The Jimi Hendrix Experience | ||
| Allmusic Biography : In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, Jimi Hendrix expanded the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since. Hendrix was a master at coaxing all manner of unforeseen sonics from his instrument, often with innovative amplification experiments that produced astral-quality feedback and roaring distortion. His frequent hurricane blasts of noise and dazzling showmanship -- he could and would play behind his back and with his teeth and set his guitar on fire -- has sometimes obscured his considerable gifts as a songwriter, singer, and master of a gamut of blues, R&B;, and rock styles. When Hendrix became an international superstar in 1967, it seemed as if hed dropped out of a Martian spaceship, but in fact hed served his apprenticeship the long, mundane way in numerous R&B; acts on the chitlin circuit. During the early and mid-60s, he worked with such R&B;/soul greats as Little Richard, the Isley Brothers, and King Curtis as a backup guitarist. Occasionally he recorded as a session man (the Isley Brothers 1964 single "Testify" is the only one of these early tracks that offers even a glimpse of his future genius). But the stars didnt appreciate his show-stealing showmanship, and Hendrix was straitjacketed by sideman roles that didnt allow him to develop as a soloist. The logical step was for Hendrix to go out on his own, which he did in New York in the mid-60s, playing with various musicians in local clubs, and joining white blues-rock singer John Hammond, Jr.s band for a while. It was in a New York club that Hendrix was spotted by Animals bassist Chas Chandler. The first lineup of the Animals was about to split, and Chandler, looking to move into management, convinced Hendrix to move to London and record as a solo act in England. There a group was built around Jimi, also featuring Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass, that was dubbed the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The trio became stars with astonishing speed in the U.K., where "Hey Joe," "Purple Haze," and "The Wind Cries Mary" all made the Top Ten in the first half of 1967. These tracks were also featured on their debut album, Are You Experienced, a psychedelic meisterwerk that became a huge hit in the U.S. after Hendrix created a sensation at the Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967. Are You Experienced was an astonishing debut, particularly from a young R&B; veteran who had rarely sung, and apparently never written his own material, before the Experience formed. What caught most peoples attention at first was his virtuosic guitar playing, which employed an arsenal of devices, including wah-wah pedals, buzzing feedback solos, crunching distorted riffs, and lightning, liquid runs up and down the scales. But Hendrix was also a first-rate songwriter, melding cosmic imagery with some surprisingly pop-savvy hooks and tender sentiments. He was also an excellent blues interpreter and passionate, engaging singer (although his gruff, throaty vocal pipes were not nearly as great assets as his instrumental skills). Are You Experienced was psychedelia at its most eclectic, synthesizing mod pop, soul, R&B;, Dylan, and the electric guitar innovations of British pioneers like Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, and Eric Clapton. Amazingly, Hendrix would only record three fully conceived studio albums in his lifetime. Axis: Bold as Love and the double-LP Electric Ladyland were more diffuse and experimental than Are You Experienced On Electric Ladyland in particular, Hendrix pioneered the use of the studio itself as a recording instrument, manipulating electronics and devising overdub techniques (with the help of engineer Eddie Kramer in particular) to plot uncharted sonic territory. Not that these albums were perfect, as impressive as they were; the instrumental breaks could meander, and Hendrixs songwriting was occasionally half-baked, never matching the consistency of Are You Experienced (although he exercised greater creative control over the later albums). The final two years of Hendrixs life were turbulent ones musically, financially, and personally. He was embroiled in enough complicated management and record company disputes (some dating from ill-advised contracts hed signed before the Experience formed) to keep the lawyers busy for years. He disbanded the Experience in 1969, forming the Band of Gypsies with drummer Buddy Miles and bassist Billy Cox to pursue funkier directions. He closed Woodstock with a sprawling, shaky set, redeemed by his famous machine-gun interpretation of "The Star Spangled Banner." The rhythm section of Mitchell and Redding were underrated keys to Jimis best work, and the Band of Gypsies ultimately couldnt measure up to the same standard, although Hendrix did record an erratic live album with them. In early 1970, the Experience re-formed again -- and disbanded again shortly afterward. At the same time, Hendrix felt torn in many directions by various fellow musicians, record-company expectations, and management pressures, all of whom had their own ideas of what Hendrix should be doing. Coming up on two years after Electric Ladyland, a new studio album had yet to appear, although Hendrix was recording constantly during the period. While outside parties did contribute to bogging down Hendrixs studio work, it also seems likely that Jimi himself was partly responsible for the stalemate, unable to form a permanent lineup of musicians, unable to decide what musical direction to pursue, unable to bring himself to complete another album despite jamming endlessly. A few months into 1970, Mitchell -- Hendrixs most valuable musical collaborator -- came back into the fold, replacing Miles in the drum chair, although Cox stayed in place. It was this trio that toured the world during Hendrixs final months. Its extremely difficult to separate the facts of Hendrixs life from rumors and speculation. Everyone who knew him well, or claimed to know him well, has different versions of his state of mind in 1970. Critics have variously mused that he was going to go into jazz, that he was going to get deeper into the blues, that he was going to continue doing what he was doing, or that he was too confused to know what he was doing at all. The same confusion holds true for his death: contradictory versions of his final days have been given by his closest acquaintances of the time. Hed been working intermittently on a new album, tentatively titled First Ray of the New Rising Sun, when he died in London on September 18, 1970, from drug-related complications. Hendrix recorded a massive amount of unreleased studio material during his lifetime. Much of this (as well as entire live concerts) was issued posthumously; several of the live concerts were excellent, but the studio tapes have been the focus of enormous controversy for over 20 years. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 27 Title: Are You Experienced Released: 1967-05-12 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:00:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Foxy Lady (03:18) 2 Manic Depression (03:42) 3 Red House (03:44) 4 Can You See Me (02:32) 5 Love or Confusion (03:13) 6 I Don’t Live Today (03:54) 7 May This Be Love (03:11) 8 Fire (02:44) 9 Third Stone From the Sun (06:44) 10 Remember (02:48) 11 Are You Experienced? (04:14) 12 Hey Joe (03:30) 13 Stone Free (03:36) 14 Purple Haze (02:51) 15 51st Anniversary (03:16) 16 The Wind Cries Mary (03:20) 17 Highway Chile (03:32) |
| Are You Experienced : Allmusic album Review : One of the most stunning debuts in rock history, and one of the definitive albums of the psychedelic era. On Are You Experienced?, Jimi Hendrix synthesized various elements of the cutting edge of 1967 rock into music that sounded both futuristic and rooted in the best traditions of rock, blues, pop, and soul. It was his mind-boggling guitar work, of course, that got most of the ink, building upon the experiments of British innovators like Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend to chart new sonic territories in feedback, distortion, and sheer volume. It wouldnt have meant much, however, without his excellent material, whether psychedelic frenzy ("Foxey Lady," "Manic Depression," "Purple Haze"), instrumental freak-out jams ("Third Stone from the Sun"), blues ("Red House," "Hey Joe"), or tender, poetic compositions ("The Wind Cries Mary") that demonstrated the breadth of his songwriting talents. Not to be underestimated were the contributions of drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding, who gave the music a rhythmic pulse that fused parts of rock and improvised jazz. Many of these songs are among Hendrixs very finest; it may be true that he would continue to develop at a rapid pace throughout the rest of his brief career, but he would never surpass his first LP in terms of consistently high quality. [The British and American versions of the album differed substantially when they were initially released in 1967; MCAs 17-song reissue did everyone a favor by gathering all of the material from the two records in one place, adding a few B-sides from early singles as well.] | ||
 | Album: 2 of 27 Title: Axis: Bold as Love Released: 1967-12-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 39:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 EXP (01:54) 2 Up From the Skies (03:01) 3 Spanish Castle Magic (03:08) 4 Wait Until Tomorrow (03:06) 5 Ain’t No Telling (01:52) 6 Little Wing (02:25) 7 If 6 Was 9 (05:35) 8 You Got Me Floatin’ (02:44) 9 Castles Made of Sand (02:49) 10 She’s So Fine (02:43) 11 One Rainy Wish (03:45) 12 Little Miss Lover (02:25) 13 Bold as Love (04:08) |
| Axis: Bold as Love : Allmusic album Review : Jimi Hendrixs second album followed up his groundbreaking debut effort with a solid collection of great tunes and great interactive playing between himself, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell, and the recording studio itself. Wisely retaining manager Chas Chandler to produce the album and Eddie Kramer as engineer, Hendrix stretched further musically than the first album, but even more so as a songwriter. He was still quite capable of coming up with spacy rockers like "You Got Me Floating," "Up from the Skies," and "Little Miss Lover," radio-ready to follow on the commercial heels of "Foxey Lady" and "Purple Haze." But the beautiful, wistful ballads "Little Wing," "Castles Made of Sand," "One Rainy Wish," and the title track set closer show remarkable growth and depth as a tunesmith, harnessing Curtis Mayfield soul guitar to Dylanesque lyrical imagery and Fuzz Face hyperactivity to produce yet another side to his grand psychedelic musical vision. These are tempered with Jimis most avant-garde tracks yet, "EXP" and the proto-fusion jazz blowout of "If 6 Was 9." | ||
 | Album: 3 of 27 Title: Smash Hits Released: 1968-04-16 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Purple Haze (02:51) 2 Fire (02:40) 3 The Wind Cries Mary (03:20) 4 Can You See Me (02:32) 5 51st Anniversary (03:17) 6 Hey Joe (03:26) 7 Stone Free (03:36) 8 Stars That Play With Laughing Sam’s Dice (04:19) 9 Manic Depression (03:42) 10 Highway Chile (03:32) 11 Burning of the Midnight Lamp (03:39) 12 Foxy Lady (03:14) |
| Smash Hits : Allmusic album Review : One of the first hits compilations assembled of Jimi Hendrixs catalog, Smash Hits remains one of the best, since it keeps its focus narrow and never tries to extend its reach. Basically, this album contains the songs everybody knows from Hendrix, drawing heavily from Are You Experienced?, plus adding the non-LP "Red House," "51st Anniversary," and "Highway Chile." Those non-LP selections may still make this worth seeking out, even if theyve appeared on subsequent hits collections, but the main strength of Smash Hits is that it contains the best-known big-name songs in one place. Maybe not enough to make the collection essential, but still enough to make it a representative, accurate sampler. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 27 Title: Electric Ladyland Released: 1968-10-25 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:15:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 …And the Gods Made Love (01:22) 2 Have You Ever Been (to Electric Ladyland) (02:10) 3 Crosstown Traffic (02:26) 4 Voodoo Chile (15:00) 5 Little Miss Strange (02:52) 6 Long Hot Summer Night (03:27) 7 Come On, Part 1 (04:10) 8 Gypsy Eyes (03:43) 9 Burning of the Midnight Lamp (03:39) 1 Rainy Day, Dream Away (03:42) 2 1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be) (13:39) 3 Moon, Turn the Tides… gently gently away (01:02) 4 Still Raining, Still Dreaming (04:25) 5 House Burning Down (04:33) 6 All Along the Watchtower (04:00) 7 Voodoo Child (slight return) (05:13) |
