i'm sick of these Prince/Jimi comparisons.
Jimi did some fucking mind blowing stuff. took an instrument that until that point had been a backing instrument and blew the fuck out of it. but not without influence-Robert Johnson, Buddy Guy and others were a big influence on Hendrix-he just used his influences and took it to a whole different level. until this point no one had used Marshalls and loud feedback guitar EVER. he attacked that instrument, made it vital. whammy bars, wah wah, distortion...when Jimi hit the London scene Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton met in a dark cinema to discuss what to do. Jeff Beck suggested becoming bus drivers or postmen (true story-this was in a recent Beck interview). Hendrix was like a huge comet hitting the Earth.
Prince is a fucking amazing guitarist. he hasn't really revolutionized the guitar in any way, but the stuff he does i don't hear anyone coming anywhere close. his rhythm playing, solos, the stuff he does with effects (the Boss Flanger is my favourite-check out Rave Unto...2mins into the song), the guy is a genius on the guitar.
just stop comparing him to the dead guy who, if it hadn't been for him, Prince might not even be around today.

No offense, but if you're going to write an essay then it should have a point. What are you saying, and, if anything, what are you asking us?
[Edited 12/23/04 9:21am]

my point is you can't compare the two 'cause they're not in the same ball park.
STOP COMPARING THEM.

williammelvinhicks said:

co-sign !! (.... except for the rave-shit)

Johnson, Buddy Guy and others were a big influence on Hendrix
-he just used his influences and took it to a whole different level. until this point no one had used Marshalls and loud feedback guitar EVER.-haha ha man im a lot younger then you but i still know that it was eric clapton who freqvently used marshall amps and popularised it.

he started doing it before jimi.
even jim marshall founder of marshall amps called one serie "bluesbreakers marshall" in dedication to the former blues breaker.

loud feedback was used by who's guitar player years before jimi did it.
so do ya home work.
]peace

thebanishedone said:

One of the greatest misunderstandings about Jimi is the frequent use of distortion and feedback ...
In essence Jimi made great songs, just like the Beatles.

There may be a couple a experiments with feedback, and indeed, his live performance was experimental
but his albums contain great pop-songs.
Listen to the Axis album: okay, it starts with the experiment, but after that just great songs!

"Axis: Bold as Love" and "Dirty Mind" are my two favourite albums of alltime!

"so do ya home work"

i've been a fan of Hendrix longer than i've been a fan of Prince (and that's 20 years), and i'm here to tell ya, NO ONE was doing the stuff Hendrix did. of course feedback existed before Hendrix-you turn something up too loud you get feedback-but no one had ever controlled it and used it like him. the Bluesbraker guitarists were in a state of shock when Jimi arrived in London. if you watch his live version of Sunshine Of Your Love it blows Clapton away. Clapton caressed his guitar, Jimi out and out mauled it (as does Prince sometimes), and no one had played like that before.

williammelvinhicks said:

i feel fine by the beatles had controlled feedback on it, right at the start. it was a number one single!

ok, not used in the way hendrix used it, but it's there, on purpose, as part of a massive hit single.

Start a thread like this,and people will never stop comparing them!!