PART 4
Releases 2010
onwards
LIVE AT CLARK
UNIVERSITY
Released 2010 (Sony Legacy)
Side 1: Fire, Red House, Foxy
Lady
Side 2: Purple Haze, Wild Thing
Experience Hendrix respond to
the new found popularity of vinyl with this limited edition release to
commemorate 2010 Record Store Day on April 17, 2010 in the USA.
These are of course the same recordings as the 1999 Dagger Records
release but this time without the 40 minutes of interviews with
the band. That makes two pretty short sides but this is a nice object
for collectors.
THE COVER
A nice use of a ticket and a photo from the gig - 7/10
2 new singles for 2011:
Like A Rolling Stone / Spanish Castle Magic (Sony) - CD single. August 22
As a taster for the up-coming Winterland CD and box-set is this two track CD single. This is the first official release of this version of "Like A Rolling Stone" (from the October 12th 1st show). "Spanish Castle Magic" (from the 2nd show on October 11th - not included in the following Winterland box set!) was only previously on the officially approved Univibes CD "Calling Long Distance" which is very rare, so it's fair to give it "previously unreleased" status here.
+
Johnny B.Goode / Purple Haze (Sony) - 7" vinyl single. August 22
That's the good old Berkeley version of "Johnny B. Goode" (yet again) plus a previously unreleased version of "Purple Haze" from the Winterland October 10th 1968 - 1st show (which is also not included in the Winterland box set pop-pickers!).
HENDRIX IN THE WEST
Released September 2011 (Sony Legacy)
The Queen (IOW), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (IOW), Little Wing (Winterland), Fire (San Diego 69), I Don’t Live Today (San Diego 69), Spanish Castle Magic (San Diego 69), Red House (San Diego 69), Johnny B. Goode (Berkeley), Lover Man (Berkeley), Blue Suede Shoes (Berkeley), Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (San Diego 69)
An unexpected "re-release" (not really) of the classic 70s live compilation, with bonus tracks. The running order is loosly based on the original US track listing (I much prefer the old European running order which opened with the double whammy of "Johnny B. Goode"/"Lover Man", but there you go). On the original release, there were two tracks from the Royal Albert Hall concert of 24 February 1969. At the time of writing, the recordings from that concert (and the 18 February performance) are frozen in a continuing legal disagreement between Experience Hendrix and the surviving Goldstein (one of the film-makers), which is why the whole Royal Albert Hall project (CD/Vinyl/DVD) is still held up!. To remedy this problem, recordings from other concerts are substituted! This is pretty daft as it shifts the context even further away from the original release.
Note that five of the original "In The West" tracks had already been collected together in the MCA 2000 purple box set ("Johnny B. Goode", "Blue Suede Shoes", "Red House" and the superior Royal Albert Hall versions of "Little Wing" and "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)". That box set is off catalogue since the switch to Sony.
So this new compilation is really a sort of fusion of "Hendrix In The West" and "Stages 69" (San Diego Sports Arena) as four extra tracks from the latter are included. It's a shame they used those San Diego tracks here as a complete concert release of that performance with the new Eddie Kramer mix would have been worthwhile. The substitute "Little Wing" is from the Winterland (it's also on both the Winterland releases below!). It's great but doesn't quite match the beauty of the Albert Hall recording.
I don't really understand the logic of this release, either in marketing or creative terms, coming as it does at the same time as the new Winterland releases. What are they thinking?
All of this material has been previously released in some form or other but this is an exciting compilation (maybe I should really put it on the Compilations page?).
Here is a breakdown of the sources:
The Queen/Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Isle of Wight, August 30, 1970) - previously on "Hendrix In The West", "Isle Of Wight", "Blue Wild Angel"
Little Wing (Winterland, October 12, 1968 - 2nd Show) - previously on "Jimi Hendrix Concerts" and also on both of the following Winterland releases!
