrance them all. For this was the morning of August 18, 1969, and the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was living the last of its “Three Days Of Peace And Music.” A long weekend of fun, freedom, and lunacy, drugs and alcohol were prevalent, while food, water, and bathrooms were scarce. But that didn’t matter, for the “mau mau” himself, the closing act to this festival of festivities, was approaching. Somewhere backstage, he was tuning his right-handed guitar, despite his left-handed hands. Or perhaps he was speaking to his guitar, like he did with his first one, of which he named Betty Jean. Either way, the self-taught guitar god himself, the one who never even learned to read or write musical scores, would rise upon the stage any minute with his beloved instrument of spiritual existence.

And so he came. With a guitar cradled in his broad hands, both of them loosely attached to his thin African-American body with two lengthy arms, he stepped up to the microphone. His fellow group of musician friends, Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, stood behind him, ready to harmonize with the distortion, feedback, and sheer volume that would soon flow from his electric guitar. Many of those in the mass of Woodstockers identified with the words of Pete Townshend, guitarist of The Who, who, in awe, explained, “In his presence, and in the presence of that music, you felt small and you realized how far you had to go. He was a tornado”. This tornado was Jimi Hendrix.

The chaotic crowd quieted, and Jimi began. Jimi plucked his guitar into the psychedelic intro of his famed song, “Purple Haze”, and within half a minute, he lifted the guitar to his face and strummed the strings with his teeth. Then, lifting the guitar above his head, he swung it down with a supernatural force as the plucking transformed into a thundering drone of intensity. The crowd’s silence was shattered by wild clapping. The guitar then quieted down, and instantaneously evolved into the unforgettable opening notes of the national anthem of the United States of America. Though, unlike any previous performance of this anthem, Jimi’s version of this war song etched itself into legendary status.

Jimi stood there playing the “Star-Spangled Banner”, epitomizing all the social and political struggles that plagued the consolation of U.S. citizens in the 1960s. The pit of people was bathed in a silence of reverence and wonder as the quiet, soft-spoken, and shy prodigy droned a raw and crude rock presentation of the national anthem (Markel 8). Jimi lost himself in the overwhelming spirituality exuding from his guitar’s thundering brawn.

Grinning, Jimi reminisced how, just eleven years ago, his father had given him his first instrument – a one-stringed ukulele. And this instrument had inspired Jimi to buy his first guitar, a five-dollar used acoustic, of which allowed Jimi to play in his first group – the Velvetones. But at last, a year later, Jimi’s father bought him his soon-to-be best friend – an electric guitar. And with this electric guitar, Jimi had been able to play in the Rocking Kings. Though, unfortunately, the fellow members of his group had held Jimi back in jealousy and resentment of the applause he received for his unplanned solos on stage. And now, Jimi strumming the national anthem in front of thousands, Jimi smiled at his decision to leave them.

But Jimi had also left something else – high school. Dropping out in his senior year, Jimi eventually joined the army. He had enlisted as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division. It was there where he met bassist Billy Cox and formed an R&B band called the King Kasuals. Though, after breaking his ankle after twenty-five successful parachute jumps, Private First Class James Hendrix was honorable discharged at the age of twenty. Jimi was now free to pursue his aspirations of a career of musical bliss. However, bliss wouldn’t accurately describe his journey to rock stardom.

Uneager to find out what his dad would think of him leaving the army with no money or job skills, Jimi moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Living in destitution, Jimi would often sleep in the streets, or sell or pawn his guitar. Augmenting to the arduous task of launching a musical career were the multitudes of great guitarists swarming the streets and clubs of Nashville. Leaving Nashville, Jimi had begun touring with other African-American performers who played their own circuit of clubs, bars, and restaurants throughout the United States. Yet, suffering from the boredom and frustration of playing the same R&B or soul over and over to someone else’s lead, Jimi had decided to move back to Nashville, and then to the district of Harlem in New York City. Though, instead of instantly taking a beneficial bite out of the Big Apple, Jimi at first received nothing more than a sour and feeble worm of irritating stagnancy.

