Dystopian 1970 from a guy who was there

[Michael Bailey]

"What Hendrix had actually taken, I couldn't say (apparently
he'd been up for days, celebrating the opening of his Electric Lady
studio) but anyone even half-listening could hear something was
seriously off.  So could he, because after a couple of songs he
called a halt. He mumbled an apology and walked offstage, returning
after a few minutes to announce he'd start again.

"He tried, he tried hard, but it wasn't happening.  The music
kept getting away from him....Here, instead of those lovely
warm, bluesy tones, the feedback was shrill and jarring.  Instead of
catching on melodic
notes and coming in as it should, an octave or an octave
and fifth above the fundamental, the notes were off-key and
impossible to use....that night nothing would work for him.  His
amps picked up crackly short-wave announcements from the security
guards' radios - and at one oint, if memory serves, even the
stage above him caught fire."

John Perry, _Electric Ladyland_  slim little volume, very nice indeed...
(describing Isle of Wight concert in August 1970)


-- 
- "The doctor said give him jug band music; it seems to make him feel
just fine!"