Of all the stupid things to have happened in the world, I rank Jimi Hendrix’s accidental overdose and subsequent death right up at the top.
Each time I listen to his music I feel like anything is possible and I don’t feel so badly about the mistakes I’ve made in the past.
It wasn’t entirely accidental. Moving aside the supposed claims he commited suicide, he did choose to engage in copious drug abuse. A very risky behavior which everyone knows can result in death for a variety of reasons.
I know so little about his music. I am curious which of his song that you find the most inspirational in the way you described.
copious drug abuse?
I was driving through Highland Park tonight, giving a 22 year old mom of a 4 year old a ride home because she doesn’t own a car and lives with her Dad and Step-Mom. Taco stands everywhere with packs of people waiting for their warm bags of carne asada. Latino hair salons with swarms of men, women and their children. Darkly lit bars. Brightly lit fast food. A helicopter circling over-head, swooping the most recent crime scene. Then, a mob of fire trucks and police cars surrounding an old apartment building, a corner in flames. My little Esme asleep in the back seat with a soft blanket draping her body. It was weird. And in the background the whole time, KPFK playing “Are You Experienced?” and me thinking, “…how’d Hendrix know?” Anyway…it made me think of your comments.
Listen to “Born Under a Bad Sign” from the posthumously released “Blues” record. It is the musical equilavent of “The Illiad and the Odyssey” except it’s way more relevant.
Because I don’t really frequent church, I have this idea that religion is where you find it and I like songs that sound like prayers wether they be verbal or instrumental prayers. The infamous woodstock “Star Spangled Banner” is a prayer. “Little Wing” is a prayer without being so literal I believe. The entire “Live at Leeds” record by the who has several segments where you can almost imagine the entire audience in collective reflection which I recently learned by reading a Townsend interview was their exact intention and they started putting their shows together to promote this idea that going to a rock concert should be like going to church and should provide the same kind of experience.
Now that I said that I don’t go to chuch, here is a song that I recored with Lysa at the River Falls Unitarian Universalist church on Sunday.
http://www.badassmail.com/orphan_train.mp3
Adding a link for http://www.badassmail.com/buabs.mp3
Hendrix playing “Born Under a Bad Sign” and you can say that it may have been true.
Once again, thank you kindly for these internet gifts.