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Why Jimi Hendrix is so Important
- Thread starter mellowinman
- Start date
I'm gonna agree with Nev375.
It's an art form, it's not a freakin race!
There is no "greatest", at least not in a global sense.
Personally, I love Duane Allman's slide more than anything else. But, few people could call him "influential" as so very few people have subsequently learned to play in his style. Duane is my greatest.
However Hendrix has had an immensely profound influence on my own playing; anyone who has ever seen me play my bass solo knows Watchtower and Crosstown are two of my best songs.
It's an art form, it's not a freakin race!
There is no "greatest", at least not in a global sense.
Personally, I love Duane Allman's slide more than anything else. But, few people could call him "influential" as so very few people have subsequently learned to play in his style. Duane is my greatest.
However Hendrix has had an immensely profound influence on my own playing; anyone who has ever seen me play my bass solo knows Watchtower and Crosstown are two of my best songs.
Eddie fan here, but I think Hendrix may have been more influential only because I think I remember hearing Eddie talk about how Hendrix influenced him. I don't doubt Eddie's massive influence - Eruption has, and always will be my biggest motivator for continuing my guitar education.
Which brings me to another point. While I don't listen to as much Hendrix as I should, I have a lot of respect for his music, and saw an amazing version of All Along the Watchtower being played by a guitarist/singer and a violin at the farmer's market the other day. Yes, it's not Hendrix originally, but I hear more about his version than Dylan's.
I just know that when I listen to Jimi play, it does not sound like it was written and played nearly 50 years ago. That's what blows my mind with Hendrix and really tells volumes about his genius.
And again, had you seen them live back then you would understand just how wrong your opinion is. How many guitar players have you ever seen make a chiquita sound like a girl child talking. I don't mean figuratively either, I mean actual words and full sentences? Billy Gibbons is the only guitarist I've ever seen who could do it.
Oh and BTW, had you ever seen the CDB live you would know they are at times flirting with being a jazz band, but since it ain't on youtube it must just be a figment of my imagination.
And as our endlessly circular argument clearly proves, there is no metric by which one musician can be measured against another to show which is best. Even the worst player on the planet has a mom, girlfriend, boyfriend, or spouse who think they re the dreamiest player they've ever seen/heard.
More than his playing, was his tones and sounds he would generate. The edge from U2 is another example of that. I always appreciate non conforming sounds and tones. The technical playing isnt nearly as important to me as the deviation of what becomes the norm is. These days....good luck... will be a while before something comes along and completely destroys then reinvents pop music. The last time that happened was by another washington state native back in the late '80's early '90s
I'm not aware of anyone on this planet who thinks I'm the best anything.
However, there are enough who think I'm good to satisfy my ridiculously overinflated musician ego.
The best thing about all this back and forth is I believe Jimi Hendrix never once thought of himself as the best guitar player. I think his favorite might have been Albert King.
The thing about Hendrix is that he was ahead of his time. NO ONE was doing what Hendrix was doing when he was doing it. Clapton, Page, Beck all attribute a great deal of their "success" to Hendrix. Then came Trower, Marino and the like, who, whether rightly or wrongly, sounded a little "too much" like Hendriix. Van Halen did NOT invent his style (like Hendrix) - he copied it from Steve Hackett, who was doing it years BEFORE Van Halen. Hendrix was an innovator - he was "inventing" it before anyone else knew what exactly what was going on. To my mind - that is what sets Hendrix apart from other guitar players from his era. Just one man's opinion.
And before Jimi there was Link Wray who scared parents and taught guitarists that distortion is your friend. Just thought I'd throw a plug in for the guy....
And the fact that you think Charlie Daniels is jazz makes the rest of your posts make sense now
To think I'd never heard of Wray. Wow. Listening to "Switchblade" now and I love it. Thanks.And before Jimi there was Link Wray who scared parents and taught guitarists that distortion is your friend. Just thought I'd throw a plug in for the guy....
Stick_Player
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- Nov 13, 2009
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I was ready to dispute your statement until I read the "Beatles Ed Sullivan appearance".
The duo of Lennon/Harrison definitely still hold the "influenced more kids to take up the guitar", than anyone - ever.
Check out The Shadow. And his tune Rumble got banned in some cities for inciting gang violence, even though it's an instrumental. Link Wray taught "respectable folk" to hate and fear rock and roll, paving the way for guys like Jimi Hendrix, and all the punk and metalheads who followed.
Hendrix changed the guitar's "vocabulary" forever and not just with his playing, yeah, there were a few guys guys messing with distortion/overdrive/cutting speakers/ but no one was using effects like Jimi. The Fuzz peddles, the wah-wah, the chorus peddles wall were made **FOR** Jimi. He worked with the techs and engineers to help design these effects, especially the wah-wah and chorus peddles would not be what it is if it wasn't for Jimi trying the make the sounds he could hear in his head. The chorus was invented to help Jimi realize his dream of what it would sound like to play under water! Every electric guitarist and bassist who uses floor pedals owe just a lil' something to Jimi for it!
Also let us not forget, Jimi loved too, and was a very great bassist also. His love for playing bass is big part of the reason there was so much tension between him and Redding and that eventually lead to Redding leaving and being replaced with Buddy Miles. Here is an article about Jimi's bass playing and where to find recordings of not just Jimi records, but other artist he played bass for as well - Invalid Link Removed
EDIT - typos, also I love me some Link Wray! and Billy Gibbons, and Buddy Guy, and EVH...and Jimi! There's lot's a love to go 'round.
Also let us not forget, Jimi loved too, and was a very great bassist also. His love for playing bass is big part of the reason there was so much tension between him and Redding and that eventually lead to Redding leaving and being replaced with Buddy Miles. Here is an article about Jimi's bass playing and where to find recordings of not just Jimi records, but other artist he played bass for as well - Invalid Link Removed
EDIT - typos, also I love me some Link Wray! and Billy Gibbons, and Buddy Guy, and EVH...and Jimi! There's lot's a love to go 'round.
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I will! I must admit, that's the last thing I expected from the 50's. And such great bass in it . . . I think I've found a new favorite.
Getting banned, that's the highest form of artistic flattery there is.
Agree 1000% (if that's possible).
There's no debate as far as I'm concerned. Hardest worker. An innovator. Extremely talented. The best bar none.
There's no debate as far as I'm concerned. Hardest worker. An innovator. Extremely talented. The best bar none.
Actually he invented the tape loop which was the precursor to a delay effect. I'm also pretty sure he modded a wah pedal to make it a volume pedal, making it the first of it's kind as well.
