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Marty Friedman doesn't *get* Hendrix!


zorrow

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Posted

A much more diplomatic response would have been, "Hendrix was before my time, I really haven't heard much of his stuff other than the few songs that are replayed on the radio. I really should try to listen to his full catalog some day when I have time." In other words, I'm not interested and will never make the time, but I didn't insult your icon and seem open learning more about his contribution to music, which is total bs you'll forget about by the end of this sentence.

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Posted

I don't have an issue with what he said. He didn't slam Hendrix, he just said, "Not for me." I salute him for being honest knowing that he would probably catch some crap from folks. I really can't stand the idea that there is certain art that I have to enjoy in order to be a legitimate artist. I can totally appreciate something's importance to an art form without personally enjoying it. For instance, I don't much enjoy Frank Zappa's music taken as a whole, but man am I there was a Frank Zappa to shake things up.

It's not as if he suggested no one should enjoy Hendrix just because he doesn't. I think the problem is the word "get." Saying you don't "get" something seems to open your opinion to other's transferring their own meaning as to what you meant. Instead of reading it as, "Marty doesn't personally enjoy Hendrix's music," it seems to get translated as, "Marty doesn't get why Hendrix was ever popular and why people like him in the first place," even though that isn't what he said at all.

For the record, I like both of them.

I read Marty's interview and was merely fanning the flames of hysteria. :lol: Nothing holds more promise for a good forum dust up than insinuating that one guitar icon slagged a guitar icon/god. :P

One's playing originates above the neck. The other's below the belt. I've always had more appreciation for guys who fit the latter description.

These don't sound to me too cerebral nor technically senseless -maybe #5 is, but the rest RULE. Please, pay special attention to #4:

https://youtu.be/b7RoTZtiS1Q

And there are many more solos of him that are great too and weren't referenced in the video above, such as those in "Namida", "Dragon Mistress" and "Captive Honor" -the later with Megadeth.

Was glad to see/hear Symphony of Destruction in there. I can certainly understand how some might hear this as mere hyper-technical wankery but having tried (unsuccessfully) to play this for the last year and half, I am totally in awe with what he does (and doesn't ) do in this lead. Of note, his unique blending of styles and genre's is seamless and awe-inspiring IMO.

Posted

Marty has to say whatever he can to stay relevant, I guess.

Posted

Wish Hendrix could have made it all the way out of the-- scene/industry/hype/drugs/etc.-- he got close. Nice guy left so much undone.

Posted

A bit too much emoting for what he probably needed in his response, but OK. It's his opinion, which relatively few people will care to seek on such matters.

On a related note: For what it's worth, after playing guitar for the better part of 30 years, I still don't understand why Jeff Beck is often-cited as one of a very small number of players considered to be the best ever. He has a cool technique that has evolved over the decades. He seems to make good music album-after-album and using a wide variety of collaborators. Overall, I Iike his playing style and body of work. I think most of us can say the same things about a host of artists.

Genius? Virtuoso? Technique and performance that redefined the instrument/genre? Not sure about that. In fact, I see more of those traits in Hendrix than in Beck.

Posted

I think a lot of times it WAS the times that mattered.

Someone does something important first, can be more of a hero then someone who does it well. Who cares about the million of people who can play Eruption?

Posted

A much more diplomatic response would have been, "Hendrix was before my time, I really haven't heard much of his stuff other than the few songs that are replayed on the radio. I really should try to listen to his full catalog some day when I have time." In other words, I'm not interested and will never make the time, but I didn't insult your icon and seem open learning more about his contribution to music, which is total bs you'll forget about by the end of this sentence.

This is exactly why I applaud what he said. He was being honest and not trying to be diplomatic. But also, if we read what he said, he wasn't being insulting.

If he'd said the bold portion it would have likely been total baloney just to be inoffensive.

