Jimi joined the Army because he got busted stealing cars with a friend and it was either jail or the military. He broke his ankle during training, never went to Vietnam, and his commanding officer said he was the worst soldier ever, just in case you were not aware of all that.
@@bzbzobTf does that have to do with him having the balls to jump out of planes well enough to earn the prestigious Screaming Eagles patch, edge lord? He served his country in ways that you never will. Show some respect.
He got a Medical Discharge which is fine with me. Some Military Personal get Medical Discharges which are not their fault. I read some stories of Guys that were Lousy Soldiers/Sailors/Airmen and when it came down to life or death they became Heroes. I have 4 Honorable Discharges due to Reenlisting and Thankfully I was never injured.
Jimi said he played the Anthem the way the way the air was in the country at the time, he said " the air is slightly static". This is during the Vietnam War. He's creating the sounds of bombs , sirens, screams when it say " And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air". He also plays a little section of TAPS towards the end. ✌️
@@Hibbs4PrezChill. Not everyone is as knowledgeable as you or me, especially about events 50+ yrs ago. I could ask you what event drew us into the war, or which LBJ administration official warned about getting involved , and I wouldn't rip you for not knowing.
A Well, he enlisted as a choice between jail for car theft and a three year stint in the army. This was as a a supply clerk in Kentucky at the 101 airborne camp, where he started getting so many playing gigs off base that he was discharged after the time-honoured fakery of pretending to be injured, gay etc. He was angry as hell with his lot in life due to his social standing, broken home etc, interesting his bass player at Woodstock had been at the same camp and stopped playing as he saw the political statement Jimi was making . Not to use the poor as cannon fodder to help a few get richer. Yeah, not much changes, does it?
You do realize he's improvising the sounds of rockets going off, exploding bombs and police sirens!!! A beautiful interpretation and awesome reaction thank you!!!
@@KathyLuluandDonna problem is, you can't necessarily rely on the comments to be that accurate either. I never could see the sense in going into a song without even the barest cultural context for its origins. Why handicap one's listening experience with efforts to decipher what's going on during the few minutes that take up the performance of the song? Context is all I'm saying.
Jimi’s performance was a patriotic protest to the American War in Vietnam. He used his guitar to make the sounds of planes dropping bombs, bombs exploding, and innocent civilians screaming and crying. Notice at 5:51 of the video he plays “Taps”. He wasn’t “vegging out”, or simply improvising. He methodically thought about how he wanted to play the song with an anti war message. Kudos for an epic performance and powerful message.
I like you comment. I'm AntiWar and in war unfortunately civilians will die too. I hate when people tell Military Members and Veterans like me that we love war and killing. Most Military Members and Veterans hate war and don't want to kill we want PEACE but are there to defend our Country when we have too. A lot of wars were fought for BS reasons because of the IDIOTS in POWER.
Exactly! What we hear is not improvisation but rather air planes droping bombs and shooting ennemies. I am not a USA citizen but even for me this is obvious. Wookstock was a protest manifestation against the enrolment of the american youth. Many young americans move to Canada during the Vietman war to avoid going to war.
Probably one of the most iconic moments in music history. Jimi was ex service and hated what was going on in Vietnam. He was a patriot and heart and soul musician. This was his tribute, planes, bombs, guns, death and destruction with his strat. Amazing
He was making bomb sounds with the guitar after the line-"and the rockets red glare-bombs bursting in air" He also played a short stanza of the WWI song "Over There."
An epic political statement that fueled the fire for many in the antiwar movement and still stands as one of the greatest moments in music history. Underneath the properness is death and destruction, screaming pain and sirens, bombs falling and explosions. The purpose is to get the listener to think about reality.
Totally wrong dude. I lived through that period and Jimi Hendrix was a veteran who served in the 101st Airborne. He stated in an interview that he just thought it was beautiful music. Of course you can hear bombs, because the song is about the bombing of Fort Henry. And of course we all did not want war, but as history showed us, the anti-war movement was taken over by Russian Communist activists.
From a review of the full gig that somebody posted on his blog many years ago, going through the entire show track by track - the guy had also seen the original Woodstock movie back in the early seventies, where this is, of course, the final climax: "When I saw him doing the "rockets red glare" sequence in the movie theatre I thought "this guy really IS from another planet!"" 😃 By the way, the full-show DVD is highly recommended. I think both it and the original Woodstock film are essential viewing to any Hendrix fan.
Canadian here, was awesome! , read that only one segment is routinely sung but there are three more written. Hendrix is guitar legend. That he is no longer with us is so sad.
Jimi's performance not only was an epic piece and renouned for its importance during a troubling time in America, but its stood the test of time. The most innovative guitarist in the history of rock, and considered the best. I'm in total agreement 54 years since his passing.
As soon as I saw the title Jimi was doing I knew it was Woodstock. I've seen it many times but still enjoy a master of his craft getting a message out the best way he can demonstrate!
