Jimi Hendrix - Foxy Lady (cover)

It's just my opinion here and I'll be more than happy to discuss it with anyone who is an expert about it 

let's face it, ANYONE is an expert about it compared to me

but I think this kind of songs are the hardest to cover.

Not because the song would be so difficult, on the contrary. But in this case it's not just simply the notes and the time signature need to be learned, but - and this is what makes it difficult - the atmosphere of the song has to be interpreted as well by those who cover it.

I try to explain, but my abilities and skills are rather limited, so I apologize to everyone if my words make just a bigger chaos. This song - for me, and again I emphasize that it's only my own point of view - is an example for the saying that goes as "learn everything about music, learn the sheets, the notes, learn all the tricks of your instrument, then forget everything and just play". When the point is not to play it like an obedient schoolkid; it's not about being meticulous - but also NOT about being sloppy and careless with your play! - but to feel it all. 

Sure it goes for rock music as a whole; but everyone can say at least one case when a rock classic was performed soullessly, no matter how great otherwise the musicians were. And while this statement I said above applies for the entire rock genre, there are performers and artists for whom it especially holds true.

Yes, I think this is one among the many reasons why I love Cygnus so much. The quality. That they keep themselves to a certain quality and will never come down a peg or two. Ever.

So, I keep myself to what I said that songs like "Foxy Lady"

or in fact any Jimi Hendrix song

is not an easy task to cover properly. And based on my thoughts I'm especially happy and delighted that Cygnus Rock Band made a cover from this song and that they made it this nuclear.

The first thing that knocked me out right at the very beginning was the "megaphone-effect" used for Ruxx's voice together with the barely noticeable blurring trick/effect that was put on the visuals parallel to it.

Great idea!!! Deneb, was that you?...

The second thing that knocked me out was Ruxx's scream right before the first verse. And with this scream he lets all the smoke and rust go off from his throat.

Continuing that train of thoughts I started, my opinion is that it's Jimi's vocals - or rather sometimes the lack of them, because in the original song he mostly just recites instead of singing - is that makes it all difficult. Yet in Cygnus's cover there's a complete vocal line going through the entire song, not only allowing Ruxx to demonstrate the richness of his voice,

you can be sure he takes great advantage of it, the vocals are enrichened with his legatos

but also he dredged up all the blues essence of his vocal chords and let it all flow out to this saddened, dull world to make it a better place. And meanwhile he keeps whispering "foxy" time after time, enriched with the megaphone-effect and the slight blur of the visions, making you have goosebumps.

The other thing I especially love in this version is that even though it keeps the smoky/psychedelic atmosphere of the original song, it still carries the well-known nuclear elements of a Cygnus cover. Ruxx doesn't spare on the cymbals/percussions, he brings the maximum out of his drumset; Blu, while you see him playing with his usual elegance, he visibly enjoys playing these multi-colored, slightly hallucinogenic riffs

who wouldn't, honestly?...

while Deneb again got a package from Chernobyl, this time probably a pack of radioactive wild boar bristles, which he used for sprinkling his bass with it all over to make it gruntle like a bewildered flock of tuskers meanwhile he's doing what he always does the best: being a massive-as-rock basis for the others.

And again what I love the most of all is seeing them how they enjoy it.

Small trivia: Reny didn't take part in this cover. Shortly before this one he decided to step away from Cygnus's cover series for having many other commitments.

Another thing I love a lot in this cover has actually nothing to do with the music itself. It's the T-shirt Ruxx and Deneb are wearing. No, I won't tell the reason why I love it so much. I know it, and they know it. You won't know. This way you may think it's some sort of conspiracy. Hehehehe.

(The Great Paprika Jam Conspiracy!)