Quote:
Originally Posted by noodles
Jimi Hendrix, in his later years, was a horrible live guitarist, but no one noticed because they were equally fucked up. It really doesn't have anything do with how influential (very) or inspiring (extremely) he was. Listen to early live stuff, when he was straight, and he'll just level you. When he was fucked up all the time, and he was a ragged, sloppy mess. |
Yes and no. what Jimi was in his later years was inconsistant. Some nights he'd be fucking ON, some nights he'd just meander. Dave's right when he says that the audience was just as fucked up, and honestly the more meandering stuff he'd sometimes get into was probably the right soundtrack for that.
I don't know if it has anything to do with whether or not he was high, but my favorite side of the guy's playing has always been his more focused stuff - he was a
feral blues player
who never gets the credit he deserves, and going out on a limb here, considering his roots were as a blues and R&B guitarist, I have a feeling that the very in-the-pocket, intense, biting blues playing you sometimes heard from the guy was Jimi sober. I mean, compare Woodstock's "Red House" to any of his better blues work - he had a head full of acid for that entire concert, and while the psychedelic stuff still hangs together, it really shows in his blues playing.