Indigent and unable to play in any paying gigs, Jimi and a friend by the name of Fay skipped from one cheap hotel to another with managers in hot pursuit of their rent, slept most of the day, spent hours listening to blues records, and visited clubs nightly. But, finally, a recruiter of the successful R&B and soul group, the Isley Brothers, hired Jimi to make a record with them and then go on tour. Yet, predictably, Jimi eventually found himself bound by restlessness again. Leaving them, he joined Little Richard. Consequently, Jimi found himself leaving yet another band, for Little Richard became jealous and resented Jimi’s dazzling but unplanned solos on stage. Apparently, Harlem had nothing to offer Jimi that would assist him in his ambition of a musical career.

Thus, he left Harlem for Greenwich Village, New York. Playing for a while as backup for Curtis Knight and the Squires, Jimi had decided to start his own band – Jimmy James And The Blue Flames. Life was not easy, as Jimi recalled trying to “eat orange peels and tomato paste. Sleeping outside of the tenements…Rats running all across your chest, cockroaches stealing your last candy bar…”. Yet at one gig, Paul Butterfield, a musician, described the Hendrix sound he heard at a performance as “jets taking off…nuclear explosions, and buildings collapsing…B-bb-bbb-room! He was just mowing me down…Talk about burning! Oh!”. Evidently, Jimi was meant for much more than having his candy bars being stolen by cockroaches.

And Linda Keith, girlfriend of the Rolling Stones guitarist, knew that. After seeing Jimi perform one night, she walked into Jimi’s career and gave it the jump-start Jimi needed. Full of significant musical connections, she was determined to elevate Jimi to rock stardom. Ignoring the Rolling Stones’ producer’s comment that Jimi was too wild, Linda urged Chas Chandler, ex-bassist player for the Animals seeking a new career as a record producer, to come to the a club where Jimi was playing. The night Chas came to see Jimi, Jimi performed “Hey Joe”. Chas’s response to the spectacle he saw was evident in his fervent description of Jimi’s playing: “[On] the bottom two strings, he’d be playing [short, melodic pieces]…using his thumb. The two middle strings, he’d be playing as a rhythm guitar. The two top strings, he’d be playing lead – all at the same time! Extraordinary command of the guitar!”. Obviously, Chas had found the act he was searching for, and he, to Jimi’s approval, asked Jimi to move to Britain to work for him. From that point on, Jimi would never again have to worry about eating orange peels.

In Britain, Jimi would have been best described as an “instant sensation”. Hendrix was instantly adored, and both he and Chas knew Jimi needed a band. And thus, the Jimi Hendrix Experience was born. The Jimi Hendrix Experience was the amalgamation of drummer Mitch Mitchell, bass guitarist Noel Redding, and, of course, Jimi Hendrix. Mike Jeffrey, a chaotic bookkeeper, was chosen by Chas for co-manager. From then on, the Jimi Hendrix Experience was a phenomenon of massive proportions. Singles escalated to chart-topping positions, and Jimi’s wild performances - in which he played the guitar behind his back, between his legs, or, in sexual ecstasy, on the floor - made headlines. With performances of guitar smashing and guitar burning, Jimi’s headlining band was advertised with names like “The New Weirdo Trio”.

Though, Jimi was beginning to get tired of being a clown. He became aggravated at his audience’s expectations of guitar smashing and burning, as oppose to expectations of quality and complex music. Jimi began to feel both bored and limited by his popular stage violence. As his shows became more important than his music in the eyes of fans, Jimi’s band steadily went downhill, largely fueled by drugs and constant stress and frustration. Eventually, the Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up.