@@TrojanRabbit521 Woodstock version is by far his most popular. It's the one I've heard the most going back to 1969 when Woodstock took place. sorry I never heard the Atlanta version.
Saw him play this July 4th, 1970. He was a vet expressing his rightful protest of the Vietnam war. True patriot expressing his desire for peace. Wonderful memory!!!
I heard very clearly the bombs, I heard the incoming ordinance, I heard the inbound war planes and the sounds of machine gun fire, I heard very clearly the "bombs bursting in air......" For him to create those clearly produced sounds (ie, the sounds of war machines) - and then to blend them beautifully into our National Anthem - he thus created an unprecedented artistic statement, uniquely on a genius level, and it remains an achievement to this day that is unmatched by any other musical artist. Jimi's talent was as if he was touched by God, as his recordings and performances clearly reflect. He is widely considered to be the greatest guitarist in the history of popular music
His whole performance was made with him search for thos notes to give him the feedback out the amps he wanted. He used the feedback as another instrument
She actually did the Star-Spangled Banner, because there was a huge hurricane in Mississippi as he was playing this. Also, he was deathly ill prior to this performance.
This is such a legendary moment, what a unique musician he was! The entire final stretch of that show, from the start of "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)", the song just pripr to this one, and on to the final encore of "Hey Joe" is an epic chunk of guitar playing (the drummer Mitch Mitchell certainly deserves a shout-out too for his ability to follow and support Jimi's many sharp changes) Two years later, Yes wrote and recorded "Yours is No Disgrace", with the same hopeless war still going on and no end in sight. That one is also a reflection of the conflict and, in my opinion, one of the greatest portrayals of war by any rock band. They were from England of course, but already at the start they deftly position it as a track concerning the US - the pounding opening riff has a "big Wild West country" quality - their original drummer Bill Bruford pointed out how it suggests that kind of landscape and how "it's like the Bonanza theme, you can all but see the Cartwrights riding down a hillside" - and the organ tune coming in soon afterwards could be a counterpoint melody to the Star-Spangled Banner. This amazing live version was taped on tour in the southern US in late 1972, probably in Knoxville, it begins with an improvised folk/country duet between Steve Howe (on guitar) and Rick Wakeman (piano) where Steve's love for American folk music and bluegrass is on show (the guy is also a huge Wes Montgomery fan). The entire performance is gold, but the most striking bit is the improvised jam beginning at 7:34 and running for several minutes until Jon Anderson returns on vocals. That part captures the experience of war, both by soldiers and civilians, in an astonishing way, just like Jimi did at Wood stock - it's all improvised (although they had tried out bits and pieces of it earlier through the year) and the logic both musically and in the images it suggests is as bold as it is unforgettable. Completely flawless playing, too. When Jon makes his vocal return after the final thundering breakdown, he is like a still small voice in the wilderness, and the impact is just devastating. But the band haven't had enough - they continue with a final section as brilliant as the rest. :) Yes: Yours is no Disgrace (live, November 1972): ua-cam.com/video/ErNewJSjL48/v-deo.html I've known the Yessongs live album since I was in my early teens, my brother introduced me to it, but I wasn't aware of the connection of YIND to the Vietnam War until around 1999 when I read about it somewhere. At Christmas, 2001 my brother gave me a CD copy of the album (I had been used to listening to his vinyl triple LP), I listened to this version of the song again and well, it completely blew me away. It had acquired a completely new dimension, and with news footage from 9/11 and Afghanistan fresh in my mind it was brutally obvious what this was about. It all but felt like I had heard it for the first time.
This was during the vietnam thing , so the improvising was sounds of war. Also, was the last performer after a 3 day concert. There were only about 30 thousand people left out of over 500,000 people the 2 days prior. Thanks.
If I remember correctly JIMI is a veteran out of Fort Campbell Kentucky. And he immediately broke into an amazing version of his classic "Purple Haze".
After Woodstock regarding Hendrix rendition of the SSB music critic Al Aronowitz of the NY post wrote- " It was the most electrifying moment of Woodstock and it was probably the single greatest moment of the sixties"
I met Juma Sultan, the man who is standing at the far right (black clothes, playing percussion). He said that nobody in the band knew he was going to play this. It was all unrehearsed, completely improvised on the moment. The guys in the band were like "What's Jimi doing?" I also knew a few people who were in the audience. They said the audience were in complete shock. They'd never imagined that a guitar could sound like this. The looks on your faces! Now you know how we felt 50 years ago!
