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).
No comments:
Post a Comment