Fire (San Diego Sports Arena, May 24, 1969) - previously on "Stages 69"
I Don’t Live Today (San Diego Sports Arena, May 24, 1969) - previously on "Jimi Hendrix Concerts", "Kiss The Sky" and "Stages 69"
Red House (San Diego Sports Arena, May 24, 1969) - previously on "Hendrix In The West", "Stages 69", MCA box set
Johnny B. Goode (Berkeley Community Theatre, May 30, 1970 - 1st Show) - previously on "Hendrix In The West", MCA box set
Lover Man (Berkeley Community Theatre, May 30, 1970 - 2nd Show) - previously on "Hendrix In The West", "Live At Berkeley"
Blue Suede Shoes (Berkeley Community Theatre, May 30, 1970 - soundcheck) - previously on "Hendrix In The West", MCA box set
Spanish Castle Magic (San Diego Sports Arena, May 24, 1969) - previously on "Stages 69"
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (San Diego Sports Arena, May 24, 1969) - previously on "Stages 69"
> An error on some pages of the booklet has the San Diego concert down for the May 25. The same error had been made in the MCA 2000 box!
THE COVER
A great photo by top rock photographer Jim Marshall of Jimi on stage at... the Winterland (just to add to the general confusion!) - 9/10
Another blue shirt WInterland photo was used for the above single and the 2001 "Voodoo Chile" compilation
WINTERLAND (1 CD version)
Released September 2011 (Sony Legacy)
Fire (Oct. 12th-1st show), Foxy Lady (12th-2nd), Like A Rolling Stone (12th-1st), Hey Joe (11th-2nd), Hear My Train A Comin' (10th-2nd), Sunshine Of Your Love (10th-2nd), Little Wing (12th-2nd), Are You Experienced (10th-1st), Manic Depression (12th-2nd), Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) (10th-1st), Purple Haze (11th-2nd)
Rather overshadowed by the Winterland box set below comes also this superb single "Best Of" or "highlights" CD and what a fantastic Experience live album it is. It fuses together tracks that were previously featured on "Jimi Hendrix Concerts" and "Live At Winterland" plus three previously unreleased recordings which are also in the box set below (which was released at the same time). That "Little Wing" is also on the above "In The West" album! Bonkers.
Fire, Hear My Train A Comin', Little Wing, Are You Experienced, Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) - previously on Jimi Hendrix Concerts
Sunshine Of Your Love, Manic Depression - previously on Live At Winterland
THE COVER
A bit over the top but I like it! - 8/10
Release September 2011 (Sony)
DISC 1: 10 Oct 68 2nd show (except where shown), - Tax Free, Lover Man, Sunshine of Your Love (1), Hear My Train A Comin’ (2), Killing Floor (3), Foxy Lady (1st Show), Hey Joe, Star Spangled Banner (hybrid of Oct.10th/11th performances), Purple Haze
DISC 2: 11 Oct 68 2nd show (except where shown), - Tax Free (4), Like a Rolling Stone (5), Lover Man, Hey Joe, Fire (6), Foxy Lady (7), Are You Experienced (1st Show) (8), Red House (1st Show) (9), Purple Haze
DISC 3: 12 Oct 68 2nd show (except where shown), - Fire (1st Show) (10), Lover Man (1st Show), Like a Rolling Stone (1st Show), Manic Depression (11), Sunshine of Your Love, Little Wing (12) , Spanish Castle Magic (13), Red House , Hey Joe (1st Show) (14), Purple Haze (1st Show)(15), Wild Thing (1st Show) (16)
DISC 4: Foxy Lady (12th-/2nd), Are You Experienced (10th-1st) (17), Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (10th-1st) (18), Red House (10th-1st) (19), Star Spangled Banner (11th-1st), Purple Haze (11th-1st), + 19 min Backstage interview (Framingham 1968)
Outer bonus disc included for some
distributors: Killing
Floor , Red House
,Catfish Blues and Dear Mr. Fantasy (Parts 1 & 2) - previously on
the Dagger CD
"Paris 67/San Francisco 68" - see below.
So that's 16 previously unreleased tracks.
The other 19 tracks were previously available on the following albums
(with different mixes and with lengths).
