Brit Reacts to Jimi Hendrix | Band of Gypsys | 'Machine Gun' Live at the Fillmore East

[@paulprendergast3184]

The best ever performance on an electric guitar, other worldly!!

[@lennarthallberg9918]

Well said!

[@mrq6270]

Absolutely

[@elmorevandodewaard544]

Jimi played this whole solo in one position WTF ??? This goes beyond rock&roll. It’s ART❤

[@claytonpaul4259]

Bomb dives, explosions, and screams of terror throughout. Jimi was a master of improvisation. His feelings come straight thru the amp, and the sounds are the subject matter of the song, it's the pinnacle of music.if there's a universal language, jimi tapped into it. Primal empathy.

[@koden24]

And those Air Raids!!!

[@srv2217]

This is the absolute mountain-top of electric guitar performances. It's hard to imagine it will ever be topped.

[@christibrennan4086]

You are so correct. The whole thing is such an emotional experience.

[@davidmcdaniel5929]

It hasn't been, never will be for all eternity

[@BarbarraBay]

what about Stairway To Heaven or Comfortably Numb? 🤣🤣🍭🍭😹😹💉💉💉💉

[@VoodooChildSlight]

The apotheosis of electric guitar virtuosity.

[@DoctorD250]

This performance is considered by many to be the single greatest performance on electric guitar... ever. Hendrix was the voodoo shaman of the Stratocaster, and nobody knew how to get every possible tone out of the instrument like Jimi. Very few artists would ever attempt to perform this song, because of how Jimi crushed it. And he played the whole thing with his eyes closed.

[@acescionti711]

He was the guitar god. May he rest in paradise till his song is needed again

[@guitarjonn7103]

The promoter of that show (Bill Graham) criticized his earlier matinee performance a bit that day, saying it was too much flash and not enough real playing. Hendrix felt hurt, but at the evening show, you see and hear Jimi's powerful response to that. Barely moving but playing with jaw dropping intensity.

[@gillan5]

Simply the greatest live rock performance to this day!

[@jonbangelini]

That’s the absolute BEST version of this song. It’s probably my favorite song of all time… I didn’t know there was actual video of him playing it tho 🤯

[@chrishill8]

Check out "Band of Gypsy's" documentary that features interviews with Buddy Miles and Billy Cox talking about the birth of this band. It also features performances of this song and others from this concert (in black and white).

[@JohnMcaulay-gp6nb]

Charlie, I recently watched a video on KZbin where Steve Vai & Joe Satriani were being interviewed together & during the interview they were asked what they considered to be the best recorded live guitar solo & both, without hesitation , said this solo from ' Machine Gun' on the 'Band of Gypsies' album. Joe Satriani calls this the Bible of live guitar solos, based on the fact that this was played on new years eve 1969, and the limited equipment Hendrix had at his disposal compared to guitarists today. Also because Jimi's solo here is completely improvised on the spot & because of the tone he creates on his guitar & also the sounds he is able to produce that match the sentiment of the lyrical content, i.e. machine gun fire, bombs screaming & exploding & sirens, just the astonishing level of inventiveness & imagination. For the time of this recording & the fact that it is live is absolutely astounding. Genius. By the way, Miles Davis thought this was one of the greatest things he had heard. This was because he recognised the supreme skills of Jimi's improvisation, so important in Jazz, but also the whole structure & atmosphere of the piece, the bravery to voice such opinion against American wars & of course Jimi's extraordinary expressive genius on the guitar, an unmistakeable trademark. Miles Davis grew up as a young Jazz trumpeter, knowing and searching for his own unique voice on his instrument, that thing that as soon as someone hears it, they know who they are listening to. That was also something he heard with Jimi. Miles called it " That mutherfucking machine gun ," and if you know about Miles Davis, that was his way saying that he thought a piece of music, or a musician he heard was of the highest quality. He called many musicians he admired " mutherfuckers," on their chosen instruments. Really enjoyed the reaction. I'm a huge Jimi fan, 65 yrs of age, have a Hendrix tattoo on my right forearm I had done when I was 17yrs of age. Cheers from Glasgow, Scotland.