Fun fact about Jimmy, Jimmy couldn't write music nor couldn't read music, all he could do is just play music, self taught. Not to mention he was left handed, so played the guitar upside down. Then he tooked it to next level and played the guitar with his mouth, he was one of kind,a head of his time. Freaking amazing!!! How people do you know that taught them selfs guitar. Not to mention there wasn't any Utube back then. He is the ultimate Legend
Thanks for your post and reaction to the legendary Jimi Hendrix! Jimi Hendrix's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" is one of the most iconic and memorable performances in the history of rock music. Showcasing his innovative approach to the electric guitar and his ability to use music as a form of expression and social commentary. His version of the anthem is known for its groundbreaking and unconventional guitar interpretation, incorporating distortion, immense volume, feedback, and various effects to create a unique sonic experience. The performance is often seen as a symbol of the counterculture movement and a commentary on the turbulent social and political climate of the 1960s, particularly the Vietnam War. The way he manipulated the guitar to mimic the sounds of war, bombs, and rockets added a layer of protest and commentary to the performance. This rendition is considered a landmark moment in music history, ☮
Jimi Hendrix served in the United States Army. He was a part of the 101st Airborne Division, He enlisted at 19. He was discharged after breaking his ankle in a parachute jump.
Possibly the best and most artistic interpretation of the American Anthem of all times, present, past and future. This recording is not only historic but also futuristic.
Sounds almost like you are in a battle you can hear bullets, explosions, rockets, etc.., which actually goes with the song since the Star-Spangled Banner is about the flag at Fort Henry during the war of 1812 when the British bombarded the fort for hours, which also reminds me of his song, machine gun, where he basically does the same sounds, and mimics of war.
It was the last day of Woodstock, and people were starting to pick up and start the long treck home. The crazy sounds at 3/4 mark were the bombs bursting in the air ! Yes, he was left-handed, so he had to play the guitar that way. ✌️🙂 🇺🇲
This is one of the vanishingly few times rock has approached becoming actual "art". This version evokes America at a time when it was riven by social unrest and racial tensions, amidst the seemingly intractible "generation gap". Also see his performace of Machine Gun, which sounds exactly like a Vietnam firefight. At this point in the proceedings Woodstock was just about over, many had left and this was the morning of the last day. The reason for this was that Hendrix figured that, because he was the headline act, he should go on last, despite being offered a spot on the evening before.
You were talking about Janis' s performance at Monterey International Pop Festival (not Montreal). That took place in June 1967, so not the same year as the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, which was August 1969.
Jimi had been in the airforce. When asked about it by Dick Cavett Jimi said,”I thought it was beautiful”. The clip you played was cut short. When you listen to it he is playing the battle with our winning at the end. I bought the Woodstock album when it came out and of course saw the movie. At 15 and in TX there was no way I made it to the concert.
He interpreted in the moment,the world condition,with that facility,what would be his message now ,a continual musical direction for those aware of his message
Another notable performer at Woodstock was Joe Cocker and his cover of With a little help from my friends which in the eyes of many still ranks as one of the best ever live performances ever witnessed. A must watch.
Well that flew right over their heads. That's napalm, white hot shrapnel and heavy machine gun fire flying around human beings to a backdrop of the whistling of falling bombs and all to the anthem of the world's greatest war machine.
Please watch a documentary on this period in our history and then watch this again. Seriously, you will very much appreciate the genius of what he was doing. And never forget that Jimi served his country and was honorably discharged. He meant every note.
Jimmy played a right handed guitar, upside down with his left hand. Jimmy also could play right handed but was more comfortable playing left handed and he knew where every note was on the guitar.
i bet if you were young at that time, you would have tried to get up to that concert; traffic was backed up 50 miles; bands were choppered in. funny thing is that it started as just a big regional concert, with some really well-known acts bypassing it (possibly simon & garfunkel, dylan, joni mitchell). who knew that it would become the most culturally significant concert ever; a lot of bands there would become household names -- crosby, stills, nash & young; creedence; sly & the family stone; santana. the who were already established. also, a little known fact: famous director martin scorcese was just starting his career and worked as an editor on the film.
I can't believe you didn't play Villanova Junction after The Star Spangled Banner like at Woodstock......it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music that Jimi Hendrix played !!!
In 1969 the Vietnam war was in its fourteenth year. Those of us who lived through the war era (1955 - 1975) and who followed the war would remember the US B-52 Bombers and the sounds (both mechanical and human) that resulted from their bombing missions over North Vietnam. Jimi's version of the Star Spangled Banner reflected all of those mechanical and human sounds of the US B-52 Bombers and their bombing missions in Vietnam. Jimi's version of the Star Spangle Banner was a protest against the Vietnam war; it was not a protest against the US.
I actually had commented on another of your reactions of Jimi...... I was 15 in 1969 and was in the crowd at this show,,, the original Woodstock.......Funny thing, Jimi would only play to close the show and by the time of this performance, there were less than 25% of the overall crowd still remaining..........your video ended abruptly because in the performance it segued right into "Purple Haze"........despite his "hippie" look, Jimi was very patriotic, he was a recently discharged USAF captain
I've heard criticism of Jimi playing the national anthem at Woodstock, but yet it's quite okay if artists such as Neal Shon or Metallica play it nowadays.
