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 ~ 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

CARLOS SANTANA / BUDDY MILES ~ LIVE! COLUMBIA 478089 (Barcode: 5099747808920) ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1972 Released: 1995 By the end of 1971 the "Woodstock Era" version of the group SantanaFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist Carlos SantanaFind albums by this artist, was over and the leader decided to search for a new path for his artistic experimentations, which would bring him much closer to Jazz, Fusion and improvisation in general. After recording three brilliant albums, which defined Latin Rock as a genre, Carlos was looking for new musicians to form the second incarnation of Santana, which would be quite different, as we know in retrospect. In the interim period, which lasted just a few short months, Santana joined forces with drummer Buddy MilesFind albums by this artist (ex-Electric FlagFind albums by this artist, ex-Jimmy HendrixFind albums by this artist) creating a band, which played several live concerts, one of which was recorded for posterity and released as this album. The musicians comprise of several members of Santana, including the young guitarist Neal SchonFind albums by this artist, en extended percussion section with the best Latin players and a brass section. The resulting music, although hectic at times, is a great example of greatly talented musicians in process of searching new ways to mix Rock with the improvisational elements. The expanded improvised piece (almost 25 minutes long, which was side B of the original LP) is the most important and obviously the most advanced achievement of this meeting, sounding absolutely nothing like anything else at the time. In retrospect this stuff still sounds fascinating forty years later. A must to all Santana fans and wholeheartedly recommended!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend