Hendrix's vintage psychedelic tone Revealed in old rare photo

[Tone Deaf]

Clapton is, was, and always will be about half the musician Hendrix was with about a third of the creativity. Hendrix literally defined what we do on guitar to this day. Clapton was basically a guy who played blues when it got popular again and now plays basically elevator music. I love Cream but not because of what Clapton did. As for musicians around that era doing relevent stuff now Tony Iommi/BlackSabbath comes to mind with Heaven and Hell which was a fantastic cd/band for the short time it was around.

Heaven and Hell was 32 years ago. How is that an example?

My point wasn't to compare Hendrix with Clapton in terms of their playing ability. My point is, show me a guitarist/singer/songwriter who has remained relevant for the past 40+ years.

History does not support the romanticized vision that if Hendrix were alive today that he'd still be cranking out music that anyone gives a {censored} about. Yes he was talented, yes he was an innovator, yes he wrote a {censored} ton of great songs in a short period of time. But time marches on and people age, and rock music typically belongs to the young. Hendrix was not special enough to trancend that fact.

His death while still at his best indelibly stamped his genious upon rock music for all time. I believe that had he lived, he would not have had any more longevity than anyone else from his era. History just doesn't support it.

Yes, there'd be baby boomers lining up to see sold out shows at $100+ a seat, but would that have more to do with reliving their youth or seeing an artist that still made music that mattered?

Sadly, we'll never know.

[slvrsrpnt]

Heaven and Hell was 32 years ago. How is that an example? .

 

Heaven and Hell - The Devil You Know came out in 2009. Tony also put out 10 Black Sabbath records (studio) and two solo records after Ozzy was fired in 1979.

[theAntihero]

Heaven and Hell was 32 years ago. How is that an example? My point wasn't to compare Hendrix with Clapton in terms of their playing ability. My point is, show me a guitarist/singer/songwriter who has remained relevant for the past 40+ years. History does not support the romanticized vision that if Hendrix were alive today that he'd still be cranking out music that anyone gives a {censored} about. Yes he was talented, yes he was an innovator, yes he wrote a {censored} ton of great songs in a short period of time. But time marches on and people age, and rock music typically belongs to the young. Hendrix was not special enough to trancend that fact. His death while still at his best indelibly stamped his genious upon rock music for all time. I believe that had he lived, he would not have had any more longevity than anyone else from his era. History just doesn't support it. Yes, there'd be baby boomers lining up to see sold out shows at $100+ a seat, but would that have more to do with reliving their youth or seeing an artist that still made music that mattered? Sadly, we'll never know.

Not the Black Sabbath album the actual band called Heaven and Hell which was Iommi/Dio/Butler/Appice which was as slvrsrpnt mentioned came out in 2009. Iommi is basically Black Sabbath and has remained fairly relevent over the years along with literally creating an entire genre.

As for if Hendrix lived i really dont know. He was very creative and innovative so maybe he would have continued to do so over the years. Whether or not we would have seen a disco or nu-metal album by him or something totally different i cant really say. He pushed the boundries of the technology back then, whos to say he wouldnt have continued barring drug use frying his brain etc?

[Emory]

My understanding is that Hendrix had arranged to record with Gil Evans, the big band jazz man that worked with Miles Davis. I could see Jimi and Miles teaming up at some point. Also Jimi was tired of being the trained monkey and doing all the show biz schtick, no matter how popular it may be to some. He knew it was a rut and wanted out.

He was creative. It would come out. He would have had to get a new manager for sure.

The Rolling Stones survived their trip into disco ("Miss you").

Ambulance drivers are the one's who did him in, along with his management.

[smorgdonkey]

He'd be using modeling amps, modeling guitars, digital effects, MIDI, Floyd Roses, self-tuning robot guitars, and every other bit of innovative musical technology that cranky Hendrix traditionalists have been complaining about for the last 40 years. And he'd be on Twitter.

He'd be too high to bother with any of that.

[axegrinder]

It's not beyond the realm of possibilities that if he'd refused to "sell out" by collaborating with McCartney or Lennon or serving as backup to somebody like Bowie or Rod Stewart that he could have just faded into relative obscurity instead of being catapulted into legendary status. I have a hard time imagining Jimi taking a path similar to Clapton, but {censored} it would have been interesting to how the 70's changed Jimi...or how Jimi changed the 70's.

[George Crosley]

Jimi would be Johnny Winter. Only with sight. The man would be a shell of his former self.

[billybilly]

My understanding is that Hendrix had arranged to record with Gil Evans, the big band jazz man that worked with Miles Davis. I could see Jimi and Miles teaming up at some point. Also Jimi was tired of being the trained monkey and doing all the show biz schtick, no matter how popular it may be to some. He knew it was a rut and wanted out. He was creative. It would come out. He would have had to get a new manager for sure. The Rolling Stones survived their trip into disco ("Miss you"). Ambulance drivers are the one's who did him in, along with his management.

 

Agree.

 

Furthermore, near his end, he did speak of getting away from electrics and effects and focussing more on acoustic and jazz playing. I have read a couple of his biographies and both were consistent with this.

[RogerF]

Jimi may not have seemed like an un-plugged kinda guy, but like Ritchie Blackmore he would have gotten fed up with all that rock & roll bs and returned to his acoustic roots. It would have been marvelous to hear him perform his songs on acoustic.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYNz3vjzfd4

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYNz3vjzfd4

[Bro Blue]

I do not get the Clapton dislike. Most people react against other people's opinion of him, not what he has presented himself as. He has tried things, some good, some not.

