Jimi Was The Best Bar None!

If the thread was "Hendrix was my favorite bar none" I wouldn't have a problem. But to say "He was the best bar none!" is like someone saying the Ford Mustang was the best car ever bar none. Just because you drive a car doesn't make you an expert on cars. Likewise, simply because you listen to music doesn't make you an expert on music. All I said was:

and they both peed in their panties, having a cow over my comments.

Do rob and axis even know how to read music? Do they know music theory? Probably not. They simply have nothing but subjective and emotional arguments; I have yet to see any proof of their claims.

 

You my friend are making some real lame accusations and assumptions-That alone says alot about a person-You know nothing about me -I never said I was an "expert"-where did that come from?-I also never said Hendrix was the best all time guitar player-I said He was the best bar none-and he WAS!-You got yourself so caught up arguing with me and a 15 year old young man that you lost track of the whole thread-You have said I probably know nothing about music-your very wrong bud-I started playing the sax and the flute in high school in 1964!-I was in the band and the orchestra and the marching band which may sound lame but IMO there is no better place to learn any musical instrument-It taught me how to read and play with others in a group which I did after graduating in 67'-the same year I saw Jimi at Winterland-Before him I went to concerts in San Francisco about 3 nights a week and after him about the same-I have seen nearly every single group in the 60s and 70s at one time or another because of where I lived-I also played with many groups and in 70 I played in Europe the whole year-I played flute for a short time with Focus from Holland-I also played with Nick Gravenites from the Electric Flag-am I an expert? Whats that?-I said early on that it is always up to the individual listener to make their own decision and preference as to who they think is better than another on the guitar or any other instrument-To this day I have not see one guitar player who was as exciting to watch-not showmanship but the ease of which he performed-that is talent not showmanship-Thats the point I was making-unless you had seen Jimi play it is impossible to see the few videos of him' the genius that he was on his instrument. He mastered and owned it!-He was not the worlds best vocalist and he was the first to admit it-Ya see 'Hendrix was a very humble person-He also served as a paratrooper in the Army-He starved on the streets of New York and slept with the rats in the alleys of Greenwich Village before he made it-I have alot of respect and' admiration for Hendrix and think he is someone young people can look to as a role model as far as sticking to your dreams-He did have a drug problem but we all did then-many of us survived it 'sadly he did not-I will say it like this-Jimi Hendrix was the best guitar player bar none-emphasis on was-and that is my opinion based on seeing him several times-It is also the opinion of Eric Clapton -George Harrison-Jeff Beck and just about all and every player from those days-so-if that means anything great-Personally I would really take what these other great players had to say about him and leave it at that-or all they all wrong?--O-and Axis-You go dude!-You have good attitude and good common sense-When any man 3 times your age decides to argue with you-well you can take that for what it's worth--0

 

You aren't arguing anymore, Franklin, you are just posting insults. I may have done the same, but at least I was trying to get a point across. You are just trying to annoy me.

As you obviously don't rate Hendrix as the best ever, who do you rate as the best? SRV, Allman, Page, Clapton, Harrison? Or some technical player like Yngwie Malmsteen or Paul Gilbert? Take your pick, because they will all give you the same answer - Hendrix was the best. And these guys have made a living out of music, so I respect their opinions a tad more than yours.

And I know nothing about music, right? Which is why I listen from anything to flamenco (Paco De Lucia) to Steve Vai. I am a huge Pink Floyd fan (David Gilmour) a Led Zeppelin fan (Jimmy Page) a Santana fan (Carlos Santana.) I like Jeff Healey, Gary Moore, Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield (Metallica), Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Johnny Marr, Billy Duffy, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Pass, Martin Taylor etc. I most certainly do not only like one style, or have a closed mind. The afore-mentioned guitarists are all great, and I like loads of different styles of music, but I feel that Jimi Hendrix was the best. He isn't the only great guitarist, but he is the greatest.

 

Serves me right getting into an argument with some smart-aleckey kid and a tuba player. Actually, being in a HS band IS a good place to learn music,, you're correct about that. But it ain't guitar. When you've played guitar professionally for nearly 30 years...and that's twice as long as you've been alive, junior-bold-as-love...you understand a few things about rock guitar. So, without any further adieu, let me repost my comment from a couple of weeks ago:

And I was right. Most of your flaming Hendrix-worshipers never played guitar in a band...

 

The whole argument to me is moot because I prefer John Lee Hooker or a Johnny Thunders to any of these guys. I live for the technical simple stuff powered by a LOT of feeling and a good ear for music. I love garage rock and roll and late 50's/early 60's era blues. The more elaborate, flowering stuff doesn't connect with me in the same way.

But I guess the question posed is who do we think the BEST guitarist is, not our favorite. I don't know enough about guys like Duane Allman and that unbelievably fast Yngwie Malmsteen to say who the best is. I think I'd have to take a year off to listen to the body of work put out by all of these guys before I could answer that. I'd need to expose myself to all of them before I could give an objective reply to this thread because otherwise I'd probably say Hendrix, Page, or Clapton. Guys I do know.

