| I've been in rock and roll all my life and I | | | | in front of his stage all had the same |
| admit it's bit difficult to put Jimi Hendrix | | | | astounded expression on their faces as if to |
| above Mick Jagger in terms of brilliant rock | | | | say, "I can't believe this guy! What galaxy |
| and roll stardom, but after watching several | | | | did he come from?"SONGWRITING TALENT"And the |
| movies of both Jimi and Mick in concert, | | | | Wind Cried Mary". Oh, Jimi, how poetic can |
| here's why I would do it: | | | | you possibly be? So the galactic storm |
| | | | screamed "Jimi", and what hetero man in his |
| BEST MUSICIANJimi Hendrix was the only true | | | | right mind doesn't want that "Foxy Lady"? I |
| genius in rock and roll. The word genius is | | | | suppose that a man who's in a "Purple Haze" |
| highly overused and it's often applied to | | | | might not be able to recognize one, and a man |
| people who are extremely talented. I disagree | | | | who's in a state of "Manic Depression" might |
| with the dictionary when it equates genius | | | | not be able to get out of bed and do anything |
| with "exceptional intelligence", and what I | | | | about it, but every time Jimi launches into |
| think the word genius is supposed to refer to | | | | Foxy Lady with his famous dissonant E chord |
| is a person who creates something that's new, | | | | my libido stands up and salutes. And every |
| and not only new, but significantly new, | | | | time I hear that all time classic feedback |
| important, and somewhat of a milestone in | | | | note in the middle of the song, it never |
| human development. I call Albert Einstein the | | | | fails to send shivers up my spine. |
| premier genius of the human race because the | | | | Comparisons to other songwriters are |
| | | | superfluous. Jimi quite obviously wrote more |
| Theory of Relativity was a giant jump in the | | | | than a few great rock and roll songs, he |
| understanding of the way our universe | | | | almost always had something important to say, |
| operates and to this day, few people actually | | | | and he always said it in a poetic way.SINGING |
| understand anything other than the bomb part. | | | | TALENTAs a professional rock and roll singer, |
| Jimi Hendrix was the genius of rock and roll | | | | it's hats off time to Mick. Oh, I'll get big |
| because he was the only one who invented | | | | arguments about that but people who would |
| something new. It's almost impossible to do | | | | argue the point don't understand rock and |
| anything that's really new in the field of | | | | roll singing. It's not about range, power, or |
| music because there are only eight notes in | | | | technical perfection. It's all about emotion |
| the Western scale so in a sense, all music is | | | | and style. Mick knows how to sing without |
| derivative. But Jimi invented guitar feedback | | | | necessarily using words. Like Robert Plant, |
| and nobody before Jimi even thought about it. | | | | he often uses sounds alone to express |
| And Jimi took his invention one step farther. | | | | emotions. A case in point is "Going Home" on |
| Until Jimi came along, all music since the | | | | the Aftermath album which consists of 11 |
| time of Mozart and Beethoven has been built | | | | minutes of Mick having sex with a microphone. |
| on chord structure and | | | | Jimi Hendrix was actually embarrassed by his |
| | | | own singing because as a great |
| rock and roll music uses simple chord | | | | |
| structure. Jimi actually used feedback alone | | | | musician, he recognized and understood the |
| to construct song structure in a few, but not | | | | great singers. In the recording studio, he |
| all of his songs (i.e. Third Stone From the | | | | was the master of guitar but he recorded his |
| Sun). To this day, nobody has been able to do | | | | vocals over and over and over again until he |
| what Jimi did. In fact, Jeff Beck bought | | | | got something that he could just live with. |
| Jimi's strat at an auction and even the super | | | | But I put Jimi in the same class as Bob |
| talented Jeff admitted that he can't get the | | | | Marley and Bob Dylan. These are great artists |
| same sounds out of the very same guitar as | | | | who were all perfectly capable of putting |
| Jimi got. With all due respect to Mick, he's | | | | across their own unique songs in a way that |
| a brilliant singer and one of the all time | | | | nobody else can. I'm not a fan of Dylan's |
