"Are You Experienced"-Do you know what Jimi was talking about?

[Lucidology]

'Tis one of the crucial secret ingredients of Jimi's playing ...
Not to mention he was a strong proponent of Hippie philosophy & spirituality ...

With that being said;.
It simply amazes me how many people interpret his playing as machismo....
and thus claim it as their own ...

[Luke]

Jimi, macho? Surely you jest. He was a lover not a fighter, half the women he laid could have kicked his ass IMO.

[Lucidology]

Jimi, macho? Surely you jest. He was a lover not a fighter, half the women he laid could have kicked his ass IMO.

No, no, no ... what you said is exactly one of my points .... !!
Read the OP again .... keeping what you said in mind ...

Then add to that the "Are You Experienced" ingredient ...

[Suproman77]

I'm not sure I understand what this thread is asking, but the last lines of the song 'Are You Experienced' say

Have you ever been experienced?

Not necessarily stoned, but beautiful

So, that to me means he's talking about the whole hippe scene and/or experimenting with drugs.

[Lucidology]

Was talking to a friend recently about how many guitarists who have an edge
to their personality, interpret Jimi's music as rock & roll aggresion or angst when, in fact,
it is the opposite ....

There is also a certain looseness in Jimi's playing that escapes even the best of interpreters,
which one would venture to say, is a major part of the "are you experienced" factor
of his lifestyle at the time ....

[Thor]

Hey Joe, I'm experienced. I remember listening to Jimi too - a very spiritual time.

Cheers,

Edward

[el greco]

That certain looseness and freedom in Jimi's music was what makes it so beautiful.
I believe that "are you experienced" was like are you conscious ? If you can bring your conciousness to the present, right here, right now, you can't go wrong.

[trisonic]

Yes, I did. Now I can't seem to remember.................

Best, Pete.

[GerryJ]

Well, foxey lady and fire are pretty macho, in the blues rock tradition that he came from. And lyrics like Voodoo child which seemed cool when I was 13 but frankly silly now.
But so many of his lyrics are, I agree, overlooked, fantastic stuff-
the beautiful understandable ones, like Castles made of sand, then the beautiful but more mysterious (at least to me) like Wind cries Mary...what's that one about?!

[dougg]

I read "Room Full of Mirrors" recently, and it totally changed my perspective on Hendrix's lyrics. Castles Made of Sand & Angel were apparently about his mother, and were heavily autobiographical. Spanish Castle Magic was about a concert venue and show he performed (or went to) in Seattle. Mary was about his first girlfriend in London, written after they'd had a fight.

I'd always dismissed his lyrics as hippy-dippy drug talk, but after reading more about them I enjoy his songs so much more. I don't necessarily understand them all, but he was certainly poetic.

[trisonic]

I actually met Hendrix, briefly - twice.
Mostly we spoke of British Science Fiction; he devoured paperbacks. This was about 1967 in London. I believe there is a photo of him backstage (the series with Mick Taylor) where you can clearly read the title of the Science Fiction collection he is reading ('course I've forgotten the title). I think this love enhanced his music for a while.

Best, Pete.

[Zelmo]

It's acid.

Everything else is a metaphor for what you learned as the doors of perception opened.

[elgalad]

I'm not sure experienced is the right word, but my interpretation is with respect to both those who play and those who listen to music. It's become a bit cliche in some respects, but there are definitely some people who "get it" and and equally large number of people who don't. Have you ever tried explaining your love of music (I'm not talking about modern dilute 'love' that says "yeah I love playing guitar" as a throwaway line, but true love - the sort that drives you to create and play music above all else) to someone and they just can't understand? It's a totally different makeup in those people that they can't get their heads around the idea that music can consume a person's entire being. I can't live without music - it's entwined in every fiber of my being. I can no more remove the music from the person that I am than I can go without oxygen or water. It has a hold over me that even I can't explain. I don't think that makes me 'experienced' per se, but I like to think that perhaps it's aligned more to what Jimi was trying to express than is the case for those people who, for want of a better term, don't "get it."

If you've read some of Jimi's interviews you can clearly see he was totally aligned with music as a powerful force, both for good and evil. It took over his entire consciousness, and that's what you see flowing out of him in his stage performance - both the music and the physical aspects. He really, truly "got it" to the point that both ego and material objects became a complete throwaway to him, culminating in the destruction by burning of his guitar at Monterey. I've yet to see someone else that so epitomized the surrender of self to the power of the muse.

[908SSP]

I don't think a great song can be one written about a personal experience. It has to transcend the personal to something universal. To suggest the the Mary was written about Mary sells the song short. We don't know Mary and don't care but we know about love and hope and loss. If a song doesn't touch those meanings it has little to no value. Now some songs can reach a great personal meaning by the music alone and the lyrics are irrelevant. I think much of the music written lately falls in that category whether those songs last only time will tell.

[crzyfngers]

it's about giving up yourself to become part of something bigger. the hardest part of making music is getting past your ego. music is powerful stuff not to be taken lightly. ellington said music is the only thing that can reach in and touch your soul without your permission. are you experienced?

[Echoes]

Hendrix was constantly contrasting the 'white collar conservative' against his 'hippie freak flag' lifestyle. In 'Are You Experienced' he is doing the same...he says "who in your measly little world are you trying prove that you are made of gold and can't be sold" (paraphrase as I don't have time to look up the lyrics)....but, first...are you experienced have you ever been experienced well I have...etc...let me prove it to ya (backwards guitar here...)

[Tonefish]

It's acid.

Everything else is a metaphor for what you learned as the doors of perception opened.

I too, thought it was the liberation allowed, at least partially, by the acid.