I think it's a bit of a stretch to say Jimi was a patriotic veteran. He had to go into the military to avoid a stint in jail, he claimed he got injured as a parachute jumper and was discharged a year after his enlistment. He did not like the army life at all. "By February, his personal conduct had begun to draw criticism from his superiors. They labeled him an unqualified marksman and often caught him napping while on duty and failing to report for bed checks. On May 24, Hendrix's platoon sergeant, James C. Spears, filed a report in which he stated: "He has no interest whatsoever in the Army ... It is my opinion that Private Hendrix will never come up to the standards required of a soldier. I feel that the military service will benefit if he is discharged as soon as possible." Which is what happened. Hendrix song Machine Gun expresses some of what he felt about the Vietnam War: "I'd like to dedicate this one to, uh The draggy scene that's going on All the soldiers that are fighting in Chicago and Milwaukee and New York Oh yes, and all the soldiers fighting in Vietnam I'd like to do a thing called "Machine Gun".......Evil man make me kill you Evil man make you kill me Evil man make me kill you Even though we're only families apart" And then finally you have his comment on power: "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace". So to me his Star Spangled Banner is his statement about the state of the country at the time. It came out in August of 1969 while his live version of Machine Gun happened at the end of 1969. Two very direct statements made by him. The rest is just individual interpretation of them.
I think he was not improvising. He knew exactly what he was doing and he was in total control. This was his comment on the Vietnam War. I was fascinated when I heard it for the first time at age 14 or 15 (in 69 oder 70) and I admire it even more today.
he he, yeah, he played for years with everyone in black music in the US after his discharge from the army, (Little Richard, the Isley Brothers, Curtis Mayfield and all those Brits....) and being fired for not playing what he should (and being more talented) before Chas Chandler of the Animals (who was a Brit who'd made it in the US )saw him play and recognised his potential and put him on stage in London in front of Page, Clapton, Beck, Townsend, Beatles, Stones and so on, a smart choice for a fast track to a record deal. The music scene in the UK revered the artists Jimi grew up with. He was back in the US to stay after a year, paving the way for other black rock musicians like Sly and Funkadelic to get record deals despite the conservative views of black artists and the segregation of the rock scene.
He was making the guitar interpretation of the sound of rockets and the bombs bursting in air so I do not believe it was actually improvised I believe it was actually rehearsed that way.
Jimmy was a veteran and he loved his country.
He was an airborne ranger, broke his ankle and was shipped out, he was really proud to be a part of his country’s military
Jimi joined the Army because he got busted stealing cars with a friend and it was either jail or the military. He broke his ankle during training, never went to Vietnam, and his commanding officer said he was the worst soldier ever, just in case you were not aware of all that.
@@bzbzobTf does that have to do with him having the balls to jump out of planes well enough to earn the prestigious Screaming Eagles patch, edge lord?
He served his country in ways that you never will. Show some respect.
@@77Creation Somebody's getting emotional. Cheer up buttercup. Facts are facts.
He got a Medical Discharge which is fine with me. Some Military Personal get Medical Discharges which are not their fault. I read some stories of Guys that were Lousy Soldiers/Sailors/Airmen and when it came down to life or death they became Heroes. I have 4 Honorable Discharges due to Reenlisting and Thankfully I was never injured.
Jimi said he played the Anthem the way the way the air was in the country at the time, he said " the air is slightly static". This is during the Vietnam War. He's creating the sounds of bombs , sirens, screams when it say " And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air". He also plays a little section of TAPS towards the end. ✌️
That makes a little more sense
I mean...are these folks THAT clueless? Context, folks.
@@Hibbs4Prez We didn't know. That's why we are reacting to videos. To learn
@@KathyLuluandDonnaThat makes sense about your politicians
@@Hibbs4PrezChill. Not everyone is as knowledgeable as you or me, especially about events 50+ yrs ago. I could ask you what event drew us into the war, or which LBJ administration official warned about getting involved , and I wouldn't rip you for not knowing.
Jimi Hendrix enlisted in the Army and served from 1961-62 in the 101st. Airborne Div.
That's pretty cool
A
Well, he enlisted as a choice between jail for car theft and a three year stint in the army. This was as a a supply clerk in Kentucky at the 101 airborne camp, where he started getting so many playing gigs off base that he was discharged after the time-honoured fakery of pretending to be injured, gay etc. He was angry as hell with his lot in life due to his social standing, broken home etc, interesting his bass player at Woodstock had been at the same camp and stopped playing as he saw the political statement Jimi was making . Not to use the poor as cannon fodder to help a few get richer. Yeah, not much changes, does it?
@@yiasemi that is the majority
You do realize he's improvising the sounds of rockets going off, exploding bombs and police sirens!!! A beautiful interpretation and awesome reaction thank you!!!
We didn't until people in the comments told us
@@KathyLuluandDonna sorry then,didn't mean to be a nuisance... thank you for the reaction
@@KathyLuluandDonna problem is, you can't necessarily rely on the comments to be that accurate either. I never could see the sense in going into a song without even the barest cultural context for its origins. Why handicap one's listening experience with efforts to decipher what's going on during the few minutes that take up the performance of the song? Context is all I'm saying.
