Jimi Hendrix - just a tad overrated ?

Miles Davis, just a tad overrated? Perhaps just a tad.

Frank Zappa, just a tad overrated? Perhaps just a tad.

Gershwin, Mingus, Cage, Parker, Coltrane, etc, etc, etc just a tad overrated? Perhaps just a tad.

The nickalicious answer: Why heavens NO my dear man!

don't say jimi taught eddie what he knows cos he really didn't.

True. Eddie Van Halen ripped his shit straight from Chet Atkins (finger-pickin stuff) and Steven Hackett (two-handed tapping stuff). He has said so himself MANY A TIME.

Dude, Kenan, I love you. And JP, contrary to what you may believe, I love you too. But Jimi-the-songwriter = DA POOH.

The biggest problem with Hendrix is that he's just an awful singer -- sure, he has a great voice, but even with this massively cool-sounding voice the most he can muster is to occasionally distract you from the fact that he has no ability whatsoever as a vocalist. It's not so terrible on the upbeat numbers, which are essentially just rock-and-talk instrumentals with some hyping chatter on them, but in the slower bits it's just painful, the same ostensibly-serious drawl but with the intonation and phrasing of one of those guys who reads books onto plastic records for kids to look along with. I mean, "Castles made of Sand," I almost expect to hear

so the Indian boy [BEEP] turn the page, alright

and I just can't take it. That's the other thing, I have this irrational aversion to how he calls out every solo and change like some sort of tour guide, which just reinforces the fact that -- from today's perspective -- half of his work is just flat-out mugging for the camera.

Okay but so THAT SAID it's not his fault. Much as I hate to forgive the sixties for really unforgivable levels of wank in all directions, it's flatly obvious that it was pretty impressive and compelling at the time, and it's just the over-compelling effect it's had on like way to much of everyone since that's run it to the point of senselessness, picking up exactly the worst mugging of guys like Hendrix and turning it into the uber-mugging. The problem is that, you know, the same thing could be said of boys having long hair, and at some point we were all able to just fucking move on and not go around valorizing the long hair of boys in the sixties, even if it was really impressive back then and it was latter-day mullet-head who took the steam out of it. Whereas with Hendrix people keep pretending that there's something deep and meaningful in his stuff that's completely absent from the work of the clerk at the guitar store. And there probably is, but not that much, and anyway standing in today's shoes does it even matter?

I dunno, if you can still see this stuff straight enough to tell me -- in the author-is-dead just-look-at-the-product sort of way -- that there's something I should be getting out of Hendrix and not out of Troy at Guitar Center, well then good on you for catching it. But as far as I can tell Hendrix stuff either needs to be buried in a time capsule for half a century until we can actually deal with it again, or we need to put some fucking distance in there ourselves, either by hating it or ironizing it or playing with it or something.

The biggest problem with Hendrix is that he's just an awful singer -- sure, he has a great voice, but even with this massively cool-sounding voice the most he can muster is to occasionally distract you from the fact that he has no ability whatsoever as a vocalist.

I've read too many of your posts and respect you too much that you honestly find this such an issue.

Anyway also I understand on an intellectual level that there was this massive amount of creation and invention going on in Hendrix's stuff but when I put it on I just don't hear it -- it's on the books but I can't seem to find it there in the music itself.

there's a intellectual level to understanding this (you could prob apply musicological args to almost anything but i don't play that game yet) and then there isn't, really

(I'm ans to some of nabisco's points not the retarded fuck who started this thread)

there's wank to every decade (I want dan perry to wake up)

He had a sense of humor and a tender side and a sexual side and could write 3 minute pop songs and perform 10 minute abstract improvisation.

I mean here's a guy who wrote and sang "The Wind Cries Mary" and did that version of "Star Spangled Banner", and we have to argue if he's any good? The rock hating is getting tiresome.

Probably half the music I like has "bad" vocals.

''Probably half the music I like has "bad" vocals.''

that's right. I've had this out on the doors thread and the Pil thread.

after punk this args abt vocals are really useless (I'm not saying 'anything goes' but the threshold for 'bad' vocals has increased).

(NB my problem with his vocals isn't that he's a "bad" singer but that the vocals themselves just don't seem to do very much.)

I don't know, who can say how much Hendrix lay up nights worrying about being a black man in a white man's world? He certainly always seemed like a phlegmatic fellow. But that whole Band of Gypsies thing. Total disengagement move. The guy just followed his muse and did not care. We are able to reap the benefits.

Nabisco, you don't need to apologize! My reasons for liking Hendrix are pretty much the same reasons everyone else has--my viewpoint on this is very close to the consensus viewpoint, so I don't think I'm the person to convince you about this. or maybe tonight's not the night for me to, since I'm doing some other writing right now and want to concentrate my energies on it somewhat (yeah yr doing GREAT by posting this Matos)

to come dangerously close to sounding like a hippie, not many people have played music that seemed like such a natural, flowing extension of themselves. and his voice rulzxorxed, dammit.

Do you ever take a moment to picture Jimi actually excusing himself from a conversation and then kissing the sky?

music theory

Good Hendrix doco on the BBC this week. I'm not a huge fan, but he was an interesting guy for sure.

In re the theory stuff above, I would imagine a lot of the conventions of whether a note is *really* a flat x or *really* a sharp y come from the conventions of voice leading in western classical music, none of which really has much impact on the hendrix chord, which is static.

Whoa, 10 years ago ILM actually took the time to answer a question respectfully even if it was a dumb one and the op was obviously being agressive out of nowhere.

yea nowadays someone would be all like OI SOME BIG BELL-BOTTOMED BIRD IS A-PLAYIN THE BLUESIE-WEWSIES, IMA MAKE A 'ORRIBLE POST TO ME ILXOR CHUMS

omfg at that last post. Just spat laughing.

and his voice rulzxorxed, dammit.

― your null fame (yournullfame), Thursday, March 20, 2003 2:16 AM (10 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

really miss this kind of spirited debate round here

His voice really did rulzxorxed, though.

he had a great voice.
shame it's overshadowed bu his guitar
i don't understand how can anyone think differently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koxpJ7nhz2Y

I would imagine a lot of the conventions of whether a note is *really* a flat x or *really* a sharp y come from the conventions of voice leading in western classical music, none of which really has much impact on the hendrix chord, which is static.

Yeah, but doesn't G in the chord anticipate G as the root of the next chord?

Oh yeah actually that's true

Good thread. Are You Experienced has great songwriting and performance. If someone is upset about the evil done by SRV and Mayer using Jimi's material, I'd recommend searching 'May This Be Love' on Spotify. There are many good-to-great covers, and perhaps this is a sign of a well written song.

kinda want to poll these covers, and I'm not sure that I can restrain myself.

i'm gonna start strumming the guitar with my penis. i will get so popular. people will adore me for that. i will have the biggest fanbase cos i'm such an innovator.
― JP Albin (John Paul Albin), Thursday, March 20, 2003 2:49 AM (11 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

JP Tanuki more like

I want to put out a guitar record under the stage name Tad Overrated

haha

album is called "Just a Tad"

horrible album titles...

Ellen McIlwaine actually has a few interesting Jimi covers and is basically awesome