[seiko]

The deification of Hendrix on this boad borders on the absurd at times. Of course, Are You experienced was a drugs song, they were all the rage at the time. And he was pretty damn macho (sexist by today's terms, in fact) on live cuts like "Gloria."

Don't get me wrong, Hendrix was an incredible technically gifted player that came from a background that allowed him to fuse RnB with rock and the ears to utilize all the soundscaping possibilities that pedals and the studio allowed at the time. He simply had bigger ears, more ability and an openess to new stuff that many of his peers didn't.

But he had antecedents like everyone does. He played with the Isley Brothers, Lil Richard, awesome showmen. Listen to the Ike Turner stuff recorded in the late 50s, early 60s, already exploiting the possibilities of a strat like never before. Hell, listen to "space guitar."

To me, its more interesting to ask if there's amything left to be "said" with the Hendrix sound or did he and others do it all? I mean Adrian Belew, 70s Miles Davis and Eddie Hazel all had interesting takes on that kind of sound. Is there a new way to use it? Or is it played out?

[dangerine49]

It's acid.

Everything else is a metaphor for what you learned as the doors of perception opened.

+1

Once you've taken acid, you never look at reality the same again.

[Berlebster]

+1

Once you've taken acid, you never look at reality the same again.

that is it / Music being the best weapon to fight ignorance & narrow minded.



"watching sunrise from the bottom of the sea"

[Mondoslug]

"Have you ever been to Electric Ladyland?"


Unfortunately probably too many times.

[Charles Obscure]

"Are You Experienced"-Do you know what Jimi was talking about?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/waldorfsalad/Miscellaneous%20pics/hypnotic_M.jpg
Why yes, yes I do.

[foghorn99]

"Sex and drugs and rock n' roll...... " It's that simple. (IMHO)

(doo - doo - dooooo - do-doooo - doo)



Man, Luci....you come up with some weird questions, eh? :-)

[foghorn99]

"Are You Experienced"-Do you know what Jimi was talking about?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/waldorfsalad/Miscellaneous%20pics/hypnotic_M.jpg
Why yes, yes I do.


Wow.....dude............where's my 3-D glasses?

[James]

I interpret/appreciate/enjoy Jimi's lyrics in Are You Experienced in a particular way, and it has nothing to do with drugs or anything you'd find outside of oneself. In my opinion, Jimi was a spirtual cat. His lyrics touched on a lot of subjects. He was huge Dylan fan, and was heavily influenced by him that way. I guess everyone can interpret lyrics differently.

[8nthatK]

Me thinks some folks like to make these (and others, of course) lyrics...a whole lot 'deeper' then when they were actually written.
I think Jimi would find threads like these amusing, IMO of course.

[dk123123dk]

I have been experienced, but I still have a lot to learn....

dk

[mmasters]

+1

Once you've taken acid, you never look at reality the same again.
Bingo!

[rhp52]

Me thinks some folks like to make these (and others, of course) lyrics...a whole lot 'deeper' then when they were actually written.
I think Jimi would find threads like these amusing, IMO of course.

Me too. At one time I probably would've written something similar, but i really think it was meant more as have you experienced me (JIMI) and my music. I can'r remember was it the first track?

[A-Bone]

Me too. At one time I probably would've written something similar, but i really think it was meant more as have you experienced me (JIMI) and my music. I can'r remember was it the first track?

Wasn't it the last track on the first album?

[drjoel]

he was talking about what used to be called "TRIPPING":dude
if you listened to the "RECORD" while you were "TRIPPING" you would know.

[Lucidology]

"Sex and drugs and rock n' roll...... " It's that simple. (IMHO)

(doo - doo - dooooo - do-doooo - doo)



Man, Luci....you come up with some weird questions, eh? :-)

Viola! That's because I'm experienced .... :hiP :)

Actually ..

Questions of ambiguity seem to promote good discussion ....
Different angles of interpretation are the fodder of great art ...

[Rumblefish]

You're all wrong.I understand it but can't explain it.There.

But seriously,if you were there and tuned in,you'd need no explanation.That album is definitely a time capsule.And it will always resonate through my total being.Because I was "there".Still am at my core.

Check out Steve Roach.com

[Structo]

He was stoned out of his mind most of the time so I don't know how you can judge what he was thinking.

[sethr]

http://www.henniker.org.uk/images/comix/mr-natural2.jpg

[Scott Auld]

When I was a kid, I thought he was talking about sexuality when he asked, "Are you experienced? Have you ever been experienced?"

As in, has anyone ever experienced YOU? (Have you ever been made love to?)

Then I got older and thought Jimi was talking about expansion of consciousness. "Are you experienced in the ways of the universe? Have you ever experienced an opening of your perceptions and a widening of your awareness of 'what is'? "

Now that I'm old I think Jimi was just trying to say something intentionally ambiguous.

The cool thing about Jimi is that his music works on all levels.

[Ulysses]

'Tis one of the crucial secret ingredients of Jimi's playing ...
Not to mention he was a strong proponent of Hippie philosophy & spirituality ...

With that being said;.
It simply amazes me how many people interpret his playing as machismo....
and thus claim it as their own ...

This can be said for "music" in general. When I was a little boy I fell in love with the spirit of music to the point I wanted to dedicate my life to it, make it my career. There eventually came a point in my life that I actually began to hate music, hate what I did, became depressed, self-destructive, etc,. and found myself in the place that I had to step away from my life and figure out what went wrong. I had become so immersed in music as the world sees it both techically and commercially I lost touch with the spirit that touched me as a boy.... way before I learned there was a "theory", technical prowess, and the trappings involved with music as an education and career. For one thing, theory had become my god. I listened to everything I heard by superimposing a 12 note grid and a constant time clock over it matching it against what I had been trained to hear. By the time I went through my scholarly ritual of identifying sharp or flat, in/out of meter, I was missing the actual content of the music itself. This may sound trite on my part and many here see the obviousness but I finally realized music itself exists alone, seperate, and independent from anything mathematical, technical, or a man-made system.