@@KathyLuluandDonna Hendrix made it sound like a rock song with his guitar
Jimi’s performance was a patriotic protest to the American War in Vietnam. He used his guitar to make the sounds of planes dropping bombs, bombs exploding, and innocent civilians screaming and crying. Notice at 5:51 of the video he plays “Taps”. He wasn’t “vegging out”, or simply improvising. He methodically thought about how he wanted to play the song with an anti war message. Kudos for an epic performance and powerful message.
I like you comment. I'm AntiWar and in war unfortunately civilians will die too. I hate when people tell Military Members and Veterans like me that we love war and killing. Most Military Members and Veterans hate war and don't want to kill we want PEACE but are there to defend our Country when we have too. A lot of wars were fought for BS reasons because of the IDIOTS in POWER.
Well said
Exactly! What we hear is not improvisation but rather air planes droping bombs and shooting ennemies. I am not a USA citizen but even for me this is obvious. Wookstock was a protest manifestation against the enrolment of the american youth. Many young americans move to Canada during the Vietman war to avoid going to war.
Probably one of the most iconic moments in music history. Jimi was ex service and hated what was going on in Vietnam. He was a patriot and heart and soul musician. This was his tribute, planes, bombs, guns, death and destruction with his strat. Amazing
He wasn’t JUST improvising. He was making sounds of warfare (like bombs exploding, screams, sirens, crying etc.)
He was making bomb sounds with the guitar after the line-"and the rockets red glare-bombs bursting in air" He also played a short stanza of the WWI song "Over There."
An epic political statement that fueled the fire for many in the antiwar movement and still stands as one of the greatest moments in music history. Underneath the properness is death and destruction, screaming pain and sirens, bombs falling and explosions. The purpose is to get the listener to think about reality.
Totally wrong dude. I lived through that period and Jimi Hendrix was a veteran who served in the 101st Airborne. He stated in an interview that he just thought it was beautiful music. Of course you can hear bombs, because the song is about the bombing of Fort Henry. And of course we all did not want war, but as history showed us, the anti-war movement was taken over by Russian Communist activists.
AMEN🐝🌹🌈
From a review of the full gig that somebody posted on his blog many years ago, going through the entire show track by track - the guy had also seen the original Woodstock movie back in the early seventies, where this is, of course, the final climax: "When I saw him doing the "rockets red glare" sequence in the movie theatre I thought "this guy really IS from another planet!"" 😃
By the way, the full-show DVD is highly recommended. I think both it and the original Woodstock film are essential viewing to any Hendrix fan.
Canadian here, was awesome! , read that only one segment is routinely sung but there are three more written. Hendrix is guitar legend. That he is no longer with us is so sad.
Jimi's performance not only was an epic piece and renouned for its importance during a troubling time in America, but its stood the test of time. The most innovative guitarist in the history of rock, and considered the best. I'm in total agreement 54 years since his passing.
As soon as I saw the title Jimi was doing I knew it was Woodstock. I've seen it many times but still enjoy a master of his craft getting a message out the best way he can demonstrate!
There is a better version he played a week or so earlier in Atlanta ‘70
@@TrojanRabbit521 Woodstock version is by far his most popular. It's the one I've heard the most going back to 1969 when Woodstock took place. sorry I never heard the Atlanta version.
This was his ultra masterpiece. It is difficult to express how incredible it sounds.
Nice reaction. We will never see or hear anyone like Jimi ever again! PERIOD!!!!!
Saw him play this July 4th, 1970. He was a vet expressing his rightful protest of the Vietnam war. True patriot expressing his desire for peace. Wonderful memory!!!
I heard very clearly the bombs, I heard the incoming ordinance, I heard the inbound war planes and the sounds of machine gun fire, I heard very clearly the "bombs bursting in air......"
For him to create those clearly produced sounds (ie, the sounds of war machines) - and then to blend them beautifully into our National Anthem - he thus created an unprecedented artistic statement, uniquely on a genius level, and it remains an achievement to this day that is unmatched by any other musical artist.
Jimi's talent was as if he was touched by God, as his recordings and performances clearly reflect. He is widely considered to be the greatest guitarist in the history of popular music
His own thing was all jimi did ,,, 5:40 hear the bombs falling
This was the best version of the National Anthem he’s ever played-and the whole world was watching in 1969(I was 8 years old at the time)
Hendrix was always the epitome of cool.
JIMI never died earth was just part of his tour.
His whole performance was made with him search for thos notes to give him the feedback out the amps he wanted. He used the feedback as another instrument
She actually did the Star-Spangled Banner, because there was a huge hurricane in Mississippi as he was playing this. Also, he was deathly ill prior to this performance.
