When Jimi Hendrix passed away in 1970, he left behind a litany of valuables including his guitars, his flashy clothing and…Electric Lady Studios. Over the course of a couple months, the guitarist logged in as many hours as he could at Electric Lady before leaving on tour for Europe, never to return. The triple-CD, single Blu-ray Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision box set collects much of the music Hendrix recorded at the studio, while the included documentary with the same name tells the story of how Hendrix’s vision of Electric Lady Studios became a reality.
The Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision documentary, which enjoyed a brief theatrical run, is on the Blu-ray bundled with the CDs. Producer Eddie Kramer does much of the talking, as he’s the one who convinced Hendrix that a recording studio would be far more lucrative and inspiring than the planned nightclub. Other participants, including architect John Storyk, studio manager Jim Marron, and several Electric Lady engineers and staff members, all played a part in bringing the state-of-the-art studio to life. Even after Hendrix’s death, Electric Lady continued to thrive with clients like Carly Simon, Stevie Wonder, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. To this day, it remains one of the most in-demand recording studios in the world. Much of the details of the film, as well as the names of the studio’s wide spectrum of patrons, photos of its construction, even blueprints, appear in the 47-page book that comes in the set.
Hi-resolution audiophiles will relish the Blu-ray’s 5.1 surround sound mix of the entire First Rays Of The New Rising Sun album plus three bonus tracks — “Valleys Of Neptune,” “Pali Gap,” and “Lover Man” — all featuring Hendrix, bassist Billy Cox, and drummer Mitch Mitchell. If only the guitarist himself could have experienced the aural spaces this mix opens up. Thirty-nine previously unreleased (except for one) takes, mixes, demos, alternates, extended jams, and whatever else they could find comprise the three CDs.
You’ll hear Hendrix call the shots while the band stops and starts through “Drifter’s Escape,” and marvel as the players circle around “The Long Medley,” all while offering a rare glimpse into the working process. Elsewhere, the demo for “Heaven Has No Sorrow” and an alternative take of “Angel” are clear indications that Hendrix’s innate gift for songwriting and arrangement was transcending the pyrotechnics. With Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, Experience Hendrix and Legacy Recordings have once again peeled back another layer of the fabled guitarist’s immeasurable talents and inimitable story.
~ Shawn Perry