And now, accompanied with his life-long friend and the spectacle of thousands of Woodstockers, Jimi pulled himself out of the deep reminiscing of all that had gotten him there on stage. “Wow,” he thought to himself. This simple yet utterly perfect response to these thoughts of past memories was all he could think up when in a state of such wonder. It was his resolute fortitude to never once stumble upon the repulsive thought of relinquishing that slowly, yet steadily, dragged him to fame. And here he was. A stage beneath his feet, and a sky of freedom above his head. Apparently, he could only go up from here.

And so he played. With a single guitar embraced in his veteran hands and electronic wizardry inspiring his resilient mind, he produced on his guitar the national anthem as it was meant to be – a war song. Abandoning the simple notes of the “Star-Spangled Banner”, Jimi fired rockets and exploded bombs. He sent airplanes diving, sirens wailing, and engines shrieking – all unsettling reminders of Vietnam and the civil rights battles being fought within America. Hissing and harsh explosions of electric feedback and distortion crackled from the stage. War veterans stiffened at the haunting and evocative thuds of raw explosions. Others could feel the adrenaline pumping within from the vigor of intensifying chaotic strumming. This was the experiences of all Jimi Hendrix experiences. Never did the rumbling thick guitar buzzes fade away from the memories of the few thousands of Woodstockers who stayed to see the guitar divinity. And it was for this reason that a shortage of bathrooms didn’t really seem to matter.

Works Used

Bubalo, Ante. Bibliography. Jan. 2003. The Jimi Hendrix Music. 20 April 2004. Link.

Jackson, Reuben. What Seems To Be the Fuss? Jimi Hendrix and the Press, 1967-1970. Nov. 1996. Smithsonian Institute. 20 April 2004.

Jimi Hendrix – A Short Biography. 2001. One Stop Jimi Hendrix. 20 April 2004. Link.

Jimi Hendrix. VH1. 20 April 2004.

Markel, Rita J. Jimi Hendrix. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications Company, 2001.

POSTED: 09/27/2005 - 08:40 am

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Comments

[chrisbeevor]

Coooool. Go Jimi!

[oddling8]

JIMI!

[oddling8]

I didn't like this article too much, but I'm not complaining as I skimmed most of it. Jimi wasn't discharged for a broken ankle, he was discharged because he told his Army shrink he was homosexual and had a thing for a fellow soldier.

[jimmeh]

Yay! I heart Jimi! He are was proper 'bo

[jelleman]

man jimi was the man! this article is well written, such proper use of english =P

[shimaroller3]

nice. you probably wrote it for a creative writing class or something?

[loyd]

sweeeeet.

[cstarrguitar]

Very well written hats off to you

[jessejames1414]

meh i think he was mostly tricks...
But that's just me (:

[rockinlewis]

its nice

[rockinlewis]

its nice

[farcry]

jessejames1414:
m
eh i think he was mostly tricks...
But that's just me (:

you really don't know what you're missing. whatev. Awsome article dude. Hendrix is the only man that could have ever stood with clapton. Do an article on Clapton that would kickass

[Harmonius]

Pretty nice, I gave it a 9. Keep up the good work kid.

[coquet]

jimi rocks my world

[coquet]

jimi rocks my world

[Scourge441]

Jimi Hendrix > your soul.

[Stryker_66]

No doubt Hendrix was original. Everytime I hear Hendrix play, I can't think anything but original. He flooded his playing with passion. Not my favorite guitarist, but certainly one of the best!

[EZLN libertad]

*golf clap*

[klaheto]

All i can say is that Jimmy is as close as we've ever gotten to a God on Earth.

[JimiSlashPage]

Amazing article. You get a 10! =)

[metal4all]

i agree klaheto. Jimi kicked ass and showed us how great music is.

[peckers]

Hendrix is da best guitar eva 2 hav walked on this earth. 35 years later still no1 2 match his playing!

