"Band of Gypsys" is the most underrated Hendrix album

[Zomby Woof]

By far. The blues/funk/improv direction he was taking with this music beyond The Experience had LOTS of promise. A Miles Davis/Hendrix collaboration would have been volcanic if it ever came to pass, in this post "Bitches Brew" context.

The ZW CD Pick O' The Day.

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. I think that's his best album,

though Live at Winterland is close.

[Zomby Woof]

2. Winterland makes me tingle

He out-Creams Cream.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Totally!

And I love when he says "I'm not saying we play it better, just that we like it"

And then totally fucking plays it better. :-)

[coloradodem2005]

3. You mean Buddy Miles.

[Zomby Woof]

6. NO, I mean MILES DAVIS

Read what I said again: "If it ever came to pass", meaning it would have been fantastic if they ever recorded together.

Miles loved Jimi, and he expressed interest in recording with him, but Jimi died before anything could be hashed out.

I have been into this music since I was a kid in the 70's, so I don't make mistakes with names.

[Lannes]

5. Band of Gypsies 2

Had a great version of "hear my train a comin".That song is on alot of his live albums but this one I believe was the best.

[Lannes]

7. "Machine Gun"

That was just sick.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

8. The late Bill Graham had an interesting story about this one.

In the 70's, when San Francisco's KSAN was perhaps the BEST progressive FM rock station in the COUNTRY (in a dead heat with Boston's WBCN and the mighty Charles Laquidera), Bill Graham used to REGULARLY stop by with tales from the archives.

When Hendrix did his first set with Band Of Gypsys, Graham greeted him when he came off stage. The set was filled with all of the theatrics...playing the guitar behind his neck, with his teeth, all of the "Foxey Lady" sexual stuff and the waggling tongue, and Graham essentially congratulated him for putting on a very exciting clown show.

Hendrix was PISSED.

Graham said that he was so much better than the cartoon he'd created.

SO...the second set was the one that made it to the album...the terrifying "Machine Gun," the brutal and focused music that became legend.

Hendrix walked off stage at the end of the set, walked up to Graham, looked him right in the face, and said "Happy NOW, motherf**ker?" and stormed off.

Graham WAS happy.

True story, told by Graham.

:toast:

[Lannes]

9. There was a documentary about Graham

Years ago,I forget the title but I believe that story was in it.Wish I knew the name Id get it on DVD.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

11. He claimed his favorite song was...

..."East-West" by the Butterfield Blues Band.

Ben Fong-Torres (also from Rolling Stone, maybe the greatest rock journalist since Lester Bangs) had a Sunday afternoon slot on KSAN and Graham used to stop by regularly and spend the entire afternoon as "Guest DJ," spinning tales.

He also told his version of the Led Zeppelin "Day On The Green" dust-up. Manager Peter Grant's kid saw one of Graham's Led Zeppelin signs back stage and just decided to take it. One of Graham's people told him to leave it where it was. Within moments, after the kid started whining, a couple of Grant's goons (as well as LZ drummer John Bonham) pulled Graham's guy into a trailer and beat the ever-loving SHIT out of him.

Led Zeppelin threatened to not go onstage unless Graham signed a waiver absolving them of any responsibility for the beating. Graham huddled with his attorney, who said that the document would not be legally binding and encouraged him to sign it to prevent a riot.

Led Zeppelin went on and I believe it was the last time they played a Bill Graham concert.

My impression, having lived through their career, was that they may have been rock legends, but as human beings they truly sucked. After that day, Graham hated their effing guts and did little to hide it.

:toast:

[coloradodem2005]

12. Led Zeppelin?

Funny thing is whenever I saw Jimmy Page talk, he seemed like a really nice guy. Don't know much about the personality of the rest of them.

[-..__...]

13. Peter Grant was a major thug and asshole.

If it wasn't for his success with LZ, he could have easily been employed as a leg breaker for a loan shark.

If you've ever seen the concert movie "The Song remains the Same", there's 5 little montages interspersed throughout the movie (each one is supposed to represent each band members and Peter Grants "fantasy").

Jimmy Pages and Robert Plants fantasys are the predictable Lord of the Rings/Tolkien/Dungeons and Dragons sort of thing. John Bonams is about racing and living fast. John Paul Jones' was playing a pipe organ in a cathedral.

Peter Grants fantasy was being a gangster/hit man who goes and massacres his rivals with a machine gun.

[jus_the_facts]

10. ahhh Jimi.......

:headbang:

White collared conservative flashing down the street,
Pointing their plastic finger at me.
They're hoping soon my kind will drop and die,

But I'm gonna wave my freak flag high, high.

Wave on, wave on


Fall mountains, just don't fall on me
Go ahead on Mr. Business man, you can't dress like me.
Sing on Brother, play on drummer.....