In Hendrix We Trust

2. Jimi Hendrix- Purple Haze/ Villanova Junction

There’s always a debate as to who was the greater President Abraham Lincoln or FDR, the greater quarter back Johnny Unitas or Joe Montana, the greater philosopher Hobbes or Locke, Coke or Pepsi,  Jiff or Skippy.  However, there is one superlative that nearly everyone agrees on.  Jimi Hendrix stands alone as the greatest rock guitarist of all time.

There have been countless books and articles that have discussed the cultural significance of this performance.  You can go on and on about how the chaotic explosions of feedback during the Star Spangled Banner so perfectly represent the whistling bombs landing in Vietnam at the time and the hippy populations’ stance on the War.  However, the part of this video that amazes me the most is its ability to display Hendrix's craft on a very personal level.   Through close-ups and crossfades, the cinematography displays the connection between his brain synapses and the guitar strings.  During an interview, Woodstock creator Michael Lang was asked how musicians of the current age(late 1960’s) can reach the audience so well.  In response he said, “Music has always been a major form of communication… only now the type of music is more involved in society than it was.”  If this is the motto behind the Woodstock festival, than it is only fitting for a person who communicates through his guitar, to close the concert. 

This video also displays a full spectrum of Hendrix’s guitar aptitude,  from electric majesty(0:38-1:05), to blistering speed(4:26-4:30) , to undeniable grace (10:17-10:45).

Ride the Electric Snake

3.Santana- Soul Sacrifice
For 2 years Santana worked the San Francisco club circuit.  They mostly played shows for 100 people or less, until Woodstock where they dazzled a sea of 500,000 hippies with their original blend of jazz, rock, and salsa. They work so fluidly as an on-stage music ensemble, from the thundering percussion section featuring 20 year old Michael Shrieve with his spastic drum fills and solos, to the jazzy bass grooves of David Brown, to pale-face Carlos Santana's sacrificial guitar surges. The music is so undeniably bad-ass. As you can see from the electrified crowd it was the kind of rock people needed in the late 60's........and yes that is a naked dude dancing with a sheep(on the left at 7:05).

".....I was under the influence of LSD.....the guitar neck felt like an electric snake that wouldn't stand still. That's why I was making ugly faces, trying to make the snake stand still so I can play it."
-Carlos Santana