Jimi said "technically, I am not a guitar player, all I play is truth and emotion." - It's in that I find music in its organic form. Much like color when used in art can touch the emotions, music is a continuum with no rules, no start and stop where any color (or note) begins or ends. Of course we can communicate using the method we learn to synthesize it but the system is not the music itself.

"I can't express myself in easy conversation—the words just don't come out right. But when I get up on stage—well, that's my whole life. That's my religion. My music is electric church music, if by 'church' you mean 'religion', I am electric religion." - Hendrix. A lot of metaphors here but Hendrix understood music as a means to touch the listener and convey a message. Nothing to do with music as a technical excersize as many tend to see it.

[Old Tele man]

...it all goes UP in 'smoke' (wink,wink)!

[TommyMambo]

Jimi, macho? Surely you jest. He was a lover not a fighter, half the women he laid could have kicked his ass IMO.

Jimi had plenty of swagger though too...and "Machine Gun" is about as violent as you can get (although it is protest)!

[EXP]

I always thought he meant '' experienced '' as paying his dues. Jimi paid his dues playing behind Isley Bros, Curtis Knight, Little Richard, Sam Cooke in the early Nashville days on the chitlin circuit. That was my interpretation that was based on his actual experiences take Highway Chile or Taking Care of No Business for example.

[8nthatK]

Or maybe he just had a nice buzz going on and thought the words/phrase sounded groovy...lol.

[Suproman77]

I actually met Hendrix, briefly - twice.
Mostly we spoke of British Science Fiction; he devoured paperbacks. This was about 1967 in London. I believe there is a photo of him backstage (the series with Mick Taylor) where you can clearly read the title of the Science Fiction collection he is reading ('course I've forgotten the title). I think this love enhanced his music for a while.

Best, Pete.

Cool story. Wow, you got to meet the man himself. Not surprising at all that he was a Sci Fi fan...makes sense when you hear songs like 'Third Stone from the Sun'.

[doublee]

Ha, yes! 'Experienced' big time back in the day and loved it all and dont regret a second of it. And Jimi I agree was not macho at all, emotional and powerful yes but sweet at the core, theres a difference.

[Flyin' Brian]

I never heard any macho in his music at all. I heard a significant amount of passion, sensuality, huge imagination, humor and at times a kind of weariness at what the world was compared to what he would have liked it to be. Yeah was was stoned some time and tripping other times. Wasn't everybody back then?

[doublee]

And to say further and get into trouble no doubt, some of the progeny of Jimi, lets say SRV as an example, used to wake up with a half a glass of whiskey with a quarter gram of coke sprinkled in. Thats got to be a very different head attitude, no? SRV was a bad assed blues oriented player and though he played some Jimi stuff they are very very different artists, and not to be confused with each other.

[Ulysses]

And to say further and get into trouble no doubt, some of the progeny of Jimi, lets say SRV as an example, used to wake up with a half a glass of whiskey with a quarter gram of coke sprinkled in. Thats got to be a very different head attitude, no? SRV was a bad assed blues oriented player and though he played some Jimi stuff they are very very different artists, and not to be confused with each other.


I almost said something about that. I'm one who finds very little if any at all of the essence of Hendrix in SRV. The material he covered ended up sounding more like biker bar anthems than the spiritually vibed, psychedelic "experiences" of listening to the originals. Que up both Hendrix and SRV versions of Voodoo Child and a/b back and forth a few times. Very different types of music altogether.

[Lucidology]

I almost said something about that.

I'm one who finds very little if any at all of the essence of Hendrix in SRV. The material he covered ended up sounding more like biker bar anthems than the spiritually vibed, psychedelic "experiences" of listening to the originals.

Que up both Hendrix and SRV versions of Voodoo Child and a/b back and forth a few times. Very different types of music altogether.

Exactly one of my points ...

Not necessarily referring to SRV versions per se ... but the "biker bar anthems" part of what you're saying ...
the 'let's kick butt' interpretations of Jimi's music is a good example of the many macho claims to Jimi's music ...

[doublee]

Exactly one of my points ...

Not necessarily referring to SRV versions per se ... but the "biker bar athems" part of what you're saying ...
the 'let's kick butt' interpretations of Jimi's music is a good example of the many macho claims to Jimi's music ...

yessir and thank you for starting the thread, Jimi gets too often mixed in with totally inappropriate comparisons. SRv? Great stuff in its own right but give me a break. Jimi had no road map when he did it.

[Flyin' Brian]

Joseph I think that one of the problems with the macho interpretation if Jimi's music is due to generational differences. Many folks who listen to him now weren't around when he was playing and as a result don't "get" the vibe of the times. As a result they interpret it using the world today as a measure. While there was much protest back then...much of it was done in a peaceful way. There was also a lot of understanding and peace. There is much less peace today.

[Zelmo]

Joseph I think that one of the problems with the macho interpretation if Jimi's music is due to generational differences. Many folks who listen to him now weren't around when he was playing and as a result don't "get" the vibe of the times. As a result they interpret it using the world today as a measure. While there was much protest back then...much of it was done in a peaceful way. There was also a lot of understanding and peace. There is much less peace today.

Or they didn't do the acid....

And I say that not in the sense of 'recreational use' per se, but rather it's use as a sacrement, or gateway, or whatever you'd like to call it.

[Paul Conway]

Gush alert: you have been warned...

..but this thread has really put a smile on my face. Several of you have managed to articulate a) what I felt about music when I was a teenager in the 1980's, discovering it for the first time (thanks elgalad), b) where I went wrong (thanks ulysses) and c) how I feel about Jimi (lucidology, ulysses again).

