ALEX LIFESON [Rush guitarist]: It was the summer season of 1967 and I used to be at [original Rush drummer] John Rutsey’s home – and his brother Invoice had simply bought Are You Skilled. He dropped the needle and “Purple Haze” performed by that tiny speaker and altered our world instantly.
ULI JON ROTH [ex-Scorpions guitarist, solo artist]: I noticed him reside twice – the primary time when he was on the peak of his musical zenith. That was the final Expertise tour that he did in Europe – January ’69, in Hamburg. After which I used to be at his final present – the Isle of Fehmarn [on September 6, 1970], just some days earlier than he died.
I used to be fortunate sufficient to be backstage, and I took lots of images. I did not meet him – I used to be proper subsequent to him, however I did not dare speak. He was clearly preoccupied with one thing and I used to be simply 15 years outdated. I did not need to “intrude.” There have been many individuals there. However I definitely won’t overlook that. And I used to be fortunate to be at very shut quarters throughout that present, and I took in the entire present. I used to be proper in entrance of him.
KIRK HAMMETT [Metallica guitarist]: I sincerely assume that Jimi Hendrix invented heavy metallic – with that first Jimi Hendrix album. Cream…they had been on to one thing. The Jeff Beck Group…they had been on to one thing. The Yardbirds…they had been on to one thing. But it surely was Jimi that basically, actually introduced all of it collectively and created the instance that everybody else adopted. And should you take a look at what occurred post-Hendrix – ’71/’72 – the musical tendencies had been to be progressive and heavy. Which is precisely what Jimi Hendrix was already.
Plenty of the albums that got here out round then by lots of bands – Zeppelin, Sure, Jethro Tull, Sabbath, Purple – they wished to be heavy. Put up-Jimi, they put out heavier albums. As a result of that is what individuals wished and that was the development. You may see that there after which how a lot of an affect musically he had on his friends.
STEVE VAI [Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth & Whitesnake guitarist, solo artist]: Axis: Daring as Love was the Jimi document that I found once I was studying my chord vocabulary on the guitar. As a result of once you go to be taught chords on the guitar, you often get a listing of tablature chords and you employ your open chords, your main and minor barre chords, perhaps you are studying some cool seventh chords, or major-minor chords, and chords from tensions. I used to be actually huge on discovering chords that sounded actually lush. I keep in mind once I found an E flat main seventh six 9 sharp eleventh chord – it opened up a universe for me. And I knew why it was referred to as all that – I had nice musical coaching.
KIM THAYIL [Soundgarden guitarist]: Among the lyrics are psychedelic and trippy, and have some profundity to it. Among the lyrics on Are You Skilled are a pleasant problem and embrace of surprise – each artistically and soulfully. And a few are sort of vapid and pedestrian – I imply, there’s not an entire lot to the lyrics of “Hearth,” actually. However then once more, “Are You Skilled” is wonderful – and “Manic Melancholy” and “The Wind Cries Mary” are lovely lyrics.
RICHARD LLOYD [Television guitarist]: His voice was nice – though he did not prefer it. As a result of, who likes their very own voice? Not that many individuals. Like, John Lennon was at all times asking to make it sound like he was underwater or by a megaphone or something to vary his voice. Jimi was simply shy. They needed to flip the lights off when he was singing – to get into it. However he received into it reside – that is for certain.
EAST BAY RAY [Dead Kennedys guitarist]: It was like, “Maintain it catchy… however assume outdoors the field.” The well-known songwriter, Cole Porter, he had a line – one of many issues he tried to do was “Make the acquainted sound totally different, and make the totally different sound acquainted.” I feel that is why the songs final for thus lengthy, and I feel that is undoubtedly with Hendrix. It was simply outdoors atonal jazz, however he would go by episodes of that. And much like the Useless Kennedys – there are episodes which can be actually outdoors, after which we go by it however go some other place.
DOUG PINNICK [King’s X singer/bassist]: Perhaps not like Jimi did, however there are guitarists that modified the course of rock n’ roll. Jimi mainly pulled the veil up from over our eyes, and stated, “Look what you are able to do,” after which he allow us to run. Like, Eddie Van Halen took a few of these issues and made an entire profession out of it. I feel Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles and Led Zeppelin are three artists that you could at all times get impressed by – should you put their information on and take heed to how they wrote songs, how they delivered them, their adventurousness in how they did it, and the way nice the songs had been on the time.
BILLY SHEEHAN [David Lee Roth, Mr. Big. & Sons of Apollo bassist]: I at all times consult with him as “the good man that ever lived.” As a result of he was cool. He did not get excited on stage – he’d simply say one thing on the mic. He would not get excited or upset – simply laidback and funky, he knew what he was doing, assured, bang, bang, bang. I simply thought he was the good human being that ever lived.
SCOTT GORHAM [Thin Lizzy guitarist]: It is a type of days the place you go, “Anyone however him.” I keep in mind considering the identical factor when Stevie Ray Vaughan died. Everyone knows everyone’s not going to reside ceaselessly and they will die, and it sort of bounces off you – “What a drag.” However then, there are “these guys,” that after they go, it sort of impacts you. And undoubtedly, Hendrix and Stevie Ray had been the 2 guys that did it to me.
ADRIAN BELEW [Frank Zappa, David Bowie, & Talking Heads guitarist, King Crimson singer/guitarist, solo artist]: Typically I’m wondering, “What would Jimi be doing now? What would the ‘mature artist Jimi Hendrix’ be writing and singing? What would have he product of guitar synthesizers? Or sampling? Or the myriad of results out there now which might have little question excited his creativeness?” In a way, he gifted that to the world – the curiosity that guitar gamers have had ever since and funky sounds and totally different types and pedals and the number of guitars and amps, has to return to him. He is the daddy of it.
REVEREND HORTON HEAT [singer/guitarist]: Because the architect of recent heavy metallic guitar. But in addition, as a blues man. He performed with Little Richard – he was extra of a “blues/rock n’ roll man” than a “heavy metallic man.” However he was doing wild stuff. There’s some outdated TV footage, once you see Hendrix when he was carrying a band outfit with the opposite guys within the band, and instantly, you may inform it is him. And he is doing all this over-the-top stuff with the guitar. He was headed in that course – even when he was a sideman.
DON FELDER [ex-Eagles guitarist]: He was a magnetic, highly effective, artistic drive, that was just about unequaled for that point interval. And also you knew it the minute you heard his guitar sound – no matter document it was on, no matter radio station – as quickly as you heard him play, you knew who it was. Extraordinarily distinctive identification as a guitarist. However everyone has an especially distinctive identification as a guitarist. And should you do not, then you have not been capable of develop your individual type, your individual tone, and your individual phrasing – you then’ve simply turn into a copycat that does covers of different individuals.
Greg Prato is a longtime AllMusic contributor and writer of a number of books, together with Avatar Of The Electrical Guitar: The Genius Of Jimi Hendrix.
