Purple Haze gets truly retro
20May08
There’s a cover version I’ve been loving recently, but from none of the usual sources. BBC4 have been running a series of documentaries, cookery programmes, dramas etc all of which attempt to “get inside the Medieval mind.” Most of them have been excellent, but it’s the idents created to advertise it that I’ve been loving. They feature art work from illuminated manuscripts treated as pyschedelic patterns and a brilliant, brilliant cover of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Purple Haze’ played on Medieval instruments. It works so well. You can check the whole thing out here.
If there are any music theory types out there who can tell me just why this combination works so well then I’d love to know.
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Silly BBC Country locks
(No Non-U.K. view of song.)
But on a simular tip check this out
http://www.emusic.com/album/Rondellus-Sabbatum-A-Medieval-Tribute-to-Black-Sabbath-MP3-Download/10878294.html
I got War Pigs (which I think I’ve loved every cover of I’ve ever gotten (This and Faith No More are my Favorites)
Here’s another version…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Enxqm85WFxI
I’m no music theorist, but I’d say it works because they focused on keeping it edgy instead of trying to out do Jimi’s virtuosity. Purple Haze works because of the musical mode (I can’ remember which one, it’s the evil one though) it’s played in, the pace it’s played at, and the reckless abandon it’s played with. The buzzy and crunchy nuances of medieval instruments just happen to add the perfect flavour when played with reckless abandon.