Jimi Hendrix - 'He wasn't that special'

SexyGreyFox

SexyGreyFox

SexyGreyFox

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In the messroom today two blokes who actually went to see Hendrix were talking about him and one of the younger workers who is about 36 came out with "He wasn't that special". Everybody in that room (about 20 blokes) just turned around and gave him dirty looks. One bloke who is nearly 65 said that he didn't like him but he certainly knew where he stood in the timeline of music and what he did for a generation. The younger bloke stated that when he got into music everybody was playing as good as Hendrix and I said "Thats the point".

Just wondering what you young fellows think of Hendrix and what he did for modern rock music?
 
if a man can with 8 arms can play the guitar as well as hendrix I'll eat my shorts. I didnt really like his music tbh but to watch him play was like watching van halen / kirk hammet in fast forward.
 
Some of his lyrics are awesome. Little Wing is pure smacked-off-your-head inspired :p

In my opinion (and a lot of others I should imagine) he's so iconic because he broke the boundaries and gave many many other players ideas of where to take the guitar. He deserves major respect for that alone.

Personally I don't think he's that interesting as a guitar player to listen to compared to some of in my opinion the greatest guitarists out today, but in his day i'm sure he was phenomenal.

All being said though I haven't seen another guitarist yet to properly adopt his broken chord style playing and pull it off with as much creativitiy as he did :)
 
Speaking as a thirty-*cough* year old, his music wasn't my cup of tea, and I don't advocate his use of drugs, but the music of the countless bands and musicians he influenced has changed my life immeasurably.

His showmanship was similarly influential, don't forget.

"Not that special"? Jeez.
 
it wasnt just down to his technical skill.. and tbh.. he isnt the best technical player of all time in todays world.. but everything else about him is what classed him as the best ever.... he was the first on so many levels to be that flamboyant... it wasnt just him playing the guitar.. it was the whole music he made. he just used the guitar in such an expressive way it was incredible. he was an amazing guitarist technically too.. but not the best technically...

but he was and is the greatest guitarist really... it was everything plus his guitar ability. IMO :p
 
When I saw the title I wondered if DMP was trolling again ;).

Hendrix was and always will be one of, if not the best guitarists ever.
 
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memphisto said:
if a man can with 8 arms can play the guitar as well as hendrix I'll eat my shorts. I didnt really like his music tbh but to watch him play was like watching van halen / kirk hammet in fast forward.
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Odd perspective, I always feel like its watching van halen in slow motion.

Speed isn't everything of course, and I don't reguard one over the over, but I don't find him as inpirational as everyone seems to claim. I also think people have had much better tone, and wondered why people have raved on about it.

Saying that, the fact that voodoo child is completely played seemingly off the cuff (making it up as he goes along) is pretty damn cool.

EDIT - Oh you mean back then?
 
*Echos the sentiment of the thread so far*
Appreciate what he did and what he stood for in his time, but dont like his music.

The young main was wrong in saying he wasnt special, because evidently he was, but i do feel (in modern retrospect) he was overatted then, and now even more so. As a guitarist, its status quo to list hendrix as an influence without ever having listened all that much to him.

However, its almost as though its sacralige to discredit him The blood boils in a purest's veins to think such a thing and the legend continues :)
 
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lemonkettaz said:
i didnt say anything about any other guitarists.

but some people are obsessed with notes per minute at the moment... all that is bull really
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I wasn't going to compare myself, but I was interested what other people thought. I think we have hit a point where it is about the least notes per minute actually. The Strokes 'one note performance's are just over the top!

There was a point with notes per minute. My old guitar teacher said that whem Malmsteen came out everyone thought he was the best guitarist ever. Seems our minds have changed after all.
 
Meh, it's important to remember music is completely subjective.

You can expressive yourself with something incredibly fast just as you can with a single note, it's swings and roundabouts. A fast solo like the solo in For The love of God by Vai for example can bring me to tears just as a single note from Gilmour can. Not afraid to admit that either! *Grunts in a manly fashion*.

Besides this shouldn't be a speed thread :p
 
Though he was technically brilliant, that's not what made him special. He was important because he influenced people like no other guitarist before him had done. I can't see someone like Steve Vai touching people in that way today, even if technically he's leagues ahead.
 
Arcade Fire said:
Though he was technically brilliant, that's not what made him special. He was important because he influenced people like no other guitarist before him had done. I can't see someone like Steve Vai touching people in that way today, even if technically he's leagues ahead.
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You'd be suprised.
 
Sorry, I should have qualified. I meant that I can't see Steve Vai influencing anyone but the most anally retentive guitar nerd who thinks that being a great guitarist is being able to play all the scales at the speed of light, and shredding like nobody's business ;)
 
Arcade Fire said:
Sorry, I should have qualified. I meant that I can't see Steve Vai influencing anyone but the most anally retentive guitar nerd who thinks that being a great guitarist is being able to play all the scales at the speed of light, and shredding like nobody's business ;)
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*Hides from the onslaught that Arcade fire is about to get*
 
Arcade Fire said:
Sorry, I should have qualified. I meant that I can't see Steve Vai influencing anyone but the most anally retentive guitar nerd who thinks that being a great guitarist is being able to play all the scales at the speed of light, and shredding like nobody's business ;)
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Arghhh........

This is wrong in so many ways.

I'm not trying to be patronising but I don't think you have the experience as a guitarist (do you actually play an instrument?) to understand the type of music Steve Vai plays. It's so annoying when people think that all players like Steve Vai are good at is playing things of high technical value, i'm not trying to say you're wrong for not liking him lol I just think you should have a more open mind as to see that he uses his technique to express the ideas he wants to convey to the listener, whether that be with a fast phrase or a single note.

Nitefly said:
*Hides from the onslaught that Arcade fire is about to get*
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Rofl too right, this debate is so old it's becoming cliche.
 
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