I understand this is 'The GEAR Page,' but THIS is what I wish more SHL discussions were like. I think it also is very relevant to the recent 'what's the mood of posters' thread.

Here's my current thoughts on it: there's a close parallel between standard rock/blues stuff, ostentatious displays of gear ('check out my huge collection of guns/cars/guitars') and general macho antics. It's that very male side of the personality that is all about aggression, defensiveness, peacock displays and is afraid of intimacy. Conversely, any act of true, artistic self-expression is about laying yourself bare, opening yourself up totally. Y'know, the thing that Jimi and Miles (for two) were so good at. That's what I think is missing in 99.99999% of rock music.

I laugh/cry when I hear pub bands playing Hendrix, for the reasons outlined.

[pfflam]

Was talking to a friend recently about how many guitarists who have an edge
to their personality, interpret Jimi's music as rock & roll aggresion or angst when, in fact,
it is the opposite ....

There is also a certain looseness in Jimi's playing that escapes even the best of interpreters,
which one would venture to say, is a major part of the "are you experienced" factor
of his lifestyle at the time ....
I agree completely. I think this misinterpretation comes from the fact that the radio only plays a handful of his 'hits' over and over.

I think his spirit was closer to Coltrane than any other guitarist . . . he was a spiritual quester and a peace loving guy who had a loose open style that flowed

[TommyMambo]

I think his spirit was closer to Coltrane than any other guitarist . . . he was a spiritual quester and a peace loving guy who had a loose open style that flowed

He did support the troops in 'Nam though, was very vocal about that.

[pfflam]

I would also add that there is this element to the 'Are You Experienced" thing:

what he meant is, are you experienced by other people? as with his music and soul being experienced through the medium of electronic dissemination.

As Andy Warhol said: it used to be that you could only occupy so much space but now with electronic media almost everyone can occupy a lot of space.

[pfflam]

He did support the troops in 'Nam though, was very vocal about that.
I would have to have a supporting link to believe that, is supporting the troops mean that he cared about his bretherne over there or that he supported the war, because as far as I understand it was not the latter.

[DrSax]

This thread hits home for me right now, specifically the points Ulysses and Lucid make about losing the original love for the music, and the macho thing, respectively.

I'm in a cover band now, the other two members old music club veterens, who simply want to beat the audience over the head with the macho thing. Way over the top craziness, no room for subtlety. I can appreciate where they are coming from in a way, they are looking at this ONLY as a business. Whatever makes the folk buy more drinks is what they're after. But there really is no art involved anymore, no love for music. The other day I remarked on how much I loved a song, how great a song was, and they looked at me and my passion for this tune like I had three heads. Like "love has no place here" kind of thing. It was creepy. The word "prostitution" came to mind. I realize to make a living you have to treat it like a business, but it's a strange kind of business. We all got involved in it for the love of the music in the beginning. It seems like there should be some of that left.

[crzyfngers]

This thread hits home for me right now, specifically the points Ulysses and Lucid make about losing the original love for the music, and the macho thing, respectively.

I'm in a cover band now, the other two members old music club veterens, who simply want to beat the audience over the head with the macho thing. Way over the top craziness, no room for subtlety. I can appreciate where they are coming from in a way, they are looking at this ONLY as a business. Whatever makes the folk buy more drinks is what they're after. But there really is no art involved anymore, no love for music. The other day I remarked on how much I loved a song, how great a song was, and they looked at me and my passion for this tune like I had three heads. Like "love has no place here" kind of thing. It was creepy. The word "prostitution" came to mind. I realize to make a living you have to treat it like a business, but it's a strange kind of business. We all got involved in it for the love of the music in the beginning. It seems like there should be some of that left.
people are desperate for real music. i played yesterday with 5 other guys and a singer. doing the singer's original latin tunes. we'd never played together before and people were walking in from the street wanting to buy a cd. to hell with the business. make some music.:dude

[Solomon]

Not all music is art. Some is entertainment. Just like not all paintings are art. Some are decoration. Nothing wrong with either and then some are a little bit of both. Even Jimi's music.

[RickC]

I almost said something about that. I'm one who finds very little if any at all of the essence of Hendrix in SRV. The material he covered ended up sounding more like biker bar anthems than the spiritually vibed, psychedelic "experiences" of listening to the originals. Que up both Hendrix and SRV versions of Voodoo Child and a/b back and forth a few times. Very different types of music altogether.

Very true. I've always wondered why Jimi's and SRV's versions of "Voodoo Child" strike me so differently; this thread articulates it beautifully. For me, the difference between these two gets at the heart of what I think the Lucidology is talking about.

/rick

[Dickie Fredericks]

Gush alert: you have been warned...

..but this thread has really put a smile on my face. Several of you have managed to articulate a) what I felt about music when I was a teenager in the 1980's, discovering it for the first time (thanks elgalad), b) where I went wrong (thanks ulysses) and c) how I feel about Jimi (lucidology, ulysses again).

I understand this is 'The GEAR Page,' but THIS is what I wish more SHL discussions were like. I think it also is very relevant to the recent 'what's the mood of posters' thread.

Here's my current thoughts on it: there's a close parallel between standard rock/blues stuff, ostentatious displays of gear ('check out my huge collection of guns/cars/guitars') and general macho antics. It's that very male side of the personality that is all about aggression, defensiveness, peacock displays and is afraid of intimacy. Conversely, any act of true, artistic self-expression is about laying yourself bare, opening yourself up totally. Y'know, the thing that Jimi and Miles (for two) were so good at. That's what I think is missing in 99.99999% of rock music.

I laugh/cry when I hear pub bands playing Hendrix, for the reasons outlined.