 

At the end of the day, Clapton is a great blues player. Nothing more or less.

[gorebreath]

hahahahhaaha

[harold heckuba]

Hendrix future photo

[straycat113]

As far as being a Hendrix fan I am as high up that ladder as one can get! But keeping it real, if Hendrix never died he would of hit a wall and had a down period. Maybe he possibly would of started a super group and rebounded, but as far as his playing went I would say there would of never of been any big change overall in his style. Look at 95% of the greatest players who ever lived during the 60's and the ones still going basically sound like themselves, the same goes pretty much for any era! Imagine if God forbid Vanhalen died after four years he definitely would of eclipsed Hendrix in the- Imagine what he would be doing if he was alive today category. The bottom line is that Eddie still plays and sounds like Eddie, the same could be said for Yngwie and so on. It seems like most great players styles are etched into there DNA by their mid 20's, which is also the fastest gun in the west mentality for everyone. After that most seem to cut back on speed and become much wiser with note selection. I would have to put Beck at the top of the list of Rock guitarist who has improved consistently every decade as the guy has no limits. From blues, rock, hard rock, early metal, jazz/ fusion, rockabilly,slide, techno/elctronica and the {censored}ing kitchen sink! Just watching him play Les Pauls solos that were originally sped up in the studio on the R&R Party tribute DVD note for note was jaw dropping. I doubt that there is anything Beck could not pull off if he puts his mind to it. The guy is playing the best guitar of his life in his mid sixties and always tests new waters.

 

I don't know why so many guys have this anti Clapton sentiment? I would like to see how many guys anyone can come up with who are in their 6th decade as a major star! Clapton has done it all and has done it brilliantly! The guy started out as a guitar God and developed into a hell of a vocalist and writer who can still sellout the Garden any night he shows up. How many acts past or present can do that on their own today. The Layla album still has some of the most tasteful playing on it that has ever been recorded! The fills alone are a dictionary of licks for any player. I will be the first to admit he can get lazy, but when he is motivated or the pressure is on he can bring it!

[Sale83]

Now, we know how Hendrix was creating all those psychedelic effects he was known for. Look at this photograph carefully. What do you see? :eek:

It's fake,This one is original

[LowYaw]

Hendrix would become Zappa
really
people get older, and he would probably lose interest in toys with time, and would be fed up with studio trickery, and would think more about the ways to express something in a purely musical way

[=JL=]

I think if he'd lived he may have had a similar career to Frank Zappa. Less popular than in the 60s, but plowing an inventive, prolific compositional furrow, rather than just as a has-been guitar player.

Also, disco-era Hendrix could have been awesome! Super heavy funk, with light, humourous vocals and modern jazz arrangements. Listen to Nile Rogers, and it's obvious that Hendrix helped to shape the best disco from BEYOND the grave anyway.

 

Edit *^^^ Haha, beat me to it!

[mistersully]

if jimi hendrix had lived longer, he would have been jimi hendrix

[raymeedc]

He would probably be a judge on American Idol, fat & bald, wearing a purple toupee, spouting long dead cliches like groovy & fab, & might've just made a fool of himself trying to prove he still had it by attempting to play the National Anthem at a football game.

Jeff Beck seems to be about the only guitar legend from the golden era that is still viable.

[humbuckerstrat]

I think Hendrix would have been very influenced by the shredders had he lived long enough. He would have been influenced by Rhoads, Van Halen, Steve Vai, and Yngwie. I certainly don't think he would have ignored them like Clapton has.

 

But Clapton is a bluesman first and foremost. Hendrix was never hampered by such limitations.

[Reverse Entropy]

He'd be doing the exact same thing as his comtemporaries, namely playing the same notes over and over until the cows went home from being bored to death. And his tweets would be written by his record labels marketing people.

No way, man. Jimi was too...beautiful, you know man ? Every note is interconnected to all the others, he'd have to always let it flow into something that is new, forever new each moment, you know ? Because that's what's beautiful about the music, it's new each time you play it, and hear it. That newness is why Jimi is using something called a twitter. It lets him connect directly to all the people who love the music, just moment by moment, sharing thoughts, man. That's really amazing, it's beautiful. You send the twitter, and our thoughts are all connected at the same moment, we're all together wherever we are in the world. Also, Jimi has a new record coming out with Lady Gaga. It's really amazing, some really beautiful stuff.

[Mesa/Kramer]

I think if Hendrix was still alive, his performances would bear similar resemblence to Chuck Berry's current state of decline.

[smorgdonkey]

Ritchie Blackmore

There are some people who are big fans of Blackmore...NONE however, are bigger fans of Blackmore than Blackmore himself.

[RogerF]

Art thou...experienced?

 

[honeyiscool]

I think Hendrix would have been very influenced by the shredders had he lived long enough. He would have been influenced by Rhoads, Van Halen, Steve Vai, and Yngwie. I certainly don't think he would have ignored them like Clapton has. But Clapton is a bluesman first and foremost. Hendrix was never hampered by such limitations.

I actually think he would have been influenced by McLaughlin, Di Meola, and those guys, and pretty much, like them, by the 80s rolled around, he'd have gotten sick of guitar fireworks and would probably be playing mostly acoustic blues now.

[tedmich]

I like to think he could have learned to express himself emotionally to an equivalent extent as he could musically, and would perhaps play a concert or record an album every few years while aging gracefully within a loving, grounded family. To some degree along the same trajectory as Jeff Beck, although Jimi started in a much more beautiful place.

 

Uli thinks he would have gone classical!