# Favorite Hendrix Song?



## JimiGuy7 (Jan 10, 2008)

Well, what is yours? I would love to hear a good story about what song you is your number 1, why and if and how it influenced you. For me, when I heard voodoo child (slight return) it changed my life. I think I had just turned ten. After seeing my uncle play I decided I wanted to play, so he commited to teaching me and he lent me a guitar. Over at his house one day, I asked him who some good guitar players and he starts playing some music for me, "Electric Ladyland" to be exact. I was blown away by it, but he says "just wait, it get's better." Voodoo Child comes on, and I knew right then that I had to rock like that. I have'nt heard anything to this day more powerful then that, to me anyways. Pure bluesy, funky, rockin madness with so much soul. I also have'nt put the guitar down since (18 years and going strong). Tell us what Jimi song rocks the most to you, but please no hate.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Little Wing.

Normally I pick rockier and/or bluesier stuff as my favorites, but Little Wing, along with Wind Cries Mary & Angel, are my favorite Hendrix songs.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

Always been the straight up pounding rock of Purple Haze, but if covers are allowed, then the John Mayer Trio version of Bold as Love is also high on my list.


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

The first time I remember hearing Hendrix was when I was pretty young and not yet a guitar player. My dad had the original Woodstock vinyl and he was sitting in his chair and listening to it--loud! I was kinda freaked out! The Star "Mangled" Banner was on and I thought, "What is that noise?" It's kind of funny to think how it was a complete generational role-reversal. Here was this young kid worried about his father's mental state because of his loud rock music.

Years later, when I started to learn guitar I'd grown used to hearing people either chugging away at rhythm or wailing away playing lead guitar. Then I heard Hendrix and I was like, "Wait, is he playing rhythm or lead? He's playing both! At once!" It blew me away. I didn't know you could do that. The whole Live At Monterrey album was amazing to me. But my favourite Hendrix song is probably Little Wing. It's such a sweet-sounding song, with amazing rhythm playing, a really powerful feel, and incredible guitar tones. I think my favourite Hendrix guitar tone is from the solo on Hey Joe. Not even sure if he used a Strat for that song, but I love that tone.


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

There is so much great Jimi to choose from. I love "The Wind Cries Mary", "Little Wing" etc...Too much to choose from! Lately I have been on a Band of Gypsies kick. "Changes" is such a great song. You hear Jimi' roots in his phrasing and rhythm from all the years he spent playing with R&B groups before he hit it big.sdsre


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

So many, very hard choice. Put a gun to my head and I'd have to go with Machine Gun. (pun intended)


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Wind Cries Mary is my favorite. I listened to that album hundreds of times when I was young.Something about the first 3 chords that gets me feeling like I was 16 again.
There is a young guitarist in the Ottawa Gatineau area by the name of Ricky Paquette that does a great version of this classic. I think you can listen to it on YouTube.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

3rd stone from the sun. even on the studio cut, it comes off like a spontaneous jam.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I always liked "Wait Til Tomorrow" from Axis. It was a complete revelation to me, when it came out, about what rhythm guitar could be. Still impresses.


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## Chubba (Aug 23, 2009)

interesting that this thread would come up today  - a couple of days ago, I heard 'Voodoo Chile' on some random playlist - and I had to stop and focus on it, like it was the first time I was hearing it. The tone, the guts of that guitar, and that badass lick...wow... There's something about it, i think even the lyrics are cool...so I think it's my favourite

every now and then you stop and really listen and absorb it again, and ...just wow...a friend played a 'if 6 was 9' LP on his turntable last winter, and it just sounded so cool...sometimes I think about how it must have sounded when it was new - i probably didn't get into stuff like this until the 90s, so there's been years and years of analysis...in the late 60s, it must have been, 'wait, wtf is this? who is this guy?'


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## Jeff B. (Feb 20, 2010)

Hands down it has to be Red House for me.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I was a HUUUGE Hendrix fan, have several vinyl bootlegs, all the crap compilations of pre-fame backup material (Curtis Knight, etc) and several jam things (the one with Jim Morrison pissed out of his mind is worth a laugh, though exceedingly crude). It begins and ends with Voodoo Child (Slight Return) for me....I have always thought, when he kicks it into gear, that's what (literally) raw amplified electricity must sound like. Heavier than anything called heavy metal.

