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Machine Gun

musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,117
edited March 2006 in Other Music
This may be the single greatest guitar playing ever put in a song. The solo on this song is unreal. I dont think Hendrix ever did a studio version but I know about the one from Band of Gypsy's and the one from Live at Berkeley.

I live the part about 3:58 into the Berkeley one where Jimi just plays feedback for maybe 12 seconds. Its the most glorious sound ever.

I have always felt this was one of the most powerful protest songs ever. Its seems like he was almost trying to have the soldiers in Vietnam here the sounds and feedback.

Machine Gun is great!!!

I consider Tom Morello to be the most original and innovative of my generation, but even his riffs dont come close, dont even come near Jimi's axe work on this gem.

Listen to it!!!!
Post edited by Unknown User on

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    FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    There was a studio session for Machine Gun that took place at the Record Plant in NYC, in September 1969. The band was the same as the Woodstock outfit, Gypsy Sun and Rainbows (Jimi, Billy, Mitch, Larry Lee, Juma Sultan and Jerry Valez). In my opinion, the session was marred somewhat by Larry Lee's out of tune guitar. In 1975, Alan Douglas took the tapes of this session, wiped the band bar Jimi and brought session musicians to play the rhythm section. This version was released on the Midnight Lightning album.


    You're much better off with live versions. I recommend the version at Norman, Oklahoma, 8th May 1970. Jimi dedicated it to the victims of the Kent State shootings a few days before.
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    KravenKraven Posts: 829
    For some reason I thought it was on First Rays of the New Rising Sun, but its not... I have the 20 minute version of it off of the Isle of Wight. It is amazing...
    32 shows and counting...
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    ms11781ms11781 Posts: 88
    Kraven wrote:
    For some reason I thought it was on First Rays of the New Rising Sun, but its not... I have the 20 minute version of it off of the Isle of Wight. It is amazing...

    Get the DVD Wild Blue Angel if you like that version. It's the whole Isle of Wight show that Hendrix played. It's almost disgusting how good that version is.
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    JellyrollsJellyrolls Posts: 523
    My Comp 2 class is studying the lyrics to that song.
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    KravenKraven Posts: 829
    ms11781 wrote:
    Get the DVD Wild Blue Angel if you like that version. It's the whole Isle of Wight show that Hendrix played. It's almost disgusting how good that version is.

    Haha thats what its from, I ripped that shit off of the dvd, its amazing. Jimi Hendrix is forever the greatest guitarist. Its just so amazing how he made it look so freaking easy. He was one with his guitar, I have never seen anyone play like that. The guitar is his bitch.

    I wish he were still alive today, I woulda killed to see him play live, I am sure it would have been a sight to be seen and heard.
    32 shows and counting...
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    FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    ms11781 wrote:
    Get the DVD Wild Blue Angel if you like that version. It's the whole Isle of Wight show that Hendrix played. It's almost disgusting how good that version is.


    It's not quite the whole show. There are some tracks missing. Experience Hendrix leave no live DVD or CD unedited; they have edit-itis. Even the "complete Woodstock" CD is missing about half an hour's material.
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    mikeismyheromikeismyhero Posts: 8
    mike's shot at it ain't too shabby either. you can DL it from http://www.giventowail.com
    "mike mccready...and he just played
    ALL the notes" -EV from OK '03
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    Thumbing My WayThumbing My Way Posts: 1,073
    I just downloaded it.... and am checkin' it out right now.....:)
    "I Miss You Already!!!!!"

    "Sorry is the fool who trades his love for high-rise rent, Seems the more you make equals the loneliness you get"

    .NJD.
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    GhostBoyGhostBoy Posts: 113
    You guys want the best version? Gotta grab the one from the Band of Gypsy performance. The one on the original Band of Gypsys CD is the better of the two he performed for those performances.
    All Those Yesterdays: This Day In Pearl Jam History - Sharing show anniversaries, releases, appearances, and more.

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    FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    GhostBoy wrote:
    You guys want the best version? Gotta grab the one from the Band of Gypsy performance. The one on the original Band of Gypsys CD is the better of the two he performed for those performances.

    Jimi played two sets on 31st December 1969. He played Machine Gun in both sets. The version from the second set has been released on "Live At The Fillmore East" but not the version from the first.

    Jimi played two sets on 1st January 1970. The first version was on the album"Band of Gypsys" (sic). The second version was on "Live At The Fillmore East".


    That means that there is one version of Machine Gun from the four Band of Gypsies sets that has never been released. The first version from 31st December 1969.


    Guess who has that?


    *coughs*
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    El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    god i love this fuckin solo!!! the whole album and the newer one would have been perfect if Buddy Miles hadn't thought singing back up was a good idea. i remember reading in a guitar magazine an interview w/ jimi's engineer when the newer one was coming out and said when they mixed the original at points he'd have his head on the console saying <paraphrasing> just shut the fuck up

    and then the whole abortion of their last show "that's what happens when earth fucks w/ space" haha!

    god, i love hendrix!http://www.geocities.com/cpl_clegg76/JimiHendrix.html
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
    someone prepared to lead the way
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    El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    Jimi played two sets on 31st December 1969. He played Machine Gun in both sets. The version from the second set has been released on "Live At The Fillmore East" but not the version from the first.

    Jimi played two sets on 1st January 1970. The first version was on the album"Band of Gypsys" (sic). The second version was on "Live At The Fillmore East".


    That means that there is one version of Machine Gun from the four Band of Gypsies sets that has never been released. The first version from 31st December 1969.


    Guess who has that?


    *coughs*


    i have all 4 shows complete and unedited :p

    and yeah, exp hendrix sucks...they cut woodstock to shit and even left 2 songs off!! his step sister who runs it, janie, even goes to the trouble of airbrushing joints and whatnot out of posters and pics and all that...
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
    someone prepared to lead the way
  • Options
    El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    Thumbing My Way wrote:
    I just downloaded it.... and am checkin' it out right now.....:)


    pardon my drunken/stonedness...but where in the download section is this????
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
    someone prepared to lead the way
  • Options
    FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    El_Kabong wrote:
    i have all 4 shows complete and unedited :p

    There are a few tape sources for those shows. They're merged and compiled on the Boy of Gypsys set. But do you have each tape source individually? :p
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    El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    There are a few tape sources for those shows. They're merged and compiled on the Boy of Gypsys set. But do you have each tape source individually? :p


    i have all the original btyb ones ;)
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
    someone prepared to lead the way
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    fadafada Posts: 1,032
    Even the muted play at the start sounds like a machine gun.
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    dakatidakati Posts: 17
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    There was a studio session for Machine Gun that took place at the Record Plant in NYC, in September 1969. The band was the same as the Woodstock outfit, Gypsy Sun and Rainbows (Jimi, Billy, Mitch, Larry Lee, Juma Sultan and Jerry Valez). In my opinion, the session was marred somewhat by Larry Lee's out of tune guitar. In 1975, Alan Douglas took the tapes of this session, wiped the band bar Jimi and brought session musicians to play the rhythm section. This version was released on the Midnight Lightning album.

    It's funny. Googling for Hendrix session info, and this is my first hit. :D

    If anyone's interested, here's the studio version of Machine Gun, in it's raw originally recorded glory (minus the 75 studio session redub). I don't think this was ever released commercially...

    http://www.speakeasy.org/~backfile/02%20-%20The%20First%20Rays%20Of%20The%20New%20Rising%20Sun%20-%20Machine%20Gun.mp3
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    FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Yes, that's the session.
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    GS67GS67 Posts: 2
    dakati wrote:
    It's funny. Googling for Hendrix session info, and this is my first hit. :D

    If anyone's interested, here's the studio version of Machine Gun, in it's raw originally recorded glory (minus the 75 studio session redub). I don't think this was ever released commercially...

    http://www.speakeasy.org/~backfile/02%20-%20The%20First%20Rays%20Of%20The%20New%20Rising%20Sun%20-%20Machine%20Gun.mp3
    for ipod purposes, what is the album title for this, any?
    when i downloaded it, it has the band as the 1st rays... & the album as jimi hendrix
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    uninnocentuninnocent Posts: 1,565
    each version that i've ever heard of machine gun has wowed me just a little bit more. they're all so fantastic. jimi's playing is like sonic sex. so damned emotional.
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    FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    GS67 wrote:
    for ipod purposes, what is the album title for this, any?
    when i downloaded it, it has the band as the 1st rays... & the album as jimi hendrix


    It's available on a boot called First Rays of the New Rising Sun, which isn't anything to do with the official Experience Hendrix release by that name.
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