| Electric Ladyland : Allmusic album Review : Jimi Hendrixs third and final album with the original Experience found him taking his funk and psychedelic sounds to the absolute limit. The result was not only one of the best rock albums of the era, but also Hendrixs original musical vision at its absolute apex. When revisionist rock critics refer to him as the maker of a generations mightiest dope music, this is the album theyre referring to. But Electric Ladyland is so much more than just background music for chemical intake. Kudos to engineer Eddie Kramer (who supervised the remastering of the original two-track stereo masters for this 1997 reissue on MCA) for taking Hendrixs visions of a soundscape behind his music and giving it all context, experimenting with odd mic techniques, echo, backward tape, flanging, and chorusing, all new techniques at the time, at least the way theyre used here. What Hendrix sonically achieved on this record expanded the concept of what could be gotten out of a modern recording studio in much the same manner as Phil Spector had done a decade before with his Wall of Sound. As an album this influential (and as far as influencing a generation of players and beyond, this was his ultimate statement for many), the highlights speak for themselves: "Crosstown Traffic," his reinterpretation of Bob Dylans "All Along the Watchtower," "Burning of the Midnight Lamp," the spacy "1983...(A Merman I Should Turn to Be)," and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," a landmark in Hendrixs playing. With this double set (now on one compact disc), Hendrix once again pushed the concept album to new horizons. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 27 Title: Historic Performances Recorded at the Monterey International Pop Festival Released: 1970 Tracks: 9 Duration: 40:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Like a Rolling Stone (06:52) 2 Rock Me Baby (03:38) 3 Can You See Me (02:43) 4 Wild Thing (08:12) 5 Shake (03:17) 6 Respect (02:39) 7 I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) (04:08) 8 Satisfaction (03:46) 9 Try a Little Tenderness (05:04) |
 | Album: 6 of 27 Title: Live at Winterland Released: 1987 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:16:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Prologue (00:59) 2 Fire (03:41) 3 Manic Depression (05:34) 4 Sunshine of Your Love (07:31) 5 Spanish Castle Magic (06:29) 6 Red House (09:14) 7 Killing Floor (07:55) 8 Tax Free (15:15) 9 Foxy Lady (05:16) 10 Hey Joe (06:46) 11 Purple Haze (03:43) 12 Wild Thing (03:30) 13 Epilogue (00:32) |
| Live at Winterland : Allmusic album Review : Jimi Hendrixs sonic assaults and attacks hypnotized, frightened, and amazed audiences in the late 60s. His studio recordings helped him attain his reputation, but his live works validated it. Thats the case on the 13 songs from a 1968 Winterland concert that made their way onto CD in 1987. Whether he was doing short, biting songs like "Fire" or stretching out for sprawling blues statements like "Red House" and "Killing Floor," Jimi Hendrix turned the guitar into a battering ram, forcing everyone to notice and making every solo and note a memorable one. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 27 Title: Voodoo Chile Released: 1987 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:02:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Suspicious (06:31) 2 Rooom Full of Mirrors (03:01) 3 Purple Haze (03:06) 4 The Sunshine of Your Love (06:53) 5 Fire (03:47) 6 Bleeding Heart (08:43) 7 Smashing of Amps (06:27) 8 Shss So Fine (02:30) 9 Wild Thing (01:15) 10 Voodoo Chile (07:23) 11 Red House (08:04) 12 Something You Got (04:54) |
 | Album: 8 of 27 Title: Radio One Released: 1988 Tracks: 17 Duration: 59:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Stone Free (03:26) 2 Radio One Theme (01:17) 3 Day Tripper (03:16) 4 Killing Floor (02:29) 5 Love or Confusion (02:54) 6 Drivin’ South (04:50) 7 Catfish Blues (05:28) 8 Wait Until Tomorrow (02:57) 9 Hear My Train a Comin’ (05:00) 10 Hound Dog (02:43) 11 Fire (02:43) 12 (I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man (05:31) 13 Purple Haze (03:04) 14 Spanish Castle Magic (03:07) 15 Hey Joe (04:01) 16 Foxy Lady (02:59) 17 Burning of the Midnight Lamp (03:44) |
| Radio One : Allmusic album Review : Seventeen songs from 1967 BBC broadcasts, when the Jimi Hendrix Experience had yet to burn out from the wheel of constant touring, management hassles, and internal strife. Theyre in good, enthusiastic form as they run through early gems like "Hey Joe," "Foxy Lady," "Fire," and "Stone Free," the lack of studio polish giving these versions a loose feel. The Experience studio albums are still considerably superior to this set, but its certainly worth acquiring by any serious Hendrix fan, not least because it has several covers that didnt make it on to the three proper Experience LPs. Several of these ("Hoochie Koochie Man," "Killing Floor," "Catfish Blues") reveal his sometimes overlooked affinity for Chicago-style electric blues; there are also a couple of surprises ("Hound Dog" and "Day Tripper"). With good sound, its a solid addition to the Hendrix library, demonstrating his versatility in various rock, soul, and blues styles. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 27 Title: Live at the Oakland Coliseum Released: 1998-02-27 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:24:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Introduction (00:42) 2 Fire (04:19) 3 Hey Joe (04:27) 4 Spanish Castle Magic (08:53) 5 Hear My Train a Comin’ (10:25) 6 Sunshine of Your Love (06:45) 7 Red House (13:11) 1 Foxey Lady (10:37) 2 Star Spangled Banner (02:58) 3 Purple Haze (04:08) 4 Voodoo Child (slight return) (18:06) |
 | Album: 10 of 27 Title: BBC Sessions Released: 1998-06-02 Tracks: 38 Duration: 1:52:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Foxy Lady (03:00) 2 Alexis Korner Introduction (00:27) 3 Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? (03:32) 4 Rhythm and Blues World Service (00:12) 5 (I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man (05:31) 6 Traveling With the Experience (00:22) 7 Driving South (05:31) 8 Fire (02:44) 9 Little Miss Lover (02:58) 10 Introducing the Experience (00:51) 11 Burning of the Midnight Lamp (03:43) 12 Catfish Blues (05:29) 13 Stone Free (03:26) 14 Love or Confusion (02:53) 15 Hey Joe (04:02) 16 Hound Dog (02:43) 17 Driving South (04:49) 18 Hear My Train a Comin’ (05:00) 1 Purple Haze (03:17) 2 Killing Floor (02:28) 3 Radio One (01:34) 4 Wait Until Tomorrow (02:55) 5 Day Tripper (03:24) 6 Spanish Castle Magic (03:08) 7 Jammin’ (03:23) 8 I Was Made to Love Her (03:06) 9 Foxy Lady (02:43) 10 A Brand New Sound (00:54) 11 Hey Joe (02:57) 12 Manic Depression (03:10) 13 Driving South (03:21) 14 Hear My Train a Comin’ (05:02) 15 A Happening for Lulu (00:19) 16 Voodoo Child (slight return) (04:09) 17 Lulu Introduction (00:22) 18 Hey Joe (02:43) 19 Sunshine of Your Love (01:17) 20 Burning of the Midnight Lamp (04:31) |
