My gosh. I've loved this song since high school (which, as my friends tell me, wasn't yesterday... *cough*).

Jimi's work as a blues guitarist was hugely influential in that he seemed the most adept at taking the established blues forms of the Delta and giving them what was then a fresh, 1960s update.

He was perhaps most effective in this by merging those familiar blues forms with other styles of music. His playing at Woodstock in particular reflected a huge interest in world and jazz forms.

And, around the 10th minute of Voodoo Chile (from Electric Ladyland), he and the organist (who I believe to be Steve Winwood) break into this Scottish-sounding riff, so totally removed from blues, so stark and apparently reflexive ... it just floors me every time.

A lot of comparing of Prince's and Jimi's styles go on at this site, and it's not so surprising. He's an obvious influence on P (and what I'm about to say, sadly, doesn't deviate from that wasteful exercise). But, I've never heard P, for all his OBVIOUS talent on the guitar, display that level of mastery.

Jimi truly was heads & shoulders above his peers. To me, there's no contest.

hmmm, ok, you're probably right, but Prince is up there. definitely up there in the top 10, should have at least made that damn rolling stone list.

mrdespues said:

Yeah, Prince is tough, don't get me wrong. But, Jimi ... there's a school of Jimi. I've been studying for years, and still am very much the neophyte.

ThreadBare said:

It's not a contest to anybody who is objective.

Prince is very underrated, but he's not nearly as inventive on guitar as Jimi was, or as Jeff Beck is for that matter. No matter. All three have/had ambitions on the axe that wasn't beyond their grasp.
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[This message was edited Tue Jan 13 21:46:51 PST 2004 by Supernova]

Supernova said:[quote]

ThreadBare said:

yes, that says it all right there. virtuosity - nothing beyond their grasp. well said.

Early in my Prince fandom, I thought he hung the moon. And then I was exposed to his influences later on, including Hendrix. And now, I take the position that Prince is the greatest single popular musician since Hendrix.

Although Prince is my all-time favorite artist, it's difficult to make an argument that his talent exceeds Jimi's legacy on the guitar.

jimi was the best,but i know 2 examples
where prince toped jimi in some way

bambi from 2002 celebration (absolutely mind blowing guitar playing)

family name (many ppl don't understand this great song.
excelent ideas in the song-hendrix would be proud)

ugh, dont we all know this already... ugh

Why is this a topic that just won't die. This is MERELY your opinion, and I respect that. But MY opinion is that Prince buries Jimi's guitar playing but who's right here? This topic of who's better than who is really getting old.

nah no comparison, Jimi is the man who started it all on the guitar in my opinion.. he gave the guitar a little flavor..


Prince came after that.. Prince is a very amazing guitar player, but as far as longevity in playin it.. I think jimi was makin love to those strings.. he knew which string to strum.. just bliss

jimi is god period

Okay, just for clarity's sake... if we all agree that Hendrix is better than Prince or v.v... then what?

No matter what instrument u play pr how long you are still a student of that instrument... Jimi was alwaysdoing something new to that fender,as was prince withthe Hohner and his other axes. there's no who's better or who's the 6 string God...


Granted I love Jimi with every fiber ofmy being as a Musician,as i do Prince. but there should be no competition between the two.and Jimi's no longer with us,in flesh anyway. the only person who has come the closest to actually bringing Jimi's spirit back to this world through his fingers was the Late Stevie Ray Vaughan. Funny how Stevie wasnt Mentioned.

BlaqueKnight said:

You are indeed unpredictable, Blaque. I'd have thought you'd be firmly in Hendrix's corner.

I agree with you wholeheartedly up until the last sentence. I may not be a musician like yourself, but as I see it, though P's skills stack up against anybody's to my untrained ear, Hendrix redefined how the instrument is played.

For example, one could make the argument that Sonny Rollins or John Coltrane's proficiency on the saxophone equals or exceeds Charlie Parker's. But Charlie Parker redefined how to play it.

namepeace said:

I guess you missed the sarcasm. On guitar Jimi RULES. Prince is good, but to mention Jimi & Prince in the same sentence as equals is JUST PLAIN STUPID. Jimi did for the guitar what Prince has never and will NEVER do - Jimi CHANGED THE WAY GUITARISTS PLAY. Prince has contributed very little to the guitar playing world in my opinion. He has contributed quite a bit to the arranging world and the songwriting world, but JACK SH*T to the guitar playing world. He's got his own style, but that's as far as he goes. The FANS on this site rave more abpout Prince's guitar playing than anyone else, because others are more aware of music (and musicians) outside of Princeland.
Prince is a LONG way from Jimi.
Why do the FANS on this site insist on trying to make Prince out to be more than what he is? Yes, he is extremely prolific. He's a great arranger, a good all around musician, singer and songwriter. Why try to make him out to be the "best" guitarist when he's not? If you like him & his work - COOL. Only prince fans think Prince is better than Jimi.
[This message was edited Wed Jan 14 8:51:37 PST 2004 by BlaqueKnight]

BlaqueKnight said:

Nothing else needs to be said on this thread, this says it all.