 

Everyone has a favorite era and style... I like the older late 40s early 50s Muddy Waters stuff, when he was pioneering blues on electric guitar. The old blues stuff was great, though, wasn't it? And I agree; I'm not into the super-distorted bells & whistles stuff either, although when done right, it can be good. When dealing with the late 60s-early 70s rock, though, Duane Allman was the guitarist's guitarist. Hendrix was held in awe by those who didn't play guitar, you know, like tuba players, or those inexperienced teenagers who just sit in their rooms and play but really don't know much about the instrument--but Allman was the one that other guitarists put at the top of the pedestal. Do you not have the Clapton album "Layla" by "Derek & the Dominos?" That's Duane Allman doing the funky rhythm and banshee slide on the title song.

 

Man-your somethin else-where do you come up with tuba there harpo?-I said sax-as in Paul Desmond and Charlie Parker-When they build a museum for you like they did for Hendrix-give me a call-I wanta see the HARPO excibit-How amazing to play the harp! Wow-Who's your idol-Norton Buffallo?-hahhahaha-And let me know when the Duane Allman or Eric Clapton museum opens-right now you can go see Jimis stuff at HIS Museum built by Paul Allen -it's in Seattle-I would suggest you bring a couple of knee pads so when you fall to your knees and bow down to THE MAN-you don't scuff up those bony white knees!-bring your harp-maybe you can set up on the sidewalk out front and pick up a little change while your there-

 

Tuba...sax..what's the difference. The thing is, I've played GUITAR professionally for nearly 30 years. Guitar, mind you, not tuba or sax or whatever your non-guitar instrument is. The bottom line is: I've been playing guitar in rock bands for a long, long time. I think I'm a tad more qualified than you are to determine what or what isn't good guitar playing. If we were discussing, say, John Coltrane, I'd certainly give you the nod for knowing what or what isn't good sax playing. But we're not talking about saxes or tubas, are we, hmmm? We're talking about an instrument I know quite well. I'm quite used to playing strats through 100 watt tube amps with fuzz-boxes and wah-wahs and the like, and I can tell you that re-creating Hendrix's sound is no big deal. Yes, playing like he did while doing three hits of windowpane and humping his guitar at the same time was quite a trick, but that is showmanship, not technique.

Bottom line is: I'm a guitarist. You're not. I win. You lose. End of argument.

 

So what if you play the guitar?-alot of people do-I also play the bass guitar-I have also played in many groups and just what does any of this have to do with Hendrix?-You should not even put yourself in the same sentence as this man-You may be a run of the mill head banging gitar player-He was simply the best-and any comparison you make means nothing as there is or was noone to compare his style and virtuoso too-He was an original-Don't worry-you are not the first so-called guitar player to come up short and feal utterly defeated when trying to cover Jimi Hendrix-I'd say you would do better to stick with Kiss or maybe ZZ Top-you can do wonders with those three chords! haha

 

Dear boy, the point is because I play guitar, I am a hell of a lot better qualified than you are to judge what and what isn't good guitar playing. As far as covering Hendrix, I used to do lots of wonderful Hendrix covers. As I said before--it's not that hard. As far as "three chord" songs go, may I remind you that some of Hendrix's best known songs were also three chord ditties, such as "Purple Haze" and "All Along the Watchtower"...not to mention his hilarious cover of the Trogg's "Wild Thing." So, my advice to you is: give it up. You've lost the argument big-time. And you've proven the point I made earlier in the thread--people who don't play guitar are the ones who think Hendrix was "the best bar none." Guitar players--those who actually KNOW what they're talking about--know better. 'nuff said.

 

Boy? The more you speak the more ignorant you become-Completely unbelievable-My musical background is light years beyond anything you have ever dreamed of-You've doing nothing on here but make yourself look stupid-You have no idea who I am-and you never will-You spent alot of time bullying a 15 year old kid-What a man!-You should be proud of yourself for that-Your not a musician but a loser and a loudmouth and I am done with ya!

 

Whatever, mr. tuba player who doesn't know crap about guitar. I talk about guitar and technique, you talk about marching bands. You're not impressing anyone. As far as "bullying," go back and read the posts. I hadn't said a word to him, and he came out with this:

Then he talks to me like this:

If you can't take the heat, son, stay out of the studio. That's all I have to say. I don't respect punks who call me "ignorant" and "crap" and "dickhead."
You might want to go back and see who started the name-calling: it was you and your little 15 year old friend. And now that you've lost the argument, you're all "whaaaaaa! I want my mommy!" about it.
Anyway, robspaced, you simply can't seem to lose graciously. You lost the argument. You are not a guitarist, every argument you have tried to make I have successfully refuted, and all you do is whine. You may be grandpappy age, but you don't act any older than the 15 year old. Grow up.

 

I have played guitar for seven years, so I know plenty about it, thank you very much.

