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Reflections on a guitar legend

I'm always pleased when young kids come into the store looking for advice about artists and now we have had the store for almost eight years I have watched some of these kids grow up.

I'm always pleased when young kids come into the store looking for advice about artists and now we have had the store for almost eight years I have watched some of these kids grow up.

Take Manny, who is still at school and loves Syd Barrett (original Pink Floyd member) and buys anything he can find on Syd and has worked in the store a couple of times for me and always has a smile on his face. He probably knows more about Pink Floyd now than I do.

Then there's Dalton, who came in to ask me about what was the best Jimi Hendrix album and I told him to start at the beginning and work his way through the Hendrix albums.

Dalton is now over six foot tall and in his last year of school. Moreover, he's grown into a good guitar player in the seven years he has been visiting the store.

Hendrix was born on Nov. 27, 1942 on the third stone from the sun and passed away on Sept. 18, 1970 in London far from home.

I often think he must have been a space angel, visiting us from outer space because he only released three albums in four years, and then all of a sudden he was gone, not there anymore, leaving behind a legacy of three brilliant albums Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland - all way ahead of their time! Flying Jimi over to England from America was a master stroke by ex-Animals bassist Chas Chandler, his new manager who also promised to introduce him to Eric Clapton. I don't think that Jimi would have made such a big impact if he had stayed in the US, but swinging London, England in 1966 was the right place to be.

It was open to new sounds, looks and ideas, which Jimi had in spades.

After many rehearsals to form a group around him, two quirky English musicians were brought in to form The Jimi Hendrix Experience; Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass, complete with new afro hair styles! Mitchell was a powerhouse drummer similar to jazz drummer Elvin Jones and a perfect foil for Hendrix.

They had a great understanding, like two playful eagles soaring through the sky dueling with each other and pushing the music on and on to see how far out they could get! Meanwhile, bassist Redding would try to underpin the rhythm and keep it all together.

While recording their first album in London, Jimi would travel around various clubs where England's established musicians like Clapton, Brian Jones and Eric Burdon would hang out.

Jimi would get up on stage and play his new metallic feedback guitar pyrotechnics and strike fear into the hearts of the likes of Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend and Jimmy Page.

Jimi was a vital link back to the early blues of Robert Johnson. Add to that mix, his futuristic use of the whammy bar on his Fender Stratocaster and the controlled feedback, and we were all on a psychedelic star-spangled roller coaster ride.

The debut album Are You Experienced was released in 1967 and word spread quickly about the new guitar slinger in town and all Jimi had to say was, "Move over Rover and let Jimi take over!" and the rest is history.

Heavy schedules and tour dates took there toll as Jimi never seemed to be off the road, working at a ridiculous pace with hardly any time for recording.

The second album Axis: Bold As Love wasn't as well received as the first one, but still featured some great music like Castles Made of Sand, Little Wing and If Six Were Nine which appeared on the soundtrack to Easy Rider. This album showed Hendrix's lighter, gentler, more melodic side and is a beauty.

With the release of Hendrix's epic third album Electric Ladyland we heard for the first time his beautiful interpretation of Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower.

A lot of people have covered Dylan's songs but Hendrix made them his own. Just listen or watch Like A Rolling Stone which he played to a thrilled crowd at the Monterey Pop Festival on his first visit back to the USA.

Listen to Electric Ladyland on vinyl through headphones if you get a chance. There is not a bad track on this album and this is the bar to which every other guitar player today is now judged.

I never met Hendrix. The closest I came was while working at the Marquee Studios in 1969 at the tender age of 16 when Keith Emerson, who went on to form ELP, booked the studio to have a jam with Hendrix one night. But Hendrix was a no-show as we all waited until 2 a.m. Never mind, I did have a drink with Mitch Mitchell in the early '80s at the Fulham Greyhound Pub. He was a super nice guy and full of stories.

While on my epic road trip across the U.S. a few years ago, I stopped off in Renton, Washington and visited the grave where Jimi rests.

As I wandered around looking for the grave, one of the groundsmen approached me and said, "I know who you're looking for!" and took me to the Hendrix plot, complete with guitar inscription and next to his grandmother.

One minute silence was observed.

Frankie Neilson is the owner of Beatmerchant, an eclectic, independent music shop in Steveston.