Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) – Jimi Hendrix

You should be ashamed of yourselves. Honestly. Perfectly ordinary heavy set middle aged music blog. Old school ‘A Song A Day’ concept. Several “That’s it, I’m done” type announcements and you swan off into the ether without so-much as a by or leave.

Off you toddle. Like nothings up with that. *Sigh* You even did countdowns. A run down of what *YoUoUoU* decided were the best songs ever… Twice. Once with Queen on top. Once with The Stones. Last time… What was even last time?

Honestly?

You did theme weeks. You did a Hendrix Theme Week. And (hold my cocoa) Yet… You didn’t Post Voodoo Chile.

Look. I’m not your supervisor. I’m not your conscience. I’m not even that little cartoon devil on your shoulder poking away at whatever the cartoon angel is telling you not to do. But, won’t you just think of your readers? Those lost rock and roll children out there tangled in the wires of in the internet, who might stumble upon you farting on about some indie girl-band you had a soft spot for or why Terrorvision were misunderstood geniuses of their time. What if they thought, that you thought that this record isn’t THIS RECORD?

And you lot. You’re not off the hook yet. This is a howler from Mutha ForTheDeaf.

There was a lot of “Hey! Listen to this band I saw play a basement show when I should have been in bed” type bollocks. There was a lot more entirely obvious “This album is the best album ever” stuff. Not to mention the “Hey I’m so eclectic I like Hip Hop, Jazz, Metal and kitchen sink blender ambient chill drill” type posturing. And you let him carry on? Like he was some clever little know it all. Well let me tell you. He’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy.

I even cracked the slight return gag once before… And didn’t post this song. FOR SHAME!

Big words from little broadband connections are the underground rivers of the internet*. It’s glaringly obvious to me now that the SFTD archives have some gaps in them.

I’m not back back (train?) like posting a song every day. But I can’t have my site sit here peeling paint and festering in the glare of the global warming sun without a slight return.

So as I fade back in like a wobble board creeping up on you in a tube train tunnel. Let the dive bomb riffs rain down. Sturm and Drang Doo-lang Doo-lang. I stand up next to a mountain of typos, weak puns and instagram filtered art work… “I chop it down with the edge of my hand“. This record is better than all you other records. Don’t argue. You’ll only end up looking silly. Actually, sure. Let’s argue. I love looking silly. And so do you. You silly goose. Get in the pond.

At once I head (over heels) fell for this record. Upon contact. That was the first time I heard it. I love it even more now 30 odd years later (add some “Shoop Shoops” to those “Doo-lang Doo- langs”). Even though it was my parents music (well my Dad’s at least). It’s mine now. All mine. All his records are (Jimi’s not my Dad’s. He’s still got most of his vinyl. I’ve nicked a few though). You can’t sit with Steve if you don’t love James Marshall Hendrix.

I always think ‘this’ when listening to Jimi at his most primordial. Imagine hearing it for the first time, at the time. When it was new. When it was inspiring a generation of people to parp on about their generation of people for several more generations of peo.. You get the gist. OK Boomer Son. Those pan and scan twists on the main draw riff switching from ear to ear. That trippy breakdown that plays like duck soup. Jimi’s jumble jaw vocals, cool and laidback. While he rains Tesla coil lighting bolts on the straights from his backwards strung weapon of mass seduction.

It throbs and widdles and wubs its way into oblivion leaving you changed.

Jimi Played guitar.

Yeah, we’ve got some more songs to talk about.

I’ve been the boss where I work for over a decade. I’ve had one unbreakable rule the whole time I’ve worked there. If Hendrix is on the radio, you don’t turn it off. Today I handed in my notice (Gives you a SteveForTheDeaf Spacetime Paradox type stare). Pastures new ahoy. Between now and then I’m gonna spin a few records.

I’m not exactly back… But I’m not gone.

*What a wanker

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