Hendrix The Almighty

[Adeyinka]

Well, maybe not. There is a guy out of the Boston Area by the name of Ronnie Earl who warrants your attention, but there was only one Jimi. Man, when I was in a tight spot in the '60s, it was Jimi's music that kept me strong and focused. May well have saved my life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnFSa...eature=related

http://noolmusic.com/blogs/YouTube_M...oodstock.shtml

"Mr. Bull" that is very interesting to hear! I know that for up to a solid decade I did not go one day without listening to Jimi Hendrix. Also trawled around record stores and scrutinized magazines for any "new" releases (as related to live concerts. Not bootlegs because I just imagined the quality would be awful and the price simply not worth it.)

Next to him, I've always rated Carlos Santana next, certainly in regard to style if not overall technical proficiency.

My view is that while no one has matched him in terms of innovation (Stanley Jordan and Eddie Van Halen's contributions notwithstanding) various guitarists have had their shining moments and one such 'moment' is Eddie Hazel's performance on Funkadelic's "Maggot Brain":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh3bleXWaCk

[tedsares]

Santana is cool, no doubt. I also like Jimmy Vaughn, but he is no Santana.

[Adeyinka]

I saw Jimmy Vaughn live in Hammersmith, west London in 1986 when his band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds were supporting Robert Cray -"Ain't That Tough Enough"??

I love the album he did with Stevie Ray called "Family Style". It was produced by Nile Rogers...

[tedsares]

Family Style was/is a good one. Stevie Ray's "In Step" is his best. Guitarist Chris Vachon of The Room Full of Blues is something else as well. Check this out:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCorn6moJMY

[10-8]

Ted I bumped a Hendrix thread where there is some good posts includig some from mike who saw Hendrix perform live in person.

Regarding Stevie Ray Vaughan. I'm a huge SRV fan saw him play live 3 times, met him and SRV also gave me his pick and guitar strap. I've also played lead guitar for 30 years and can play all Stevie's songs.

Having said all that I did not like In Step or Family Style (Riviera Paradise and Telephone Song being the only two exceptions).

Much as I hate to say it, when SRV went clean he stopped pushing the envelope when playing live and was less likely to walk the tightrope (excuse the pun) and take chances. I have several bootlegs of Stevie when he was still using and while there are some sloppiness in places (both vocally and playing-wise) he took risks, and the highs he reaches in some places blow the doors off what I heard towards the end of his career where it sounded like he played it safe.

In any event I'll take LENNY, RUDE MOOD, TESTIFY, COULDN'T STAND THE WEATHER, TEXAS FLOOD, TIN PAN ALLEY, PRIDE AND JOY, LOVE STRUCK BABY over anything I heard on his last two efforts.

[tedsares]

Ted I bumped a Hendrix thread where there is some good posts includig some from mike who saw Hendrix perform live in person.

Regarding Stevie Ray Vaughan. I'm a huge SRV fan saw him play live 3 times, met him and SRV also gave me his pick and guitar strap. I've also played lead guitar for 30 years and can play all Stevie's songs.

Having said all that I did not like In Step or Family Style (Riviera Paradise and Telephone Song being the only two exceptions).

Much as I hate to say it, when SRV went clean he stopped pushing the envelope when playing live and was less likely to walk the tightrope (excuse the pun) and take chances. I have several bootlegs of Stevie when he was still using and while there are some sloppiness in places (both vocally and playing-wise) he took risks, and the highs he reaches in some places blow the doors off what I heard towards the end of his career where it sounded like he played it safe.

In any event I'll take LENNY, RUDE MOOD, TESTIFY, COULDN'T STAND THE WEATHER, TEXAS FLOOD, TIN PAN ALLEY, PRIDE AND JOY, LOVE STRUCK BABY over anything I heard on his last two efforts.

Ubderstood, but Riviera Paradise is about as good as it will ever get--and I'm glad you picked up on that. Her is a trivia question for you. Do you know who taught him how to sing Texas Flood? Get this, and I will say A'llah three times.

[Adeyinka]

Family Style was/is a good one. Stevie Ray's "In Step" is his best. Guitarist Chris Vachon of The Room Full of Blues is something else as well. Check this out:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCorn6moJMY

I never got into "In Step" for many reasons such as not having a record player for many years (I bought the LP) while I shifted my attention to CDs, also there was little in the manner of the hammond organ which of course was all over "Soul to Soul" -my favourite SRV album.

I'll go through my vinyl collection and see if I can "connect" to "In Step" after all these years...

[10-8]

Ubderstood, but Riviera Paradise is about as good as it will ever get--and I'm glad you picked up on that. Her is a trivia question for you. Do you know who taught him how to sing Texas Flood? Get this, and I will say A'llah three times.

That would be Angela Strehli.

Pray away Ted.

[Sharkey]

I prefer Zappa's "Variations On The Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression" to Santana's playing!

In fact, I love Zappa's guitar work period.

[10-8]

I prefer Zappa's "Variations On The Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression" to Santana's playing!