[@VoodooChildSlight]

Informative. Small correction: It was recorded at the first show on New Year's Day 1970.

[@patm5086]

Jimi toured alot way before he was discovered. I think his soul was born in every fiber of his being. He learned alot playing the chitlin circuit

[@JohnLedger-g4i]

Taken from us at 27. Such a loss. RIP Jimi you genius. Not sure that the angels will get your music but we had the pleasure of it but unfortunately not for long enough !!!!

[@fredrickm4436]

His singing is how my 95 y/o great-grandmama from the Mississippi Delta use to sing back in the 1970s. It's a blues-gospel style of singing. Very soulful.

[@callmeoutlaw6601]

This has always been my favorite Hendrix song. Don't know why but it just found my sweet spot.

[@vladdrakul7851]

IMHO the single greatest Rock performance EVER. Still brings me to tears after half a century later! Hope you are all doing well out there!

[@FNMCaffeine]

Greatest guitar solo. His guitar was possessed that night.

[@jazzmandolin5004]

Compared to guitarists now, he had virtually nothing for effects and the range of tones and the endless range of emotions. This guy was one of a kind.

[@paulprendergast3184]

Indeed. Jimi was also unique and original in his use of amplifiers.

[@jazzmandolin5004]

@@paulprendergast3184 Something else. I bought the Band of Gypsies when it first came. Since those days there have been many fabulous guitarists who have done great covers of Hendrix tunes. But if you revisit Hendrix those other great guitarists don't quite get there, some how Hendrix goes deeper for a lack of a better term.

[@Pianoman999]

They had to invent what he did naturally

[@PointyTailofSatan]

50 years, and still the greatest rock guitar performance of all time.

[@Vetionarian]

I saw you on the Stick of Joseph! Glad you were able to visit and experience our culture here in Utah. I love Hendrix he had a swagger that is almost unmatched. My dad raised me on classic rock and I'm a die hard music fan because of the blessing in my life called Rock and Roll.

[@Wilburnator]

My favorite Hendrix song, and my favorite version of it!

[@rodgerarne1437]

Great upload, I really enjoy watching people appreciate Jimi as much as I do. Been a fan since I got his first album Are you Experienced back in 1967, still listening 57 years later, but this Fillmore Album is the pinnacle of them. Love it

[@pierretoureille7359]

Yes, The Perfect Guitar Solo indeed!

[@ok-qt4kr]

Brilliance never gets old , Charlie . Thanks for your appreciation for Timeless excellence .

[@user-wy1ev4yq5d]

Great song.. Remember when this was released and we'd spend hours listening to this particular composition. Buddy Miles, Billy Cox and James Hendrix. Thank you for showcasing this LP and this particular song.

[@clutchcargo4924]

Saw Hendrix several times. He had a Leslie on each side of the stage. Always stunning.

[@jasona7]

That run at 9:12 always sticks with me.

[@brettwinter2007]

My favorite part in the solo too minus maybe the first 2 sustained notes

[@raiderfan71269]

Mine too.

[@jessejordache1869]

Yep. I first heard it when I was about 13, sometimes in the 90s, and my head did the full exorcist. If I still had the record, I could probably drop the needle right on it.

[@buckesmalls]

9:45 he drops a half step. 11:50 vibrato from tapping the headstock. Respect the guitar GOD!

[@davescurry69]

Really enjoyed your reaction to what I consider the greatest single musical performance I've ever seen or heard. This is the performance that you show to someone who wants to know why Hendrix was the greatest. He's on another level. It's like Parker or Coltrane. It transcends genres. Miles Davis said it was the greatest thing he'd ever heard. Enough said.

[@gavtoye]

Apparently Miles Davis was in the audience of this performance, and it convinced him of Jimi's greatness.

[@tonyrabbett5312]

He used a wah-wah pedal, an Arbiter Fuzz Face, a Univibe pedal, and an Octavia pedal. I think the effect that you noticed was the Univibe :)

[@Martin-gz4qn]

No, the effect was sheer volume and masterfully controlled feedback.

