essential rarities for the Hendrix nut, October 29, 2000

4 c.d.s , 56 rare or unreleased recordings, an 80 page color booklet with great photos and liner notes. All wrapped in a purple velvet box fit for the King of the electric guitar. This is the Gem of the Hendrix posthumous releases. The early live cuts from only the 4th live appearance show that the chemistry was there from the start. The cuts from the long out of print In The West L.P. alone make this an essential purchase. Little Wing live from the Albert Hall tops the studio version. Red House live from San Diego is as close as there is to a definitive version of Jimis' blues classic. Voodoo Child(slight return) live with no studio gimmicks is Stunning. The Chuck Berry classic Johnny B. Goode is given a royal workout by the Experience. I was amazed when I saw the live concert film Jimi Plays Berkley to see it was Jimi alone. It just doesnt get any better than this. A great studio cut of The Star Spangled Banner, a rousing Hear My Train A Comin' and...

30 years almost to the week of the death of legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix, MCA & Experience Hendrix release the first 4 disc box set "The Jimi Hendrix Experience". Almost immediately after removing the set from it's wrappings and feeling the velvet textured purple box cover you can tell that this set was done with an exacting attention to detail. All of the four disc's jewel cases are loaded with rare photo's of Jimi and the band. The 79 page book that is provided with the set is filled once again with rare photo's and unique perspectives into the magic that was Jimi performing. The 56 songs included in the set are all either previously unreleased studio versions or unreleased live versions all have been lovingly remastered by long-time Hendrix studio engineer Eddie Kramer. The sound was like these recordings had just been made, not 25 to 30 years ago! There is a great deal of Jimi's playful spirit in the studio shown throughout the disc's as he...

'South Saturn Delta' was the first disk of Hendrix rarities released by his sister and Eddie Kramer in their effort to restore the Hendrix catalog. Here are four more disks in a similar vein. While critics often scorned posthumous Hendrix releases after 'Cry of Love', most Hendrix fans could name tracks on those releases that were big favorites. I would consider "Like a Rolling Stone", "Star-Spangled Banner", and "Message of Love" essential Hendrix recordings. Tracks I hadn't heard that really knocked me out include an early version of "Little Wing", an instrumental early version of "Bold as Love" and a long blues improvisation "Country Blues". Nearly all the live tracks included in the set are of high quality, from the late 1966 show in Paris to 1970 Isle of Wight and Maui.