(1) Live At Winterland
(2) Jimi Hendrix Concerts
(3) Live At Winterland
(4) Live At Winterland
(5) Winterland +3
(6) Live At Winterland
(7) Live At Winterland
(8) Winterland +3 (but without Virgil Gonsalves flute)
(9) Winterland +3
(10) Jimi Hendrix Concerts & Voodoo Child compilation
(11) Live At Winterland
(12) Jimi Hendrix Concerts & the new Hendrix In The West album
(13) Live At Winterland
(14) Live At Winterland & Voodoo Child compilation
(15) Live At Winterland
(16) Live At Winterland & Jimi Hendrix Concerts
(17) Jimi Hendrix Concerts
(18) Jimi Hendrix Concerts
(19) Red House: Variations on A Theme
+ The CD single tracks:
Like A Rolling Stone (12th/1st) / Spanish Castle
Magic
(11th/2nd) (20) - This "Spanish Castle Magic) is not included in the
box set
+ The vinyl single
(B-side of Johnny B.Goode):
Purple
Haze (10th/1st)
- This "Purple Haze" is not included in the box set
Experience Hendrix are aware that the fans are very frustrated by the delay of the Royal Albert Hall CD/DVD (which is not their fault I must stress) so as ample compensation comes this Winterland box set! This has been promised for some time from the Estate and it's great to see it finally in the shops.
Not absolutely all of the songs performed at the shows but certainly the best of of them. Many tracks were of course previously featured on the Alan Douglas produced albums "Jimi Hendrix Concerts" and "Live At Winterland" back in the 80s but there is much more here and it's great to hear all this with Eddie Kramer's new mix and production. The atmospheric reverb that Alan Douglas had applied to his 80s releases is not present here, giving a cleaner, in-your-face sound.
This new collection really is a treat but many fans have expressed their disappointment that the complete shows are not featured this time. I personnaly prefer to hear 4 neat CDs rather than a warts and all approach with amp trouble, tuning problems or poor renditions. That said, I do not want heavily edited sections of good playing and unfortunately some of that has been going on here.
CD1 October 10th - mostly the 2nd show
Nearly all of the first set is present in this box set but most of it is on CD4! So straight in, one is a little disorientated. Perhaps Experience Hendrix thought that it wasn't a good idea to open with previously released tracks of the first show. This is a shame as Jimi had ceremoniously kicked off the six show residency with that fantastic "Are You Experienced" (featured on "JH Concerts") which ends up lost in the middle of CD4 here.
So the box begins with the second show of the evening, and as if the pause between shows was but an interlude, the band continue on with a mammoth 13 minute exploration around "Tax Free". It's a great version and wonderful to hear Jimi and the guys taking off, just to see where it goes. About eight minutes in, Mitch goes into a solo, before Jimi brings it back together with style. A terrific "Lover Man" takes us then into that solid "Sunshine Of Your Love" that was on "Live At Winterland" where Noel does his thang with a moody and fuzzy bass solo while Jimi supports with funky rhythm chops until he comes back in with the "Outside Woman Blues" riff and general madness. Like with the old album, this version omits about 30 seconds of the recording.
Then comes the fantastic "Hear My Train" that we know from "Jimi Hendrix Concerts" but this time in its unedited form. This gives us the part where Jimi scat-sings in parallel to his guitar and a little off-key (which is why Alan Douglas chopped it out!).
"Killing Floor" (another old "Live In Winterland" favorite) follows as the band are joined onstage by bassist Jack Cassidy of Jefferson Airplane, who plugged into the same amp as Noel. Jimi leaves Jack the space to solo here and there, which doesn't quite come off (not easy for bass players to stand out as soloists) but overall it's a great rocking version of the song and a departure from the more concise version that we cherish from Monterey. This version is a little shorter than the previous official version.
Next up is the "Foxy Lady" from the first set (messy compiling) and Jimi's guitar is a little out of tune ("I'm out of tune but hell...") however he still pulls off a killer version featuring an absolutely fabulous central solo. Back to the second show of the night again with Cassidy still present for a convincing "Hey Joe" on automatic pilot complete with a neat tooth picked solo at the end.
Jimi then goes into "This Is America" and it's interesting to hear how he ambitiously intended this to be an impression of all that is America, through sound. It begins with the type of prelude that he often used as the build up to his show stopping "Purple Haze" or "Wild Thing" through 1967 and early '68. He makes every noise he can think of for over three minutes, painting a giant tapestry of sound (in which there is a quick nod to Eddie Cochran's "20 Flight Rock"), then he drifts into "The Star Spangled Banner" with Mitch supplying great support and it all logically segues into a rather sluggish "Purple Haze" with tuning problems and forgotten words. This version of "This Is America/SSB" is in fact a hybrid edit of the versions from the 10th and 11th (not something that I really appreciate).
