Have You Experienced the Jimi Hendrix Experience?
Sept 14, 2016 2:55:27 GMT
Mike The Tech Guy likes this
Post by Les Hetfield on Sept 14, 2016 2:55:27 GMT
"Look man, you can listen to Jimi, but you can't hear him." -White Men Can't Jump
I am unsure if the previous quote was birthed from the film mentioned, or if it was lifted from a separate source but regardless, I believe most people have heard the phrase. Right out of the gates I would just like to say that I understand the quote out of context, I'll omit the assumed context being the fact I haven't seen this movie since around the time it was originally relatively new in the 1990's. I only make mention of the quote because I disagree with the basis that everyone listens to music and only certain people have access to it's true intention. Someone can listen to an album and appreciate the art without caring about the message or how it affects them. Likewise someone can listen to a single song and feel that they have experienced a release of some sort or an intense, even overwhelming relationship with what they are hearing. A majority of what I've read magazine wise and internet thread based usually include Hendrix within the top 5 greatest guitarists ever to exist. While I am in no way a music critic professionally, I feel that being a critic in the realm of art is obviously subjective. I don't disagree about Hendrix being hailed as a God and the point of this thread is not to apply any negative connotations to his legacy. The point of this thread is to actually discuss how one Hendrix album specifically broke through my close minded music barrier and broadened my outlook and appreciation for his creations.
Originally, I grew up listening to your basic traditional awful radio friendly pop songs and awful passionless rap music. As well as your run of the mill, classic rock music, this would be around the late 80's, early 90's. Within my late teens I started to expand my musical voyage through mutual friends who had a far more expansive music palate than me. Once I heard music that sounded different than my norm I felt something exciting, I didn't think I could ever feel what I did back then just by putting on an album or hearing a song. Radio betrayed me, made me feel like all music was uninspired and boring. When that barrier was broken through I needed to find more music, through the internet I found hundreds of new bands and albums. Music I've never heard before, sounds that were new, crazy and unusual time signatures, some noises that have no place being recorded. Of course with the discovery of new music a comfort zone is developed like with anything else. So, I had an open mind for music but still closed it off for things that I would consider boring, more often than not it was bands or musicians that I've heard a lot about or a vast majority of people enjoyed because that's what the radio does. It shoves the same songs down your throat convincing you that what they're playing is what everyone wants to hear all the while on the sidelines you have so much more that will never be heard. Radio is confining and I think everyone would be better off without it but that's a different subject.
Electric Ladyland, is without a doubt my all time favorite Jimi Hendrix Experience album. Out of the three "legitimate" albums they released this is by far the most put together. Words can't describe what the song "Voodoo Chile" did for me the first time I sat through the entire 15 minutes of it in awe. Interestingly enough for me, I always kind of brushed Hendrix off because of how much I loathed the song "Hey Joe", as well as how annoying I thought "Purple Haze" was. I was young and it really was not my bag and I didn't care for delving into his catalogue because I assumed all of his songs were like that. With my music exploration eventually I do get up enough nerve to try and dive into an album or artist that I've always been leary about. I heard the Dylan cover "All Along the Watchtower" and I thought, this is awesome, I am gonna take a chance and pick up the album, see what it's all about. Man, the music really took a hold of me, the album weaves through so many different styles and varying speeds. It is also a lot more disjointed and noisier than I imagined music from the 60's would sound. The album broke through that barrier I've built and helped me give those songs I didn't care for an actual listening chance.
I will say I'm still not crazy about "Hey Joe" but it is a lot easier to appreciate the artist when you let down your guard and allow the creations to be your guide on the journey into the unknown. Music is art, when it is done for the creation of something beautiful and magical. It can be created for the wrong reasons such as, hammering out a dozen albums a year for a paycheck. Jimi released three albums with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in only 2 years but they were all, for what it's worth, artistic expression and passion, creating something wonderful or awful or noisy or beautiful or ugly. Creating to create, because you love it, because you want to make music. I feel most people have preconceived notions about music and limit themselves when really they should be letting the music in without a fight. If the music is not enjoyable or offensive to your sensibilities that's all fine and good. Before you dismiss it though just remember that art is created, people create art, art is for the sake of argument one of the more endearing aspects of humanity. Art is created to help, heal, offend, confound, depress, amuse and thousands of other emotions. Art is subjective, subject yourself to it, you may be surprised at what you find out about, maybe.
