Infinite Ceiling
Thursday September 22nd, 2016 with mark
Live music of Jimi Hendrix : Steve Northover in the studio
This week in 1970 marks the passing of Jimi Hendrix so Steve Northover, local guitarist (Butterflies & Zebras), is in the studio to talk about some of his favourite live Hendrix tracks. Notes on each track are Steve's. Enjoy
| Infinite Ceiling Theme Dave Murphy - <single> - independent 
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| Jimi Hendrix - Machine Gun Isle of Wight -
---------------------------------------- - first off, take note of the astonishing intro figure (it transcends) - it uses the vibe, the wha-pedal, a palm mute and a slide to E-minor 12th frett - there is also the "fuzz blast" about a minute in (it also transcends) - it's just an E but it feeds back and shimmers and Jimi rides it with the whammy - then there's the transistors in the Fuzz Face, picking up the radio - "... security personnel, security personnel ... are you receiving us ..." - all through the performance, there is the crackling of a bad connection - but all this imperfection improves the track (but it likely frustrated Jimi at the time) - take note of the viciousness tone and playing! |
| Machine Gun (excerpt)- Jimi Hendrix - Isle of Wight |
| Maui Sunset:
- the intro, is called "Maui Sunset" is a one off (not found anywhere else, live or studio) - "Maui Sunset" is the name that the bootleggers gave to it, but it's a just a live improv - you can hear the vibe pedal, making the crunchy sound that happens when the batteries are failing - I'm not sure exactly what is happening, but Jimi fixes it about 40 seconds in (or it fixes itself) - the "Maui Sunset" section morphs into the instrumental introduction to "Hey Babe" Hey Babe: - the "Hey Babe" riff sounds a bit like "Watchtower" (but includes a rogue D chord) - there is a sublime first and second solo (you can watch Jimi on the film "Rainbow Bridge") - the second solo is sublime and transcends, going up and down the neck - it almost fails on a staccato repeated high note, then resolves brilliantly - out of the mellow "Hey Babe" we go right into into a vicious/smokin' "In From the Storm" In From the Storm: - it starts off with a solo really burns and is quite a surprise - the whammy dive/feedback section let's Jimi down a bit at the end (feedback does not come out) - he's also a bit out of tune for the final verse / outro section but who cares - consider the range and tasteful nature of the guitar played here (all live) |
| Maui Sunset / Hey Baby / In From the Storm Jimi Hendrix - Jimi Hendrix Experience Box Set |
| Star Spangled Banner + Purple Haze + Woodstock Improv + Villanova Junction (Woodstock)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - this is part of a longer sections that starts with "Voodoo Child" - that's a great performance too, but there are other great live versions around - the purists would be mad that I left it off so you should really listen to the whole thing - the Woodstock gig was special because Woodstock was special in the 60's - Jimi ended the show with what I am about to play (ok there, there was an encore) - regardless, it contains a lot of improvisation and one off performances Banner: - in the first 15 seconds, there is the single note/feedback says "calling all stations" - the guitar is always teetering on the edge of feedback - it's amazing way that "everything worked" in this version - for example, the "teasing out the whistly feedback with the wha + whammy bar" is not guaranteed - while the guitar is feedbacks, you gradually depress the wha and manipulate the whammy - it should start to whistle, but sometimes it just does dies and the feedback goes away - Norm showed me how to do this way back when so I have experienced it failing - ... and heard it fail for Jimi ... but not this time! Everything works Purple Haze: - it's a good version of the (hit) song - the guitar is a bit out of tune from the abuse it just took - we wouldn't edit it out for historical reasons, but the "Improv" is much more interesting Improv: - it starts with a blistering cadenza right out of Purple Haze - then into Spanish sounding figures, then patterns up and down the neck - there is idea after idea, each delivered at break neck speed - it never lets up or fails - sometimes the distortion is rolled back using the volume knob, then gradually added back in - the final figure runs out of frett space as it climbs the neck - to really get the "Improv", you need repeated listenings Villanova Junction: - this is a sublime instrumental that only appears in this form at Woodstock - other versions are all played in a Bolero/marching style that loses the subtlty - it was played exactly once this way (at Woodstock) - it showcases incredible technique, sliding octaves, trills, hammer-ons - there is the: - "astonishing hammer on/pull off legatto phrase down the neck, ending on an open string ..." - "made to warble with both an whammy dive and over the nut bend, applied at the same time" - so this instrumental is played, and then, Woodstock is over |
| Star Spangled Banner + Purple Haze + Woodstock Improv + Villanova Junction - Woodstock Jimi Hendrix - Woodstock |
| Are You Experienced (The Jimi Hendrix Concerts - Winterland 10/10/68)
------------------- - incredible intro: sirens and ideas that would later appear at Woodstock in the Banner - it's a great version of the song, hard to do live (the studio version has backwards guitar) - the solo teeters on the brink of feedback, with an Indian/Arabic feel and lots of legato phrasing - there are pull offs, hammer on's and you can hear Jimi is playing with one hand (not picking) - guitar is slightly out of tune for the final verse but who cares! |
| Are You Experienced Jimi Hendrix - The Jimi Hendrix Concerts |
| Little Wing (The Jimi Hendrix Concerts - Winterland 10/12/68)
----------- - it's a great version of a beautiful song - the guitar sounds phased, likely the Univibe on a very slow setting - but it was mainly chosen for the warbling/shimmering effect during the solo - it's something never quite heard anywhere else (or in any other version of the song) - it sounds as if Jimi is very quickly rocking the wha pedal (avoiding the classic wha-squak) - it's not a Univibe (the usual source of warble) |
| Little Wing Jimi Hendrix - The Jimi Hendrix Concerts |
| Hear My Train (Berkely)
------------- - Jimi is out of tune at the start (you can hear him slyly tuning the high E) - there are more moments that transcend and lots of fiery guitar playing - note also the tasteful/restrained wha section after the burning first solo - there is no crowd noise at the beginning - I remember begin blow away hearing the clapping at the end! |
| Hear My Train A Comin' Jimi Hendrix - Rainbow Bridge |
| Machine Gun (Band of Gypsies)
----------- - is this the best live guitar playing ever? - the guitar moans and wails a lament of war (including shrieks and groans) - the solos and playing is flawless (no imperfection or teetering here) - listen again for the astonishing intro figure (very different from Isle of Wight) - listen for the single held note (it's a shell whistling overhead) - towards the end, note the whistly, ghostly feedback swirling around, in and out - then it goes very quiet into the mellow "coconuts whammy bar section" - the guitar noise at the very end is reminiscent of the Star Spangled Banner "noise" - enjoy, like I said ... this could be the greatest live playing ever - other people are maybe faster in terms of "notes per second" - but Jimi has it all (phrasing, feel, effects, playing the amp, invoking emotion ...) |
| Machine Gun Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsies |
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9:42 PM, September 22nd, 2016