Review Summary: Melding blues, R&B, Rock ’n Roll, in an unforgettable amalgamation of psychedelic harmonies, the likes of which have tried to be replicated but never duplicated.
Jimi Hendrix was an odd cat; so odd in fact that no one really knew how to describe him. Some described his aura, ‘a menagerie of ever changing vibrant colors from a truly special life-force.’ Others described his appearance, a tall black man, with afro-esque hair, that dressed like a psychedelic gypsy. Still others described his playing; an ever changing hybrid of both rhythm and lead guitar that changed the world; melding blues, R&B, Rock ’n Roll, in an unforgettable amalgamation of psychedelic harmonies the likes of which have tried to be replicated but never duplicated (Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Robert Randolph the closest exceptions). But first and foremost, he was a musician that never strayed far from his right-handed guitar, strung upside down so that he could play it left-handed. His gut wrenching solos, complete with bluesy, heart pounding screeches and foot tapping straight ahead rock riffs seemed to be in search of something out there; something better; something that answered questions that no one thought to ask, would dazzle audiences the world over every time he took the stage.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience was made up of Jimi, Mitch Mitchell, and Noel Redding; but Jimi never made qualms about who he played with; if they could hold their own, and lay down something bluesy, funky, soulful, or just simply mind-blowing, then Jimi would play with them; and search for those answers, the answers that might not actually exists; but maybe the answer is just the search itself. At the Woodstock Jimi played with Billy Cox on Bass, Mitch Mitchell on Drums, Larry Lee on Rhythm guitar, and Juma Sultan and Jerry Velez on Congas.
Jimi, along with various outfits, put on many mind-blowing live shows throughout his career, but it was Woodstock that seems to stand out in the hearts and minds of both fans, music aficionados, and novice listeners alike. Perhaps it was the venue itself; the gathering of all the great musicians of the time; or maybe it was the magical moment when half-a-million people descended on a small town in up-state New York, for a weekend of peace, love, and the notion that life was based on possibilities and not limitations.
Jimi and the band played some of the old classics like Spanish Castle Magic, Red House, Foxy Lady, Fire, Hey Joe, Voodoo Chile (slight return), and Purple Haze. These were tunes that he had written and performed with the Jimi Hendrix Experience; these were tunes that made the LP’s the Experience released; he also played tunes that were new at the time; tunes that he was working on day-by-day with various outfits like Message of Love, Hear my Train A Comin, Lover Man, Izabella, Villanova Junction, and various other improvisational jams that seemed to be resinating in Jimi’s soul at the time.
All the songs, old classics, and fresh new ones seemed to be played with a passion and fire fueled by the energy of the crowd in attendance; or perhaps the LSD tab that Jimi put under his headband; this fact has gone down as legend, folklore that has only powered Jimi’s now legendary posthumous status. The set introduced a generation of American teenagers to his music; it told them of the possibilities of what rock ’n roll could be. But it was Jimi’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, played with shrieks, and feedback, and resonance that changed the general public’s perspective on America. On what America could be, and the new generation of Hippies that were ushering into existence. This album changed lives; it changed rock ’n roll music; it changed music in general; it changed the consciousness of a nation; it drove a death nail into the conservative post-war identity of America. And whether they realized it or not, it ushered in new times of change that would rock the country down to its very core.
They didn’t know it at the time; but the fabric of American life would never be the same after Jimi took the stage that day; it would be groovier, funkier, bluesier, and it would all call us to at least ask the question of what could be possible in this great country of ours.
If you are a fan of Rock ’n Roll or just good music in general, this is a must-own-record. If you are a fan of History, or just an old hippie reminiscing about the days of yesteryear, this is a must-own-record; if you are a confused kid who doesn’t really know where he stands on anything, this is a must-own-record. And if you listen carefully enough, you can hear the very fabric of America being ripped at the seams, so that something more beautiful, more progressive, more inspiring could make its way through.
