I've heard that he had John Lennon Disease...he didn't always care for the sound of his vocals, even though his fans loved them. Lennon used to have George Martin process the hell out of his vocals in the studio, and although Jimi avoided that, you can still find him on record as saying he wasn't a fan of the sound of his own voice.

Guitar? Well, it's not even worth making a statement on a guy who changed everything. I personally think discussions of Jimi's guitar playing should be limited to "he changed everything" and then people should just listen in awe while they find something else to discuss, like the weather.

But his songwriting? ABSOLUTELY the most overlooked and underrated aspect of his talent. I always thought songs like "Fire" and "Foxey Lady" were goofs, because Jimi obviously looked to Bob Dylan as an inspiration and you can hear so much more depth and awareness in songs like "The Wind Cries Mary." Hell, he pretty much summed up Muddy Waters' entire career with "Voodoo Chile," which was essentially Jimi holding a blowtorch to "Rollin' Stone" for 15 minutes. You can tell where Prince drew most of his inspiration (I've always considered "Axis" to be "The Prince Album"...because he is in no way, shape, or form an "Electric Ladyland" artist).

Most people who speculate on what Jimi might have done had he lived longer go straight to the music...we already know Miles Davis was outspoken about his interest in working with him. But I also wonder what he might have done lyrically over the years. Making a STRAIGHT comparison to Jimi and Dylan might be trying to force apples and oranges, but I believe he had the same gift for songwriting that Bob has, and he was constantly searching, growing, looking for the next place his muse had planned for him.

And for what it's worth, my Jimi mix CD...the one I have in my car at all times...is called "Way Down By The Methane Sea." Where the HELL does an artist find that inside of themselves..."Way down by the methane sea, I have a hummingbird and it hums so loud...you'd think you were losing your mind." WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM? And any artist who says they are not trying to reach that level is lying through his or her artistic TEETH.



When Jim Morrison died, Ray Manzarek used to like to hammer home the point that Jim was a "poet," and I'd reluctantly agree that sometimes he was, while other times he was a belligerent drunk who failed to live up to his own image more often than not. Jimi, on the other hand...

Even today, the only reason I believe there is one guitar playing on this piece because I saw it performed live.

The fisherman was drowning
By his broken heel
His screams were tiny bubbles
And his tongue was made of steel
When he died his teeth made stones
For your lonely child to feel
And his eyes like prayers were quiet
When she heard his tongue of steel
And morning is the long way home

Pointing their plastic finger at me
They're hoping my kind will soon drop and die
But I'm gonna wave my freak flag high, HIGH !

Some of the greatest lyrics in the history of rock and roll. And an early example of Rap.

Mitch Mitchell who I consider the greatest drummer in the history of rock for his combination of rockin power and jazz finesse and who Jimi called "my own Elvin Jones" I think was a big part of Jimi's soulful sound.

dude was always underrated, and now forgotten, perhaps because he played alongside a god. But Mitch was an awesome drummer.