[Slowhand] revisiting the who's the best myth..

[Apurva Parikh]

While I agree with the spirit of what DN says - the Hendrix PR machine after 
his death has been about selling the man's name, music and anything he did 
to make a buck, the simple reality is that Eric was the one Jimi sought out 
upon his arrival to the UK. So does that make Eric better simply on that 
front - no.

Yes Bloomfield and others revered the Bluesbreakers album that Clapton was 
on, and yes he created a star guitar out of the Gibson Les Paul and created 
a new sound with the Marshall/Gibson setup - but that does that make Eric 
better - no.

Eric is a better guitarist if you personally like him more than whoever 
else. I'm sure we could go and find quotes and relay similar informaiton of 
all the artists who felt Hendrix was better or could cite how Clapton was 
shaking the moment that Hendrix got on stage to play.. But that shoulnd't 
change anything either.
Subjectivity is subjecitivity, even in polls that Clapton might have one, 
it's all opinion.

Enjoy the guitarists you like and the rest shouldn't matter - it's all 
subjective anyways.



>>When I point out that he's often hailed as the second most gifted 

>>guitarist of all time, after Jimi Hendrix, he [BB King] shakes his head 

>>(http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/music/story.jsp?story=684477


) <<

This is sheer poppycock. At the time of his death, Hendrix was considered an 
excellent guitarist, but not in the same league as BB King or Clapton, and 
some others. Mike Bloomfield, for example, played with Hendrix in New York 
BEFORE he ever met Clapton. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band toured the UK in 
October-November 1966, and Bloomfield, their lead guitarist, eagerly sought 
Clapton and eventually linked up with him. On his return to the US, 
Bloomfield simply raved about Clapton, and never mentioned Hendrix, 
pronouncing Clapton the best of all. I certainly enjoyed seeing Hendrix, in 
1968. But to tell the truth, I'd enjoyed seeing Bloomfield play a bunch 
more. Mike didn't waste his time doing "sound effects" or paying tribute to 
space aliens, he simply played damn great guitar. So did Clapton and a few 
others. And yes, I'm aware that Bloomfield claimed that he couldn't play as 
well as Hendrix. But I think he played better guitar, and more styles of 
guitar.

On one of his trips to the UK, Freddie King stayed with John Mayall. Mayall 
played recordings of both Clapton and Hendrix, and King much preferred 
Clapton's playing.

Amazing what a great PR machine -- and the myths created by that PR machine 
after Jimi's death -- can do. This is revisionism, pure and simple. Hendrix 
was a great, and a total performer. But if you were looking for the guitar 
player among the two, while Hendrix lived, Clapton won the awards and 
Hendrix didn't, and Clapton was MUCH more in demand as a player on others' 
records. Everyone wanted Clapton to play on their records, not Jimi Hendrix. 
In fact, I believe that Mike Bloomfield was in demand more than Hendrix as 
well.

There are several myths in the history of "rock." Here are two more.

1. There was a riot at the Blind Faith concert, 12 July 1969, at Madison 
Square Garden, NY. I was there, and it never happened. When I read about it 
in "Rolling Stone" a couple of weeks later, I remember becoming angry, 
because it simply was NOT true.

2. Bob Dylan was booed off stage when he went electric at the Newport Folk 
Festival, in July 1965. I've heard the recordings: it simply didn't happen. 
There was NO booing. Furthermore, Al Kooper, who was Dylan's organist at the 
performance, wrote the same in his biography, "Backstage Passes & 
Backstabbing Bastards."

There's no question that Jimi Hendrix was a great performer, songwriter, and 
guitarist. But the idea that Hendrix-was-the-greatest-guitarist-ever is pure 
myth born long after Jimi's death by the Experience Hendrix PR machine and 
some fans. But don't simply take my word for it. Check to see who won the 
best guitarist polls in the late '60s and 1970, while Hendrix was alive, and 
you'll see Clapton's name at the top of the list more than anyone else's.

DeltaNick