[peckers]

/\ guitarist* sorry crap at typing gd at playing guitar

[steveharrisrox]

coooool article even tough im not a big fan of hendrix but hell yeah he was amazing

[WrappedInCold]

i liked the article not just because you wrote about hendrix (which is possibly the best guy you could have wrote about it in my opinion) but also because you didn't just write end on end facts, you also added some flavoring to the article, good job

and to whoever said jimi was a homosexual, may you burn really really badly

[hammettrocks]

damn...better then i could do...good job

[Jarrett Moore]

sweet article man. about the homo thing, apparently he said it to get out of the army, or he was gay( whhich doesn't make sense seeing how he was a real lady's man.) or he got a broken ankle. i would go with the 'told a shrink or other guy to get out of the army' cause i read a copy of his transcript thing or discharge sheet whatever its called and it actually said homo sexual. and theres no way he's gay.

[Iluvpowerchords]

Uh,

Good Job and all but you can't compete with the biography.

[Pennyroyal Tea]

Great article man. Especially like your closing line.

Jimi is the man! Lefty power!

[the_cheat22]

great article dude

congrats

[Johnsonville]

actually, Jimi was playing an extended version, of Voodoo Child (Slight Return) at 14 mins when he went into The Star Spangled Banner not Purple Haze

[JkHalen]

Jimi also played a right-handed electric guitar while playing left handed..(should have put that there, makes him seem even more godly )

[theDOORS123]

oddling8:
I didn't like this article too much, but I'm not complaining as I skimmed most of it. Jimi wasn't discharged for a broken ankle, he was discharged because he told his Army shrink he was homosexual and had a thing for a fellow soldier.

--Jim morrison is the one who said he was gay to avoid going to vietnam....Jimi Hendrix broke his ankle

[armybrav]

Actually, Jimi was discharged from the army for failure to adapt to military life. He was ashamed of this so the story he told everyone was that he broke his ankle on a jump. His First Sergeant said he couldnt perform the simplest task without thinking about playing his guitar.

[stumaster18]

poor guy....died at the age of 27...what a waste of exceptional talent and an amazing life. R.I.P. Jimi Hendrix

[fahd]

U RULE DUDE. U wrote it Great with information to digest. but I still dont know how he died ???
however it was an amazing read. I really enjoyed. u r talented writer man.

[fahd]

U RULE DUDE. U wrote it Great with information to digest. but I still dont know how he died ???
however it was an amazing read. I really enjoyed. u r talented writer man.

[fahd]

U RULE DUDE. U wrote it Great with information to digest. but I still dont know how he died ???
however it was an amazing read. I really enjoyed. u r talented writer man.

[IlIk2plygUItAr]

holy crap its written with awe and amazemnet like a legend from 2000 years ago

[haunted_soul]

beautiful nicely written. jimi is god.

[kcfshorty]

this article is very well written...jimi is the greates guitarrist to walk this earth...the only person close is clapton...this article was amazing i give it a 10

[pytolk]

JIMI IS AWERSOME

[johnmalkin]

Mate, that was awesome writing. I'd be very proud if I were you. Thanks

[demez]

that was awesome

[HelpMeImHungry]

klaheto wrote:

All i can say is that Jimmy is as close as we've ever gotten to a God on Earth.

Well then why dont you spell it right.

J I M I

[VRluke]

great article.. Jimmy rocks!! Lol jk.. its JIMI.. hehe.. get it right guys :P

[jamstation]

very well written!
I think Linda Keith also gave Jimi his first Strat.. is this true?

[slash_015]

The dead god...Jimi ruled

[RustNeverSleeps]

damn good!

Jimi Hendrix was the second son of God send to earth. No one else could play the guitar like he did and i think no one else will play the guitar like he did. Sure replay his songs can be possible but you'll never feel the passion he felt. Neither Slash, Rory Gallagher, paul Gilbert nor santana, clapton or any other guitarist play as good as jimi hendrix. I think Rory Gallagher was the only one who played with an equal passion like jimi. Two great guitarists but jimi was more orignial!

Recrem in pacem!

[Meatontheface]

Jimi is so coool, well, he was

[FS Guitar]

great article, but he played purple haze *after* the star-spangled banner, not before it

[howaceisjoe]

I thought he was kicked out of the army for convincing his superiours that he was gay?