This is such a legendary moment, what a unique musician he was! The entire final stretch of that show, from the start of "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)", the song just pripr to this one, and on to the final encore of "Hey Joe" is an epic chunk of guitar playing (the drummer Mitch Mitchell certainly deserves a shout-out too for his ability to follow and support Jimi's many sharp changes)
Two years later, Yes wrote and recorded "Yours is No Disgrace", with the same hopeless war still going on and no end in sight. That one is also a reflection of the conflict and, in my opinion, one of the greatest portrayals of war by any rock band. They were from England of course, but already at the start they deftly position it as a track concerning the US - the pounding opening riff has a "big Wild West country" quality - their original drummer Bill Bruford pointed out how it suggests that kind of landscape and how "it's like the Bonanza theme, you can all but see the Cartwrights riding down a hillside" - and the organ tune coming in soon afterwards could be a counterpoint melody to the Star-Spangled Banner.
This amazing live version was taped on tour in the southern US in late 1972, probably in Knoxville, it begins with an improvised folk/country duet between Steve Howe (on guitar) and Rick Wakeman (piano) where Steve's love for American folk music and bluegrass is on show (the guy is also a huge Wes Montgomery fan). The entire performance is gold, but the most striking bit is the improvised jam beginning at 7:34 and running for several minutes until Jon Anderson returns on vocals. That part captures the experience of war, both by soldiers and civilians, in an astonishing way, just like Jimi did at Wood stock - it's all improvised (although they had tried out bits and pieces of it earlier through the year) and the logic both musically and in the images it suggests is as bold as it is unforgettable. Completely flawless playing, too. When Jon makes his vocal return after the final thundering breakdown, he is like a still small voice in the wilderness, and the impact is just devastating. But the band haven't had enough - they continue with a final section as brilliant as the rest. :)
Yes: Yours is no Disgrace (live, November 1972): ua-cam.com/video/ErNewJSjL48/v-deo.html
I've known the Yessongs live album since I was in my early teens, my brother introduced me to it, but I wasn't aware of the connection of YIND to the Vietnam War until around 1999 when I read about it somewhere. At Christmas, 2001 my brother gave me a CD copy of the album (I had been used to listening to his vinyl triple LP), I listened to this version of the song again and well, it completely blew me away. It had acquired a completely new dimension, and with news footage from 9/11 and Afghanistan fresh in my mind it was brutally obvious what this was about. It all but felt like I had heard it for the first time.
Kathy and Lily's faces were..adorable.😁.. Specially Lily's..when Jimi started to play his sounds of war... Her face was priceless! 🙂
He also simulated the sounds of battle. Sounds of rockets and big shells falling to earth and the explosions.
Jimmy put in sound effects of bombs and rockets in it as he was playing.
This was during the vietnam thing , so the improvising was sounds of war. Also, was the last performer after a 3 day concert. There were only about 30 thousand people left out of over 500,000 people the 2 days prior. Thanks.
That's still a decent amount of people
Picasso had his 'Guernica'; this is Jimi's 'Guernica of rock-'n-roll'
This always makes me cry, it's so powerful !!! The one and only Jimi, what a loss ! XXXX
My father uncle and adoptive dad all were Gen X and served in gulf war, and this was why they fought for what they believed in
If I remember correctly JIMI is a veteran out of Fort Campbell Kentucky. And he immediately broke into an amazing version of his classic "Purple Haze".
After Woodstock regarding Hendrix rendition of the SSB music critic Al Aronowitz of the NY post wrote- " It was the most electrifying moment of Woodstock and it was probably the single greatest moment of the sixties"
jimi was also a soldier station in fort campbell ky before he took off.
I met Juma Sultan, the man who is standing at the far right (black clothes, playing percussion). He said that nobody in the band knew he was going to play this. It was all unrehearsed, completely improvised on the moment. The guys in the band were like "What's Jimi doing?"
I also knew a few people who were in the audience. They said the audience were in complete shock. They'd never imagined that a guitar could sound like this.
The looks on your faces! Now you know how we felt 50 years ago!
I would say that version represents our country perfectly note for note.
Fun fact about Jimmy, Jimmy couldn't write music nor couldn't read music, all he could do is just play music, self taught. Not to mention he was left handed, so played the guitar upside down. Then he tooked it to next level and played the guitar with his mouth, he was one of kind,a head of his time. Freaking amazing!!! How people do you know that taught them selfs guitar. Not to mention there wasn't any Utube back then. He is the ultimate Legend
It you're covering Woodstock, catch Santana's Soul Sacrifice
Take what you know and love and turn it inside out and upside down. Genius. I was late to Hendrix - only got into into it in about '82.
Thanks for your post and reaction to the legendary Jimi Hendrix! Jimi Hendrix's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" is one of the most iconic and memorable performances in the history of rock music. Showcasing his innovative approach to the electric guitar and his ability to use music as a form of expression and social commentary. His version of the anthem is known for its groundbreaking and unconventional guitar interpretation, incorporating distortion, immense volume, feedback, and various effects to create a unique sonic experience. The performance is often seen as a symbol of the counterculture movement and a commentary on the turbulent social and political climate of the 1960s, particularly the Vietnam War. The way he manipulated the guitar to mimic the sounds of war, bombs, and rockets added a layer of protest and commentary to the performance. This rendition is considered a landmark moment in music history, ☮
The rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air improv throws off a lot of people.
