I mourn his loss with every video I see. Was fortunate enough to see him perform once in a very small club. About twenty people there. It was fantastic.
I don't know too much about Michael Hedges but around 1997 I bought a cd that liked so much. "Aerial Boundaries". It was an incredible musical experience. I never knew that this musician has gone truely a sad thing. I like so much his style to play the guitar.
This guy fucking rocks my world. What a great voice, great sense of humor, great guitar playing, great presence. It's really sad that I never got to see him live =(
Had the good fortune of seeing him play twice (once with Leo Kottke). Such an amazing artist and performer. Sad he's no longer with us, but glad we have his music. RIP MH
this is such a wonderfully playful version of this song...thank you for all your posts on this supreme and greatly missed musician...what a joy to be able to see him here for those like myself who missed seeing him live...
In late 1997, Hedges died at the age of 43 in a car accident along State Route 128 right here in Mendocino County, near Boonville, which is about 100 miles northwest of San Francisco. According to his manager Hilleary Burgess, he was driving home from San Francisco International Airport after a Thanksgiving visit to a girlfriend in Long Island, New York. His car apparently skidded off a rain-slicked S-curve and down a 120-foot. Hedges was thrown from his car and appeared to have died nearly instantly. His body was found a few days afterward. After his death, his record Oracle won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. Hedges' unfinished last recordings were brought to completion in the album Torched, with the help of his former manager Hilleary Burgess and friends David Crosby and Graham Nash
dang i miss this young man thanks John for tellin folks i live 3hours from where he was born he was to young to get gone but thats what lifes is about aint it
i never saw someone making the audience literally sing a bassline to any song...BRILLIANT !!! and then later also other parts,how cool is that ??? if you can do something like this you'r doin' yo shit right :) what an awesome dude with awesome voice !
A friend made a compilation tape up in the late 80's of loads of guitar stuff but never told me who was on it. I've been inspired to play & write songs on my guitar over the years by it & now know 1 of those main influences is Michael Hedges. I'm playing & singing one of my songs inspired by you Michael, Andy Mckee & Eric Mongrain among others. Thanx, Rob
Only saw him live once, in London, supporting Suzanne Vega at the Hammersmith Odeon sometime in the late 80’s. It’s rare that a support act brings the house down but Michael Hedges wowed the crowd that night with an amazing performance. It was a superb night all round.
Thanks for sharing this! Michael went to the same HS in Enid as I & played locally with many friends of mine. He was definitely "gifted" as you can see in this performance of his commanding himself while entertaining & commanding the audience. Tragic to have him leave us at so young year of age.
Uno de los más grandes músicos del final del siglo XX , Virtuoso guitarrista e innovador , divertido en directo , es ya una leyenda , LO AMO ! su estilo con la flauta Alto en Sol , no es muy conocido y también genial su trabajo con ella , después claro de su impresionante legado con la guitarra .
im only 21. i stumbled upon Hedges' masterful reincarnation of All along the Watchtower over a year ago. i will admit that much of my generation has terrible taste. however, i was only lucky enough to escape it due to my being immersed in 80s and classic rock as a child. if i hadnt been given that initial jumpstart of musical enlightenment im afraid i wouldnt have found Hedge's great gifts to the world. my only wish is that i could be able to experience the synergy that this crowd surely did.
Hey Type3, thanks for uploading all these Michael Hedges clips, they're beyond amazing! It's such a shame RU-vid pulled the All Along The Watchtower from this performance as it was the best version. Is it available anywhere else?
in addition to type3's explanation which is a good one, it is also helpful to hear a non-standard tuning to help me tune correctly for the composition being played. And also, there is the nostalgia of being back in the garage with friends tuning up, it kinda makes the performance feel more personable.
@Confusingish Very very true! I was lucky to have seen him 7-8 times late 80s--97.....a few times within 10 feet or so at a small club like The Ark in Ann Arbor.....very electric event. Funny as hell and joyous. Got to meet him for a few just before he dies...back then I only sort of realized his brilliance.
@peacebeuponyou70 They are constantly rechecking the tuning to make sure the song sounds good to you. Little strings are strummed and pulled out of tune during the performance.
Daaaamn, it's is a shame this is the first Im ever hearing of him...talk about pure artistic talent; JyayZUS hev mercy he's got some skill! how has he slipped under the radar--of the masses--with his 100% absolute RAW TALENT and his UNIQUE as HELL, MUSICAL STYLE!?!?!? Not to sound cliche or corny...but that shit was some f@cking visionary, ahead of his time type of genius sheeit goin' on. '97 sure as hell lost some of thee most all around lyrically and instrumenally talented musicians if ALL TIME. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, and In *several* *GENRES* of music
@peacebeuponyou70 This video isn't a parituclarly good example, but my experience of him tuning was that he was so incredibly musical that listening to him tune was a pleasure and a show in itself. HIs banter was often amusing as well. I never once found myself thinking "why do I have to listen to this?" Often you could hear the song he was about to play gradually emerging from the tuning process, something you hear around 1:30ish on this video.
@peacebeuponyou70 About the tuning in general: Guitars tend to go out of tune also just by playing them. So it can easily be that your guitar is a bit out of tune after you played a song. Good guitars don't go out of tune much, bad guitars de-tune all the time. But all guitars go out of tune to a certain degree anyway. Also changes in temperature will make your guitar detune most of the time. And for Michael, it's just what type3secretion told you, he uses different tunings everytime. Regards!
this is 1987... check out michael kelsey, modern stuff like this.... also, vocally... check out brandon whyde. solid musicians trying to make it today. both from indiana.
I'd call him incredible, but the word incredible just isn't adequate. And the funny thing about it is that so much of what he was able to do was rooted in being relaxed and present - seeing and interacting with what is and what's possible, without developing tension about it. Look at the way he stands and uses his arms - total efficiency and comfort. And listen to that ending note...think of how relaxed and aware he had to be to draw in that kind of breath and use it that effectively...whoa!
07:00 - he sings a top D falsetto and holds it for 24 seconds..not bad for one of the worlds great guitarists..Shawn Lane was another guitar genius with great vocal ability - check out his Indian style scat singing..
In respect to tuning, all musicians usually DO tune beforehand... but, the guitars are affected by sitting there under those hot stage lights, and usually need a little tweaking.
@peacebeuponyou70 heat can have a lot of effect on strings....that and humidity can alter wood no matter how well it's seasoned and lacquered. Just a quick pull on a string can stretch it to flatless areas......that and the fact true players piss on AutoTune
Holy shit! this is amazing! This guy is a GOD!!!!!!!! ` Too bad I'm sooo young. When he died I was stuck in a boring school learning basic math and being bullied by fatties :(. Thanks type3 this videos is wonderful (^_^) 5/5
@communistfriend Michael told (1983?) that he's taking voice lessons from Bobby McFerrin. Bobby appeared as vocal on Michael's "The Streamlined Man". His name some times appeared on CD credits (other times, not - weird). Cheers Chief
yo man any way you can send me the audio or video of the All along the watchtower? That was the first video of hedges i saw. its been 2 years since i seen it.....need that stuff.