[DisgruntledDuck]

WrappedInCold wrote:

i liked the article not just because you wrote about hendrix (which is possibly the best guy you could have wrote about it in my opinion) but also because you didn't just write end on end facts, you also added some flavoring to the article, good job

and to whoever said jimi was a homosexual, may you burn really really badly

Er...why would it matter if he was homosexual? I don't care what his sexual orientation is and I bet very few people who use this website do. We all know he was an awesome musician. End.

[DisgruntledDuck]

By the way, well written article. Sorry for the double post.

[Bryce<3sTheROCK]

Jimi...
God
Allah
johova
bud
dha
whatever be thy name..

[villanovachild]

Hendrix was and always will be the man...the main guitarist to inspire me to pick up the instrument which has now shaped my future...."move over rover..and let jimi take over" much love to a brotha

[bobdylan]

lets face it, guns n roses, zeppelin, the rolling stones, all good bands, but nothin compared to hendrix

the most annoying thing is though (dont laugh im only a kid!) is i still cant get the hang of little wing!!! aaaargh

[Redball]

Great Article

[dropkickmax]

really good article a lot of ken innit. hendrix is the max and will stay it till the end of times.

[MCRrocks]

fahd wrote:

U RULE DUDE. U wrote it Great with information to digest. but I still dont know how he died ???
however it was an amazing read. I really enjoyed. u r talented writer man.

He died due to intoxication of barbiturate, an overdose of drugs caused him to vomit during sleep, and he choked on it . Great article too man. Jimi Hendrix IS the closest thing to a god we've had on earth, as mention from an above poster.

[ClashRocker66]

is barbituate the technical term for sleeping pill? because read in a book he died of an overdose of sleeping pills cause he was stressed about touring and personal problems.

Hendrix was a great guitarist, definitely not my favorite, but definitely one of the most original.

[they're red hot]

Jimi! Jimi! Jimi! Gooooo Jimi! Whooooo!

[Komon]

Both sleeping pills and one to many dinks. He knew he was in trouble too. He tried to call his fiend for help, but it being three in the morning, was foced to leave a message instead. It was a sick aticle man!

[Met2609]

this is definitley one of the most well written articles i have ever seen on this site, in other words it was great 10/10

[deansouthpaw]

nicely done man...u put a lot of fanesse into that writing....but yes, sry to say, he played purple haze right after the star spangled banner

[guitar_freak131]

that article was pretty cool. Jimi was the best of the best!

[Ganjrockr]

Good article, very well written. Also, I saw a show on VH1 the other day about Jimi and it said he was discharged because he told the army psych that he was gay. He wasn't actually gay, but he said it to go home.

[guitar_freak131]

lol thats awsome he told them he was gay to get out. thats hilarious GO JIMI

[boldaslove]

armybrav:
Actuall
y, Jimi was discharged from the army for failure to adapt to military life. He was ashamed of this so the story he told everyone was that he broke his ankle on a jump. His First Sergeant said he couldnt perform the simplest task without thinking about playing his guitar.

oh come on, you know what happened as well as anyone who read this article.

btw i liked the article.

[clockworkorange]

it was a good article, some chronological errors, but good.
Hendrix was the best

[AC/DC10]

our community at school is purple we had a vote to wut purple we wud be...purple haze deep purple were the best...my teacher suggested purple rain and it won...cept were purple reign cuz we "rule the school" or sumthin like that. i voted for haze. wow why the hell did i fell the need to let u guys know that???

[bad beaver]

who the hell is jimi hendrix?



hahaha just kidding

[coquet]

barbiturates are sleeping pills. and seconal was the particular barbiturate that did the deed, if my memory serves me correctly.

[hendrix101]

nice article..i'd love to see more on 'em

[Slasher_Sloth]

klaheto wrote:

All i can say is that Jimmy is as close as we've ever gotten to a God on Earth.

What about Jesus? Assuming your Christian, of course.

As much as I respect the guy, in terms of skill, he is not the best ever. Probably in song writing and originality he is, but there are a large sum of guitarists out there who (skill-wise) are either better or just as good.

Bring on the flaming.....

[black_sabbath85]

Jimi was a miricale. He should be saluted by all top guitarists.

[EccentricLui]

[/quote]As much as I respect the guy, in terms of skill, he is not the best ever. Probably in song writing and originality he is, but there are a large sum of guitarists out there who (skill-wise) are either better or just as good.

There are so many parts that go into good guitar playing that everything is relative. I think for that day and age and how old he was when he was doing what he was doing that it's just awe inspiring. If he had lived out his life he woulda made some really earth shattering things. Jimi's creativity was phenominal and to me that's the best ability to have to be an artist and that is what jimi was an artist.

[Pyro128]

Jimi really is amazing, great article

[coquet]

undefined wrote:

undefined

assuming what now?
id say hes the closest thing to vishnu ive ever seen

[coquet]

well son of a bitch
that didnt work out too well

[gmsje]

Great job. You captured something of him as a person, as well as the artist. You have a real feel for what he was like. The stuff about Chandler explaining how he used the strings is priceless. Jimi was the Beethoven of the 20th Century. Extreme Passion and pushing the limits of his equipment. Remember he didn't have cascading high gain to work with. He did it all with a distorted clean channel.

[RNRSoldier]

I love this article. You really captured the 'Dead God' with reverence that most can't show in writing. Thank you, you've blessed UG with an article worthy of the subject.

[Ashutosh]

Now thtas wht i call effective written communication

[Four Symbols]

Great, article... however, he played Purple Haze after the Star Spangled Banner.

[flurk`]

yeah four symbols he did.

[beau05]

nice article, well written man

someone posted an article saying 'Hendrix' was the only man who could stand with 'Clapton', 'Clapton actually tried to get 'Hendrix' kicked out f Britain because he was threatened by him, thus contradicting what you've he's said

[panther62]

how old are you? it is possible to write something thought provoking and informative without romancing the hell out of your subject. it had some okay stuff, but this read like a high school report / idol worship. I'm surprised some people are so amazed by the writing style.

[adam sg]

awsom article man!

[Hobo_fisherman]

What you mean closest to god on earth? wasnt that Jesus? oh BTW shut up Panther!

[coquet]

i think someone is forgetting about ganesh and vishnu...

[Rock N Vette]

Oh come on, he wasn't that good. Your all just jumping on the band wagon. Jimi Hendrix was nothing special and was really only a one hit wonder. I have actually developed a hatred for jimi hendrix just because of how great i always hear he is. Don't get me wrongi listen to good musicand i like a couple of his songs im just saying, not that great.

[Slasher_Sloth]

Rock N Vette wrote:

Oh come on, he wasn't that good. Your all just jumping on the band wagon. Jimi Hendrix was nothing special and was really only a one hit wonder. I have actually developed a hatred for jimi hendrix just because of how great i always hear he is. Don't get me wrongi listen to good musicand i like a couple of his songs im just saying, not that great.

I'd have to somewhat agree. He IS over-rated, and most people are acting fanatical about him to hop on the band wagon. Its starting to turn out like Star Trek fans, where they are acting like he is a religion. Worshipping a regular man with a passion for guitar = insanity.

[hiram214]

jimi ur my papa

[Gilmour_Rocks]

wow.. great story....I was touched...as you can easily tell..i'm being sarcastic...Jimi was an influential person but i'm not getting hard over it...

[timzs]

..........

[lesismore666]

i liek it.

[fireoptic]

RustNeverSleeps
wrote:

damn good!

Jimi Hendrix was the second son of God send to earth. No one else could play the guitar like he did and i think no one else will play the guitar like he did. Sure replay his songs can be possible but you'll never feel the passion he felt. Neither Slash, Rory Gallagher, paul Gilbert nor santana, clapton or any other guitarist play as good as jimi hendrix. I think Rory Gallagher was the only one who played with an equal passion like jimi. Two great guitarists but jimi was more orignial!