 | Album: 11 of 27 Title: Live at Clark University Released: 1999-07-06 Tracks: 5 Duration: 28:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Fire (03:33) 2 Red House (07:09) 3 Foxey Lady (04:31) 4 Purple Haze (05:05) 5 Wild Thing (08:12) |
 | Album: 12 of 27 Title: The Jimi Hendrix Experience Released: 2000-09-12 Tracks: 56 Duration: 4:19:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Purple Haze (03:26) 2 Killing Floor (live) (03:05) 3 Hey Joe (live) (02:52) 4 Foxy Lady (03:18) 5 Highway Chile (03:40) 6 Hey Joe (03:06) 7 Title #3 (02:12) 8 Third Stone From the Sun (09:18) 9 Taking Care of No Business (03:42) 10 Here He Comes (Lover Man) (03:02) 11 Burning of the Midnight Lamp (01:30) 12 If 6 Was 9 (05:57) 13 Rock Me Baby (live) (03:20) 14 Like a Rolling Stone (live) (06:48) 1 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (live) (01:51) 2 Burning of the Midnight Lamp (live) (04:06) 3 Little Wing (03:24) 4 Little Miss Lover (02:21) 5 The Wind Cries Mary (live) (04:11) 6 Catfish Blues (live) (05:26) 7 Bold as Love (07:09) 8 Sweet Angel (04:12) 9 Fire (live) (02:43) 10 Somewhere (03:48) 11 Have You Ever Been (to Electric Ladyland) (01:28) 12 Gypsy Eyes (03:43) 13 Room Full of Mirrors (01:26) 14 Gloria (08:53) 15 It’s Too Bad (08:51) 16 Star Spangled Banner (04:12) 1 Stone Free (03:43) 2 Spanish Castle Magic (05:50) 3 Hear My Train a Comin’ (06:58) 4 Room Full of Mirrors (07:56) 5 I Dont Live Today (live) (06:33) 6 Little Wing (03:15) 7 Red House (live) (13:07) 8 Purple Haze (live) (04:03) 9 Voodoo Child (slight return) (live) (07:53) 10 Izabella (03:39) 1 Message to Love (03:35) 2 Earth Blues (04:08) 3 Astro Man (04:11) 4 Country Blues (08:26) 5 Freedom (03:52) 6 Johnny B. Goode (live) (04:46) 7 Lover Man (02:57) 8 Blue Suede Shoes (live) (04:28) 9 Cherokee Mist (06:02) 10 Come Down Hard on Me (03:18) 11 Hey Baby / In From the Storm (live) (08:56) 12 Ezy Ryder (03:43) 13 Night Bird Flying (04:24) 14 All Along the Watchtower (live) (04:22) 15 In From the Storm (live) (04:21) 16 Slow Blues (01:45) |
| The Jimi Hendrix Experience : Allmusic album Review : The Hendrix family continues its reissue campaign with the release of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, a lavish four-disc box set that should be a boon to Hendrix collectors everywhere. With a beautiful 80-page booklet, and purporting to have 46 unreleased tracks, further inspection actually reveals less than meets the eye, at least for collectors. The problem is that real collectors have already heard most of this material, and not only through bootleg sources. Many of the previously unreleased tracks are just new mixes of live tracks that were issued as part of Stages, Live at Monterey, and Lifelines. Also included is a new mix of the "Gloria" single. While the sound quality is somewhat better (handled by the expert Eddie Kramer), the new mixes do not differ substantially from the earlier versions. With the inclusion of virtually all of In the West, and a few quality tracks from Rainbow Bridge and Crash Landing (without the wretched mid-70s overdubs), The Jimi Hendrix Experience almost seems like a shelf-clearing exercise, taking care of the leftover tracks that fans have been clamoring for en masse. The real highlights of the set are the early studio outtakes, presumably from the cache that Chas Chandler withheld from Alan Douglas for so many years. Interestingly, one of the most enjoyable aspects of these studio outtakes is the control room banter that takes place. There isnt a ton of it, but there are some highly enjoyable moments. At the end of "Purple Haze," Hendrix starts to giggle and throws in "Mary Had a Little Lamb." The version of "Third Stone From the Sun" has Chandler and Hendrixs recording of the spoken bits used on the song, tacked on to the beginning. Its great to hear Hendrix cracking up throughout their interstellar conversation. Another moment subtly hints at the frictions that were to end up dissolving the Chandler-Hendrix partnership. After seven minutes of take 21 of "Bold As Love," Hendrix is heard to say, "lets try it one more time, alright?" to which Chas Chandler dejectedly replies "oooohh." The book itself is wonderful; all tracks are fully documented and annotated, with lots of photos, many previously unpublished. There are also recording studio log sheets, newspaper articles, poster/flyers, and Hendrixs handwritten lyrics reproduced. All in all, The Jimi Hendrix Experience is a fine addendum to the Hendrix legacy, but not the place to start; this is a set for someone who already has the studio albums and cant get enough of his genius. The disappointment a hardcore collector might feel at having heard most of this material already should be outweighed by the beautiful, warm sound achieved by Eddie Kramer and the general high quality of the package. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 27 Title: Live in Ottawa Released: 2001-10-23 Tracks: 9 Duration: 59:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Killing Floor (06:08) 2 Tax Free (10:52) 3 Fire (03:39) 4 Red House (09:21) 5 Foxey Lady (05:33) 6 Hey Joe (06:20) 7 Spanish Castle Magic (07:49) 8 Purple Haze (06:52) 9 Wild Thing (02:50) |
 | Album: 14 of 27 Title: The Last Experience Released: 2002 Tracks: 34 Duration: 3:26:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Introduction & Tune‐Up (01:05) 2 Lover Man (04:07) 3 Stone Free (12:00) 4 Getting My Heart Back Together Again (10:34) 5 I Don’t Live Today (05:40) 6 Red House (11:26) 7 Foxy Lady (06:05) 8 Sunshine of Your Love (06:49) 9 Bleeding Heart (08:16) 1 Fire (03:55) 2 Little Wing (03:14) 3 Voodoo Chile (slight return) (09:09) 4 Room Full of Mirrors (08:12) 5 Announcement / Tune‐Up (02:45) 6 Purple Haze (03:01) 7 Wild Thing (03:35) 8 The Star-Spangled Banner / Smashing of the Amps (02:40) 9 Bleeding Heart (edited version) (05:21) 10 Room Full of Mirrors (edited version) (02:58) 11 Hey Joe (soundcheck recording) (04:17) 12 Hound Dog #1 (soundcheck recording, instrumental) (02:16) 13 Hound Dog #2 (soundcheck recording) (05:51) 14 Hound Dog #3 (soundcheck recording, instrumental) (03:49) 15 Voodoo Chile (slight return) (soundcheck recording) (01:05) 16 Getting My Heart Back Together Again (soundcheck recording) (05:26) 1 Tax Free (07:58) 2 Fire (03:41) 3 Getting My Heart Back Together Again (11:16) 4 Foxy Lady (04:39) 5 Red House (11:29) 6 Sunshine of Your Love (06:13) 7 Spanish Castle Magic (11:55) 8 The Star‐Spangeld Banner / Purple Haze (06:38) 9 Voodoo Chile (slight return) (08:38) |
