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Jimi Hendrix: Star Spangled Banner. For or Against?

Springfield

By Springfield
in The Tailgate

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Springfield

Springfield

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Simple question. What are your feelings? Do you think that Jimi Hendrix playing the Star Spangled Banner is offensive or not? In case you haven't heard it yet, here it is...

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Basically, he was tuning his guitar during a warm up session at Woodstock. After that "tune up session" he played Purple Haze. Since then, it has turned into a cult hit as far as the Star Spangled Banner goes. People love it and can make it out by one note.

Is the Jimi Hendrix "Star Spangled Banner" a sacrilege to our country? Should people be ashamed to cheer to this song?

Full disclosure. We play Pandora at our work. My boss/owner condemned me because this song was played because I chose the "Jimi Hendrix" station on Pandora. I can never play Jimi Hendrix because of this song... it sounded like, "Dogs barking."... I revere this song. Others, including my wife and a very liberal friend of mine think that this "song" isn't right for the workplace.

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Springfield

Springfield

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That being said, I don't know where you work so I can't say whether it's appropriate or not.

An auto shop. High volume with a lot of wealthy customers.

That's aside form the point though.

My wife (fairly liberal) and my neighbor (very liberal) both think that this song isn't good for any sort of work setting. My wife thinks that this song is incredibly bad, or so I think.

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ACW

ACW

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A comment on Youtube:

This is the reason Jimi Hendrix is probably the greatest electric guitar player of all time. 0:52 is supposed to sound like a bomb falling.) 1:11 bomb falling and exploding.) 1:13 explosions/gunfire.) 1:23 woman screaming/crying.) 1:38 bomb falling and exploding.) 1:56 ambulences/sirens.) 2:00 bomb falling and exploding.) 2:05 jets screaming overhead dropping bombs.) 2:16 woman children screaming crying.) 2:41 playing of taps to remember dead soldiers.) <- all representing Vietnam

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Springfield

Springfield

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A comment on Youtube:

This is the reason Jimi Hendrix is probably the greatest electric guitar player of all time. 0:52 is supposed to sound like a bomb falling.) 1:11 bomb falling and exploding.) 1:13 explosions/gunfire.) 1:23 woman screaming/crying.) 1:38 bomb falling and exploding.) 1:56 ambulences/sirens.) 2:00 bomb falling and exploding.) 2:05 jets screaming overhead dropping bombs.) 2:16 woman children screaming crying.) 2:41 playing of taps to remember dead soldiers.) <- all representing Vietnam

Honestly, that's a bunch of hippies who are high off their ass making those comments. Those comments carry no weight with me.

I want to know how a song like that would negatively or positively affect our political scheme.

It's a "classic". Most of us would agree. Overall, in today's terms, I'm pretty sure it's meaningless. I wonder what R's think vs. what D's think (considering I think I'm a D). My boss is a die hard R fan... My wife and friend (who are both D) consider it inappropriate. Doesn't make any sense to me.

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PCS

PCS

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Interesting. I've seen and heard a lot of criticism over the years,(here and elsewhere),of many a singer's rendition of the National Anthem. Usually ending with "Sing it the way it's supposed to" or something a long the lines,(this doesn't include those who skipped or forgot lines). I can imagine if done today,it might be criticized in the same fashion. Jimi's rendition however,was more than just his version of it. It's the time and the place he performed it that made it special imho. Take that in to consideration and I'm for it.

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Springfield

Springfield

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Jimi's rendition however,was more than just his version of it. It's the time and the place he performed it that made it special imho.

However, imagine it being played in a "common place of meeting" by today's standards.

It isn't acceptable is it.

Have we take a step back?

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The 12th Commandment

The 12th Commandment

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What could possibly be wrong with it?

It's an artist playing his nation's anthem on the instrument he loves.

I much prefer an instrumental Star Spangled Banner, anyway. Most people don't have the voice to pull it off.

Pretty much says it all. As far as work get you some goofy little white things to put in your ears?

I just think it's so hauntingly good that it transcends that "do it the way it should be" thinking. We have to be flexible in our judgment. I've heard people do it that didn't do the by the book version and I liked it. It's when you get people trying to show off their range at the expense of a crowd like a football stadium. not the right place for it.

