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"It's funny how most people love the dead, once you're dead your made for life."
- Jimi Hendrix
I recently read from, was it Pete Townshend's interview, that "Jimi inspired everybody".
Man, he did. Jimi's compositions were not the point. It was his innovative stage play.
I thought for a long time his first album was great and that's it. It wasn't until
I saw some of his rare taped concerts on DVD that I became a believer. Jimi is our
modern cultural backbone, god damn it!
Well, I stand up next to a mountain
And I chop it down with the edge of my hand
Take Voodoo Child (Slight Return) from Woodstock material. Clocking at 13:40, how many of those notes are
on the album version of that song? Take his visual performance from Jimi Plays Berkeley DVD. From the opening liner
"Just let me finish this joint..." with a grin on his face the performance is psychedelic... A guy who didn't care a crap about his race or background but was able to make it big when and where it was most unlikely.
Trumpets and violins I can-uh, hear in the distance
I think they're callin' our name
Maybe now you can't hear them,
But you will, ha-ha, if you just
Take hold of my hand
Ohhh, but are you experienced?
Have you ever been experienced?
Not necessarily stoned, but beautiful
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