| The Last Experience : Allmusic album Review : On February 24th, 1969, Jimi Hendrix performed at Royal Albert Hall. The concert was recorded and filmed for a planned documentary/concert movie entitled Experience. The movie was never formally released; however, it does exist and the audio masters were packaged and repackaged into many different products, including the 1987 title The Last Experience Concert: His Final Performance. This particular title is extremely misleading, as Hendrix went on to perform many times after this concert. There are several titles that feature the identical Royal Albert Hall performance, so collectors of Hendrix concert discs should be careful to check song lists and running times so as not to duplicate a prior purchase of this performance. Fans convinced they do not yet own a recording of this concert are encouraged to pick one up. The sound quality is decent, if a little inconsistent, and the performances are powerful. Highlights include Hendrixs version of Creams "Sunshine of Your Love" and the guitarists own masterpieces like "Voodoo Chile." There are some extended versions on this particular release that appear in edited form on other offerings, which could make this a more attractive purchase to some. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 27 Title: Live at Berkeley Released: 2003-09-16 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:07:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Introduction (01:47) 2 Pass It On (Straight Ahead) (06:58) 3 Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) (06:07) 4 Lover Man (02:59) 5 Stone Free (04:08) 6 Hey Joe (04:49) 7 I Don’t Live Today (05:26) 8 Machine Gun (11:22) 9 Foxy Lady (06:30) 10 Star Spangled Banner (02:45) 11 Purple Haze (03:48) 12 Voodoo Child (slight return) (10:49) |
| Live at Berkeley : Allmusic album Review : The Berkeley shows by Jimi Hendrix are fairly well known because not only were the shows filmed, but they have been bootlegged pretty extensively over the years as well. Live at Berkeley: 2nd Show marks the first official release of this material, and, like its predecessor, Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight, the show has its strengths and weaknesses. Things start loose, very loose, on "Pass It On," which is actually the music from "Straight Ahead" with some off-the-cuff lyrics, then into "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)." Hendrixs guitar tone is fantastic, and there are some fine moments of soloing, but as far as the songs go, he seems distracted. Things start to pick up with "Lover Man" (check Billy Coxs bass playing here), and Hendrix really seems to find himself while romping through some older material like "Stone Free" and "Hey Joe." In fact, the solo on "Stone Free" is amazing, and quite unlike other live versions. Its clear that all the guitar electronics were working together (despite the brief security interruption on "Hey Joe"; again, shades of Isle of Wight), and by the time he gets into "I Dont Live Today" and "Machine Gun," Hendrix is in the stratosphere. The intensity drops just a bit as he finishes up the set, drifting into "Keep on Groovin" while in the middle of "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," but "Purple Haze" and "Foxey Lady" are still strong showings. The official release of more Hendrix archival material is not likely to ease his reputation as an inconsistent performer, but those who rightfully regard him as one of the finest electric guitarists ever will always be clamoring for good-sounding live shows, and Live at Berkeley: 2nd Show will not disappoint at that level. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 27 Title: Winterland Night Released: 2005-11-01 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:42:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Fire (04:05) 2 Manic Depression (06:05) 3 Sunshine of Your Love (06:38) 4 Spanish Castle Magic (05:31) 5 Are You Experienced? (13:27) 6 Voodoo Chile (slight return) (06:42) 7 Like a Rolling Stone (11:48) 1 Red House (11:51) 2 Killing Floor (08:19) 3 Tax Free (09:04) 4 Foxy Lady (05:18) 5 Hey Joe (06:46) 6 Purple Haze (03:43) 7 Wild Thing (03:34) |
 | Album: 17 of 27 Title: Live at the Isle of Fehmarn Released: 2005-12-13 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:11:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Introduction (03:36) 2 Killing Floor (03:35) 3 Spanish Castle Magic (04:49) 4 All Along the Watchtower (04:26) 5 Hey Joe (04:20) 6 Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) (05:35) 7 Message to Love (04:43) 8 Foxey Lady (04:23) 9 Red House (09:24) 10 Ezy Ryder (03:51) 11 Freedom (07:45) 12 Room Full of Mirrors (03:26) 13 Purple Haze (02:26) 14 Voodoo Child (slight return) (09:12) |
 | Album: 18 of 27 Title: 3 Nights at Winterland Released: 2006 Tracks: 53 Duration: 6:25:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Intro/Tune‐Up (00:24) 2 Are You Experienced (07:36) 3 Voodoo Child (slight return) (07:38) 4 Red House (14:51) 5 Foxy Lady (06:12) 6 Like a Rolling Stone (09:44) 7 (This Is America) The Star Spangled Banner (05:27) 8 Purple Haze (06:01) 1 Intro/Tune‐Up (02:28) 2 Tax Free (13:33) 3 Lover Man (04:27) 4 Sunshine of Your Love (09:09) 5 Getting My Heart Back Together Again (Hear My Train a Comin’) (12:57) 6 Killing Floor (09:19) 7 Hey Joe (05:31) 8 (This Is America) Star Spangled Banner (06:32) 9 Purple Haze (05:59) 1 Intro (02:02) 2 Are You Experienced (17:05) 3 Voodoo Child (slight return) (08:14) 4 Red House (11:50) 5 Foxy Lady (05:44) 6 (This Is America) Star Spangled Banner (06:32) 7 Purple Haze (05:59) 1 Intro (00:29) 2 Tax Free/Drum & Bass (20:32) 3 Spanish Castle Magic (11:05) 4 Like a Rolling Stone (11:32) 5 Lover Man (05:39) 6 Hey Joe (05:13) 7 Fire (04:44) 8 Foxy Lady (05:13) 9 Purple Haze (05:53) 1 Intro (02:29) 2 Fire (03:47) 3 Lover Man (05:37) 4 Like a Rolling Stone (12:14) 5 Foxy Lady (06:53) 6 Drum/Bass Jam (08:58) 7 Tax Free (08:14) 8 Hey Joe (06:50) 9 Purple Haze (03:39) 10 Wild Thing (03:28) 1 Intro (01:32) 2 Foxy Lady (08:22) 3 Manic Depression (05:55) 4 Sunshine of Your Love (09:07) 5 Little Wing (04:40) 6 Spanish Castle Magic (07:06) 7 Red House (12:08) 8 Voodoo Child (slight return) (07:02) 9 (This Is America) Star (04:57) 10 Purple Haze (07:02) |
