When I was in College , the same people who listened to Hendrix and Cream also listened to The Butthole Surfers. It was'nt that far of a stretch , I hate to say.......Though , of course , The Butthole Surfers were a lot more experimental than their predecessors......
But , what does that have to do with Urban Legends in Rock , you say?
Well , an interviewer asked Paul Leary from The Butthle Surfers , "How did you learn to play like Jimi Hendrix?" He said , he was on a bad acid trip , where , at some point , he was convinced he'd be come Jimi Hendrix. When he came back down , he discovered that he could play"Just like" Hendrix..... That's an old myth that's probably made it around High Schools all over the country. A guy takes acid , thinks he's Jimi Hendrix , either regards the notion as a silly thing , later , or , ends up in a mental hospital. But , Paul's story ends up with him somehow channeling Jimi. He certainly played more like him than wasotherwise acceptable in the "Hardcore Uber Alles" days , but , the tide was turning , Feedback/Skronk bands were copping to being influenced by Late 60's Heavy Rock and Psych. Bands like Sonic Youth , Big Black , Live Skull , Scratch Acid and Lithium Xmas were moving in , unashamed to use a Vox Wah - Wah pedal or a Big Muff Pi before Seattle made it fashionable. Flaming Lips were big on THE Late 60's - early 70's Mainstream Rock tip , which would have probably got them burned at the stake a few years earlier . I never got it with 'em , myself , but , they were one of those bands , poised to go national , that you did not dare say you disliked , just like (Brace yourselves) Smashing Pumpkins......
I highly recommend Roxxon's Encyclopedia , if only for the inaccuracies and stuff that appeared to have just been made up.......Like listing Led Zeppelin as the then - current (1969 ? ) Yardbirds lineup , or dedicating a small chapter to "Punk Rock" , meaning Early Alice Cooper , Bloodrock and Black Sabbath. IN THAT , THOUGH , IT PROBABLY WAS THE FIRST USE OF THE TERM IN PRINT.
dave said:
I stand corrected, but you can keep the Cream, ack! Bad High School memories, always looking for 'good' music (this was the early 80s, you whippersnappers, ;) !) See, the trouble was my thinkin' that a school library would have a book on good music (it's an 'adults vs. kids' mindset we're talkin' about, heah). I found Lillian Roxxon's Encyclopedia of Rock. Started reading about names I heard, like Hendrix, and yes, Cream, and thought, these guys sound interesting. I went right out and bought all of the Cream discography. BIG mistake! Worst garbage I've heard ('til I got to Hendrix, Jethro Tull, etc.).
On the other hand, my 1st roomie, a friend from my class, loved all of that crap, plus 'Hippie-lite' stuff like Blood Sweat, and Tears, 3 Dog Night, etc. Needless to say, we parted ways after a semester, and my new roomie turned my onto Flex Your Head, the Butthole Surfers, the Birthday Party, etc. It was a good year!
Thanks for letting me ramble...
John Battles said:Well , while you're thinking about it , dave , that's not an actual quote from the song......listen to it sometime , when you're in dire need of boredom , you'll pick up on it.