I like all the usual favourites, Wind Cries Mary. Machine Gun, etc, though strangely have never been a big fan of Purple Haze. Another big fave is a lesser known studio cut, that I have on a European released vinyl, called Midnight - some nice shredding, and effective use of (flange? phase?) over a great groove.

Just listened to the one below, it's a different take or somewhat edited from the one I have. Slightly faster, and with an extra track of guitar fills in some places...I like the groove better on my slightly slower version. It's also longer, the one I have got edited down about 60 seconds.
[video=youtube;ixfvdCkYvEs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixfvdCkYvEs[/video]


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Jeff B. said:


> Hands down it has to be Red House for me.


It is very difficult for me to choose....but Red House was the first that came to my mind.

Cheers

Dave


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

All Along The Watchtower showed me how a wah wah was supose to sound. Been my favorite since the first time I heard it and still is today.


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

All Along the Watchtower studio version is my favorite, but hearing Voodoo Chile live with all the drugged out mumbling into the mic really captures Jimi. Even though he was stoned out of his mind and incoherent voice wise, his playing was awesome..............


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## Brennan (Apr 9, 2008)

It's hard to narrow it down, but these two are certainly right up there:

[video=youtube;_dQQvoOVrQI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dQQvoOVrQI[/video]

[video=youtube;cP6Xagoiafw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoAXW30mMAg[/video]


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

The super high energy of Fire always gets me (ahem) fired up!

Redhouse is so many different songs, really....from the uptempo studio cut (side note - that always sounded like a 335 to me, though it is said that it was done on a Tele iirc), to one of what must be 20 different live versions I have. No 2 sound just the same, they have different tempos and grooves, different solos, even different lyrics.

Side note - Mitch Mitchell was an AMAZING drummer, his jazz sensibilities fit in very well...even though he's very busy (not quite Keith Moon busy but not far off), I never found him overbearing and always dug his tone and fills. Noel Redding, not so much though I don't hear bass very well on recordings so that was never a big problem for me.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

HAHA for the sheer fun and fun of it 

[video=youtube;D_J1ghb48Os]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_J1ghb48Os[/video]


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## JimiGuy7 (Jan 10, 2008)

It still makes me feel like a kid when I pop on a Hendrix album. He still has the same impact on me now as he did then, and it always feels like the first time ever time, as cliche as that sounds.


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## JimiGuy7 (Jan 10, 2008)

keto said:


> The super high energy of Fire always gets me (ahem) fired up!
> 
> Redhouse is so many different songs, really....from the uptempo studio cut (side note - that always sounded like a 335 to me, though it is said that it was done on a Tele iirc), to one of what must be 20 different live versions I have. No 2 sound just the same, they have different tempos and grooves, different solos, even different lyrics.
> 
> Side note - Mitch Mitchell was an AMAZING drummer, his jazz sensibilities fit in very well...even though he's very busy (not quite Keith Moon busy but not far off), I never found him overbearing and always dug his tone and fills. Noel Redding, not so much though I don't hear bass very well on recordings so that was never a big problem for me.


You watch him play Red House live, and he seems to favor his SG or Flying V most of the time for that song.


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## urko99 (Mar 30, 2009)

It Has To Be Voodoo Child. That does it for me. Its the ultimate Hendrix Guitar solo. Total Redline!


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## JimiGuy7 (Jan 10, 2008)

Keep'em coming. Show your Jimi love!!!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Fire for me. Just love the energy of that. All 3 guys are going full tilt and it's just brilliant. Watchtower is a close 2nd for me.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

I really love Jimi's version of All along the watchtower. Really love the solo on this one!
Next would be Who knows!


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

There are songs that I like better, but I remember the first time I saw him play on TV, he was playing "Wild Thing" and it rocked my world.


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## JimiGuy7 (Jan 10, 2008)

bw66 said:


> There are songs that I like better, but I remember the first time I saw him play on TV, he was playing "Wild Thing" and it rocked my world.


agreed, that was amazing


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

WOW tough choice. I would have to say my favourite is Red House. Bold as Love is a close second...Voodoo Child...OMG how can you choose!?!?!


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2011)

My list would be very short if it was 'what song you don't like'.
Three little bears is my offering.sdsre

[video=youtube;AH8-DZ2W17c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH8-DZ2W17c[/video]


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