| great rock and roll songwriters, but he's not | | | | voice and when The Byrds recorded Dylan |
| actually a brilliant musician because he only | | | | songs, they did a good job but they lack |
| plays rhythm guitar. I believe Mick would | | | | Dylan's sarcasm and his almost bored feeling |
| agree with me about Jimi being a genius | | | | with his own poetic brilliance. I'm a big fan |
| guitar player because Mick was one of the | | | | of Bob Marley and I like his voice, but I |
| first ones to discover Jimi when | | | | recognize that he's not a great singer. It |
| | | | just so happens that I love Jimi's voice.I |
| The Experience made their debut in the clubs | | | | hear Bob Dylan's influence and I know that |
| of London. Along with John Lennon, Mick | | | | Jimi was a fan of Bob's voice and of his |
| spread the word to the other British | | | | lyrics. But Jimi did something very unusual |
| musicians about the new nova in the rock and | | | | vocally and in the theater, it's called an |
| roll sky.BEST PERFORMERIt's a tie between | | | | "aside". Jimi had a wonderful habit of |
| Jimi and Mick. Call it a dead heat with one | | | | flipping off little spoken phrases, very |
| survivor. If Elvis was still breathing he'd | | | | often interrupting himself while he was |
| be breathing down both of their necks and I | | | | singing and it came off as being totally |
| probably will get flack from a whole lot of | | | | COOL. When it comes to singers, people either |
| people for saying that, and even more flack | | | | like them or they don't and all I can say is |
| from the know-nothing fans of Madonna, Prince | | | | that as a professional singer, Jimi's voice |
| (whoever he is these days) and Michael | | | | works for me big time.SEXUAL AURAEvery rock |
| Jackson (not to mention Roberta FLACK). | | | | star has it. Jimi had too much of it for one |
| Certainly Elvis came first and Elvis was The | | | | man. I'm wildly hetero but I'm wowed by the |
| King, but Jimi and Mick both had their own | | | | sexual aura that surrounds Jimi on film. I |
| unique styles and neither one were heavily | | | | was lucky enough to see him one time in |
| influenced by Elvis in terms of their | | | | person and I can testify that he was as HOT |
| performances. Mick was influenced by James | | | | as it's possible for a human being to be in |
| Brown's dancing and only God knows who | | | | the flesh. There are an uncountable number of |
| influenced Jimi's performance style because | | | | women who would be quite willing to testify |
| he was truly an original. Besides, Elvis | | | | about Jimi's abilities in the bedroom.So in |
| moved on to acting and he starred in tons of | | | | conclusion, it's not necessary to be a great |
| below average movies - and now I'll really | | | | musician to be a rock star, just like it's |
| get flack! Unfortunately I won't get Roberta. | | | | not necessary to be a great actor to be a |
| But seriously, Mick deserves an award for | | | | movie star. This should be self evident and |
| putting on a great show every single time he | | | | there are way too many examples in both |
| appears, he did that right from his debut as | | | | fields to start listing them. But Jimi was a |
| a young man, and he's continued to do that as | | | | genius guitar player, a unique and atomicly |
| an old man. Jimi died as a young man. Both of | | | | powerful performer, a great songwriter, a |
| them were sex stars on stage as well as off | | | | very good singer, a super nova sex star, and |
| stage but watching Jimi on stage is nothing | | | | a world class personality on top of |
| short of breathtaking. He had all the moves, | | | | everything else. That's why I call Jimi |
| he had the body of a black Adonis, he played | | | | Hendrix the Number One Rock Star of All |
| his guitar with his teeth, behind his back, | | | | Time.Peter Cross is a former professional |
| under his leg, and when he set fire to it at | | | | drummer and a singer/songwriter/producer/Web |
| the end of his shows, he got down on his | | | | Master who was among the first to put music |
| knees and prayed to the Guitar God who | | | | on the Internet in a downloadable format in |
| obviously listened to him. He wasn't a | | | | 1996. His web site is very entertaining and |
| | | | at 206 pages, it may be the largest music |
| dancer like Mick, he was a mover and a | | | | artist web site on the Internet. |
| shaker of women's "G" spots. People standing | | | | |