Seoulscapade

He was one of those people whose effect on global culture is so deep and significant as to be quite immeasurable. Regrettably, I came late to Jimi Hendrix, but by the time of 17 I was fully immersed and trying to catch up. My interest went beyond the typical fan: prolonged listening, transcribing solos (I also had a Strat back then), collecting bootlegs, seeing the films over and over.

I was mainly interested in the live stuff towards the end of his days rather than what he is better known for. He was ever improving, and I simply can’t understand commentators that say otherwise. I would say that they were never guitar players themselves.

One unique and unforgettable musical experience in my life was when I first saw and heard Jimi’s rendition of “Johnny B. Goode.” I was in a cinema and I will never forget how, after seeing and hearing it, after it finished, I was jolted back to reality–I don’t even remember breathing through the whole thing, so stunned by it was I. It was one of those moments when you are transported to another place.

That was watching the big screen before the public were aware of a thing called the Internet. It’s not the same here, and seeing it here won’t have the effect it did on me for everyone, but here it is, regardless:

Yes, even now, it can give me a tingling up the spine. He was so far ahead, so relaxed, so cool.

Of course, I’ve admired many other guitarists, such as Jimmy Page and Jorma Kauconan, and many other jazz, rock and blues players. It hardly needs to be said that my rock music tastes are largely centred around guitarists and guitar based bands.

I suppose you could say that I’m pretty judgmental about music and musical tastes, yeah, a snob. I can’t escape the derision I feel for the various pop artists that come and go. It’s not just the what they produce, it’s the whole white-wash world of formulas, artificial sentiment, and flash over substance that they propagate.

And if I hear another pop song with the lyric “till the break of dawn” or something like “our love is as deep as the ocean” I think I’ll throw up . . .

As a teenager I loved a number of artists but at the top were The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Each new album release was a really event; each move they made musically or otherwise was awe inspiring. I still have a vinyl copy of Led Zeppelin II, which a school mate and I stole. This has one of my favourite Zeppelin songs on it, “Ramble On.”

By the way, for interest or just a laugh I recommend you check out Dread Zeppelin, a cover band that’s been around for some time now. Even though the whole setup sounds dubious—a band that plays Led Zep covers Reggae style whose singer is an Elvis impersonator—they aren’t half bad.

I couldn’t afford to get all of the albums I wanted and had to borrow or wait . . . or steal. Such was one of the myriad of childhood frustrations I had with regard to music. Now I’m older I am buying the things I couldn’t then. So, recently, I bought a copy of Exile on Main Street one the Stones’ and rock music’s all time classics. I wish I’d had it, and others of the same significance, in the days of teenage intensity when it would have meant so much. Today, I have two tracks from this album, “Loving Cup” and “Soul Survivor,” on my iPod.

Some other stuff I’ve liked over the years:Bob Dylan; Nick Drake; Aerosmith; Hot Tuna; David Bowie; Peter Frampton (Alive album days); The Police; Alice In Chains; My Bloody Valentine; Headless Chickens; Jeff Buckley; B52s; Tears for Fears; Cult; PM Dawn; U2 (not after Joshua Tree); Cat Stevens; Beck; Weta; The Smiths; The Sundays; Miles Davis; Nirvana; Radiohead; Foo Fighters; Greenday…Of course, there were others I’ve liked for one particular song they did, and I might add a song list later…

It’s curious that much of the music I listened to as a kid still appeals to me. I guess it just goes to show I had good taste even back then! ;p Bod Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue,” for example, is a song I never tire of.I feel sorry for the younger generation–they’ve been sold short with some of the trash put out nowadays. These days a chord change variation excites critics enough to announce the arrival of a new genre. That seems to be about as “fresh” as it gets.

But enough talk . . .  check out my ongoing iPod list.