Four decades after his untimely death, Jimi Hendrix is still releasing music.
Yeah, he’s that good. Actually, his little sister Janie is minding the
store these days, and she keeps uncovering hidden gems and sharing them with
the world. In one interview, she said there’s enough stuff in the vault
to consistently roll out new Hendrix music for another decade or two. Spearheading
the latest Jimi Hendrix reissue campaign is Valleys Of Neptune,
packed with 12 previously unreleased recordings put down over a four-month period
in 1969.
With the Experience fading in his rearview mirror, Hendrix virtually entrenched
himself in the recording studio, tapping into a deep wellspring of creativity
and inspiration. In between seemingly endless jams, the guitarist was constantly
tinkering with blues standards, revising and embellishing his own music, and
writing new material. The countless hours Hendrix spent in the studio underscores
an unparalleled dedication to his craft as a musician and sonic architect. One
can only imagine the possibilities had Hendrix not succumb to the demons that
eventually took his life.
“Stone Free,” which was originally recorded in 1966 with the Jimi
Hendrix Experience and appeared on the flip side of the group’s first
single “Hey Joe,” is totally revamped here with drummer Mitch Mitchell
and bassist Billy Cox. Cut a little closer to the bone, the track is raw, quick
on the draw, and enriched by some intricate fretwork from the master. The chemistry
meshes and coagulates to startling levels of intensity on the title track and
“Bleeding Heart,” an Elmore James blues number featuring drummer
Rocky Isaac. From there, it’s a matter of moving over Rover as the Jimi
Hendrix Experience takes over.
The tensions between bassist Noel Redding and Hendrix appear trite and inconceivable
when the two, along with Mitchell, come out slugging on “Mr. Bad Luck”
(later redeveloped and re-titled “Look Over Yonder”), an instrumental
bust-up of Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love,” a captivating
take of “Lover Man,” and “Ships Passing Through The Night,”
previously unavailable in any form. The visceral versions of “Fire”
and “Red House” simply prove the Experience had more juice in its
tank given the chance; “Lullaby For The Summer” and “Crying
Blue Rain” effectively second that motion.
Sweetly mixed and mastered, Valleys Of Neptune is the melting
polar ice cap on top of a frothing volcano spewing repackaged Jimi Hendrix releases.
Legacy Recordings is going all out with deluxe CD/DVD editions of Are
You Experienced?, Axis: Bold As Love, Electric
Ladyland, and First Rays Of The New Rising Sun.
The CDs are all remastered while the DVDs include “making of” mini-documentaries
directed by Bob Smeaton and feature interviews with Redding, Mitchell, Cox,
original producer Chas Chandler and engineer Eddie Kramer.
A reissued Smash Hits, a compilation originally released in
1968, along with a DVD and Blu-ray Disc of Live At Woodstock,
pretty much seal the deal on all things Hendrix for 2010. But it’s only the
beginning as more anthologies, unreleased live performances, DVDs, Blu-ray Discs,
and even a Rock Band video game are apparently on the way. A new generation
of Hendrix aficionados is in for a very wild ride indeed. Meanwhile, veteran
fans have reason to celebrate and part with their hard-earned dollars. Either
way, it’s anyone’s guess as to when it will ever end. Best you just strap
yourself in and hold on for dear life.
~ Shawn Perry
