Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Guitar Hero

With every era, generation and decade, their is always that one band or artist that defined music and shaped it into the beauty it was the following decade.  For every decade there was a genre representative of the atmosphere surrounding the lives of those people.  In the 50's you had the rockabilly blues popularised by big names like Elvis Presley; in the 60's you had pop revolution with The Beatles, who were classified as rock at that time. But, in the late 60's, you suddenly had a collision of soul and punk: the likes of Jimi Hendrix crashing with the Sex Pistols.  The 60's and 70's had it all.  It had power in soul, and in political punk - easy going against anarchy. But Jimi Hendrix' message left shock-waves for decades to come; he continues to inspire musicians and regular folk alike.  Jimi Hendrix wasn't the voice of a generation: he was and is the voice of Rock.

Born in 1942, Hendrix experienced all the rockabilly, all the Beatle-mania, yet came alive in the late 60's with his own psychedelic sound. 1967 is when we first tasted what was the Seattle sound of then when we heard Are You Experienced?  under the band name The Jimi Hendrix Experience.  With classics such as "Foxy Lady", "Purple Haze" and "Hey Joe" that never lost their timeless appeal, where they still are recognised as classic and ideal rock songs.  Hendrix was celebrated for his incredible guitar skills, being left-handed whilst playing right-handed guitars on most occasions, and learning his trade without outside help.  He had explored what rock never dared to, and infused funk into what was clouded by the Beatle-Mania.  Hendrix struck a chord with the world again with Axis: As Bold As Love in the same year. Double Hendrix, double the power.

Hendrix playing a right-hand Fender Stratocaster
 - Hendrix was a left-handplayer

Although not as popular as his debut, Axis: As Bold As Love still continued on the experimental sound that was present in Are You Experienced.  Hendrix was admittedly disappointed with the album, feeling it could have been better if he was given more time.  He quickly got over his disappointment to create his third masterpiece Electric Ladyland.  A double album released 10 months after Axis, Hendrix explores multiple genre's within the two LP's: from soul, psychedelic, blues and funk.  Hendrix provided a more sensuous sound to the album, later to be noted as one of the earliest sounds in R&B.  His famous finger-work was made even more notorious in the album, with more additions of intricacies and superb sound effects with guitar pedals.  Jimi Hendrix was the leading man in rock, he knew more about the genre, more about music, and more about soul than any other musician before or after his time.

It wasn't long until The Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up and Jimi went solo before ultimately passing away in 1970.  His death is a mystery, but it is known that he asphyxiated, with the argument leaning more towards a mixture of alcohol and unfamiliar sleeping tablets.  A three year career is nothing for a musician today, but for Hendrix it was everything.  He gave us three official albums, and made his mark in music and around the world.  He touched hearts of millions and continues to inspire some of the greatest musicians, and regular people.  Its not often a musician can create an everlasting impression like Jimi Hendrix.  Not only was his music groundbreaking, his guitar techniques and song writing visions were authentic and powerful.  Jimi Hendrix is the ultimate rock hero; the ultimate guitar hero.