Why do you like Hendrix?

I know a lot of people get PO'd whenever I mention this, but here goes:

Hendrix was a hack!

In my opinion, all Hendrix did was regurgitate a bunch of old Albert King licks, and dime out the amp to get tons of feedback. Big deal. People say he was "so innovative". I say the technology just wasn't available earlier.

I can't imagine being in a band with someone making that much noise.(and I'm a big fan of free-form improvisational chaos and general racket). You listen to that old live Hendrix stuff, and he's sloppy as hell, most notes are drowned in feedback, and he was rarely, if ever, in tune. His tone was muddy and coarse, with no sweetness to it at all.
I believe that they hired a studio guy to play the pretty stuff on the records (i.e. Wind Cried Mary) and never told anyone.

I know a lot of his contemporaries thought him impressive (Pete Townsend to Eric Clapton: "This guy's gonna put us all out of work") but I just don't see it.

Maybe someone here can enlighten me on why everyone seems to think he was one of/the best players ever.

I was never a huge Hendrix fan and all the things you say about his technique and playing are true but Hendrix had something that is frequently over looked by many musicians, that can't be taught at Berkeley or anywhere else. PASSION AND SOUL!!

I hear many of todays young guitar gods and they may have flawless technique and uberchops but their music leaves me cold and unsatisfied. Their attempts at emotion are so transparent and contrived it's pathetic.

My analogy is: it's the difference between making love to a real woman and whacking off.

I'd much rather listen to some kid on a piece of junk guitar that only knows 3 chords but is still true to the music than some super wanker playing exercises and calling it music.

Great thread!

[edit on 4-3-2007 by whaaa]

All I can say is a like a few of his songs. I never got to see him in concert and so don't have an opinion on that but I do like a few of his songs like most folks do. I always say everyone has a few good songs. Anyhow nothing ever sounds as good as its going to sound on a recording because you can edit it to no end and get it perfect. Its ten times harder peforming a song than it is recording it no?

[edit on 5-3-2007 by Burnt Offering]

Originall posted by Whaaa
I hear many of todays young guitar gods and they may have flawless technique and uberchops but their music leaves me cold and unsatisfied. Their attempts at emotion are so transparent and contrived it's pathetic.

I totally agree. Soul and passion are at least 70% of what makes it sound cool. Hendrix had lots of soul (or maybe it was the drugs), but soul alone does not make a guitar hero, either. I like feeling with expertise.

My analogy is: it's the difference between making love to a real woman and whacking off.

Ha!! Great analogy. Well spoken.

Originally posted by Burnt Offering
Anyhow nothing ever sounds as good as its going to sound on a recording because you can edit it to no end and get it perfect.

True, although you can go overboard very easily and end up with a product that is to perfect, giving it a sterile and soulless sound.
I personally much prefer live music to studio recordings. In fact, almost everything I listen to is recorded live. True, the sound is not as crystal clear and produced sounding, but I feel the trade-off is a good one. Performances happen live that can never be reproduced in the studio, as the band is playing off each other and the audience. In the studio, parts are usually laid down one at a time to keep the recording as clean as possible, most recordings being a series of solo performances that are edited together, so you lose that interplay.

Its ten times harder peforming a song than it is recording it no?

Actually, I find it much easier to play live as opposed to in a studio situation. Live is much more forgiving, as you can get away with a missed note here or there. When recording, that "oops" is there to bug you forever unless you re-do it.
Plus you get additional energy from the audience.

Thanks for responding, y'all. Usually when I bring this subject up, people look at me like I'm an alien or something, or just start yelling at me. Thanks again.

Originally posted by subject x

Originally posted by Burnt Offering

Its ten times harder peforming a song than it is recording it no?

Actually, I find it much easier to play live as opposed to in a studio situation. Live is much more forgiving, as you can get away with a missed note here or there. When recording, that "oops" is there to bug you forever unless you re-do it.
Plus you get additional energy from the audience.

