I hate Jimi Hendrix. Not that I disagree with his fans' claims of his originality, imagination, performing skills, etc., all of which I readily acknowledge. But the guy sang like he had a mouth full of marbles, and his whole hippie-dippie VooDoo Love God sexual persona always made me cringe, it's so embarrassing. Plus I don't like "heavy blues" in general. I like my rock to pop, bubble and fizz. I'll take The Beatles over "The Stones," The Archies over "Led Zep" — and I'll gladly take even BRITNEY SPEARS over that squawking hag Janis Joplin any ol' day of the week.

I'm mentioning this just so you know that my positive comments about the EMP aren't due to my worshipping at the same exact alter as Paul Allen, let alone Jann Wenner, Oliver Stone, or anyone else who remembers what the '60s were REALLY all about, ma-an!