"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]

Originally Posted by Luke

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 ...

[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...)