Yeah I see your point what I was actually thinking was, well I read somewhere once where Eddie VanHalen said it was easy to create something in the studio that was impossible to do live, like having more guitar parts in there than you can play live without a ton of guitar players. Not necessarily that its easier. He said he tryed not to record something he couldn't do live cuz the fans get used to hearing it a certain way and he didn't want to dissapoint anyone. I imagine after folks have played something a few hundered times they jam way past the recording that made it to the radio. I myself have a long way to go though, heck I would walk ten miles to hear a good guitar player.

I bought an old accoustic guitar in a pawn shop for fifty dollars that was a twelve string with only six strings at the age of sixteen, tinkered with it about two weeks and didn't fool with it again much until I was about twenty one. I put a pickup in the hole and put me some light strings on that thing and had me a cheap electric guitar.

Originally posted by Burnt Offering
Yeah I see your point what I was actually thinking was, well I read somewhere once where Eddie VanHalen said it was easy to create something in the studio that was impossible to do live, like having more guitar parts in there than you can play live without a ton of guitar players.

Oh, definitely. As soon as you get into multi-track recording you can go crazy with stacking multiple guitars, or anything else, and promptly get something you need to hire several musicians to perform live.

I imagine after folks have played something a few hundered times they jam way past the recording that made it to the radio.

The good ones do.

I myself have a long way to go though, heck I would walk ten miles to hear a good guitar player.

If they were good enough, so would I! Though not guitar players, I walked about three miles just the other week to see Bela Fleck(banjo) and Chic Corea(piano) at a small theater here in Daytona. Those guys were enough to make you re-think all your concepts of timing, taste, and precision. Holy crap were they good!! Made me want to throw all my guitars out in the street !

I bought an old accoustic guitar in a pawn shop for fifty dollars that was a twelve string with only six strings at the age of sixteen, tinkered with it about two weeks and didn't fool with it again much until I was about twenty one. I put a pickup in the hole and put me some light strings on that thing and had me a cheap electric guitar.

You should put all twelve back on. It works wonders for your finger strength and stamina. After twelve, six is a breeze!

Yet still no-one's given me any reasons why Hendrix is considered by many to be one of, if not the greatest guitar gods ever. Maybe no-one can.

Didn't Hendrix claim he believed that he was an alien

My analysis of the Hendrix phenomena is that, Jimi came along about at the end of the folk rock era and the beginning of the psychedelic/San Francisco/California music revolution. It's not that he was such a great guitarist but certainly was innovative in pushing rock music in general to explore more diverse tonal possibilities that only an amped instrument of wire and wood can produce.

His true talent was in having the guts and vision to explore a personal musical dream that at the time was truly unique.

Much like Dylan, Corbain, Lennon, Yo Yo Ma, Coltrane, Bob Wills, Django....you get the idea!

Originally posted by golddragnet
Didn't Hendrix claim he believed that he was an alien

I know nothing of this, but enough drugs will make you believe anything, I hear.

Originally posted by whaaa
It's not that he was such a great guitarist but certainly was innovative in pushing rock music in general to explore more diverse tonal possibilities that only an amped instrument of wire and wood can produce.
(my bold)

And yet if you reference this thread, Hendrix is listed no less then a dozen times as one of the greatest ever.
Why is that? Is it just a case of media brainwashing or is it a prime example of the follow the herd mentality?

Again, I say the innovation was in the equipment, not the player.

And why did he have all those X's on his guitar strap? I listened to him play -All Along the watchtower- on you tube and I think he's amazing especially to be singing and playing at the same time. Thats one of my favorite Hendrix tunes probably because they play it so much in these parts. LOL. I really don't know the answer to your question though. I don't reckon I have ever heard anybody play and sing that good. Was he just that awsome or was there some media hype or some underlying current going on?

Originally posted by Voyager1
And why did he have all those X's on his guitar strap? I listened to him play -All Along the watchtower- on you tube and I think he's amazing especially to be singing and playing at the same time.

Is this the video?
You'll notice that whenever he's singing, he's just banging out the same three chords (right in a row) over and over. When he's playing anything else, he's not singing.
This is common to many players, and its not as hard as you seem to think.

Thats one of my favorite Hendrix tunes probably because they play it so much in these parts.

Actually, it's a Dylan tune, but I know what you're saying.

I don't reckon I have ever heard anybody play and sing that good.

Have a look at this vid from Umphrey's McGee. Singing and playing with odd breaks and time variations.

Was he just that awsome or was there some media hype or some underlying current going on?

I'd say media hype and an underlying current of '___'.

Actually I was watching the video on him from Atlanta. It shows more of him from the front than the other vid does. His guitar playing sounds a good bit better in that one too. He must have been into it that night. Hey you don't know those fellows playing in that vid you posted do you? They sound pretty good.

Nope, I don't know them, but I wish I did.
Them boys are one of the best bands going these days. Crazy tight, great sound,
off the hook jams. I cannot recommend them enough.
If you want a good sample of the band, download this show:
Umphrey's McGee @ The Fox Theater 02-07-2004
Totally free and legal. This show has excellent sound, and great playing. A smoker.

I guess I like Jimi for the same reasons I like Santana, Zepplin and Joplin...

Old School, emotionally tied to the music and well, I grew up on it...

I really don't listen to them that much anymore. As I have gotten older, I have mellowed a lot and now listen to Celtic, and soft Jazz....Mostly

Semper

two words...VOODOO CHILD!!!

No seriously I just like his style, he's deep. I started playing guitar now and he's inspiring me. My dad named me after him and Jimmy Page lol.

-Jimmy-

i liked Hendrix because what he played made me happy i liked the sound. all musicians build on what came before Stevie ray was good was he a Hendrix ripoff? who cares it sounded good i miss both but as to getting upset because you don't like him ain't gonna happen everyone likes different things it's what makes the world beautiful.

Hey, thanks for sharing your thoughts, y'all. I can appreciate your liking his music and all, as a matter of personal taste. Whatever makes you smile, right?

What I'm trying to understand here is the almost universal belief that he was the "greatest player of all time", or real close to it. Mostly it appears to come down to his attitude and sense of soul that people talk about. Although these would qualify him as a great "rocker", they do not, I think, make one a guitar god.

Maybe I just have different tastes then 99.9% of the rest of the population, so I can't see it. In general, I don't much care for the stuff that seems to sell the most, most notably the whole U2 thing. I mean, I liked Hendrix's stuff when I was 15, but quickly grew bored of it and moved to other music. I see the adolescent attraction, but can't understand older people and guitar publications that continuously hold him up as the best.

Thanks, though, for trying to help me deny my ignorance on this subject.

Originally posted by wcssar
.... as to getting upset because you don't like him ain't gonna happen everyone likes different things it's what makes the world beautiful.

I agree 100% with that, wcssar.
It shows that you're more evolved then most of the folks I run into.
I kinda think most people here on ATS are.

something i forgot till after i went back and watched a few jh clips is that he was so cool and self assured self possessed it was like man if i ever do something i hope i can do it like that no worries just doing it. and especially as a self conscious inexperienced teen what more could you want. as to the best ever plant Clapton van halen ect... there is no best there is just your favorite.

Originally posted by wcssar
something i forgot till after i went back and watched a few jh clips is that he was so cool and self assured self possessed it was like man if i ever do something i hope i can do it like that no worries just doing it. and especially as a self conscious inexperienced teen what more could you want. as to the best ever plant Clapton van halen ect... there is no best there is just your favorite.

Yeah you hit on something there with the -theres no the best only your favorite player- line. I have favorite players from every genre of music. I have heard Hendrix all my life and never really payed that much attention to his style of playing or anything I guess its cus he's already passed away and you can't go and see him. Seeing him on You Tube is definitely inspiring. I had no idea the guy could play like he can. Or could I'm already working on that thumb chord he uses, I'm gonna try and learn all his tricks. And yeah watching him play, he knew he could play man no doubt about it.