The Clash: A Little Car Jamming

Starting to catch up on my blog writing and hopefully you've been enjoying some of the musical choices. None of us has the same taste in music, so I never expect everyone to like everything I feature. But it's still a good thing to listen and hear different styles and genres. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's not good. And even though it might be good doesn't mean you should like it. Baby, that's what musical taste is all about. 

So being I was a busy girl this week, I thought I'd jump into the 100 Word Song Challenge again. This week Lance and t, two of my favorite writers of the moment (trust me they could be on my shit list in a heartbeat) got together to choose a band so universally adored, I don't know anyone who doesn't like at least some of their music. The band is The Clash and the song chosen is "Car Jamming," an interesting choice to say the least.

100 Words with the song used as inspiration.

"Car Jamming"

Nothing could beat turning 360’s in the Torino while Jimi wailed out “Crosstown Traffic.” Lying in his sweat-soaked bed, Danny cried at the memory. It was the last good day of his life. The day before his draft notice took his future and later his legs.

Now it had taken his mind.

Through the drug haze he saw the old movie on TV while checking the cylinder. What was her name… she was married to Bogie.  She had that line “Just put your lips together and blow.” Danny smiled at the irony as he put his mouth around the barrel.

Are You Experienced?

Sometimes when you sit down to write something, there's nothing there. My plan was to take up this week's 100 Word Song Challenge mainly because, well it's a Jimi Hendrix song. I first read the other entries in the challenge and maybe because I was blown away by one of them, or maybe because I was exhausted...I could not come up with an idea. So I sat with my laptop and nodded off. Just a few minutes later, I woke up and wrote this in less than ten minutes. Sometimes that's just how it works.

The song this week is "Are You Experienced" and as usual, with the song as inspiration, we write...something.

Maybe I'm finally getting into the spirit of the season.

In his dream, Billy saw the bright colors, the moving pieces, some finished, some not. The stacks went on forever. He watched the workers fit the last minute additions into the correct order. Of course, he thought, there would have to be a system.

His head was spinning as he took in the full extent of the workshop. As he saw the man in charge he couldn’t help but ask “How do you know how to do this?”  The elderly gent stroked his long white beard, smiled and replied “Ho, Ho, Ho…I’ve been doing this for a very long time."

Fly On My Sweet Angel: Jimi Hendrix

On this day in 1970, the first of three major musical influences of the 60's died. James Marshall Hendrix exited this life barely two weeks before the young life of Janis Joplin also tragically ended. Jim Morrison would die the following July. All too young, all left with the unfulfilled promise of what might have been.

"Fly on my sweet angel, Fly on through the sky,

Fly on my sweet angel, Forever I will be by your side"

When you can hear a song and know instantly who is playing the guitar, that musician in a distinct and very heady class. No one sounded like Jimi Hendrix. And he played the guitar like no one else. Left-handed, Hendrix took a right-handed guitar, restrung it and flipped it over to play. This changed the sound and was one reason only Jimi sounded like Jimi.

Today, we're just gonna go with some hot licks from the man who changed how things were done. And guess what, I'm not putting on a link to "Little Wing." But don't worry, it will turn up again before too long.

Thought we'd try a few lesser known tracks, just to show off that little old guitar playing.

"Crying Blue Rain"
"Catfish Blues"
"Born Under a Bad Sign"

And because it's just so damn good...

"All Along the Watchtower"

Generations will come and go. Kids will still pick up a guitar, look in the mirror and try to emulate those first few bars of "Foxy Lady."

Standing the test of time, always.
Fly on Jimi.

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The Voodoo That You Do...So Well

On May 2, 1968 Jimi Hendrix walked into the the Record Plant recording studio in New York City and laid down the tracks for "Voodoo Chile." This epic song would become part of Jimi's legacy known as the Electric Ladyland double album.

After a late night club scene, Hendrix and friends began recording at 7:30 in the morning. Among the friends that night were Steve Winwood (organ), Jack Casady (bass) and Mitch Mitchell (drums). On the first take, Jimi showed them what to do. A broken string interrupted the second take and the third time was the charm.

Over the years many musicians have tried their hand at the guitar licks by Hendrix. Today, we will taste a few of the best.


Listen up:

Stevie Ray Vaughn "Voodoo Chile" ...perhaps the best outside of Jimi
Kenny Wayne Shepherd "Voodoo Chile" ...nice, especially with Noah Hunt doing vocals
Zakk Wilde & Slash "Voodoo Chile"...double guitars...double the power...blowing it out...killer
Jimi Hendrix "Voodoo Chile"... live at Woodstock. uh huh.

Hot damn, that's some freakin' great guitar work right there.

Pick your favorite and leave a comment below.

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Rest And Listen Under My Little Wing

Today we will finally go through my slight obsession with one song..."Little Wing"

Don't ask me why this song so invades my musical judgement. All I know is that until yesterday, I did not think there could be a bad version of it. To me it is just magical. Jimi Hendrix it has been said, wrote the song for his mother. It has been covered countless times...wonderfully.

"Well she's walking through the clouds
With a circus mind that's running round
Butterflies and zebras
And moonbeams and fairy tales
That's all she ever thinks about
Riding with the wind."


I've seen the original lyrics to "Little Wing" and it seems no artist has ever sung the words as written. Fine by me. The variations on the theme just make each version more memorable. So whimsical, so joyful.

"It's alright she says it's alright
Take anything you want from me,
Anything."

Then there's the guitar.
To hear the interpretations gets my head spinning in twenty directions...all of them good. Except for the one I listened to yesterday. I'm going to include it with the tastes as a cautionary tale...this is not "Little Wing", this is unrecognizable crap.

So here we go with just a few great versions, an interesting one by the Coors and one shit one by very talented Japanese guitarist Kumi Adachi. Some of her stuff is amazing, this isn't.


Kumi Adachi "Little Wing" ... I think
Stevie Ray Vaughn "Little Wing"... the ultimate instrumental version
Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood "Little Wing"... saw them do this live at MSG. Still get tears as I think about how good it was.
Sting "Little Wing"... pure vocal, not quite the guitar emphasis, but a fine blend of instruments
The Coors "Little Wing"... like you've never heard it
and...
Jimi Hendrix "Little Wing"...where it all started

Nothing's sweeter than that.

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Got It Covered: The Sun Also Rises

Here's a list of just some of the artists who have covered the song of the day, either recorded or live:
Pink Floyd, Dolly Parton, The Beatles, Nina Simone, Joan Baez, Leadbelly, Duran Duran, The White Stripes, The Eagles,Tracy Chapman and Courtney Love.

To say this song's a classic is a great disservice. Origin unknown, it has evolved over the ages, changing from male to female point of view, and back again. The first time most of us heard the song, well those of us who were around at the time, was in the 60's when The Animals released a strong cover, the standard to which most other versions are compared.

The song is "House of the Rising Sun" and today we will taste a few versions.  For comparison's sake, first up will be The Animals "House of the Rising Sun" - live

Next up is one of the most exquisite and haunting versions I have ever heard.
Sinead O' Connor "House of the Rising Sun"

Rick Derringer & Danny Johnson "House of the Rising Sun"  powerful vocal and some nice guitar licks

Odetta "House of the Rising Sun" the legend at her finest

and just because...
Jimi Hendrix "House of the Rising Sun" sit or he'll knock your ass right down. smokin.

Nice varieties to taste today. Something for everyone.

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