Jimi Hendrix served in the United States Army. He was a part of the 101st Airborne Division, He enlisted at 19. He was discharged after breaking his ankle in a parachute jump.
Possibly the best and most artistic interpretation of the American Anthem of all times, present, past and future. This recording is not only historic but also futuristic.
He did with the banner what Picaso did with his Guernica painting.
Sounds almost like you are in a battle you can hear bullets, explosions, rockets, etc.., which actually goes with the song since the Star-Spangled Banner is about the flag at Fort Henry during the war of 1812 when the British bombarded the fort for hours, which also reminds me of his song, machine gun, where he basically does the same sounds, and mimics of war.
It was the last day of Woodstock, and people were starting to pick up and start the long treck home.
The crazy sounds at 3/4 mark were the bombs bursting in the air !
Yes, he was left-handed, so he had to play the guitar that way. ✌️🙂 🇺🇲
This is one of the vanishingly few times rock has approached becoming actual "art". This version evokes America at a time when it was riven by social unrest and racial tensions, amidst the seemingly intractible "generation gap".
Also see his performace of Machine Gun, which sounds exactly like a Vietnam firefight.
At this point in the proceedings Woodstock was just about over, many had left and this was the morning of the last day. The reason for this was that Hendrix figured that, because he was the headline act, he should go on last, despite being offered a spot on the evening before.
ACTUALLY, THAT MEANS WAR, ALL THESE SOUND ARE BOMBS, TANKS, FIRE AND WHATEVER STUFF SOUND
You were talking about Janis' s performance at Monterey International Pop Festival (not Montreal). That took place in June 1967, so not the same year as the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, which was August 1969.
Jimi had been in the airforce. When asked about it by Dick Cavett Jimi said,”I thought it was beautiful”. The clip you played was cut short. When you listen to it he is playing the battle with our winning at the end. I bought the Woodstock album when it came out and of course saw the movie. At 15 and in TX there was no way I made it to the concert.
....ain’t no winners at the end
You were 15? 🙂 ..I was 14 in '69... We lived the best times in creative music...👍
Lulu has a great smile and is very enthusiastic listening to Jimi
This was played during the vietnam war. He added the kaos of war, as in bombs exploding, planes flying etc…
Love him doing fighter jet's flying over riffs.
jimithe great genuis
A black man playing heavy metal in 1969... ponder that for a second
His own thing is the sounds of the Rockets and the Machine Guns of War batches improvising the sounds of War.
He interpreted in the moment,the world condition,with that facility,what would be his message now ,a continual musical direction for those aware of his message
This must have been so savage for its time
Try Hendrix " Machine Gun " from balcony view live at the filmore 🎸
I need a joint. Cheers guy and gals.
Another notable performer at Woodstock was Joe Cocker and his cover of With a little help from my friends which in the eyes of many still ranks as one of the best ever live performances ever witnessed. A must watch.
Well that flew right over their heads.
That's napalm, white hot shrapnel and heavy machine gun fire flying around human beings to a backdrop of the whistling of falling bombs and all to the anthem of the world's greatest war machine.
He recreated the sound of the bombs
Hi folks! If somebody tells you that another guitarist is the Greatest of all time, DON T BELIEVE!!! Greetings from CHILE
He is playing his guitar upside down !!!!
Please watch a documentary on this period in our history and then watch this again. Seriously, you will very much appreciate the genius of what he was doing. And never forget that Jimi served his country and was honorably discharged. He meant every note.
Jimmy played a right handed guitar, upside down with his left hand. Jimmy also could play right handed but was more comfortable playing left handed and he knew where every note was on the guitar.
He wasn't actually improvising, he began playing it in that manner on August 17 1968, a year and 1 day earlier at a gig in Maryland.
Bombs bursting machinegun firing sounds of war that's the improv
Anyone see he playing a right handed guitar upside-down left-handed legend
Man. I wish that cat was still around today he was the highway Chile
i bet if you were young at that time, you would have tried to get up to that concert; traffic was backed up 50 miles; bands were choppered in. funny thing is that it started as just a big regional concert, with some really well-known acts bypassing it (possibly simon & garfunkel, dylan, joni mitchell). who knew that it would become the most culturally significant concert ever; a lot of bands there would become household names -- crosby, stills, nash & young; creedence; sly & the family stone; santana. the who were already established. also, a little known fact: famous director martin scorcese was just starting his career and worked as an editor on the film.
jimmy is making rockets crash and bombs falling.
And this was 9.00 a.m. on a Monday morning . . .
I can't believe you didn't play Villanova Junction after The Star Spangled Banner like at Woodstock......it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music that Jimi Hendrix played !!!