[@MalandjoDanho]

uniquement deux pédales au sol

[@Asymmatrix]

@@Martin-gz4qn Nah there's clearly a pedal too.

[@stevelankford7087]

Master of electric guitar and creating effects with volume, springs and feedback I guess it is amazing for sure

[@faolanliath6687]

There is no other guitarist that has ever or will ever come close to this performance.

[@Bluesrockguy]

The whole piece is not just eloquently, flawlessly played - it's the way he can simultaneously simulate the sounds of war, BUT not just wild sound effects (though he does that near the end). His phrasing itself captures the sounds, feelings (screaming bombs vs screaming women and children as they're homes are bombed) of war. The tone even SOUNDS like mud and blood. You can "see" soldiers staggering and falling to the ground, the wind blowing over the battleground of dead soldiers...and then, just when you think the war is over, it starts all over again at the end! Truly mind-blowing.

[@ShabaniMan]

That we lost this beautiful soul was and still is a monumental tragedy for the world of music. He only played for 12 years. I been playing for over 40 years and can't come close to this virtuoso. I started playing because of him. The guitar gives me so much joy and to have him as inspiration is a gift .

[@Uptown59]

I first heard this in the early 70's I was about 14. It's still amazing. Maybe the most amazing piece of music I've ever heard.

[@mikeys7536]

The whole Band of Gypsies album is gold. Some of Jimi’s best work IMO.

[@ronw9517]

Jimi almost motionless burns the hole place down with seemingly a complete army arsenal yet he was only playing an upside down strat. For the people being there that night and witness the best guitar solo in the history of mankind it must have been an outer body experience. Later that same year the world lost the most talented guitar player there will ever be. Thanks a million times Jimi for sharing your amazing musical talent with the world. 54 years onwards it still is unparalleled.

[@lindakilby2979]

Remember when this was recorded with the great Buddy Miles (Down By The River) Protesting Vietnam

[@markrenton5791]

living in a van?

[@alexp1017]

9:00 one of the best transitions of his I've ever heard. Someone once described this part as launching into the archetype face-melting solo

[@richardbeaton7324]

The effect he's using is a Uni-Vibe on chorus mode with a couple of gunned Marshalls ;)

[@philwalters7700]

Your reaction, explanations and opinions were superb! Thank you.

[@TheCharlieSmithChannel]

Thank you Phil. I appreciate that

[@DfromTC]

The war scenes are from the Vietnam documentary “Hearts & Minds.” And this song is an anti-Vietnam war song. The noises he makes replicate bombs, machine guns, screams, terror, etc.

[@jeffkatt]

Yesss! The greatest guitar solo in recorded music history.... ❤

[@robertlavorna2968]

a masterpiece, the best ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@robertkees6048]

I've listened to this song a thousand time, to me it's the greatest rock performance of all time bar none. And the solo where he kicks it into a stratosphere I've never heard before I've never hear anyone say they thought some of it was the sound of Air Raids, and man that was a great pull. I'll hear that from now on, I love finding something new after so many listens. And btw, never do I listen to this where I don't get totally emotional, it's just has a hold that takes place emotionally. All these years it never diminishes. But thanks, now I'll hear that every time from there on out, F'n cool. Chaka bra!

[@nelsono4315]

in this performance Jimi tapped into something that a lot of guitar players either can't or won't. One of the greatest guitar solos in the history of rock guitar. This is Jimi live and unfettered. His performance has withstood the test of time. Often imitated, never duplicated.

[@cocornichonfly]

The sound at the end doesn't just sound like a bomb but like a bomb that you take on yourself with the feeling, the whistling of a bang in your ears...

[@simgamer313]

The guitar effect was called a Univibe. It is simulating a Leslie speaker

[@snail415]

As a lefty player myself, it was Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain who compelled me to try playing an upside-down righty at age 15. 30 years later, I haven’t looked back.

[@muckmuckthageneral2691]

The way Jimi sings is classic blues style, you can hear it through out blues history.