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Corcaigh

Corcaigh

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There's nothing wrong with the performance.

But it's hardly a surprise that it's not to everyone's taste as background muzak at a workplace. :ols: Whether it's an 'appropriate' treatment of the national anthem aside.

You could have a Beatle's compilation and everyone would be thinking most tracks are perfect but ***** about Revolution #9.

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Barney B

Barney B

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A comment on Youtube:

This is the reason Jimi Hendrix is probably the greatest electric guitar player of all time. 0:52 is supposed to sound like a bomb falling.) 1:11 bomb falling and exploding.) 1:13 explosions/gunfire.) 1:23 woman screaming/crying.) 1:38 bomb falling and exploding.) 1:56 ambulences/sirens.) 2:00 bomb falling and exploding.) 2:05 jets screaming overhead dropping bombs.) 2:16 woman children screaming crying.) 2:41 playing of taps to remember dead soldiers.) <- all representing Vietnam

I thought everybody knew this.

Well, the part about the "women screaming and crying" didn't occur to me; I figured that was meant to represent the noise of war. The rest, I thought, should have been obvious, since it lines up with the lyrics of the song (rockets red glare, bombs bursting in air).

Hendrix was a paratrooper, as I recall, and like lots of people his age, stood against the "war" in Vietnam. It should be noted that Vietnam was a total historical miscalculation, so having stood against it shouldn't be seen as unpatriotic in the least. Neither should adapting the Star Spangled Banner to illustrate the reality of war.

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Ellis

Ellis

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I'm so glad this thread was started....

When I was about 13 or 14, I heard this playing through the pa in a record shop at the mall (i know they don't exist anymore, sadly) and my jaw dropped... I ran to the register to ask the employee who it was. He took me to Jimi's section and there was so much to choose from. I picked up the cassette tape version of somewhat of a greatest hits album called The Jimi Hendrix Ultimate Experience (I think). Whatever album it was, it ends with Star Spangled Banner and then the live version of Wild Thing where he burns his guitar.

I must have listened to Star Spangled Banner over and over again for days after that, giving the rewind button on my walkman a workout. I was learning to play guitar around this age. I was a big Nirvana fan and I loved distortion and chaos and the 'anti-solo' or the 90's. But then there was Jimi Hendrix who somehow beautifully mixed blues solos with maddening noise. I became a fan instantly.

I haven't heard this song in awhile... and now my day will likely be filled with Hendrix tunes.

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zoony

zoony

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What could possibly be wrong with it?

It's an artist playing his nation's anthem on the instrument he loves.

100% correct.

This might be one of the most misunderstood songs in the history of rock. Hendrix, repeatedly mentioned that he loved the Star Spangled Banner, and he loved to play songs that he loved.

"It's not unorthodox. I thought it was beautiful"

B-ZYUaRKQkk

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PCS

PCS

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"Just different times" to means that Jimi Hendrix composing a haphazardly mixed Star Spangled Banner means that those believe in is are un-American. That's what I feel from the right wing.

Couldn't tell ya. I was trying,and failing,to say what Bang said. Now if some folks want to take that to mean that those who like it are un-American,then,well,nothing new there from some fringes. Personally,I think that when he did that and where he did that,was demonstrative of part of what the country the Anthem represents stands for.

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zoony

zoony

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A comment on Youtube:

This is the reason Jimi Hendrix is probably the greatest electric guitar player of all time. 0:52 is supposed to sound like a bomb falling.) 1:11 bomb falling and exploding.) 1:13 explosions/gunfire.) 1:23 woman screaming/crying.) 1:38 bomb falling and exploding.) 1:56 ambulences/sirens.) 2:00 bomb falling and exploding.) 2:05 jets screaming overhead dropping bombs.) 2:16 woman children screaming crying.) 2:41 playing of taps to remember dead soldiers.) <- all representing Vietnam

Descending to the bottom of the ocean. 4:20 - 5:48 Feels like you're there.

I get a flashback just hearing it

SmRoGtiJp_E

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