ZAPPA vs HENDRIX

as i have recently joined this great website, i have now the opportunity to stop discussiing with my friends about zappa´s supreme mind control of the guitar comparing him to Hendrix´s physcall battle with the same guitar outfit...

If HENDRIX WOULD HAVE LIVED JUST 8 YEARS MORE... WHAT GUITAR RIFFS WOULD HAVE HE CREATED? would he take the train to jazz land and camp there till departure. or would he be a sort of eric clapton trying to make riffs of anything he sees walking...
My alltime and oldtime discussion...

FRANK ZAPPA is the better than HENDRIX... or is it otherwise..? tell whyy..!

PS: is ZAPPA the best guitarist of all times? Of course with other lads.... Marcelo Mayor for example

Hendrix would have joined ELP. It would have been the most insane thing ever.

It is really hard to compare the two, their approach to music couldn't be more different.
Zappa was very clever and worked hard at his craft and certainly had an urge to change people with his music, but with Hendrix the cleverness and hard work were overshadowed by an extremely intense desire to reveal something abstract yet challenging and life-changing to others. It is hard to appreciate this side of Hendrix today because many of the changes he introduced are common place now.
On a technical level the two guitarists are similar, but I would say Zappa was a little more consistent. Hendrix had to be "in the zone" or his best stuff wouldn't come out.

Frank Zappa wins this very easily, because as stated in an earlier post, he was much more consistent and could compose music way more diverse and challenging, thus more rewarding to the listener. Now that I know a little bit more about the man too I really respect him as a human being and I think he was really a great man who left us too early. Hendrix did some interesting stuff, but it has less reach because all he did was play rock, although in a very new way. As for Frank Zappa, he worked very hard and composed some of the finest pieces of music ever!

I think as mainly prog listeners, Zappa has a clear advantage in this poll.  In order to fully judge the situation you need to have a taste in both types of music.  Ultimatly, Hendrix is infinity more acclaimed as Zappa.  Hendrix's approach to music very unique.  Ultimatly his albums didn't sound that different from mainstream, however if you research his bootlegs and live performances you will discover a level of musicianship that trancends creativity in mind boggling ways.  I would certainly prefer to listen to Zappa over Hendrix at any point in time and his playing style will never cease to amaze me. However, the fact remains prog rock is a breed apart from most music and to prefer Zappa is convicting yourself as prog addict. 

Another vote for uncle Frank.. Hendrix is great and all that but a bit overated IMO, while Zappa is very underated. Hendrix wasent sutch a great songwriter while Zappa is one of the best ever. I like both but Zappa a big deal more.

Different forum, same reply: Jimi Hendrix without a doubt.  Just listen to "Band of Gypsys".  Frank Zappa was a genius arranger who played good guitar not a genius guitar player who could also arrange.

Zappa, coz they  were sending Hendrix to heavens so early.

Edited by zicIy - February 13 2008 at 13:31

In respones to           proletariat´s      said that he prefers jazz based guitar... zappa had more jazz than hendrix for sure, not only because he said "jazz isn´t dead it just smells funny" but because he believed in the free style improvisation jazz based...lets not forget his closed buddy George Duke great jazz pianist. Songs like "Flambay" a soft kind of ballad. or real jazz medleys like R.D.N.Z.L or what the heck: cruisn for burgers, sexual harrasment in the workplace and more from guitar..

its hard for hendrix fans to really accept anybody else but THEIR Hendrix. his great.. he sure did it in the isle of wight...  maybe he could have let space for other instruments to show their stuff... even so jimi is the maniac and the manipulator of the guitar, he controlled it , he look for sound but for control!

cacho wrote: If HENDRIX WOULD HAVE LIVED JUST 8 YEARS MORE... WHAT GUITAR RIFFS WOULD HAVE HE CREATED? would he take the train to jazz land and camp there till departure. or would he be a sort of eric clapton trying to make riffs of anything he sees walking... My alltime and oldtime discussion...

I remember reading/hearing somewhere that Hendrix in the latter days was listening to Bach - so that influence  may have made  his playing more  mathematical and  technical.

I just love Zappa's guitar work in Son of Orange County and Inca Roads.