 | Album: 19 of 27 Title: Live at Monterey Released: 2007-10-16 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Introduction by Brian Jones (00:39) 2 Killing Floor (03:14) 3 Foxey Lady (03:28) 4 Like a Rolling Stone (07:06) 5 Rock Me Baby (03:37) 6 Hey Joe (05:11) 7 Can You See Me (02:37) 8 The Wind Cries Mary (03:53) 9 Purple Haze (05:34) 10 Wild Thing (07:49) |
| Live at Monterey : Allmusic album Review : The Jimi Hendrix Experiences breakthrough appearance at the Monterey International Pop Festival on June 18, 1967, has been committed to disc, in whole or in part, before, starting with the split LP Monterey International Pop Festival, which featured four tracks by Hendrix on one side and performances by Otis Redding on the other. That album was released scant weeks before Hendrixs death in September 1970. In 1986, Jimi Plays Monterey, containing the full ten-song set, appeared. Both those albums were released on Hendrixs original U.S. label, the Reprise imprint of Warner Bros. Records. Experience Hendrix, the company formed to reissue the guitarists work after his recordings were acquired by his family, has put out its own versions of many of his discs, and Live at Monterey is its take on the Monterey show. The tapes have been remixed by Eddie Kramer, but the album conforms at least to the CD version of Jimi Plays Monterey. (The LP version edited much of the dialogue.) The context of the show is notable. Although Hendrix had become a star in the U.K., he was largely unknown in his home country. He had, however, already been signed to Reprise, which had issued his debut American single, "Hey Joe," on May 1, 1967. Thats why he says, "Its Hey Joe that really brought us here" in introducing the song. A Top 40 hit for the Leaves in 1966, it had not, however, become a hit for Hendrix as it had in the U.K. Of course, his version was a distinct reinterpretation. He also played his next American single, "Purple Haze," due for release the next day. It would become his first 45 to chart in the U.S. And he oriented his set somewhat for American ears, including such familiar songs as "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Wild Thing," as well as the blues standards "Killing Floor" (by Howlin Wolf) and "Rock Me Baby" (by B.B. King). His most recent U.K. hit, "The Wind Cries Mary," was included, as was "Foxey Lady," which would follow "Purple Haze" into the U.S. charts. So, the set was well chosen to introduce him to an American audience, even if that audience reacted in understandable amazement encountering a style of guitar playing hitherto unimagined and a flamboyant performance that culminated in a guitar doused in lighter fluid and going up in flames. Those aspects of the show are better appreciated on the DVD released in conjunction with this audio version, but even after 40 years Hendrixs playing still has the power to astonish the listener. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 27 Title: Live in Paris & Ottawa 1968 Released: 2008-09-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:01:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Killing Floor (04:32) 2 Catfish Blues (08:46) 3 Foxey Lady (05:29) 4 Red House (04:24) 5 Driving South (09:24) 6 The Wind Cries Mary (03:55) 7 Fire (04:16) 8 Little Wing (03:40) 9 Purple Haze (05:59) 10 Sgt. Pepper (02:16) 11 Fire (03:29) 12 Purple Haze (05:15) |
 | Album: 21 of 27 Title: All Time Best Released: 2009 Tracks: 12 Duration: 38:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Purple Haze (02:51) 2 Fire (02:43) 3 The Wind Cries Mary (03:20) 4 Can You See Me (02:32) 5 Hey Joe (03:30) 6 All Along the Watchtower (04:00) 7 Stone Free (03:35) 8 Crosstown Traffic (02:19) 9 Manic Depression (03:42) 10 Remember (02:48) 11 Red House (03:51) 12 Foxy Lady (03:18) |
 | Album: 22 of 27 Title: Live at Woburn Released: 2009-07-28 Tracks: 8 Duration: 48:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Introduction (01:07) 2 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (01:11) 3 Fire (04:19) 4 Tax Free (10:11) 5 Red House (11:30) 6 Foxey Lady (04:55) 7 Voodoo Child (slight return) (06:38) 8 Purple Haze (08:10) |
| Live at Woburn : Allmusic album Review : Oddly, the Jimi Hendrix Experiences July 6, 1968, performance at the Woburn Music Festival was their only live concert in the U.K. that year. Much, though not quite all, of it is contained here on this soundboard recording, issued on the Hendrix specialist label Dagger. Like other Dagger releases -- and the label is quite up-front about this in the packaging and sleeve notes, so its not deceptive -- it isnt quite up to par with Hendrixs standard official product soundwise. Owing to equipment problems at the event itself, some crackling and high-pitched noises are emitted from the amplifiers, and much of "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" is missing, as is the end of "Tax Free" (which nonetheless still lasts ten minutes). Those factors aside, the sound and performances are pretty good, though the availability of some of the songs ("Fire," "Red House," "Foxey Lady," and "Purple Haze," the last of which starts with almost three minutes of squealing and howling distorted effects) in so many other versions mark it as something for the completist. Of greater interest, if only because theyre less usual fare, are the instrumental "Tax Free," which points toward the more meandering jamming Hendrix would frequently favor over the next couple of years, and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," performed here three months in advance of its first official appearance on record (on Electric Ladyland). While this is one of the less remarkable Hendrix live recordings even when judged only against the lesser-profile specialist concert CDs of his that have been made available, the packaging is excellent, with lengthy liner notes from Hendrix historian John McDermott. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 27 Title: Paris 1967 / San Francisco 1968 Released: 2010-10-06 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:15:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Stone Free (03:41) 2 Hey Joe (04:22) 3 Fire (03:29) 4 Rock Me Baby (05:03) 5 Red House (07:49) 6 Purple Haze (07:26) 7 Wild Thing (05:56) 8 Killing Floor (04:05) 9 Red House (05:42) 10 Catfish Blues (11:43) 11 Dear Mr. Fantasy, Part One (05:09) 12 Dear Mr. Fantasy, Part Two (06:27) 13 Purple Haze (05:00) |
