The Jimi Hendrix Experience - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (56 tracks) +Album Reviews

30 years later; Jimi still the best!

Brian J Kern | Jacksonville, NC United States | 09/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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 jokes with band members and studio crew and all of this is captured in the set. If you currently have none of Jimi's recordings in your collection, I strongly recommend that you start with this set! Musical highlights of the set are the Hendrix "modified" version of "Purple Haze", the live 1967 version of Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone", Jimi's cover of the Beatles "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and the amazing unreleased version of the classic "Little Wing". My hat is off to Jimi, MCA and Experience Hendrix, 30 years later he is still the best!"

A Feast of Ear Candy

Tony C. | Sevierville, Tennessee United States | 09/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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 Spanish Castle Magic. The stirring instumental cut of Little Wing. I could rave on and on about the treasures in this box. Jimi is the Master of the amplified six string , and his music sounds just as fresh today as it ever has. You can't miss with this one."

Essential rarities for the Hendrix nut

G. Wallace | Hilliard, OH USA | 10/29/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"'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. Hendrix dabblers should stick to the "Experience Hendrix" set and serious listeners should have the three studio disks released while Jimi was alive plus the "First Rays" set. But for those like me who think he may have dropped in from outer space this set is a must. I'm docking it one star for including too many inferior soundalike alternate takes. I don't mean to include several alternate early versions on the final disk, such as "Astro Man" and "Freedom", which are very different from the eventual releases. Of course the guitar playing is astonishing. The man thought with his fingers and he's the most harmonically interesting guitar player I've ever heard in any genre."

Wow! At a loss for words, so just plain.... WOW!

margaritaking | Austin, TX USA | 03/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As mentioned, this is not for the person new to Hendrix. There's plenty of 'greatest hits' packages for that. With that said, if you are a fan you absolutely MUST have this box set. I just got it and it blew me away! Some really incredible guitar as you'd expect from Hendrix. Several tunes that I had not heard before, but are already favorites. An instrumental "Bold as Love", a scorching version of "Room Full of Mirrors", "Catfish Blues" and "Come Down Hard on Me" are just a few of the incredible songs on this set. Like I said, this is for Hendrix fans. Much better than the other collections of odds and ends that are available. This one has mostly polished numbers and great live cuts. I dumped it into my IPod and have been in Hendrix heaven since getting it in the mail. Buy it!! Read the other reviews for more details. I think everyone gave it 5 stars... should be 20 stars since all 4 discs are incredible."

Best Box Set Ever

John | Cleveland, OH | 01/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a big Hendrix fan, and when I first heard of this box set, my expectations were huge. I waited months for it to come out, the anticipation growing so high it seemed impossible for anything to fullfill it. Then it finally was released and I bought it.

On just the first look at the outside of the box, you already know it's gonna be great. It's covered in some kind of rich, purple velvet that looks and feels fantastic. Inside is an 80 page booklet with an essay by Dave Marsh, tons of photos, handwritten lyrics, and at least a paragraph about every song. Each of the four CD's come in it's own CD case.

The music on this set is a treasure trove for any Hendrix fan. Lots of great live tracks, but what steals the show are the amazing alternate takes and never before heard songs. The tracklisting goes pretty much in order from 1967 to Jimi's last recorded song, "Slow Blues", in 1970. Which only reminds you of how much Jimi did in so little time.

Highlights:

Disc One. Outtake of "Third Stone from the Sun". You can hear Jimi and Chas Chandler coming up with the spoken intro, as well as the rest of the song. First ever recording of "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" with Jimi working out the harpsichord part. Live covers of "Rock Me Baby" and "Like a Rolling Stone" are also fantastic.

Disc Two. Instrumental live in the studio "Little Wing". Live cover of "Gloria". Long never before heard blues song "It's Too Bad". And the live in-studio instrumental "Bold as Love", which to me is the best I've ever heard Jimi play. This track alone is worth the price of the set. I can listen to it on repeat all day. Disc two is the one you'll come back to the most along with...

Disc Three. This disc is all live. It feature the best live recordings of "I Don't Live Today", "Roomful of Mirrors", and "Spanish Castle Magic" ever. As well as a "Red House" that is up there too.

Disc Four is where the nonstop greatness falters a little...a VERY little. Highlights are a live "Hey Baby/In from the Storm" medley, some live covers, and all the extremely rarely heard studio recordings of Jimi trying to work out songs for his fourth album.

Overall this box set is nothing short of revelatory to any Hendrix buff. It not only groups together great rare live performances, but shows Jimi's inner working of songs in studio and offers a few original songs never before heard. All thrown into a great box which really isn't expensive as box sets go. You'll be delving through this stuff for a long time. Here's hoping Experience Hendrix continue with their line of quality releases. Now if only Pink Floyd were to give us something like this..."

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