Recrem in pacem!

You can't compare any of them.. There all good at what they do. They all play different styles too. They were all original, no one was "more original" than any other.

[black_heaven]

it WaZ GooD...(HIGH)

[Hendrixisbetter]

slasher sloth=: **** you, dumb bitch. What guitarists do you like, he isn't over rated, who are your favorite guitarists? If it wasn't for hendrix, you ****ing idiots would still be playing boring music, and dead solos. He raised the bar for eveyone. REMEMBER THAT YOU STUPID SHIT. Why don't you take the damn time to leran the roots of guitar dumbasses.

[Hendrixisbetter]

same too rock n vette

[Hendrixisbetter]

beau05: hey dumbass, im not wrong. Yes you're partly correct, clapton was imtimitated by hendrix. Hey who the hell isn't. To this day, in 2005, clapton couldn't beat hendrix in a guitar duel in the 1960's. Clapton would've gotten run off the stage. Don't get me wrong, clapton is one of my favorite guitarists, but he didn't do anything revolutionary like hendrix. Clapton was a blues recycler, hendrix was an innovator.

[Hendrixisbetter]

oh yea.....clapton and hendrix were friends. Clapton even tried to get a perm and started wearing psychadelic clothing. so even if clapton tried to run hendrix out, there is no competition.

[Hendrixisbetter]

beau05: when i said "stand with clapton", i meant stand on stage with clapton and not look in adequate

[jk88]

i tought this was gonna be bout river phoenix

[jk88]

i thought this was gonna be bout river phoenix

[Stealthbass]

great article on Jimi

[AimlessAmoeba]

Funny little sidenote, for anyone who cares to read it.. I've got this book called "Room Full of Mirrors" and in the chapter about Woodstock it explains that Jimi and several other musicians were postponed on their arrival to the festival. Apparantly, Jimi stole a pickup truck to get to Woodstock, with none other than the legendary Neil Young. In the book, Young comments on it, saying that "Stealing a Pickup with Jimi Hendrix will forever be one of my fondest memories."

Figured anyone reading this article would enjoy that. Great article!

[Metallica420]

Let me just say that this was a masterpiece of an article and I have never read a better one. The first three or four paragraphs could honestly be the opening words to (if they ever make one) a movie of Jimi's life. Jimi Hendrix is a guitar god and you certainly did him justice with this colomn. great work bro keep it up.
Peace

[gnr_fan_17]

Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Slash, all of them are awesome. This article pays great homage to Jimi. Keep up the good work, man!

[guitaron]

great article man, well written and definitely does justice to the legendary Jimi. He truly took it all to a new level. Something that still inspires 36+ years later.

[Rosencrantz]

AAAAAHHHHH!!!!! JIMI HENDRIX IS SO DAMN COOL!!! \m/ ROCK ON HENDRIX \m/ HE WAS AWESOMER THAN BATMAN AND THE NINGA TRUTLES COMBINED!!!!! \m/ WOOOOOHOOOO!!!!! \m/
*runs in circles screaming, hits the wall and dies*

[gnr_fan_17]

AAAAAHHHHH!!!!! JIMI HENDRIX IS SO DAMN COOL!!! \m/ ROCK ON HENDRIX \m/ HE WAS AWESOMER THAN BATMAN AND THE NINGA TRUTLES COMBINED!!!!! \m/ WOOOOOHOOOO!!!!! \m/
*runs in circles screaming, hits the wall and dies*

What the?

[brian moore]

i looooovvvvveeeee jimi.