Now thats a great post.:agree

[Solomon]

I agree completely. I think this misinterpretation comes from the fact that the radio only plays a handful of his 'hits' over and over.

I think his spirit was closer to Coltrane than any other guitarist . . . he was a spiritual quester and a peace loving guy who had a loose open style that flowed

Funny that you mention those two together as they are the only ones whose music upon first hearing it struck me to my core like a lightning bolt. Mesmerizing even. And this was long after they had both passed on and were no longer relevant in contemporary pop culture.

[lostcause]

Or maybe he just had a nice buzz going on and thought the words/phrase sounded groovy...lol.
Good point....probably closest to the truth.:BEER

[blues revenge]

it's about giving up yourself to become part of something bigger. the hardest part of making music is getting past your ego. music is powerful stuff not to be taken lightly. ellington said music is the only thing that can reach in and touch your soul without your permission. are you experienced? :agree

I really like this entry. Many of you have written alot of great things to think about in this thread.

I was there. I am so grateful for being able to experience that time. Grew up in L.A., saw Hendrix 5 times. The 69 and 70 Forum show, I too was "tripping" on acid.
I believe it had alot to do with just expanding your conciousness through drugs; LSD particularly, and being open to embue whatever came to you, letting it take you wherever your mind and body wanted to go...becoming "one" with it all and "watching the sunrise from the bottom of the sea"

Man I remember ditching school, dropping acid and laying down on the ground, putting our stereo speakers next to our ears and playing Hendrix records all day.
I will tell you one thing, I have a couple of recordings that we did being stoned out of our minds on acid and to this day, wonder how I came up with some of the stuff that came out of my fingers and my being when I had nowhere near the technique that I had later on. I would say that I too "HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED"

[Glide]

WTF are you talking about?

Its some hip line he came up with to sell some albums. Nothing more / nothing less.

Like wow, groovy man.....peace out.....pass the orange sunshine and let's make trails.....That'll be $10.00 please.....next....

http://www.smart-kit.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/yellow-blue-dot-illusion.jpg

[Mickey Shane]

The word "prostitution" came to mind. I realize to make a living you have to treat it like a business, but it's a strange kind of business. We all got involved in it for the love of the music in the beginning. It seems like there should be some of that left.

"I take a quick look in the mirror, to make sure my friend's here with me too". -JMH

[Ulysses]

Quote:
Originally Posted by crzyfngers http://img.thegearpage.net/board/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?p=4381073#post4381073)
it's about giving up yourself to become part of something bigger. the hardest part of making music is getting past your ego. music is powerful stuff not to be taken lightly. ellington said music is the only thing that can reach in and touch your soul without your permission. are you experienced?



"I used to live in a room full of mirrors,
All I could see was me.
Then I take my spirit and I smash my mirrors,
And now the whole world is here for me to see,

-Jimi

[chaz_vibrato]

I think Jimi was a contactee. I'm serious. He had an encounter with aliens at some point in his youth. His talent was his own I'm not saying that it was given to him. But I am saying he was not a 'normal' dude. I feel that Herman 'Sonny' Blount, aka Sun Ra was also a contactee. It's documented that George Clinton is.
I think it happened when he was in Georgia with his mother her family and his mothers outside man John Williams. I think GYPSY EYES is partly about that. That's when Jimmy met Eddie Clearwater and started playing the guitar.

If you want a real slap upside your head check this out. I agree with about 95% of what this guy says.
http://rockprophecy.com/

[lostcause]

I think Jimi was a contactee. I'm serious. He had an encounter with aliens at some point in his youth.

:rotflmao:rotflmao
No he was'nt, no your not and no he didnt

[Rumblefish]

WTF are you talking about?

Its some hip line he came up with to sell some albums. Nothing more / nothing less.

Like wow, groovy man.....peace out.....pass the orange sunshine and let's make trails.....That'll be $10.00 please.....next....

http://www.smart-kit.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/yellow-blue-dot-illusion.jpg

Uh dude.I come from cowboy country and I definitely have been experienced in the way that Jimi was talking about.You don't get it.This is not to exclude you or label or be negative.But that sounds like some people at the art gallery or museum dissin' abstract art because it's lost on them.
Trust me. Jimi was about much more than just makin' a buck.
I understand your not appreciating the use of mind expanding substances like LSD,but at the time it was being used clinically to facilitate healing of very messed up people.Check out Stan Groph.Not a drug to be played with.
Unfortunately some people abused it and paid the price.It was a period in time and it's getting harder to believe I was there.Saw Jimi up close and personal 5 times.I'd guess you're too young to have "been there".Just one of those deals where you might think or feel differently if you had been there.The Beatles reached a wider audience and effected pop culture.Jimi changed everything for a smaller group of folks who were willing to explore the outskirts of infinity with courage and a good heart.

[Paul Conway]

Whilst I'm in no way advocating the recreational use of prohibited substances...I think you might enjoy Bill Hicks' 'Rockstars Against Drugs' Sketch. Adults only. (-;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J10w3FuCwfQ

[Paul Conway]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRkA6zugNMQ&feature=related

Another good one......again, not for the easily offended.(-;

[mc5nrg]

Check latest Johns Hopkins Psilocybin research in the news past few days.

[Bassomatic]

WTF are you talking about?

Its some hip line he came up with to sell some albums. Nothing more / nothing less.

Like wow, groovy man.....peace out.....pass the orange sunshine and let's make trails.....That'll be $10.00 please.....next....

http://www.smart-kit.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/yellow-blue-dot-illusion.jpg

Square alert!

[Glide]

Uh dude.I come from cowboy country and I definitely have been experienced in the way that Jimi was talking about.You don't get it.This is not to exclude you or label or be negative.But that sounds like some people at the art gallery or museum dissin' abstract art because it's lost on them.