CD2 - October 11th - mostly the 2nd show
We also begin here with the second show for some curious reason and it's "Tax Free" again, which follows a similar path to the version of the night before. This is the performance that was on "Live At Winterland" and like on that album, Kramer has edited out the long (and inspired) improvised jam from Mitch and Noel while Jimi had amp trouble.
The band are then joined on-stage by Herbie Rich of the Electric Flag and they go into an epic "Like A Rolling Stone" which features a beautiful long guitar intro from Jimi. Previously heard on "Winterland +3" this is more developed than the infamous Monterey version and I much prefer it with its more relaxed approach. Rich's organ was unfortunately out of tune (as the bootlegs cruelly reveal) but Kramer has made a good job of subduing him in the most painful moments and what remains does add a more dramatic and Dylanesque tone to the performance. Jimi's guitar also drifts out of tune at the close unfortunately. On "Winterland +3" Alan Dougles had in fact edited out Rich's organ on that song. The organist continues with the band through a strong "Lover Man" but has his painful solo thankfully edited out by Kramer for this box set. The organ on "Hey Joe" is also mixed way down but works in quite nicely in parts although some ugly screeching does creep in towards the end of the song and also in parts of the following songs "Fire" and "Foxy Lady" (which were both on "Live In Winterland" without the organ). The band are back to a trio for the final "Purple Haze" but before that song we have two numbers from the first show. First comes a fantastic "Are You Experienced" which develops into a jam with Virgil Gonsalves on flute. Alan Douglas had edited out the flute on the mix that appeared on "Winterland +3" but had at least left in Jimi's beautiful overture which is brutally cut out here! A scandalous omission. Gonsalves flute is thankfully present this time around but is held back in the mix, leaving Jimi's rhythmic strumming up front, which is rather silly. The jam has also been edited down here (about four minutes are missing) which is again a shame, but when Jimi comes back in, he's just awesome. "Red House" (also on "Winterland +3") follows and it's a terrific version with a passionate vocal.
CD3 - October 12th - tracks from both shows
This disc opens and closes with songs from the first show of the last night with five songs from the second show in the middle and this is perhaps the best of the four CDs in the pack. The first three impeccable songs of the first set open the proceedings: the great "Fire" (which we remember as the thrilling "Live At Winterland" opener) , another killer "Lover Man" and a "Like A Rolling Stone" which is even better than the October 11th version and was a CD single in parallel to this collection.
Into the second set with that fabulous and rarely played "Manic Depression" (also on "Live At Winterland"). Interesting to note that on "Sunshine Of Your Love" we hear the humorous spoken introduction from Jimi with the actual song performance that followed it (and not the October 10th version that followed the spoken intro on "Live At Winterland").
The nice "Little Wing" was on "JH Concerts", "SCM" was on "Live At Winterland" (the amp trouble is much more evident here) then we have the previously unreleased "Red House" complete with Jimi's apology for the faulty sound system. It's far from the best "Red House" we've heard but has some lovely moments as usual. Unfortunatly again, the performance is edited down, losing a good two and a half minutes! The CD closes with the final three songs of the early evening show (all three were on "Live At Winterland").
"Bonus" CD4 - various tracks from each night
No this is not a bonus offering of the February 68 Fillmore (or was it Winterland?) show, this last CD of the box features choice tracks from all three nights, which didn't fit on the other three discs. The new "Foxy Lady"(from the last show) loses about 40 seconds of Jimi's long intro. Then come the three performances with which Jimi had so monumentally opened the Winterland residency on October 10th, namely: "Are You Experienced", "Voodoo Chile Slight Return", "Red House", before we get the other suite of "This Is America/SSB/Purple Haze" from the early evening show of the 11th (however Jimi's intro chat is from the 10th! Aaargh!). Older fans will recognise there, Jimi's citation of the "Bonanza" TV series theme tune during the feedback sound-painting that is "This Is America".