[@teeroh99]

6:39 When the only reaction you have is "No. . . ." I feel you, brother. It's just unbelievable the places he goes in this performance.

[@davidrust7397]

His singing sounds "bendy" because he is often singing note--for-note with the guitar, even following the string bends. He often used a muff pedal for the distortion or just super high gain thru a cranked amp. The swirly sound is probably a Leslie rotating speaker cabinet. He was also a master of controlling feedback from the amp.

[@danreed5171]

WSUP Chuck......IN Rock and Roll, it does NOT get any better than Mr. Jimi Hendrix...............Original Creative Genius and could play what he heard

[@rjmccready4913]

Multiple hundred watt Marshall’s cranked is what delivers a signal that sustains that long.

[@johndegouveia9616]

one word. GOAT.

[@PeterOConnell-pq6io]

Hendrix was an ex-US 101st Airborne troop. He knew what automatic weapons were about.

[@robertwoods3750]

should have left at least camera on him at all times , cause watching him play was the show!.

[@jamesmcclain5005]

I love this version! WOW!

[@christinajensen8058]

The best ever performance of a human..on an electric guitar

[@guitarjonn7103]

I've said this before about it, but this is Jimi gone God Mode.

[@cliffordcarey3997]

Whenever I listened to this song after it was over I had to lay down and take a nap.

[@GoldTop57]

Pure creativity. Impeccable

[@bryanslocum3954]

My father had a Japanese import this album he got in the Navy he was so proud of it but the song machine gun he reveled in

[@hjackson718]

This is the definitive statement on electric guitar. This is mount Olympus. No one at no time has played better than this.

[@stepitupandgo67]

This shit is just as hard as it comes. Hendrix just had the gift of expression through the guitar...who made it scream like that before him? Nobody I can think of.

[@nickshelley3118]

jimmy page said he hears his solos in his head before the first time he plays them

[@Peppovitch]

If I remember correctly, One of Jimi's specialties was playing close to the amp, and the reverb alone on the strings allowed him to make unique, interesting sounds.

[@citizenpatriot1791]

You commented on Hendrix's vocal style throughout this performance well it is a synergy between his voice and melodic lines played in unison where his voice sounds more like the sound of the guitar, and the guitar sounds more like his voice... 🎸

[@mikesumner2020]

That album has always been my favorite Hendrix performance.

[@williamoates9887]

Its not so much a song or solo, its more a deep felt statement manifested on a Guitar

[@d4mdcykey]

If the relevance of this song does not hit you in the feels then your mind has been co-opted by death merchants.

[@williamoates9887]

Hey, if you love Hendrix yet you don't know Machine Gun ..... 'Where have you been ?? ' ...... Its like saying I love Santana, but I don't know Black Magic Woman .....

[@EvanWeber1234]

Going crazy

[@mossfree]

Hear My Train Comin live at Berkeley Also there's a live version of 1983 on Daily Motion. Not sure what show it's from but 😮

[@DavidBlais-c9s]

Imagine if Francis Ford Coppola had filmed this for a Movie?

[@louise_rose]

Brilliant, groundbreaking song - both for its guitar playing and as a political and human statement about the Vietnam war, at the time. I also love the final song of the album, "We Gotta Live Together", for almost the same reasons: it's musically great and also a powerful appeal for human dignity and against hate, bitterness, poverty and exploitation. "We Gotta Live Together" was edited down by several minutes across the opening, to achieve a more dramatic and concise intro. At the start, Buddy Miles led the Fillmore crowd in a repeated chant with the title line before the song proper took off. A fuller recording is preserved on "Live at Fillmore East" and on that one, you can also hear how the track segued in without a pause from another take of "Machine Gun", tying the two songs together

[@AnniesEggs]

Hendrix from the summer of 1969 was travelling in a different direction to the other guitar gods -a sort of funk/shredding combination.

[@splitimage137.]

At 5:34, you ask, "what effect is that?" It's a combination of a UNIVIBE effects box and over-driving a stack of Marshall amp. If you (or I) would have been there... it would have been an order of magnitude more impressive than what you are hearing... so I've been told, repeatedly, over the years. ALSO: check out Eddie Van Halen's 1986 concert version of ERUPTION.... Jimi and Eddie... and Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) are ORIGINAL TOP OF LINE guitarsts.