[reelbigfishrock]

any1 wh says jimi is shit as a complete tosser!
jimi friggin rules
good article

[giter'man]

man i was haveing an orgasim b4 i read this article but when i read it dude it sucked so bad that i shit my pants

[giter'man]

jimi hendrix suck big black fuzzy bawlls

[giter'man]

find me on other colums :P

[+/-]

Linkin Park sucks

[Astro man]

Slasher_Sloth wrote:

Rock N Vette wrote:

Oh come on, he wasn't that good. Your all just jumping on the band wagon. Jimi Hendrix was nothing special and was really only a one hit wonder. I have actually developed a hatred for jimi hendrix just because of how great i always hear he is. Don't get me wrongi listen to good musicand i like a couple of his songs im just saying, not that great.

I'd have to somewhat agree. He IS over-rated, and most people are acting fanatical about him to hop on the band wagon. Its starting to turn out like Star Trek fans, where they are acting like he is a religion. Worshipping a regular man with a passion for guitar = insanity.

If he wasn't technically that good how come there are tecniques that he created that no other guitarist to date has been able to do and he wasn't a one hit wonder - one hit wonders don't sell 4 million copies of their debut album in England alone and one hit wonders don't make 3 albums that were by a public vote to be in the top 20 best rock albums of all time (Are you experienced? was no.3) If you think he was just a passing fad then listen to the amazing guitar in Castles made of sand or watch his performance of like a rolling stone in Monterey (67)

[guitarsolo_17]

um didnt he play purple haze AFTER the national anthem

[stukes 04]

JkHalen wrote:

Jimi also played a right-handed electric guitar while playing left handed..(should have put that there, makes him seem even more godly )

He played a right handed guitar with the strings switched around. Sorry to sound like a know-it-all just thought u'd wanna know

[stukes 04]

Astro man wrote:

Slasher_Sloth wrote:

Rock N Vette wrote:

Oh come on, he wasn't that good. Your all just jumping on the band wagon. Jimi Hendrix was nothing special and was really only a one hit wonder. I have actually developed a hatred for jimi hendrix just because of how great i always hear he is. Don't get me wrongi listen to good musicand i like a couple of his songs im just saying, not that great.

I'd have to somewhat agree. He IS over-rated, and most people are acting fanatical about him to hop on the band wagon. Its starting to turn out like Star Trek fans, where they are acting like he is a religion. Worshipping a regular man with a passion for guitar = insanity.


If he wasn't technically that good how come there are tecniques that he created that no other guitarist to date has been able to do and he wasn't a one hit wonder - one hit wonders don't sell 4 million copies of their debut album in England alone and one hit wonders don't make 3 albums that were by a public vote to be in the top 20 best rock albums of all time (Are you experienced? was no.3) If you think he was just a passing fad then listen to the amazing guitar in Castles made of sand or watch his performance of like a rolling stone in Monterey (67)

Plus he created the WAH Pedal. Anyway, whoever said Hendrix wasn't that good knows nothing about guitar. Even IF( notice i say if) he only was a one hit wonder in his day, you can still turn on any rock station today and hear alot of his songs (not just one) so he would still have hits today. hope that made sense.

[AlchoholicA]

Jimi didn't create the WAH pedal you ****ing idiot, it was created by Leo Fender. Frank Zappa was the man who first used it and introduced to Jimi Hendrix, get your facts straight you stupid noob.

[Atreideslegend]

All hendrix did was take the concept of the guitar solo into the mainstream, for which he should be praised but no more. He was never an amazingly talented player and there have been many more before and since that better him. To be quite honest his command of vocals was by far greater than his command of the guitar, his playing is in reality very limited.

It was Hendrix's image that made him famous, not his actual guitar playing.

[KosherMatix]

no his image made him famous at first when his manager tried to exploit him. After he left the experience he was tired of showboating and playing the same old songs. Band of gypsies is a perfect example of how he shed his old image, listen to machine gun or message of love from the fillmore and honestly say he wasn't the greatest or one of the greatest guitar players of all time.

[KosherMatix]

his techniques such as mastery of feedback and whammy bar use as well as brillant duality of playing rhythm and lead guitar at the same time demonstrate his amazing guitar playing. Plus he was doing much of this before anyone else or at least took it to new levels that no one had seen before.