Jimi or Stevie

[ODogg]

Please don't vote just based on legend, the Jimi legend is pretty powerful and I respect him like anyone but I've been listening to a ton of Jimi and Stevie Ray the last few weeks and I honestly think Stevie Ray was a better guitarist.

[ODogg]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

Compare them on Voodoo Chile - Stevie destroys Hendrix's version.

[elicoleman]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

Gimme SRV any day of the week.

[Tomahawk]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

Anyone think there might have been a difference in the quality of playing and recording equipment from the two different time periods that we are talking about?

[ZB9]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

man that is a tough choice. You cant go wrong with either of them...definitely two of the greatest of all time.

I voted for SRV
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[ZB9]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

Anyone think there might have been a difference in the quality of playing and recording equipment from the two different time periods that we are talking about?

yes, and Hendrix was a huge influence for Stevie Ray. There might not even have been a SRV if Hendrix didnt come along, or at least Vaughn's music might have been pretty different than it was

[Jackdog]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

Both were great,but SRV got my vote.

[RAZRr1275]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

SRV by far

[Kelverin]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

Jimi > Everyone else. Thanks for playing

[Bighoff]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

I just can't pick against Jimi. SRV is freaking awesome and I'd put him just behind Jimi in G.O.A.T. voting but in judging the guitarist as a whole it's Jimi all the way for me.

[headrulz101]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

While I agree that everyone could have a preference of the two, you cannot say one was better than the other. Jimi brought innovation to the guitar world, whereas SRV took blues guitar to another level.

Skill and technique obviously go to SRV; creativity and pretty much evolving the instrument go to Hendrix. Their music was similar, but SRV stayed closer to the traditional Blues whereas Hendrix would pretty much release some catchier rock tunes. Anyways, this is a debate that could go on forever and you'll pretty much get a 50/50 from the results.

I must say though, from my experience working with younger artists and teaching young guitarists (this was my job a few years back), I think Hendrix is a bit overrated in the sense that someone will call him "The Greatest" without even listening to a song of his. I can accept someone who's heard his music (and other great guitarists as well) to deem him "the best," but if you haven't heard anything, you can't!

BTW, out of the two I choose SRV since the song "Life By the Drop" pretty much saved my life and really changed me.

[Jistic]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

It's offensive to Hendrix that this comparison even be made.

[headrulz101]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

It's offensive to Hendrix that this comparison even be made.

I kind of agree with you. What's wrong with this comparison is that it doesn't define "better." Better technique? Better tunes? Better sound? Better what?

Like I said in my previous post, a preference can be made, but you can't say SRV is "better" than the guy who pretty much brought the instrument to where it is today.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

Both of these guys are the reason that I started playing guitar, basically. Hendrix is obviously the creative force behind what modern rock guitar has become and probably the move inventive rock guitarist of all-time. But yeah, Stevie had the benefit of 20 years of listening to Hendrix, being in the superb Austin blues scene, and being a better singer (though both guys absolutely hated their voices). Hendrix is the "greater guitarist" for sure just because of his impact and creativity, but if I had to listen to one of them for the rest of my life, it's definitely SRV.

For me, it comes down to the passion. Hendrix seemed to almost float through the world, blowing up a stage on the way to his next batch of French poontang and windowpane acid, whereas Stevie was just busting his balls for years playing sweaty blues clubs until his fingers bled. For someone to basically rejuvenate the blues as an artform (which SRV certainly did) while coming from that kind of background speaks to his raw ability as a guitarist. The Austin scene is TOUGH, because there are a thousand REALLY talented guitarists there at any one time, so Stevie making it out of that muck and getting picked up by John Hammond was impressive.

So yeah, the stories of Stevie gluing his calluses back on with super-glue so that he could keep playing the set.... that kind of stuff put him above Hendrix in my mind. You can't argue against the foundations of Stevie's playing as coming almost entirely from Hendrix, but he was able to combine that off-the-wall virtuosity with REALLY great blues chops (and jazz later in his career), a better (more passionate-sounding anyway) singing voice, and the heart to overcome his addictions and the dog-eat-dog Austin scene to be the best blues guitarist of all-time (IMO). That's amazing any way you slice it.

And yeah, put on his version of "Little Wing" and drift away... that's the best and most beautiful piece of guitar playing that I can think of, basically... just amazing.

This is probably my favorite live video of his -- he shreds this Buddy Guy song... The little wind-up growls before he starts the solos always make me think he's recharging his reserves of ridiculousness before starting the next sequence:
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The singing on that video and the sound of his guitar... just makes me melt man.. can't explain it. The playing on that one isn't even that impressive compared to some of his other live cuts, but it's just the purest Stevie 'playin' the blues' song I could find. Him getting all charged up during the solo reminds my of Buddy for sure -- he loves those really fast bursts of energy. Great subtle tribute to a master there.

My favorite old SRV cut is "Tin Pan Alley" off of "In the Beginning" -- that's a great glimpse at early SRV busting his balls in the clubs. His singing was just passionate but he didn't develop his voice much until later. Another early one that I love is "Rude Mood", which to this day is the song that I wish I could play flawlessly on the guitar.. always screw something up ("Rude Mood" starts in the later part of the vid.. he's playing Freddie King's classic "Hideaway" at the beginning):

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I LOVE seeing old SRV footage where he's just standing there with a cig hanging out of his mouth. The Swiss didn't know what the hell hit them... they booed him off the stage after his first Montreaux performance only to cheer him relentlessly as the headliner a few years later. His playing cleaned up a bit after he cleaned himself up, but there's something inherently appealing about the self-destructive, whiskey-breath, cig-burned, coke-addled Stevie that just tickles my inner bluesman nerve. He was a complete wreck around '87 though... "Live Alive" is a hard album to listen to for me.

Also, from a guitarist's standpoint, I think his tubey crunch (and that incredible pristine clean sound on "Little Wing" is the sound that basically everyone wants in their head. Something about that big ol' 15" Vibroverb, his big-*** strings, and that beat-up '63 Strat. This pic says it all really:

[Acid]

Re: Jimi or Stevie

It's offensive to Hendrix that this comparison even be made.

This.