Speaking of lists, here's one I heard on Bob & Tom this morning, the "Top 50 Guitar Albums of All Time" from Gibson.com (where they should know something about guitar albums}. I'd quibble a little with the Top Ten. "Are You Experienced" should be No. 1 insead of "Van Halen." "Led Zeppelin" (29) should be ahead of "Led Zeppelin IV" (3) or "Led Zeppelin II" (6). But, hey, it's all great stuff.
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The first time I ever tried the stuff, the acid kicked in the moment Hendrix' version of "All Along the Watchtower" came on the radio. It seemed to last for hours. You'll get no argument from me.
Just for the "rest my case" closer: Listen to the Hendrix and Van Halen versions of "Wild Thing."
I heard Hendrix do "Wild Thing" live from the second row. My father gave me a half-dozen press passes. The middle-aged guys at the Charleston Gazette had never heard of him, so I got them. I was the most popular guy in school for about a week.
The opening act was an improvisational act that called itself "Chicago Transit Authority." They were awful.
But Hendrix put on a great show. He even broke his guitar at the end.
Leo:
Guess no one remembers Leslie West, Johnny Winter, Robin Trower, Rory Gallagher, or even Bill Nelson (Be Bop Deluxe)...all FANTASTIC guitarists.
(got the vinyl to PROVE it, too)
And not a mention in the crowd...
Ah, well...
I was not aware Van Halen ever recorded "Wild Thing".....which album is it on?
I don't think it's on an album, but you can find a couple of versions on YouTube, including an unreleased version that was apparently recorded for a video but not included in it and a guest appearance by Eddie with another band. Maybe a better example of a cover not adding much to the original would be his "Pretty Woman," since it's on record and a video. After a promising introduction, the body of the song is pretty much lik Orbison's.
"Wild Thing" was one of those songs that lots of rockers threw into their sets, even if they never recorded it.
No wonder. It's just three chords over and over. And zero singing ability is required.
To borrow a line from Dave Barry, you could throw a guitar down a flight of stairs and it would play "Wild Thing."
Too funny, littlejohn, that Barry quote. That said, these lists are horse crap. I remember being miffed at a rolling stone list of greatest guitarists because Eddie Van Halen was ranked so low, and now I find myself angry that Gibson rated this LP so high. Anyway, it's a fool's game to try to make such a list. I'm guessing if Hendrix wasn't a strat man, he may have been #1, considering the source.
I read somewhere this week that discussions such as this one are akin to standing around in 1970 and asking whether Rudy Vallee or Al Jolson was the better singer. Ouch.
Ouch indeed!