And where the hell did you get the idea that I 'dismiss other guitarists because of their styles'? Did you not read my post? Is Al Di Meola the similar to Hendrix? Is SRV similar to Kirk Hammett? Is Buckethead similar to Robert Cray? Is Carlos Santana similar to Jeff Healey? Is Frank Zappa similar to Jeff Beck? Is Jimmy Page similar to Johnny Marr?

You also said that Hendrix wasn't the best of his generation. Well, who was then? Beck? Clapton? Harrison? Page? None of them even compare. Hendrix is the most influential guitarist ever. No-one has taken the instrument so far and changed it so much, and he was only famous for three-four years. In act, he's still selling three million albums per annum, which is more than can be said for those other guitarists I've mentioned. Or, indeed, any guitarist you could mention.

Hendrix has inspired just about every guitarist you could name that's come after 1967,and will continue to do so for God only knows how long. Not to mention that he's just hands down better than everyone.

'Flaming Hendrix worshiper'. Well, Hendrix isn't my favourite guitarist (Stevie Ray Vaughan is) and he isn't my favourite artist/band (Pink Floyd are.)

'In the seventies, Duane Allman was the guitarists' guitarist'. Says who? If you went down a street anywhere in Britain, hardly anyone would have heard of him. He's obscure everywhere apart from the bible belt. And while we're on the subject, 'Layla' is an atrocious song.

Oh, and btw, I don't just sit in my room and play. Have you ever heard 'Eruption' by Van Halen? I can play that. I don't think that anyone whose 'inexperienced' or who 'knows nothing about music theory' could play that.

 

Did you ACTUALLY just say that?!

Axis, you really are embarrassing yourself. Just stop. Please!

 

Hey, thanks for the good belly laugh. So, if I go down a street in Britain, no one would have heard of Duane Allman? He's only known in the "bible belt?" Well, young Einstein, where on earth do you think blues and rock came from? Lonnie Donegan's skiffle band?
Your comment "Hendrix is the most influential guitarist ever" was also a hoot. And who did he "influence?" Robin Trower? Irnie Isley? How many people play Hendrix's loud distorted style? Hmmm? Yes, Hendrix expanded the range of sounds that a guitar can make; I've said it all along. But "influential"? Please. Clapton had a hell of a bigger impact and influence; he was the first (well, in Britain) guitarist to use the more fluid B. B. King licks rather than the rhythmic Chuck Berry stuff. Clapton also was the first to really crank up the old tube amp to get that tone and sustain...believe me, Clapton was a lot more "influential" if you bother to look up the meaning of the word: he really changed the way lead rock guitar was played. And Duane Allman was tremendously influential: he changed the way slide guitar was played. Up to that point, slide was tinny and metallic; Duane's technique and tone influenced every slide player since. As I said, who in the hell did Hendrix influence besides a small handfull of guitarists?

As far as you just sitting in your room and playing, I stand corrected. I assume you also play in your mum's garage...haw haw haw haw!
Let me know when your first CD comes out.

 

Yah, he did. Post #44.

 

That was my first post in this thread. I stand by it.

 

I totally agree with you, and would say exactly the same.

 

Wow, I cannot believe some of the arguments being tossed around in this thread... Franklin, your insinuations that Hendrix was not influential are some of the most ignorant comments I've ever read posted about rock music... sorry man, but it's true. You say Clapton was more influential... perhaps one could argue he was up there in influence with Hendrix, but have you never heard the story of when HENDRIX BLEW CLAPTON OFF THE FUCKING STAGE in London? For God's sake, Townshend and Clapton formed a friendship based solely on the fact that their ego's had been SHATTERED by Hendrix even more than by the acid they were taking! I've seen direct quotes where Pete Townshend said he would've given anything to BE Hendrix... and Townshend is one of the greatest artists of the century. That's like you saying Kubrick isn't influential when there is a quote from Coppola saying that he would've given anything to BE Kubrick (only an example). "Hendrix's sounds are easy to emulate" well sure if you've got a good fuzz box and a wah pedal, maybe you can get close to his tone, but so the fuck what? Write a song 1/10 as beautiful as Bold as Love and then we'll talk. Again, I just don't see how you can relegate him to third tier status when most of the people you cite as being better/more influential shat themselves upon hearing Hendrix.

I will say however that being able to play Eruption is not an indicator of skill in music theory or even good guitar playing, although it is obviously a technically difficult song. People like Yngwie Malmsteen could obviously play things Hendrix couldn't and possibly never could even with years of practice, but guess what, in a guitar duel Hendrix would send them home crying after playing a 20 second long note a-la Machine Gun followed by summoning tortured screams of death, love, joy, and anger from his pickups.

Oh, and as for his "hilarious" cover of Wild Thing... his cover of Wild Thing is one of the greatest covers of all time, are you kidding me? I'm not going to sit here and explain why it's awesome because to the music lover it should be obvious.

 

And yes Hendrix was a master of many styles... way more than, say, Clapton. Hendrix could play beautifully tender stuff, funk, amazing blues, hard rock...