Record Reviews

JIMI HENDRIX ~ BAND OF GYPSYS SONY 762394 (Barcode: 886976239428) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1969 - 1970 Released: 2010 4th album by Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist, the greatest guitar player ever, and his first and only live recording that was released before his untimely death. The Band Of GypsysFind albums by this artist was a short-lived trio, which brought the guitarist together with bassist Billy CoxFind albums by this artist and drummer Buddy MilesFind albums by this artist for the purpose of recording just one album, which Hendrix owed contractually to one of his previous music industry employers in the US as a result of litigation. In the midst of the confusion, which surrounded Hendrix during and after the recording of his last studio album ("Electric LadylandFind albums with this title") he was unable to come up with the highly anticipated follow up. Taking a break from these hectic attempts, he quickly formed the Band Of Gypsys and prepared the trio for the gig, which would be recorded live and produce the legally owned recording, clearing him from this obligation and allowing him to concentrate on recording the next studio album. The whole affair lasted just for about a couple of months, culminating with the 1969 / 1970 New Year recording of four sets at the legendary Fillmore East in NY. They would play only one more gig a month later and disband. Regardless of these convoluted circumstances, this album would become one of the cornerstone recordings of the era, inspiring generations of future musicians, as it was visionary and prophetic in every way. The four new songs Hendrix used for this album were beacons of his new musical direction, mixing Rock, Soul, Rhythm And Blues, Jazz and every other form of popular music known to man at the time, foretelling many new genres that were to be born generations later. The performances are truly inspired, with Hendrix playing some of the most amazing guitar sounds ever recorded, and the energetic and tight support of his rhythm section allowed him to stretch out and fly, soar, skyrocket, dive, freefall and do it again and again. This recording is a time capsule, an essential document not only of a sublime artists but of an era, in fact an end of an era, and what more appropriate anthem for the 1960s could be imagined, other then this album? The rest is of course history; in a few months Hendrix would be dead, the follow up studio album still unreleased, and in the 40 years since the time this music was recorded literally hundreds of live Hendrix recordings would appear in legal, semi-legal, bootleg and complete bogus form – proving beyond any reasonable doubt that the spirit of Jimi Hendrix is still among us.

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

JIMI HENDRIX ~ ELECTRIC LADY STUDIOS: A JIMI HENDRIX VISION SONY 194398908427 (Barcode: 194398908427) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2024 This is an archival Box Set, which includes material recorded by the Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist trio with bassist Billy CoxFind albums by this artist and drummer Mitch MitchellFind albums by this artist, captured for posterity in the newly opened Electric Lady Studios in NY between June and August 1970, just before the tragic and unexpected death of Hendrix in September of that year. All the material was recorded and mixed by the legendary studio wizard Eddie KramerFind albums by this artist. The Box Set also includes the documentary “Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision”, which tells the story of creation of the Electric Lady Studios. The Box Set includes three CDs and a BD, and a superb booklet with great photographs and detailed description of each track. It was manufactured in 2021 but the distribution was delayed until 2024 for legal reasons. The 3 CDs present thirty-nine tracks, all bar one previously unreleased. Those are alternate versions, alternate mixes, alternate takes, demos, etc., except for two spontaneous jams, which were just studio time fillers, including a twenty-six minutes long medley. The BD includes the full documentary and twenty newly remixed tracks in 5.1 Surround Sound, which are basically the “First Rays Of The New Rising SunFind albums with this title” album plus three bonus tracks. The performances are as stellar as one might expect from this unearthly trio, and these early moments are especially interesting as all three players were always testing the ground and experimenting. The brilliant virtuosity and originality was all there already, so there is nothing for us but to admire once again the best ever Rock guitar player in action, supported by an unstoppable and incredibly sophisticated rhythm section. Overall, despite the fact that there is no really new material here, as the Hendrix recorded legacy has been truly deeply explored already, this album is an absolute pure gold as far as Rock history is concerned. It does not matter how many Hendrix albums there are already in your collection, this is definitely one of the most fascinating, presenting Hendrix in the studio devoted to create the best music he was able to, a perfectionist to the max.

