Menu
I like the fact everyone can express their opinions here, be they right
(shared with me) or wrong (contradicting mine) (insert emoticon of your
choice here)!
On Hendrix... he was incredibly over-hyped for the wrong reasons, incredibly
under-hyped for the right reasons. He was a shock to the english rock
scene - a BLACK guy playing an even wilder version of the white version of
old black men's music (aka - the blues). For the era, he made the best of
what he had - usually a pre-CBS Strat (note the headstocks in his early
pictures), a Marshall amp (a step up sound pressure wise from the defacto
Vox of the area). He DID save the Strat (it and the Tele were slated for
phasing out, I guess Buck & Don saved the Tele), for that he deserves our
gratitude. His playing was nothing stellar, both Peter Green and Clapton had
him covered by a longshot playing blues or 'feeling' music. His gift was
flash - he humped mics and amps and wore early american pimp rags better
than anyone, and his natural tan didnt hurt either. With all that said, I
dearly love some of his stuff but still dislike and cant understand why
anyone would appreciate or enjoy the really bad stuff he made. I'd imagine
had he lived he would've eventually hated that stuff himself. After all, he
was primarily a R&B musician with slight jazz leanings.
Now for his under-hyping - when not tripping on acid or whatever his drug of
choice was for the day - he was a hell of a songwriter. Little Wing, Axis :
Bold as Love, Hear My Train A'comin and Wind Crys Mary are some of the
nicest tunes of the era. Little Wing in particular is a beautiful chord
progression, but I've often wondered who copped the changes from who - be it
him from George Harrison (something in the way she moves is very similar) or
vice versa. Maybe one of you Beatles/Hendrix freaks can say which came
first, the chicken or the egg.
I've often wondered how and who we would've worshipped had he lived, and say
Johnny Winter died. Winter being the anti-matter to Hendrix (stark white vs.
black) yet cut from the same cloth, had way more chops, speed, dexterity AND
could play slide like a mofo. Winter could noodle for hours and remain
interesting, while anyone that's seen Hendrix's footage from his last
performance (Isle of Wight) has to agree that he was about as inspiring and
interesting as watching paint dry. If this was a sign of things to come, he
would've surely been back on the chitlin circuit by 1973. Or, while we're
fantasizing, could Robin Trower and the other guitar heroes that built on
what Hendrix started, revitalized him? Would SRV have brought him back from
obscurity or made him break his guitar in frustration? Things that make you
go hmmm.
The irony of Hendrix, Morrison and Joplin all dying so close together has
always struck me as the final clunk sound of the door to the 60's closing.
Hendrix and Morrison were fading fast, Joplin appeared to be as well, yet
her signature song would come out weeks after her death. She, I never cared
for in the least... yet two of the most talented and least appreciated
losses of music had similar fates - Otis Redding and Jim Croce. Otis with
Sitting On The Dock of the Bay and Croce with Time In A Bottle, were weeks
away from superstardom... only to be silenced just short of it. Damn. Latter
day repeats of this proportion would come in the form of Lyrynd Skynyrd and
SRV. Double Damn.
And here we are today, our ears bleeding from the sounds of the Simpson
girls, (c)rap, and other audible crimes against humanity. The Doors and Jimi
would not even have a chance today, if you have even a sliver of talent you
can not get on the radio. It's a fact!
On Morrison and the Doors... Seems to be a 50/50 cut here in Surf CIty as to
if they were heroes or zeroes. I'll give Manzarek and Krieger their due for
writing a few interesting melodies, and I'll give Jim his due for being the
most enigmatic male rock stage performer of his era. His mysterious way is
what endeared him. Yet like most circus acts, once you seen it, it gets
boring. I seriously doubt had he lived on, his stinky leather pants and
pseudo-penis gimmicks would've had many miles left in them.
Where does that leave us???
Thanking God, Buddha, Leo Fender or whoever your diety of choice is that
Dick Dale, Nokie Edwards, Paul Johnson, etc etc etc lived and either gave or
is still giving us great music. Give them a handshake, email or $20 next
time you see them!
Ok, flame war over. Does anyone else smell bacon? Hmmm...
sizzlin,
Robb