[@sileo2]

He used a shin ei univibe , vox wah , fuzz face and two plexi marshall stacks

[@827dusty]

By the way, to add to his legendary status, Jim learned to play on a right-handed guitar as a kid growing up in Seattle. Dad got him a cheap guitar from the Sears Bargain Basement, but Jim was a lefty- No problem, the 9-year-old just flipped the guitar upside down, and taught himself to play everything backwards from the normal right-handed guitar player. If you don't believe me, look at any video and you can see the volume knob is up on top of the guitar, rather than on the bottom where Fender Stratocasters knobs are located. This man was the best ever.

[@philipbrougham6360]

Yes but always strung in the standard way ..that is low E nearest to you ...

[@kennethbaldonado4348]

Hendrix is the GOAT! No debate

[@cultureandarts4you]

There is some African ancestry going on with Jimi ...

[@johnellis1567]

You’re the first one to get it, in all the reviews I’ve seen, you actually get it. If I was an air siren, this is what I’d like to grow up to be able do. Buddy Miles and Billy Cox have to get a mention for staying with him, not easy when you consider Hendrix never did anything the same way twice and Machine Gun was no exception.

[@74900kdw]

Yeah thanks for pausing a great guitar solo so you could make sure we heard the forgettable thing you had to say. That's just fantastic reacting. Pause something iconic to say something nobody will ever remember. Bravo sir!

[@TheCharlieSmithChannel]

You're the only one bitching because you're the only one stupid enough to click on a review and then bitch when a review is given. If you want to watch it uninterrupted then go and watch the original and not a review. I'm shocked that this needs pointing out to you. Also, we have to stop to adhere to the terms of fair use for copyright. If we provide the same viewing and listening experience as the original then we risk the video being blocked and wasting 4 to 5 hours work. Stop throwing your toys out of the pram and grow up 🙄

[@rodgerarne1437]

@@TheCharlieSmithChannel Agree Charlie, that's why you watch a reaction video, to see the reactions. I love seeing others that love Jimi as much as I do.

[@GillianyyAndja]

👍

[@chiefline7084]

Hendrix himself is rolling in the grave over that stupid comment. 😂 3 more weeks till 2025 and so far you have the most moronic comment of the year. I think your going to win that title easily

[@GillianyyAndja]

Unsuspecting fools here 🤣🤣

[@JohnLedger-g4i]

Retuning whilst playing as well !!!!

[@MalandjoDanho]

pas ré accordage, il recherche les effet

[@robertsmith3761]

If you want to hear another " Brother" use this same style around the same time, listen to Eddie Hazel perform " Maggot Brain ", he will blow your mind!

[@christinajensen8058]

You can hear the bombs go off

[@michaelwebster8389]

Yeah - when he did that song it was always a real height of creativity.

[@louise_rose]

Yes, it was a true leap forward - also I think it was important for him to connect with a BLACK audience...Most of his earlier fan base had been white, but the Band of Gypsys was definitely a black project, rooted in black musical traditions: funk, soul and r'n'b - and he knew that many of the soldiers drafted to Vietnam were also black.

[@MalandjoDanho]

@@louise_rose c'est pour cette raison que la production et management ont détruit le projet

[@louise_rose]

@@MalandjoDanho Yes, I know it wasn't seen as a commercially useful road by his manager (much the same way that Barry Gordy at Motown fought Marvin Gaye over "What's Goin' On?" because he didn't want one of his top artists to go into political topics)

[@baltimoremusic2009]

The only guitar effects at that time were distortion, echo and wawa. He used volume and feedback to get his sounds! Truly amazing!

[@jonathanwobesky9507]

through this piece you can hear the Univibe, no echo, and the overdrive came from his amp's preamp high setting vs the poweramp. A wall of amps overdriven. Univibe is like a phasor, but not quite

[@siriosstar4789]

it's not drunken it's crying and despair . he's wailing as death rains down from above .