The disc closes with an interesting interview which (according to the December issue of Univibes - thanks Caesar!) was not recorded at Boston Gardens (as the cover says) but in a trailer at the back of the Carousel Theatre in Framingham, Massachusettes on August 25, 1968. The interview was conducted by Ted Scourtis for the underground magazine "New England Scene" who published it (with many errors apparently) in issue #15 of November 1968. You can hear Noel Redding strumming away on acoustic guitar in the background and it's an interesting interview (as always) but it's a shame that these precious 19 minutes of CD/vinyl space wasn't used for more music! It's not as if one keeps going back to listen again and again to an interview.
So all in all, despite all the annoying flaws, this is a great box set with fantastic sound quality and some simply awesome music from The Jimi Hendrix Experience (but don't disgard your bootlegs of the complete shows).
Also
released as an 8 LP box
set.
Oct 10 68 Oct 11 68
THE WINTERLAND SET LISTS & SOURCES:
1st show:
Are You
Experienced*, Voodoo
Child*, Red House*,
Foxy Lady*, Like A Rolling
Stone, This is America* ,Purple Haze**
2nd show:
Tax Free*, Lover Man*, Sunshine
Of your Love*, Hear
my Train A Comin*, Killing Floor*, Hey Joe*, This is America*, Purple Haze*
1st show:
Are You
Experienced*, Voodoo
Chile, Red House*,
Foxy Lady, Star Spangled Banner*, Purple Haze*
2nd show:
Tax Free*, Spanish Castle Magic, Like
A Rolling Stone*, Lover
Man*, Hey Joe*, Fire*, Foxy Lady*, Purple Haze*
1st show:
Fire*, Lover Man*, Like A Rolling Stone*,
Foxy Lady, Tax Free, Hey
Joe*, Purple Haze*, Wild Thing*
2nd show:
Foxy Lady*, Manic
Depression*, Sunshine
of your Love*, Little
Wing*, Spanish Castle Magic*, Red House*, Voodoo Chile, This is
America, Purple Haze
Jimi
Hendrix Concerts
("Fire" also on Voodoo Chile
compilation and "Little Wing" also on the new In The West)
Live
At Winterland ("Hey Joe" also on Voodoo Chile
compilation)
Winterland
+3
Calling
Long Distance + 2011 CD single
Red House: Variations
On A Theme
Winterland
(2011 one CD version) - all the underlined tracks
* Winterland box
set
** Flip-side of "Johnny B. Goode" vinyl single
October 10th - 1st show:
Like A Rolling Stone - unofficial sources
Purple Haze (Flip-side of "Johnny B. Goode" vinyl single
October 11th - 1st show:
Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) - Winterland +3
Foxy Lady - unofficial sources
October 11th - 2nd show:
Spanish Castle Magic - Track 2 of 2011 CD single
October 12th - 1st show:
Foxy Lady - unofficial sources
Tax Free - unofficial sources
October 12th - 2nd show:
Voodoo Chile - unofficial sources
This Is America/Star Spangled Banner - unofficial sources
Purple Haze - unofficial sources
> The entire shows have been in the shops before of course on the unnofficial "3 Nights At Winterland" from Reclamation Records but that is said to have been sourced from MP3s of simple soundboard and audience recordings (to be confirmed).
Free CD through certain distributors :
SAN FRANCISCO 1968 - bonus disc with the Winterland CD box set*
Release September 2011 (Dagger)
Killing Floor , Red House , Catfish Blues and Dear Mr. Fantasy (Parts 1 & 2)
This is nice little gift from Experience Hendrix to the fans who don't already have the Dagger CD "Paris 67/San Francisco 68" from which these tracks are taken.
This was recorded at the Fillmore West, San Francisco on February 4th, 1968. The original 2003 Dagger CD featured one extra track, "Purple Haze" but it was incomplete, missing the very end of the song, so this must be why they decided to drop it here, to keep things neat for a regular industry distribution.
*Only available through certain distribution channels.
THE COVER
This is a simple cardboard sleeve and that must be Jimi in action at the Fillmore West. Nice. - 8/10
Coming later ?
Albert Hall 69 ? - Unfortunately the above Winterland and In The West releases will somewhat deaden the market for a while as far as live Hendrix is concerned (though not for us die-hard fans of course).
Miami 68 ?? - Film of the two concerts played that day have been restored, so we can expect a DVD/CD release in the future. Watch this space.
> TO SUMMARY OF OFFICIAL LIVE SOURCES
SEE ALSO > UNOFFICIAL RELEASES