 | Album: 24 of 27 Title: Winterland Released: 2011-09-13 Tracks: 36 Duration: 4:35:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tax Free (15:15) 2 Lover Man (05:21) 3 Sunshine of Your Love (07:31) 4 Hear My Train a Comin’ (11:34) 5 Killing Floor (07:55) 6 Foxy Lady (05:37) 7 Hey Joe (06:46) 8 (This Is America) Star Spangled Banner (05:56) 9 Purple Haze (05:37) 1 Tax Free (10:01) 2 Like a Rolling Stone (11:46) 3 Lover Man (03:46) 4 Hey Joe (05:13) 5 Fire (03:21) 6 Foxey Lady (05:13) 7 Are You Experienced? (12:13) 8 Red House (12:24) 9 Purple Haze (05:18) 1 Fire (03:41) 2 Lover Man (03:46) 3 Like a Rolling Stone (11:49) 4 Manic Depression (05:34) 5 Sunshine of Your Love (07:31) 6 Little Wing (04:01) 7 Spanish Castle Magic (06:29) 8 Red House (09:14) 9 Hey Joe (06:46) 10 Purple Haze (03:42) 11 Wild Thing (03:30) 1 Foxey Lady (06:05) 2 Are You Experienced (07:28) 3 Voodoo Child (slight return) (07:43) 4 Red House (1968‐10‐10) (15:21) 5 (This Is America) Star Spangled Banner (06:11) 6 Purple Haze (06:16) 7 Boston Garden Backstage Interview (1968‐11‐16) (19:05) |
| Winterland : Allmusic album Review : Given that Jimi Hendrixs career as a frontman lasted only about three years, it might be hard to believe that theres still great material that hasnt been officially released even 40 years after his death (of course, unofficially released is a different matter). But here is Jimis three-night stand at Winterland in San Francisco from October of 1968, which, despite excellent recordings by Wally Heider, sat largely unreleased until 2011. A single disc was compiled and released by Rykodisc in the late 80s (there was also a hard-to-find three-track bonus disc), but had been out of print for years when this box set arrived. The Winterland shows were notable for a few reasons. The original Jimi Hendrix Experience had been together for two years and were probably playing at the height of their powers in October 1968 (they would break up in June of 1969). They had about the most hectic schedule imaginable. This was before the days of setting up a tour that proceeds from city to city in an orderly manner. Most gigs were one-offs that the band would fly to, then fly home. Back home, theyd record for a day or two, then fly off again to gigs. Three days at one venue were a luxury and the San Francisco crowds encouraged experimentation, leading to a nice synergy between performer and audience. Although presented as three days, there were actually six shows. The Experience repertoire was not that deep, so most tunes were played at least twice, if not more ("Purple Haze" was played in every set). Jimis m.o. was that the first set was mostly "the hits," or at least known tunes, while the second set generally had some surprises. Producers John McDermott and Eddie Kramer have done a really nice job of sequencing and editing to maintain much of the ebb and flow of Jimis sets while avoiding too much track repetition. Jimis opening sets were practically identical on October 10 and 11 so the producers chose to focus mostly on the second sets from those days. In fact, disc one (October 10) is the entire second set intact, with the insertion of "Foxey Lady" from the first set. Its clear from the opener, "Tax Free" (covering "a couple Swedish cats"), that Jimi is in complete control with his guitar, moving from standard Strat tones to raging feedback at will. "Lover Man" and "Sunshine of Your Love" are pretty loose, but Jimi really digs in on an amazing "Hear My Train A-Comin." Howlin Wolfs "Killing Floor" with Jack Casady is next, then Jimi turns to some fan favorites to close the set. Jimis version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Woodstock is well known, but the Experience had been performing it for quite some time by Woodstock. This version from the 10th makes Woodstock sound downright conventional. Its nearly three minutes into this version before anything remotely resembling "The Star-Spangled Banner" emerges. Disc two is also mostly the second set, but its edited a bit more. The set is intact until "Foxey Lady," except "Spanish Castle Magic" was removed as the second tune. This version of "Tax Free" is about the same length but is actually quite different from the first night. Both "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Hey Joe" get some assistance on organ from Herbie Rich of the Buddy Miles Express (who opened the show). After "Foxey Lady," we go back to the opener from set one, "Are You Experienced?," with Virgil Gonsalves (also from the Express) sitting in on flute. An excellent version of "Red House" also comes from the first set, while "Hey Joe" was the closer from the second set. Its interesting to hear how Jimi plays the songs differently by adding different licks or guitar figures in order to keep the old warhorses interesting, and here he uses the microphone stand as a slide to great effect. On the third night, Hendrix really opened things up and pulled out a few surprises. The first three tracks on disc three originally opened set one. Then we go to set two for several surprises. "Manic Depression" and "Little Wing" were very rarely played live ("Are You Experienced?" as well, for that matter) and Jimis take on "Sunshine of Your Love" would have been a surprise to most as well. "Manic Depression" through "Red House" (in order) comprise a good portion of what was originally set two, then its back to set one for the closing sequence. Disc four has something from each night: tracks that didnt fit in the sequencing for some reason or another but were too good not to be included. Again, Kramer and McDermotts sequencing is well thought-out. The bonus disc opens with "Foxey Lady," the opening number from set two on the 12th. From there, we get the first three tunes played (in order) from the first show on the 10th, featuring another great version of "Red House" (15 minutes!). Then we move to the last two tracks from set one on the 11th. About three minutes of feedback and a snippet of "Bonanza" introduce "The Star-Spangled Banner," while a slower than normal "Purple Haze" closes the set. As an additional bonus, theres an interesting, almost confrontational interview with Jimi from about a month after the Winterland shows. Throughout his stage announcements, Jimi constantly talks about "playing with feeling." There are numerous great photos enclosed that really show what he meant by that. Theyre the icing on the cake that is Sony/Legacys Winterland box. The Jimi Hendrix Experience gave us some great music from these shows and McDermott and Kramer have done a great job of making what could have been a slightly tedious listen for some (if presented in its entirety) into a thoroughly enjoyable set for any Hendrix fan. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 27 Title: Live in Cologne Released: 2012-11-27 Tracks: 10 Duration: 56:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Come On (Let the Good Times Roll) (05:30) 2 Foxey Lady (05:08) 3 Red House (12:33) 4 Voodoo Child (slight return) (06:42) 1 Fire (02:56) 2 Spanish Castle Magic (04:29) 3 Hey Joe (04:10) 4 Sunshine of Your Love (06:41) 5 Star Spangled Banner (02:53) 6 Purple Haze (05:04) |