[@TheCharlieSmithChannel]

I was talking about his style in general. Not just this song. He has the same style across the board. I also wasn't suggesting he was trying to portray actual drunkenness 😂

[@adaptolife]

Can't deal with stopping vid to comment

[@TheCharlieSmithChannel]

Then why are you watching a review? 😂 I cannot fathom the stupidity of clicking on a review and then bitching when someone gives one. If you want to watch it uninterupted then go and watch the original. I cannot believe this need to be spelled out to you

[@snail415]

Your parting thoughts about authentic performance- Again, Devin Townsend’s ‘Deadhead’ at Royal Albert Hall. It’ll change you!

[@lennypersonalized]

He is channeling the electricity.

[@allanmakela3011]

Jimis thoughts really were an electric ladyland,we only tasted the changing landscapes that dropped from his fingers into unheard realms,the technique of imagination,and soul,as,one

[@michaelcarter1963]

I’ve been a fan of Hendrix since just before 1970. When I got home from Vietnam in 1970, my brother turned me on to Band of Gypsies. We all know what kind of music he played. Definitely one of a kind. But Prince was a damn good guitar player also. Mostly he played a kind of funk. Nothing really emotional or melodic. Except for maybe one time. When George Harrison was inducted into the Rock n Roll hall of fame, on that night he played a mind blowing solo for While my Guitar Gently weeps. A group of musicians got together and did a great job until Prince played. He did a fantastic job! Here’s the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bISpf4pre51-b7ssi=GHU-0HeX149bLoYm. I hope you can react to this! Have a great day!

[@claudebuysse7482]

Thanks a lot to Chas Chandler and GB to gave us that genius guy. He was not well know in his own country because black.

[@hanskung3278]

Wow, the video is showing the atrocities of war and the snare drum is on it.

[@christinajensen8058]

I pick my ax and fight like a brother..yeahh

[@healthybrand]

Amazing wasn't it? Now imagine being in the audience and tripping balls on your psychedelics of choice, as was the case for a large percentage of those in attendance at many concerts at this point in time., and probably especially at Hendrix gigs. I saw Band of Gypsys in June of 1970 and at one point in the show, the roadies started tugging the red velvet stage backdrop curtain side to side, giving the effect that the whole buidling was rolling on waves. They were playing with our minds, and it was super groovy.

[@johncaldwell881]

55 years ago

[@thedon2880]

This was his peak along with his live performances at woodstock, gone way too soon.

[@TheDavidfallon]

“Evil man make me kill ya Evil man make you kill me Evil man make me kill you Even though we're only families apart Well, I pick up my axe and fight like a farmer You know what I mean? Hey, and your bullets keep knocking me down Hey, I pick up my axe and fight like a farmer now Yeah, but you still blast me down to the ground The same way you shoot me down, baby You'll be going just the same Three times the pain And your own self to blame Hey, machine gun.” Jimi here is identifying with the struggle of the Vietnamese farmers who are at that moment in time being bombed by his own countrymen. He is also relating that struggle to the struggle of black Americans, who have either been lynched, as rural workers, still working in the fields, or who are dying in the ghetto, fighting as Black Panthers. There were many at the time who overlooked or ignored how political Jimi truly was.

[@christinajensen8058]

The thing about Hendrix .he could. Play solo and rytm in the same time

[@kimmjohnston4744]

I think this was the concert where a journalist confronted Jimi, and basically said he was a gimmick guitar player. This is why he's standing still just playing his a$$ off. He was a sweetheart by all accounts but, he had a lot of, "oh, yeah?," in him, too.

[@littlegiantproductionsandr3091]

At this stage, Hendrix had already established himself as a monster guitarist (see Monterey, and Woodstock). It doesn't seem plausible that he would defer to some "journalist's" misguided contention just to prove him wrong.

[@palitsalagivickers4588]

It was his promoter Bill Graham.He didn't like the shows on day 1 of this 2 day 4 shows contact with him . After this show he approached Bill Graham and said " how did you like that"