SUMMARY: Electric Ladyland is awesome. Radio be damned.
I am unsure if the previous quote was birthed from the film mentioned, or if it was lifted from a separate source but regardless, I believe most people have heard the phrase. Right out of the gates I would just like to say that I understand the quote out of context, I'll omit the assumed context being the fact I haven't seen this movie since around the time it was originally relatively new in the 1990's. I only make mention of the quote because I disagree with the basis that everyone listens to music and only certain people have access to it's true intention. Someone can listen to an album and appreciate the art without caring about the message or how it affects them. Likewise someone can listen to a single song and feel that they have experienced a release of some sort or an intense, even overwhelming relationship with what they are hearing. A majority of what I've read magazine wise and internet thread based usually include Hendrix within the top 5 greatest guitarists ever to exist. While I am in no way a music critic professionally, I feel that being a critic in the realm of art is obviously subjective. I don't disagree about Hendrix being hailed as a God and the point of this thread is not to apply any negative connotations to his legacy. The point of this thread is to actually discuss how one Hendrix album specifically broke through my close minded music barrier and broadened my outlook and appreciation for his creations.
Originally, I grew up listening to your basic traditional awful radio friendly pop songs and awful passionless rap music. As well as your run of the mill, classic rock music, this would be around the late 80's, early 90's. Within my late teens I started to expand my musical voyage through mutual friends who had a far more expansive music palate than me. Once I heard music that sounded different than my norm I felt something exciting, I didn't think I could ever feel what I did back then just by putting on an album or hearing a song. Radio betrayed me, made me feel like all music was uninspired and boring. When that barrier was broken through I needed to find more music, through the internet I found hundreds of new bands and albums. Music I've never heard before, sounds that were new, crazy and unusual time signatures, some noises that have no place being recorded. Of course with the discovery of new music a comfort zone is developed like with anything else. So, I had an open mind for music but still closed it off for things that I would consider boring, more often than not it was bands or musicians that I've heard a lot about or a vast majority of people enjoyed because that's what the radio does. It shoves the same songs down your throat convincing you that what they're playing is what everyone wants to hear all the while on the sidelines you have so much more that will never be heard. Radio is confining and I think everyone would be better off without it but that's a different subject.
Electric Ladyland, is without a doubt my all time favorite Jimi Hendrix Experience album. Out of the three "legitimate" albums they released this is by far the most put together. Words can't describe what the song "Voodoo Chile" did for me the first time I sat through the entire 15 minutes of it in awe. Interestingly enough for me, I always kind of brushed Hendrix off because of how much I loathed the song "Hey Joe", as well as how annoying I thought "Purple Haze" was. I was young and it really was not my bag and I didn't care for delving into his catalogue because I assumed all of his songs were like that. With my music exploration eventually I do get up enough nerve to try and dive into an album or artist that I've always been leary about. I heard the Dylan cover "All Along the Watchtower" and I thought, this is awesome, I am gonna take a chance and pick up the album, see what it's all about. Man, the music really took a hold of me, the album weaves through so many different styles and varying speeds. It is also a lot more disjointed and noisier than I imagined music from the 60's would sound. The album broke through that barrier I've built and helped me give those songs I didn't care for an actual listening chance.
I will say I'm still not crazy about "Hey Joe" but it is a lot easier to appreciate the artist when you let down your guard and allow the creations to be your guide on the journey into the unknown. Music is art, when it is done for the creation of something beautiful and magical. It can be created for the wrong reasons such as, hammering out a dozen albums a year for a paycheck. Jimi released three albums with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in only 2 years but they were all, for what it's worth, artistic expression and passion, creating something wonderful or awful or noisy or beautiful or ugly. Creating to create, because you love it, because you want to make music. I feel most people have preconceived notions about music and limit themselves when really they should be letting the music in without a fight. If the music is not enjoyable or offensive to your sensibilities that's all fine and good. Before you dismiss it though just remember that art is created, people create art, art is for the sake of argument one of the more endearing aspects of humanity. Art is created to help, heal, offend, confound, depress, amuse and thousands of other emotions. Art is subjective, subject yourself to it, you may be surprised at what you find out about, maybe.
SUMMARY: Electric Ladyland is awesome. Radio be damned.