Jimi was doing sounds of jets and bombs during the vietnam war
I watched it months after Woodstock and I was 15 and I knew he was simulating bombs and rockets, maybe because was around when all this was happening!
Like your relatives and friends "you can love your country but not what they do."
notice he played a right handed guitar upside down and backwards.
He also had a head full of acid at the time.
In 1969 the Vietnam war was in its fourteenth year. Those of us who lived through the war era (1955 - 1975) and who followed the war would remember the US B-52 Bombers and the sounds (both mechanical and human) that resulted from their bombing missions over North Vietnam. Jimi's version of the Star Spangled Banner reflected all of those mechanical and human sounds of the US B-52 Bombers and their bombing missions in Vietnam. Jimi's version of the Star Spangle Banner was a protest against the Vietnam war; it was not a protest against the US.
I actually had commented on another of your reactions of Jimi...... I was 15 in 1969 and was in the crowd at this show,,, the original Woodstock.......Funny thing, Jimi would only play to close the show and by the time of this performance, there were less than 25% of the overall crowd still remaining..........your video ended abruptly because in the performance it segued right into "Purple Haze"........despite his "hippie" look, Jimi was very patriotic, he was a recently discharged USAF captain
Jimi out performed the Who at Woodstock
What a lot of people don't know that it was a protest against the Vietnam war.. a lot of politicians were not very happy.
This is the Woodstock performance ❤
I've heard criticism of Jimi playing the national anthem at Woodstock, but yet it's quite okay if artists such as Neal Shon or Metallica play it nowadays.
He was a paratrooper in Vietnam.
Upside down but the strings are correct. He changed the strings to be normal so to speak. That white guitar was used during his entire performance
I think it's a bit of a stretch to say Jimi was a patriotic veteran. He had to go into the military to avoid a stint in jail, he claimed he got injured as a parachute jumper and was discharged a year after his enlistment. He did not like the army life at all. "By February, his personal conduct had begun to draw criticism from his superiors. They labeled him an unqualified marksman and often caught him napping while on duty and failing to report for bed checks. On May 24, Hendrix's platoon sergeant, James C. Spears, filed a report in which he stated: "He has no interest whatsoever in the Army ... It is my opinion that Private Hendrix will never come up to the standards required of a soldier. I feel that the military service will benefit if he is discharged as soon as possible." Which is what happened. Hendrix song Machine Gun expresses some of what he felt about the Vietnam War: "I'd like to dedicate this one to, uh The draggy scene that's going on All the soldiers that are fighting in Chicago and Milwaukee and New York Oh yes, and all the soldiers fighting in Vietnam I'd like to do a thing called "Machine Gun".......Evil man make me kill you Evil man make you kill me Evil man make me kill you Even though we're only families apart" And then finally you have his comment on power: "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace". So to me his Star Spangled Banner is his statement about the state of the country at the time. It came out in August of 1969 while his live version of Machine Gun happened at the end of 1969. Two very direct statements made by him. The rest is just individual interpretation of them.
I think he was not improvising. He knew exactly what he was doing and he was in total control. This was his comment on the Vietnam War. I was fascinated when I heard it for the first time at age 14 or 15 (in 69 oder 70) and I admire it even more today.
Improvised?
He recreated the star spangle banner. He created gunshots with his guitar. Who else can do that?
You have to know great artistry when you see it or hear it
Monterey Pop Festival June 1967, Woodstock August 1969
Did you notice that he played the guitar left handed with the guitar upside down?
The best version by the man Jimmie
EVERYONE SHOULD HEAR/ SEE THIS, it should be required in the "PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM!" 😂😊
Brilliant I love British music
he he, yeah, he played for years with everyone in black music in the US after his discharge from the army, (Little Richard, the Isley Brothers, Curtis Mayfield and all those Brits....) and being fired for not playing what he should (and being more talented) before Chas Chandler of the Animals (who was a Brit who'd made it in the US )saw him play and recognised his potential and put him on stage in London in front of Page, Clapton, Beck, Townsend, Beatles, Stones and so on, a smart choice for a fast track to a record deal. The music scene in the UK revered the artists Jimi grew up with. He was back in the US to stay after a year, paving the way for other black rock musicians like Sly and Funkadelic to get record deals despite the conservative views of black artists and the segregation of the rock scene.
Ha ha! I saw what you did! To Anacreon in Heaven! 😁 peace
The Monterey Pop Festival was in 1967 !!!!
Woodstock was in 1969 !!!!!
Jimi was a united states army paratrooper until he broke his ankle! Listen to Band of Gypsys Live at the Apollo "Machine Gun"
Those were sounds of war. Didn’t you hear the rockets ?
Songs from Woodstock that are good include With a Little from My Friends by Joe Cocker and Soul Sacrifice from Santana
He was making the guitar interpretation of the sound of rockets and the bombs bursting in air so I do not believe it was actually improvised I believe it was actually rehearsed that way.
Yeah once we were told about that, it makes more sense
The gratest moment in Rock-music?