In fact, I love Zappa's guitar work period.

"SHUT UP AND PLAY YER GUITAR"

Saw Zappa live in '82.

[Sharkey]

That had to be fun, 10-8. this guy was born too late.

[tedsares]

That would be Angela Strehli.

Pray away Ted.

A'llah , a'llah, a'llah

[tedsares]

The thing about some of these guys is that they are like Pele or Maddona. One word names-Jimi, Santana, Zppa, Stevie Ray (well, kind of). It puts then in a class of their own. I mean Clapton is great but he is Erik Clapton and Kieth Richards is Kieth Richards. But Hendix is Jimi. Only one Jimi.

[10-8]

That had to be fun, 10-8. this guy was born too late.

I was racking my brain trying to remember the gig and realized I actually saw Frank in 1981 (I remember now because I was in grade 10). Steve Vai was in his band then (later to become one of my favourite players, but nobody to me back in 1981). Anyhow through the magic of the internet I located a fan review of that same show I was at. Here it is:


Take Off in Toronto, Eh?
9 November 1981
Maple Leaf Gardens
Toronto, Canada
© 1999 by Fred Duquette
That was quite a concert; I had imaginary guitar solos playing in my head for days afterwards. He did 5 encores that night and was touring on the "You Are What You Is" album, which had no Zap guitar workouts on it and instead featured Steve Vai's impossible strat tricks; Steve Vai was in the lineup for that show; he wore a lumberjack and touque outfit aka Bob and Doug MacKenzie; practically every song had a guitar solo because i remember him saying something about Toronto fans demanding "meat"; his solos were really hot. We got there that afternoon, looked around, went to the show. As we walked in, a WALL OF COPS were there searching everyone. I had three joints in my shirt pocket, my friend had rolled an ENTIRE vial and placed them in a pouch of Drum tobacco. The cop let me go through but my friend got stopped, searched, they found the heap of j's. The cop takes them, pockets them, and let my friend, go through.
We were freaked, and then the show starts. Big Neon number with the Zappa moniker over the stage (a geometrical font, lots of triangles and circles), stage jammed with equipment and players. Zap lost tune in the middle of a solo and he threw his guitar to a roadie; another threw Frank a replacement to keep playing, took about 3 seconds; the roadie then tuned it and leaned it on a monitor. After the song, Frank ditched the replacement and took the first guitar again. Must have been a favorite.
During the intermission, some drunk fucker started screaming FRANKIE FRANKIE FRANKIE and we all, like daft ducks, repeated. Others yelled BOBBY BROWN GOES DOWN but he never played it. Zap played conductor sometimes, would just get the band going, ditch the guitar, turn around and start waving his arms like a conductor. He later began composing "classical" and at last conducted a hot German group of musicians weeks before he died (I think that trip killed him) I remember the hardest working memeber of the band was the xylophone and gong player - that guy jumped from one set of "sounbd effects" to another like a gymnast in the middle of the song. What a memory; he was at the height of his powers finding a tight balance between weirdness and logical song structure.
I remember reading Lowell George having quit the mothers because Frank was too controlling, demonstrated by all his songs being attributed to him only, but I really think the instrumental solos show a highly flexible, musician dependent unit - the guitar and drums stick out because they can explore the rythymic structure more freely but no one really seems to be leading, its like free association. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no musical training, so I don't have a language repertoir to define what they do when they all get into that instrumental state of mind, but I must say if any "philosophy" defined the way i think, i.e., the style, it would be the way Franks band played instrumental works; thats how I think sometimes; my friends call it "Planet F--", and they shakes their heads; too bad they can't orbit too..

[mike casey]

As the guy who initiated this thread, I'm somewhat surprised to see that I've been wiped out.

Never mind.

[tedsares]

Why not repeat some of your better early posts, Mike. Of course, they were all stellar. What I am seeing here is Jimi, Zappa, Santana abd Stevie Ray with a few others mentioned as well. Like I said before, there are some real sleepers out there like Ronnie Earl (who has been playing for years) and Chris Vachon from the Roomful of Blues. I'm not a great Cray fan, but he certainly talented. There was a guy back in the 70's who playerd in and around Chicago (though he was fromm Miss). Houndog Taylor could make thte thin hum with his House Rockers. I have everything he has ever recorded.

[10-8]

As the guy who initiated this thread, I'm somewhat surprised to see that I've been wiped out.

Never mind.

Mike your original post is #25 on this thread. The mods have married up two very similar Hendrix appreciation threads.

You've not been wiped out.

[tedsares]

Here is the Dog at Northwestern University: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RA8NyvzIWk

[tedsares]

And this one which is what the Delta sound influenced by Chicago was all about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZdMO4MXkMY&NR=1

No more on the Dog, but I thought his name warranted mention and he was something else.

[tedsares]

Hey, let's not forget about Buddy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuRhaDrnlWo

[mike casey]

Sorry, 10-8 - I apologize. Thanks for the advice, buddy.