Updated: 17/03/2025Posted: 17/03/2025

3CD+BD 4 Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JIMI HENDRIX ~ FIRST RAYS OF THE NEW RISING SUN (EXPANDED EDITION) SONY 762168 (Barcode: 886976215828) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1968 - 1970 Released: 2010 This incredible collection of 17 tracks, which were (all except one) recorded by Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist during the months shortly preceding his tragic and untimely death in September 1970, are a best possible reconstruction of the next double LP Jimi planned to release under this title as the follow up to "Electric LadylandFind albums with this title". Most of the work on these tracks was done in the newly constructed Electric Lady studio, which was Jimi´s brainchild and dream. Engineered by Eddie KramerFind albums by this artist, the same sound engineer who recorded all Jimi´s studio material, these songs were never finished and polished to perfection the way Hendrix would have probably made them as their final versions, but we´ll never know how that would have turned out. But under these circumstances, whatever is here in whatever shape or stage of completion, is surely important and essential enough to be cherished and remembered, as is every note Hendrix played during his short life. The music is performed by the usual Hendrix trio Mk II with Billy CoxFind albums by this artist on bass and Mitch MitchellFind albums by this artist on drums, with several other artists appearing on various tracks. Stylistically the music is quite different from the early Jimi Hendrix Experience material, with Jimi pushing constantly to cover more ground away from the Blues influences into more Rhythm And Blues and even Soul influenced music, in a way coming back full circle to the music he used to play in his formative years. But of course his genus guitar work and vocal delivery make whatever style he was playing in less significant, since anything he touched was, and always will be, first and foremost Jimi Hendrix. All these songs were previously released on three posthumous Hendrix albums in 1971 ("The Cry Of LoveFind albums with this title" and "Rainbow BridgeFind albums with this title") and 1972 ("War HeroesFind albums with this title"), but grouped together here they are the first proper treatment of this material. This new edition, newly remastered, adds a specially filmed DVD, which explores the process of creating this music. Essential stuff for body and soul!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted:

CD+DVD 2 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JIMI HENDRIX ~ VALLEYS OF NEPTUNE SONY 764056 (Barcode: 886976405625) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 2010 Holding a new album by Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist, released forty years after his death, is surely an once-in-a-lifetime experience for someone, like me, for whom the music of Hendrix has been the soundtrack of his life. Anything I can say here is completely insignificant in comparison to the anticipation and then the excitement of pushing the play button with this album inside the CD player for the first time. The plethora of posthumous Hendrix albums on the market are all live recordings of various quality and often of almost unlistenable quality, so hearing twelve pristine studio recordings, previously unreleased and mostly previously unheard, is a momentous event for any Rock fan on this planet. The legendary status achieved by Hendrix over the years and the influence of his music, most of which was recorded in a brief three years period, is completely unprecedented in music history. Although Hendrix managed to win an immediate acceptance and massive popularity following the release of his debut album in 1967, his true musical genius came to be appreciated over the years with ever increasing intensity. Generation after generation of musicians and listeners realized that his prophetic musical vision, combining cross-genre idioms and breaking established barriers was eons ahead of its time and remains completely exceptional and solitary in contemporary music history. Most of the music included on this album was recorded by the original Jimi Hendrix ExperienceFind albums by this artist, with Noel ReddingFind albums by this artist on bass and Mitch MitchellFind albums by this artist on drums, between February and September 1969, in an attempt to assemble material for the follow up album to the "Electric LadylandFind albums with this title" masterpiece released the year before. Three tracks feature bassist Billy CoxFind albums by this artist, summoned by Hendrix from the US to replace Redding due to a personal drift between the two, which ultimately led to the demise of Experience and the formation of the Band Of GypsysFind albums by this artist lineup with Buddy MilesFind albums by this artist. Some of the songs included here are known to Hendrix followers in their live versions, but these studio recordings present them in a much more precise and solidified form, which were the basis for future expanded and improvised upon live versions. Unfortunately, as we all know, the follow up album never materialized and with Hendrix tragically dead soon after, this is the closest we are ever going to be able to enjoy and cherish. I´m confident that in time, when all this new material truly sinks in, after repeated listening, it is inevitably bound to become an extension of the glorious Hendrix legacy we are privileged to enjoy due to his timeless, extraordinary genius. Thank you God for being able to experience Hendrix!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend