Hendrix BBC Cds Re-Listened...

[Eric West]

I've had these for some time, but now that I'm reliving my lost guitar years, I gotta express a take..

The "Album" cuts had more effects, and refined, surgically selected cuts, that showed the most beautiful and remixed guitar.

The BBC "tapes" showed his "whole bag".

You know, what he brought to "combat".

You can hear how he tended to frame things, in less than friendly places, what he liked to use for filling, rhythm, and what he'd fall back on.

Lots of Elmore, a BUNCH of "Motown" chords and things like in "Wait til Tomorrow" that he must have played in the kind of bands wearing sparkle shirts where Les Paul is reported to have first seen him.

Great, rough, true, idea of the things he played, and what his "bag was".

I recommend it. I think they're cheap on Amazon.

They make me a little 'manic' though..



EJL

[Bill Hatcher]

The studio became more of an instrument for many groups of that era. They played out live and honed their style and then they found that in the studio they could continue experimenting and creating often with a disadvantage being that it was tough to go back out live and really capture the studio cut. Hendrix was like that. The Beatles just quit playing live. The Rolling Stones always sounded the same no matter. That is one reason they are still out there playing today.

[Eric West]

You're right Bill.

As posted before Hendrix had LOTS of troubles getting the sound he wanted live. Add to that a fondness for barbiturates which increases ones' crankiness, and he flat had problems. When he played here in Portland he threw a fit and walked. He did that in a couple places I understand.

At the time, I was losing interest in the "concert scene" myself. The Canned Heat Concert I went to in Salem OR in 71 was disrupted by "teeny boppers" that were dancing around with warped 33 records on their belts, and just being stupid in general. Not sitting in a respectful halucinogenic daze like the rest of us "elders". Things went downhill from there for live psychedelic concerts...

The Critical Ear will hear all kinds of "clunks" on the BBC Cds, and his were probably the most critical so they were never released.

What I liked is that his manicured, produced, panned, and otherwise studio sculpted didn't show as much of his real "playing style" as the BBC CDs did.

Tony Glassman and I were reminiscing on the phone yesterday and remembered that a lot of "Isley Bros" "Motown" and other styles seemed to be his root playing, and it's really great to hear it in it's unvarnished form on these CDs.

A person won't come away from listening to them with a "Wow! He was really a genius!" thing like those listening to the Red Album, or Electric Ladyland for the first time, and maybe a little depressed for the lack of some expected "perfection".

I did however in my renewed study of Tele and Electric Guitar undestand more what his "style" was, and how to "cop" more of his playing positions, and pet licks.

Anyhow, I would suggest getting these CDs if anyone want's more insight into his guitar playing that's not as evident on his most famous albums.



EJL

[Olli Haavisto]

Drivin` South. `Nuff said

[Steinar Gregertsen]

I love the BBC sessions, have them on a 3-side see-through double LP. What I like about them is that they're more controlled and 'sober' than most of the other live stuff that's been released since his death.

Steinar

[Michael Haselman]

I too love the Hendrix BBC Sessions. Also the Beatles. Shows what a great live band they really were and what a top-notch drummer Ringo is.

[Eric West]

A lot of people diss Ringo, but you're right.

If I've got the right info, the drumming by Mitch Mitchell pretty much MADE a lot of the cuts. The Stevie Wonder "jam" was kind of awkward, and it's obvious they were "having each other on.."

I don't have exact knowledge of who played on what, but the Electric Ladyland drum tracks made the album.

I remember Buddy Miles was one of my favorite live concerts here in Ptld in 71 before things degenerated.

I can spend hours listening to these old things.

Sometimes it worries me..



EJL

[David L. Donald]

The Rolling Stones always sounded the same no matter. That is one reason they are still out there playing today.

Also they ARE ALive still.

But yes to the studio live thing.
I can dig it. I would do a second recording session
for a band that got lotsa gigs from the 2st round,
but then wanted to expand in the studio,
couldn't do it live and either;
The clubs said
'this isn't what you gave me on the tape',
or they got frustrated and broke up.

Not a unfamiliar thing.

[Eric West]

"When I die I want people to play my music, go wild and freak out and do anything they wanna do"
-Jimi Hendrix.

Here's a Rather Disturbing Link from a pseudo-whatever Judgemental Organization that I came across.

I only post it because of all the info I found in it.. Some of which I had forgotten.

Kept in mind must be that the authors obviously must believe that "Their Jesus" is better than "Anyone Elses'".

However it reminds me of some of the highest delusions musicians are heir to.

Not to mention their fans...

Or the "journalists" that dissect their lives and music post-mortem when the artists were just playing their gigs, getting as much fun and love as they could, and trying not to OD.....

I remember Bob Dylan saying that he was "just like Caruso, because 'the notes are all in there'"...

Gotta run.

Enjoy the Link.'





EJL

PS, I got a special kick out of the "Mysterious Deaths" section of the link..

Looking back, I remember and can relate probably three times that many "strange deaths" and "suicides" in My Wake...

Let's see.. Crazy Eddie got run over by a train, after his brother ODed on the tracks and got squished.. George got shot by junkies, Wendy blew his head off, just like John Heaton, Jennifer Volpel, Tom Byers, Terry Hyle, Tom (Juiced) Burnett and a dozen others.. Steve Reardon got cut in half by a logging cable, Big Jim choked on a Cabob. Todd died of everything a person could die of....

Fred Maynard however over the years got hit by an AIRPLANE, run over by four cars, fell off a building, and still is a successful security guard.

And then there's me...

Wanna be one of my friends?

Feel Lucky?



EJL/HFLE