Why Jimi Hendrix had no respect for American rockers

The British Invasion changed everything: all boundaries were erased, rock 'n' roll evolved into something beautifully intimidating, rumbling, energetic and passionate... People could finally hear the music of their own lives - songs that celebrated not only beaches, parties and pretty girls, but songs that literally growled. They talked about substances, addictions, life's difficulties, how dark the world is, and that even the "Summer of Love" will not make it change: "A couple of rays of sunshine are not enough to eradicate the darkness in the souls of millions of people" - said once Arthur Lee, group leader Love and a prominent member of the Los Angeles psychedelic scene...

Groups like "The Beatles and the Rolling Stones.changed the rules of the game. And they were followed by such classic giants as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and the like. But despite not being British, he also played a colossal role in this Invasion. It's about an iconic guitar virtuoso, Jimi Hendrixwho was fascinated by British bands and openly mocked his American counterparts. As he stated in one of his interviews:

"I'm so embarrassed that America can be so stupid..."

What exactly did Jimi mean by that? And why did he say that the really talented American boys "starved to death."? We propose to deal with this topic together.

The idol of British pioneers

When Hendrix's star lit up the music scene, no one, it seems, was prepared for the kind of passionate, virtuosic and growling sound that Jimi extracted from his guitar. He played like no one else - disregarding all rules and regulationsThe self-taught guy became a cult virtuoso who wrote his name in rock history while he was still alive. The self-taught guy became a cult virtuoso who wrote his name in rock history during his lifetime - considering that it was cut short. at 27 years old…

It is no secret that Hendrix was an American. He was born on November 27, 1942 in Seattle, Washington, United States. His journey started with Jimi performing at local clubsestablished himself in New York and then met the ex-bassist of The Animals. Chas Chandlerwho took the American prodigy to Foggy Albion. After becoming his manager, Ches began to promote Jimi in England and helped to form the band The Jimi Hendrix Experience. So, after only a few years, Hendrix became a major star in the rock industry.

Despite his unforgivably short life, in just a few years Jimi rewrote the rules of the game. He showed, how rock can soundand how passionate and snooty he could be. And despite being an American, he became a major idol of British Invasion pioneers like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and The Who. As he once said Pete Townsend:

"Jimi was great! When he showed up, we all had a sudden epiphany - it was like opening your eyes after a long sleep! We suddenly realized what it meant to play rock. It was kind of like, "Wait, could you do that? How?". To be honest, we were all uncomfortable in his presence. Just because you felt like ants around him when he was playing. It was thanks to Jimi that we realized how far we could go, and how elusive all the boundaries were..."

And an anti-fan of American bands

Jimi himself admired the British bands, especially the The Beatles. According to him, the Liverpool four, and in particular Lennon and McCartney, were . "just great.".

"They're an amazing band in my opinion. It's hard to get away from them. You want to listen to them because every time you find something interesting and inspiring in their tracks..."

In the same interview, Hendrix did not miss the opportunity to make some sarcastic comments to their American counterparts about a group of The Monkees. So, Hendricks added:

"The Beatles are really good! So much so that The Monkees should be ashamed to play in the same era as these guys. I'm serious! That quartet - there's no way I can call them anything but 'bloody fairies'. The Beatles are one of those bands you can't get away from. And it's so embarrassing when America sends The Monkees - oh my God, it kills me! They just annoy me, and I think they're some ridiculous experiment by the U.S...."

"I feel so bad for America..."

In the same interview, elaborating on the discussion about The Monkees, Jimi explained his dislike for this band and other similar American bands:

"I'm so embarrassed that America could be so stupid as to put quartets like this on stage. I'm sorry, is this some kind of joke? In my opinion, it's disrespectful to the audience and also to the guys who are actually worth something..."

Elaborating on his thought, Jimi continued:

"Seriously: why are these Monkeys on TV while bands that really have something to offer are starving to death? I know several American bands - talented, with great fresh ideas - who refuse to be seen! It's absurd. It's even disrespectful to the British - it's ridiculous to compare The Beatles to these fairies!"