 | Album: 26 of 27 Title: Miami Pop Festival Released: 2013-11-05 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:00:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Introduction (01:53) 2 Hey Joe (06:22) 3 Foxey Lady (04:32) 4 Tax Free (08:20) 5 Fire (02:47) 6 Hear My Train a Comin’ (07:41) 7 I Don’t Live Today (04:49) 8 Red House (12:06) 9 Purple Haze (04:18) 10 Fire (03:07) 11 Foxey Lady (04:55) |
| Miami Pop Festival : Allmusic album Review : In the spring of 1968, the Miami Pop Festival became the first major multi-day rock festival to be held on the East Coast in the wake of 1967s groundbreaking Monterey Pop Festival. The Jimi Hendrix Experience had been the breakthrough act that wowed audiences at Monterey, so promoter Michael Lang (who would help put together the Woodstock Music and Art Fair a year later) persuaded Hendrix to headline the Miami event. Hendrix, who was recording Electric Ladyland at the time, brought along recording engineer Eddie Kramer to tape his gig in Miami, and while Hendrixs set has circulated for years as a bootleg, Miami Pop Festival finally gives this performance an authorized release, with Kramer mixing the 45-year-old tapes. This recording has long been celebrated by Hendrix enthusiasts over the years, and its not hard to see why; thanks to Kramer, the recording is clean and full of detail (right down to the rattle of the springs in Hendrixs whammy bar), and the Experience sound quite good, with Hendrix and drummer Mitch Mitchell interacting with their usual intuitive skill, while Noel Redding serviceably holds down the bottom end on bass. However, while this is a dynamic and well-preserved performance from Hendrix and the Experience (and you cant have too many of those), it isnt an especially exciting one. Theres plenty of nuance but noticeably less fire in Hendrixs guitar work, and he seems most comfortable stretching out on slow blues numbers, while sounding just a bit too relaxed on Are You Experienced? material like "Foxey Lady," "Purple Haze," and "Fire" (though he brings a welcome emotional intensity to "I Dont Live Today"); the group curiously ignores songs from the more recent Axis: Bold as Love. Its worth noting that Hendrix played two sets on the first day of the May 1968 Miamifest; this release features the evening set in full, while just two tunes from the afternoon show are included as a bonus, and "Fire" and "Foxey Lady" sound tougher and more committed in their first run through of the day than their second. Perhaps Kramer and the Hendrix estate should scour the vaults to find the rest of the afternoon set; as it is, Miami Pop Festival is a welcome addition to the authorized Hendrix catalog, but it doesnt cast much new light on his music or his performance style, making for a good but not a great live release. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 27 Title: Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival Released: 2015-08-28 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:22:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Fire (04:40) 2 Lover Man (02:59) 3 Spanish Castle Magic (05:20) 4 Red House (08:27) 5 Room Full of Mirrors (03:18) 6 Hear My Train a Comin’ (09:32) 7 Message to Love (04:54) 1 All Along the Watchtower (04:19) 2 Freedom (04:05) 3 Foxey Lady (04:29) 4 Purple Haze (04:19) 5 Hey Joe (04:37) 6 Voodoo Child (slight return) (07:58) 7 Stone Free (05:25) 8 Star Spangled Banner (02:46) 9 Straight Ahead (04:52) |
| Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival : Allmusic album Review : Jimi Hendrixs headlining appearance at the Atlanta Pop Festival would be the largest U.S. audience he would ever play to. Most people assume it was Woodstock, which was a larger festival, but by the time Jimi took the stage at around 9 a.m. on Monday morning, the Woodstock crowd was down to about 25,000 stragglers. Estimated between 300,000 and 400,000, the actual crowd at Hendrixs Atlanta Pop performance was hard to pin down due to the fact that many of the festivalgoers turned up after dark, in an effort to stay out of the stifling heat of Atlanta in the summertime. The trio of Jimi, Mitch, and Billy Cox had been touring for about two and a half months solid when July 4 rolled around, and they sound really tight kicking off the show. "Fire" starts the set, and one immediately notices how differently Billy Cox plays it versus Noel Redding. "Spanish Castle Magic" has Jimi trying out some new solo ideas and he really starts feeling it on a very improvisational, extended "Red House." A rare live performance of "Room Full of Mirrors" is followed by an absolutely incredible version of "Hear My Train A Comin." Jimi is just in amazing form as the ideas just keep coming: the entire solo is so well constructed it could almost be composed. This is a guitar performance nearly equal to "Machine Gun" on Band of Gypsys, and worth the price of admission by itself. After a nice version of "Message to Love," things falter just a bit with Jimi blowing his vocal entrance and muffing some lyrics on "All Along the Watchtower" followed by a good, not great, version of "Freedom." He starts finding his guitar groove again though, and by "Hey Joe" hes once again in excellent form. A solid version of "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" leads into a really nice extended version of "Stone Free" with some cool new solo ideas. "Star Spangled Banner" is actually punctuated with real fireworks and the set closes with another new song, "Straight Ahead." The music on Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival has been available in collectors circles for some time, but it has never sounded better than it does here. Despite a brief lull mid-set, the revamped Experience turned in an exciting show on July 4, 1970, and with "Hear My Train A Comin," Jimi turned in one of the greatest solos of his career. | ||