[10-8]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wM2vlSjjvk0&feature=related

Began playing the day Hendrix died.

The torch was passed.

[tedsares]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wM2vlSjjvk0&feature=related

Began playing the day Hendrix died.

The torch was passed.

You think? HHhhmmmm.

[Surf-Bat]

The biggest sleeper out of those 60s British guitarists is Peter Green. BB King said he was the only guitarist who sent shivers up his spine. Another(I forget who) said that Peter Green was the only white guitarist who understood what Robert Johnson saw at the Crossroads.

He plays in minor keys ala Otis Rush and then adds tons of reverb. The result is a haunting tone and celestial sustain that sends shivers up MY spine! Listen to "The Super Natural" and "Another Kinda Woman" from his John Mayall days. Then check out his work with Fleetwood Mac when they were a blues rock outfit(before becoming the proto-Hootie and the Blowfish band they became).

[Surf-Bat]

Danny Gatton was an amazing guitar player as well. I didn't know a Telecaster could be made to sound like that! Simply incredible...

[doomeddisciple]

As i'm on a bit of a roll with Jimi at the moment, i'd like to know exactly whats come to light as of late on disc. I have the Woodstock (full performance), Berekley College, Monterey, Rainbow Bridge, and an early JHE show from Copenhagen that a friend downloaded from somewhere - does anyone know if the full Isle of Wight show has ever been availiable on commercial release ?, and what other shows are there out there on disc ?
Also - which Hendrix era/band performances are your favourite and why ?
Many versions of a particular song are vastly different from others, and this is very interesting to Hendrix fans.
Cheers to all - Catsfoot.

I have a box set caled Stages which had a live gig from each year from 67-70, includiung a couple of big festivals. Mixed bag but two of the shows are killer.

Now playing the BBC Sessions stuff - The Killing Floor from this release (also released in edited form in the Douglas years called 'Radio One') is just utterly killer.

[doomeddisciple]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wM2vlSjjvk0&feature=related

Began playing the day Hendrix died.

The torch was passed.

I would argue the next player to really change the way the instrument was played was Edward Van Halen, Randy Rhodes and Yngwie championed the neo-classical style more after Eruption.

Personally I hear more Ritchie Blackmore in Yngwie than Jimi, even when he covers Jimi.

On the G3 tour DVD with Stach and Vai - At the end during their three way wank off even Satch makes a eyebrow lift and head shake to Vai when Yngwie is going particularly nuts.

Don't get me wrong, I think he's incredible, but I wouldn't say he has Hendrix's tastefull note selection and dynamic moments as nailed as say when SRV did a Jimi cover - But then again who did.

[starlingstomp]

Some other good Hendrix influenced players were jan Akkerman, Steve Hillage and Roye Allbrighton.

[10-8]

My point of the torch being passed had more to do with Yngwie starting to play on the day Jimi die and less to do with Malmsteen playing like Hendrix and that the torch of innovation not style was passed.

Malmsteen has taken very little of Jimi's style (although he was his number one influence in the early years), instead drawing hugely from Bach and Paganini. Love or hate him Yngwie brought forth a huge classical influence crossed over into hard rock with many techniques deployed which were not standard in rock guitar vocabulary at the time. I included the orchestra clip as an example of Yngwie again acting as innovator. Yngwie composed the entire concerto and had it transcribed since he can neithe read or write music. An incredible feat IMO.

I believe the monster influential players in rock guitar were Hendrix, Van Halen, then Malmsteen. These 3 guys opened a Pandoras box of what could be accomplished and sent millions of hopeful guitarists scurrying to practice. The influence is felt when you see what what came immediately afterwards.

In the case of Malmsteen a whole plethora of neo-classical players came forth almost immediately such as Tony Macalpine, Vinnie Moore, Jason Becker, Paul Gilbert etc.....most being attached to Mike Varney's Shrapnel label which did as much to push to push the envelope as anything. No surprise then that with the bar being raised so high Grunge was born so average or weak players could still be in bands.

As much as I love Rhoades and cop his licks, I wouldn't quite put him as influential as the other three. He's sort of a link though between Van Halen and Malmsteen. Worth mentioning is Uli Roth the link between Hendrix and Malmsteen. Incredible player whose exposure was mainly in Europe. Listening to his playing on his first two solo albums recorded in th late 70's is proof Yngwie didn't just fall off an onion truck. Yngwie credits Roth for introducing him to diminished scales.

[doomeddisciple]

Indeed on Randy, the Salvador Sanchez of metal guitar, they died five months apart...

He would have done a lot more had he not decided to go for a joyride - Same could be said for both there too.

Mike Varney's old "New Talent" column in Guitar Player mag back when I started playing was always cool - The photo's were priceless.

Yngwie really bought back and started this generation of players appreciation for the importance of scales and theory to back up the monster chops.

I've never been a huge fan of Malmsteen - Appreciate the talent, but damn, he was responsible for more than a few botched scalloped frets on friends guitars back in the 80's.