When music historians and fans talk about guitar legends, Jimi Hendrix usually tops the chart. Neil Young, himself a towering figure in songwriting and guitar playing, has often articulated profound respect—not just for Hendrix, but for other musicians who, in his view, reached that same rare realm of artistry.
Bert Jansch: “On the same level as Jimi Hendrix”
Perhaps the most striking example comes from 1992, when Young declared:
“Bert Jansch is on the same level as Jimi Hendrix,”
“That first record of his is epic… I was especially taken by ‘The Needle of Death’ … That guy was so good… And years later… I wrote the melody of ‘Ambulance Blues’ by styling the guitar part completely on ‘Needle of Death’. I wasn’t even aware of it, and someone else drew my attention to it.”
This isn’t hyperbole—Young wasn’t just praising; he acknowledged a direct, subconscious musical connection that would resurface years later in his own compositions.
The guitarist Neil Young proclaimed to be “on the same level” as Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix: The Unmatched Electric Innovator
When it comes to Hendrix, Young’s admiration is near-universal, and not in the least faint praise:
During his 1992 induction speech for the Jimi Hendrix Experience into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Young said:
“The guitar, you can play it, or you can transcend… I learnt that from Jimi, he was at one with his instrument. Truly one thing was happening, no technique you could take note of, no chords that I could recognise… I just heard it and felt it.”
On another occasion, he emphasized Hendrix’s expressive genius:
“Hendrix was the best at being able to do his expression with his guitar. I’d say, out of the 1960s… nobody came near Hendrix… in how he handled playing rock ‘n’ roll in a trio… no other guitar player even came near.”
“He was excellent. He was one with his instrument… So fluid, using the feedback to create such beautiful things. For a guitar fan like me, it was a revelation.”
Neil Young’s recognition of Jimi Hendrix is straightforward: Hendrix elevated electric guitar playing into something beyond technique and virtuosity—it became pure expression. Young didn’t approach these comments lightly. His own style—raw, emotive, sometimes unpolished—echoes the kind of musical communication he so deeply admired in Hendrix.
Meanwhile, by placing Bert Jansch “on the same level” as Hendrix, Young highlights that emotional resonance matters across instruments and genres. Far from competition, this is fellowship in musical spirit.