Oh ...peace brother ...I am feeling some bad vibes coming off of your aura. Trust me, I've had my share of the microdot and shrooms. The pastures of cowboy country are full of some shrooms.

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/152/pp0809~Fractal-Peace-Posters.jpg

..Heh..That kinda cracked me up.....

[lhallam]

Well maybe not machismo but all of his music had BALLS.

The nature of poetry/lyrics is open for interpretation. So to say that people are going deeper than intended is incorrect. A good poem causes people to get deep into it.

Hendrix was inspired by Dylan and did his own interpretations. To dimiss his art as simply the product of a drug crazed hippy is not even close. Read some Emily Dickinson and see how much sense her poetry makes.

I seem to remember that Chandler and Hendrix came up with "Are You Experienced". Recall that at the time, this music was revolutionary. Jimi was cajoling and/or inviting us to get on the bus.

Glad I did.

[sethr]

Jimi was cajoling and/or inviting us to get on the bus.

Glad I did.

I'm also glad I got on that bus. But don't forget- we're all bozos on this bus.

[jeffhef]

Ate Cyndi I Did

I thought everyone knew. It's probably the reason I am.

jeffhef

[Lucidology]

I think Jimi was a contactee. I'm serious. He had an encounter with aliens at some point in his youth. His talent was his own I'm not saying that it was given to him. But I am saying he was not a 'normal' dude. I feel that Herman 'Sonny' Blount, aka Sun Ra was also a contactee. It's documented that George Clinton is.
I think it happened when he was in Georgia with his mother her family and his mothers outside man John Williams. I think GYPSY EYES is partly about that. That's when Jimmy met Eddie Clearwater and started playing the guitar.

If you want a real slap upside your head check this out. I agree with about 95% of what this guy says.
http://rockprophecy.com/

How fun ... :)

[t0neg0d]

I think you all are reading WAY too much into this. John Lennon had a good long laugh about people who read shit into his lyrics (I am the Walrus was the result of this joke at their expense).

Lets all just get it over with... come on now... I know ya wanna.... BIG GROUP HUG and lets have a nice cry along with it.

Dude played for 3 reasons: Sex, drugs and to express himself. But mostly, sex and drugs (or he would have died choking on his own expression).

[Scott Miller]

"There is also a certain looseness in Jimi's playing that escapes even the best of interpreters..."

Yeah! A classic case is "Who Knows," which has that relentless riff. Hendrix plays it like a deep funk groove, but then others turn it into a pile-driver rock disaster.

[Ulysses]

'Tis one of the crucial secret ingredients of Jimi's playing ...
Not to mention he was a strong proponent of Hippie philosophy & spirituality ...

With that being said;.
It simply amazes me how many people interpret his playing as machismo....
and thus claim it as their own ...



I think you all are reading WAY too much into this..... ...Dude played for 3 reasons: Sex, drugs and to express himself. But mostly, sex and drugs (or he would have died choking on his own expression).


The OP's premise has been justified.

[lutelover]

I still recall the first time I dropped acid (a very reasonable dose) and listened to the recording -- many years ago -- n the safety of an older friend's house, comfortable, just listening to music, talking, and drinking Pepsi.

Every bit as much as other 'psychedelic pop recordings,' such as Sgt. Peppers, Bridge of Sighs, Magical Mystery Tour, the music was so fantastic. And that sense of the world 'opening up' while tripping -- especially in the music, for me, but in other aspects of reality, too -- has always occurred to me to be what the album's title refers to.

LSD + Hendrix (and other great music) = one of the most unique experiences of my life. I would sure hope that others who might try it sometime are assured, as I was, of a safe place, a caring friend, a mild (i.e. relatively safe) dose, etc. It's was quite a world to visit, but I'm glad I didn't 'get stuck' there.

[t0neg0d]

The OP's premise has been justified.

So do I get a hug?

My children and I are "experienced". We "experienced" losing a wife and mother to this.

[Dave Wakely]

Interesting read. A few nights ago, I watched Jimi at Ilse of Wight Festival on late night TV here in the UK - I'd never seen it before. Like others here, I take 'experienced' to be about LSD/Doors of Perception/Huxleyian generally - it was the drug du jour, after all.

I've never been a great Hendrix follower - I prefer the blues and ballads among his work, but I don't own any of the albums. He's obviously one of the all time greats, but always struck me as a) a great experimenter - much like Miles, and b) someone making music because he couldn't not do, rather than 'to be famous'. The IoW Festival perfoemance, however, struck me as very very lacklustre. He looked bored, tired and like he didn't want to be there. He also looked utterly uninspired.

He ultimately strikes me as someone who was shot to fame for the outrageous and showy stuff but who probably wanted a different direction - exploring what he could actually do with the right musicians. He also strikes me as someone who never found those musicians, and whose 'consumption' (no judgements being applied' probably didn't help him in the long run. Not as tragic a figure as some from the era - Syd Barrett especially (two or three great singles, and iffy album and then 40 years of oblivion) - but, great as some of his work undoubtedly was, it still smells more of potential than realisation to me. His tragedy was that music wasn't ready for him - and that he got dulled waiting. Out tragedy is that we didn't get to hear him mature. But there's no gaurantee he would have done.

[Berlebster]

"There is also a certain looseness in Jimi's playing that escapes even the best of interpreters..."

Yeah! A classic case is "Who Knows," which has that relentless riff. Hendrix plays it like a deep funk groove, but then others turn it into a pile-driver rock disaster.

Wow , lots of cool thinking; yep i like to call this feeling the "chewing-gum groove" ,sometimes that's not so easy to share Hendrix music with others, so i figured this out for "certain" people . Hendrix had a great swing feel.