And look who's offended: people who are not Hendrix. There is an entire cultural phenomenon built around being offended for someone else: "I am no aardvark, but I am deeply offended you'd say such a thing about left-handed aardvarks! Have you ever tried to go through an aardvark's day? You wouldn't last a minute, especially if you were left handed! You must make a complete and public apology." So then Facebook and Twitter light up and the poor schmuck is trotted out before a group of news outlet reps and he weeps and makes a full and unequivocal retraction, explains what a dope he was for saying such a thing when he's never been an aardvark and agrees to make a donation to the left-handed aardvark society, etc., etc.

I think back about the guy who worked five years to land a probe on a moving comet. An absolute feat of amazing precision and science - completely ignored because he was interviewed while wearing a shirt his GIRLfriend had made him that some women found offensive. Resignation, sobbing, apology... and the offended move on to their next victim. [/rant]

Posted

Well, Marty is a perfectionist. A lot of the iconic hendrix stuff is somewhat sloppy, full of noise and squeals, and he was using a stratocaster whammy bar like a floyd, which resulted in some tuning issues. I know some people who cannot STAND anything being slightly out of tune. Marty seems to be one of those people.

Posted

I am loving all of the readers’ comments on Blabbermouth, ranging from the sacred to the profane to the retarded. What fun!

Took a lot of balls to state something that would immediately be mis-quoted and taken out of context. When I was taking lessons from Marty, his main guys were Uli, Schenker and Frank Marino. I got turned on to Marino then, previously only hearing him as an opening act and my copy of “Mahogany Rush: Live.” I dug deeper into his back catalog and was amazed at what guitar god FM was. Here was an example of a guy who took his Hendrix influence and innovated on it and pushed it forward. Since Marty revered FM so much I was a little surprised by his indifference to Hendrix. You’d think he’d be all over that...

Posted

Jimi Hendrix could do more than just sling the guitar. He could write SONGS, and he could deliver them with soulful vocals. He also had a huge stage persona and he has influenced millions, not just other guitar players.

I don't really know who this Marty fella is either. Don't think I have ever heard him play. But I seriously doubt he has ever written a song that is up there with these classics:

Voodoo child (slight return)

Little Wing

Purple Haze

The Wind Cries Mary

Fire

Foxy Lady

Crosstown Traffic

Castles in the Sand

I can make the list longer. As I said, don't think I have ever heard a song from Marty, so I can't compare. But if he had written any thing close to what Henrix ever put out, then I think I would have heard that song by now. I have not. I think that makes my point.

:D

Posted

I think a lot of times it WAS the times that mattered.

Someone does something important first, can be more of a hero then someone who does it well. Who cares about the million of people who can play Eruption?

^^This.

We have before 'Are You Experienced?' and we have after. He didn't just change guitar, he changed music.

Posted

I think a lot of times it WAS the times that mattered.

Someone does something important first, can be more of a hero then someone who does it well. Who cares about the million of people who can play Eruption?

^^This.

We have before 'Are You Experienced?' and we have after. He didn't just change guitar, he changed music.

You bet he did! But not everybody HAS to love his music. Marty, as anyone, has the right to dislike any artist and the right to express it freely. It's true Marty is nobody when compared to someone of the height of Hendrix. So what? And to me he wasn't disrespectful at all --just frank and straight, but no disrespect.
Posted

I pissed Warren Haynes off real good when I told him Clapton owned what we rent lol. He's an easy target....

Posted

Dad and I can't resist baiting each other. He said something about Brian May being pretty good but no Clapton, and off we went. Another version -

*While listening to "Gone Shooting."

"Jason, That's pretty good. Who is it?"

"AC/DC."

"Bunch of fucking garbage!"

"You just said you liked it."

"I can't abide listening to anything by that band. As soon as I know it is that bunch of assholes, I hate it."

"Well, Angus is a fuckload better than Eric Clapton!"

That's good for an hour of yelling.

Currently we are feuding over Parliament/Funkadelic. Haha, I love my old man to death.

Posted

This thread reminded me of the notion that: Everybody is entitled to have an opinion, but some are more fortunate to share mine. :lol:

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