Prince can't hold a light to Hendrix on guitar, i'll just settle for Prince being the better all-round musician.

Prince is better than Jimi on keys.

Taureau said:

But Ben Folds smokes the fire off a piano, leavin prince in the dust.

That had nothing to do with the initial subject, but I'd thought I should point that out.


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[This message was edited Wed Jan 14 14:29:45 PST 2004 by Sdldawn]

BlaqueKnight said:

I was skeptical about the post.



Sure. No doubt about Jimi's predominance past, present and future.

Though in Prince's "defense," I think he's better than simply "good." I think he is a remarkable player and relatively underrated because people think of him as a soul/dance artist. Much like Ron Isley, in some R&B/funk circles, his style has been imitated. But anyone who knows both artists' work would agree there is a signficant distinction vis-a-vis the guitar.



That is a slight overgeneralization, I think fans on here are relatively diverse and knowledgeable as a whole. But no guitarist since Jimi can see Jimi, and there's no shame in being in that company.



To the extent orgers do this, it's because they grew up with him and his work has deeply affected them personally. Of course they're gonna put him on a pedestal, as I often do. Could he match Jimi on guitar? Of course not, no more than he could match Bootsy on bass or Monk on piano or Blakey on drums. But of the artists in his generation, I can make a great argument that he is the most prolific and most complete popular musician, as Stevie was before him.

I compare Jimi to Jordan. Untouchable. But I think of Prince as a Jason Kidd or Magic Johnson. He can do a lot of things well or very well, and makes the game fun.



Many Prince fans also think the opposite.


Good post.

jimi beats p on guitar ! easily,jimi was innovative and ground breaking on guitar he broke the mold !!!

but imo, jimi has about a dozen great songs and the rest r shit ! mostly bad production ! certainly didnt help !!!

prince on the other hand , certainly no ground breakin guitarist but... hundreds of great songs !!!

This goes without saying. Jimi is twice as far up the ladder as his closest competition. His skill level was unworldly. He was so much better than anyone else that it makes me ill to think about it. Prince is up there though. I find Prince's music more imaginative though. Although if Jimi was still around today, I don't doubt that he would be making some pretty sick music.

namepeace said:

"Thee's no way that Jimi is a better guitarist than Prince! Every boy growing up who picks up a guitar dreams of playing like Prince. Prince's guitar playing influencs thousands of musicians! Guitarists around the world aspire to play like Prince! There are hundreds of studies done by music scholars analyzing Prince's genius guitar playing. Only Jimi Hendrix fans think Jimi is better than Prince. "



WHAT REALITY OR YOU IN?? PRINCE IS ONLY IMITATING WHAT JIMI HAS ALREADY DONE, JIMI DID IT BETTER.

PRINCE IS A GREAT ARTIST BUT CHEEZ!!! (GET REAL)

Thumparello said:

He was being sarsactic.

The opinion of the author of this thread is 'Hendrix's brilliance as a guitarist overshadows Prince's talent. No question'

Keywords are: "brilliance as a guitarist" (hendrix), "overshadows" and "talent" (prince).

Trying to be as objective as I can, there is very little doubt that Jimi was (one of) the most "brilliant guitarist" this world has ever seen. There is also no doubt that Prince has "talent", a lot of it.

But comparing Jimi's brilliance as a guitarist with Prince's overall "talent" is futile, because comparing brilliance on a guitar with overall talent is like comparing apples to oranges.

What's left to be said is that some of what Prince can do, Jimi couldn't (highly prolific songwriting, masterly fusion of different genres, multi instrumentalist), while Prince can't play the guitar as brilliantly as Jimi could. However he has his own unique style and is capapable of plenty brilliance on the guitar himself.

There is no real debate to be held here.


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[This message was edited Thu Jan 15 5:56:06 PST 2004 by Abrazo]

Thumparello said:

Isn't it funny when people don't see the intended sarcasm in a person's post?

I like Prince's sound and style more than Hendrix'. Sue me.

Hmm.
I think that P is technically the equal of Jimi. Pretty mucb, whatever Jimi can do, P can do, just as good. He has also got more "range" - blues, rock, funk, pop, jazz - as a guitarist. He can also handle a bass, an acoustic etc.
Maybe P has just had more experience - Jimi's reign was sadly too short.

But, no doubt about it, Jimi was the innovator - he change the way guitars were played, and the way they sounded. And he showed off a lot more than P does!!