Back to the "ballsy" remarks some of you made (i'm sorry but i am too lazy to assume a multiquote ) this is one of aspect of his genius that i just understood a few years back : First time i saw the SRV Mocambo videotape; watching made me realise Stevie had A real strong attitude toward the guitar , kind of violent . So is the music of Jimi , but he always looked graceful and made us think it was so easy to enjoy the same vibe (with a guitar too). Playing correctly the slight return in a live band situation is always a great challenge.
Now i will not make any comment about him beeing a paratrooper , an healthy man (who does even smile go in da practice roome ).

And yes i knew guys who don't even knew what drug meant , they just get laid on the floor , curtains closed , listening to the entire album and after this they were all the way up in their minds, fearing their mom suspects something weird when she got back from Job. This was 40 years ago . But even with LSD it's an incredible experience to listen this with a real GOOD earphones, all those guitars battling in the sky just up my forefront and then waves of purple & violet come to my right and so ..............:NUTS

[stratovarius]

Not necessarily stoned ...

Nothing is pure white or pure black in this world. If you're lucky, you might just get a glimpse of what lies below the surface of things. Profound as this may be, life's challenges still remain. It's a long journey.

[lhallam]

I'm also glad I got on that bus. But don't forget- we're all bozos on this bus.

Dead on.

"Squeeze the wheeze."

[sergv]

Yeah I believe it was the 'Doors of Perception' angle Jimi was talking about. He was in the right place during a revolutionary time. He kicked opened those doors and changed everyone's perception of what can done with guitar and music.

[Lucidology]

Yeah I believe it was the 'Doors of Perception' angle Jimi was talking about. He was in the right place during a revolutionary time. He kicked opened those doors and changed everyone's perception of what can done with guitar and music.

Totally On Sergv ... !!

[Robert1950]

It's acid.

Everything else is a metaphor for what you learned as the doors of perception opened.

Yep. That's about it.

[Berlebster]

The soon to be classic BAND OF GYPSIES groove might justify a thread on it's own.:worthless

[Lucidology]

Originally Posted by Scott Miller http://img.thegearpage.net/board/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?p=4413705#post4413705)

"There is also a certain looseness in Jimi's playing that escapes even the best of interpreters..."

Yeah! A classic case is "Who Knows," which has that relentless riff. Hendrix plays it like a deep funk groove, but then others turn it into a pile-driver rock disaster.



Excellent example of what I was trying to say in the OP .... :YinYang

[Xabiche]

Just curious... what is considered the best, most accurate biography of his career?

[mrbungel]

I'm also glad I got on that bus. But don't forget- we're all bozos on this bus.

Now THAT is funny, I'm an old hippie, and we are ALL BOZOS on this bus of life. I do believe that was Firesign Theatre in all their glory.
Thanks for that time machine trip!

[Lucidology]

Now THAT is funny, I'm an old hippie, and we are ALL BOZOS on this bus of life. I do believe that was Firesign Theatre in all their glory.
Thanks for that time machine trip!

So .. do you remember the FUGs then ...?
(I recently picked up the two DVD story of Alen Ginsburgs' life ...

[JSeth]

You know, Joe, there was a cartoon on the cover of ZAP comix, waaaaay back when... Mr. Natural is standing there, and some lady is saying:
"Will SOMEONE tell me what diddy-wah-diddy means?"

and the 'natch says:

"If you don't know by now, lady, DON'T MESS WITH IT!!!!"

"...and have you ever been experienced? 'cause I have..."

[andyland6]

Hmmm.

Lemme see if this works

Experience= Love.

Love of all kinds...

Love of Learning

Love of "being" and knowing. Love of Existence.

Love of your art, passions, and fellow living creatures.

Love and respect of all things that merit this emotion.

And not wasting time and energy with things that do not merit this emotion.

?

AB

[TonyVt]

I always assumed that "Are You Experienced?" is about LSD-25. Nothing better than tripping to Jimi.

[eBay]

'Tis one of the crucial secret ingredients of Jimi's playing ...
Not to mention he was a strong proponent of Hippie philosophy & spirituality ...

With that being said;.
It simply amazes me how many people interpret his playing as machismo....
and thus claim it as their own ...

Jimi was actually a sci-fi nerd who "owned more paperbacks than clothes" and described his music to a neighbor as "science fiction rock". The acid thing came after that and altered it a bit but all the sounds were meant to be like the effects he was enamoured with in sci-fi movies.

Yeah, it surprises me how all the heavies interpret him as a guy like the blues mafia when he was really a very light character. Oh, and don't forget his severe ADD that would likely put him on the outside of most of today's scenes.

[frank62]

"not necessarily stoned, but beautiful" The exact effect of mixing the Hendrix Vodka and the Hendrix enery drink.

[Lucidology]

Yeah, it surprises me how all the heavies interpret him as a guy like the blues mafia when he was really a very light character....

It so true ... the whole reason I started this thread in the first place ...

[Rick51]

So here I am, junior soul man of the 60's. Along comes Hendrix playing ?????. And doing it on an upside down guitar! I was no more good for a while after that. Time to just forget it all and start over. He didn't get that way from playing with the Isley Brothers.

So yeah, Joseph, he sure saw something that nobody else did. Really, nobody since either. That looseness you refer to is key, totally relaxed, total command of the instrument.

Miles Davis really liked Hendrix playing. I think it would have been inevitable that they would have played together had he lived longer. Think about that one.

[Thin Slices]

Conversely, any act of true, artistic self-expression is about laying yourself bare, opening yourself up totally. Y'know, the thing that Jimi and Miles (for two) were so good at.

This sums up exactly how I think of Jimi as a musician. A very fragile human being chanaling something bigger by creating art - at the offering of bare honesty.

[Paul Conway]

Hmmm.

Lemme see if this works

Experience= Love.

Love of all kinds...

Love of Learning

Love of "being" and knowing. Love of Existence.

Love of your art, passions, and fellow living creatures.

Love and respect of all things that merit this emotion.

And not wasting time and energy with things that do not merit this emotion.

?

AB

Yup. (-:

[Rama]

experiencing experience and knowing that you are experiencing experience...that's when the mind enfolds on itself and the self fills up everything...Walt Whitman describes it in Leaves of Grass

In my on small way I know of it and I have never been the same...there is no going back. For a time I wanted to...no more...now I try and push yhe present..fill the present...ride on that wave of now/tao

[Rama]

...and that allows me to BE experienced by other people because on a good day all that is operating in me is my true self..not just my self-image acting out on stage.

[Lucidology]

Good stuff Rama ...

Wow ,,, my faith in the humanity has been restored by the last two or three pages of this thread ...
(not that it matters to anybody else ...but it does to moi ....:-)

How So very cool indeed ...!!

[davya]

If you don't know you're not "experienced"!

It's says not just stoned but...beautiful!

[Solomon]

Chevy Chase was "Experienced" in Caddy Shack.

"Just be the ball, be the ball, be the ball. You're not being the ball Danny."

[Roark]

Originally Posted by andyland6 http://img.thegearpage.net/board/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?p=5071052#post5071052)
Hmmm.

Lemme see if this works

Experience= Love.

Love of all kinds...

Love of Learning

Love of "being" and knowing. Love of Existence.

Love of your art, passions, and fellow living creatures.

Love and respect of all things that merit this emotion.

And not wasting time and energy with things that do not merit this emotion.

?

AB


I'd say that is a beautiful person......

[fretfreak76]

I'm not sure experienced is the right word, but my interpretation is with respect to both those who play and those who listen to music. It's become a bit cliche in some respects, but there are definitely some people who "get it" and and equally large number of people who don't. Have you ever tried explaining your love of music (I'm not talking about modern dilute 'love' that says "yeah I love playing guitar" as a throwaway line, but true love - the sort that drives you to create and play music above all else) to someone and they just can't understand? It's a totally different makeup in those people that they can't get their heads around the idea that music can consume a person's entire being. I can't live without music - it's entwined in every fiber of my being. I can no more remove the music from the person that I am than I can go without oxygen or water. It has a hold over me that even I can't explain. I don't think that makes me 'experienced' per se, but I like to think that perhaps it's aligned more to what Jimi was trying to express than is the case for those people who, for want of a better term, don't "get it."

If you've read some of Jimi's interviews you can clearly see he was totally aligned with music as a powerful force, both for good and evil. It took over his entire consciousness, and that's what you see flowing out of him in his stage performance - both the music and the physical aspects. He really, truly "got it" to the point that both ego and material objects became a complete throwaway to him, culminating in the destruction by burning of his guitar at Monterey. I've yet to see someone else that so epitomized the surrender of self to the power of the muse.You pretty much summed up how i've felt since as far back as i can remember probably 5 or 6 yrs old when i was fortunate to have been turned on to the Beatles & Jimi at around the same time and it just struck a chord that has been ringing ever since! And to think that some people take ''music'' as just something that goes in one ear & out the other.....:nuts

[Bobby D]

I actually met Hendrix, briefly - twice.
Mostly we spoke of British Science Fiction; he devoured paperbacks. This was about 1967 in London. I believe there is a photo of him backstage (the series with Mick Taylor) where you can clearly read the title of the Science Fiction collection he is reading ('course I've forgotten the title). I think this love enhanced his music for a while.

Best, Pete.

YOU are one lucky guy :thud

[ikeaboy]

LOVE GOES ROUND IN A CIRCULAR MOTION
LOVE IS A LITTLE SHIP UPON THE SEA
YOU ARE A PART OF EVERYTHING ANYWAY
YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL IF YOU LET YOURSELF BE

BE, HERE NOW Tim Leary

I can't! I got an appointment if fifteen minutes
and I'm all ready late!
I'll be back later..... Ronald Raygun

[theRocco]

From "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe:

"You're either on the bus or off"

[Paul Conway]

Excellent discussion. TGP could use more like this.

[andyland6]

I actually met Hendrix, briefly - twice.
Mostly we spoke of British Science Fiction; he devoured paperbacks. This was about 1967 in London. I believe there is a photo of him backstage (the series with Mick Taylor) where you can clearly read the title of the Science Fiction collection he is reading ('course I've forgotten the title). I think this love enhanced his music for a while.

Best, Pete.

Wow. Just wow.

Mann...

Wow....

[devilrob1979]

Jimi, macho? Surely you jest. He was a lover not a fighter, half the women he laid could have kicked his ass IMO.

The man jumped out of planes with a rifle. I'd say he coulda held his own if he had to.

[jtm622]

When Jimi said: "Uh... Let me prove it to ya..." in the song -
Well... the REVERSED guitar solo that followed that statement indicates to me that he was "talking" about an acid trip; and that he was attempting to simulate in the studio what a guitar solo might sound like after a hit of acid...
There were no hidden meanings, it was pure and simple... Hendrix was not a complicated guy, IMO... :)

[Bobby D]

i will never quite know what jimi was talkin' bout.

in 2004, i produced a band at electric lady, and also was dating a woman who owns jimi's old apartment on 9th street east village.

so, i was living in his place at night, working at his place during the day.

one day, walking to work, i took a different route. all of a sudden, it hit me....THIS was the way jimi went. don't know WHY.....it just happened.

cool thing about that studio....there is a secret door that opens up to the RIVER underneath the studio.....:YinYang

[plord]

Now that I'm old I think Jimi was just trying to say something intentionally ambiguous.
Yeah, well, acid will do that to you :)