Hendrix's writing and playing continued to progress well after Chandler left. Electric Ladyland is not rot and Chandler left during those sessions. His problem was that Jimi wasn't going in the direction Chas wanted.
Hendrix's writing and playing continued to progress well after Chandler left. Electric Ladyland is not rot and Chandler left during those sessions. His problem was that Jimi wasn't going in the direction Chas wanted.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
I couldn't agree more. No rot had set in, the Cry of Love tour recordings are testament to this. Jimi's playing had matured and there were no wrecked strats, it was about the music, not the stage act. I have an extensive Hendrix bootleg collection and find my self more often than not listening to the 1970s shows.
Nothing like Hendrix around ever.
Band of Gypsys - masterpiece !
Parts of the studio stuff that was released after his death (cry of love, rainbow bridge, war heroes) - outstanding!
Interesting to hear him jam with Larry Young on Nine to the universe. If anybody died to early... !!!!!!
To me, "Axis: Bold as Love" was the pinnacle of Jimi's songwriting prowess. I love "Electric Ladyland" too and it had some great tunes on it, but I think it focused more on his playing and less on his song craft. Not complaining, mind you!
... which was all culled from what was supposed to be his fourth studio (double) album, "First Rays of the New Rising Sun," finally released as was originally intended in '97. It was largely a return to his r&b roots and there's a decent portion of good stuff, but without Hendrix's input on the mixing and production, it probably pales in comparison to what it would've been. At any rate, I feel pretty certain that the whole r&b thing was a phase and Jimi would've moved on in other musical directions, the likes of which we can only imagine. His untimely death was one of the greatest tragedies in the history of rock music.
Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?
Agreed. My personal favorite. But Chas Chandler was still on board then and, apparently the so-called "rot" started with "Electric Ladyland."
FRotNS is still great, though. A lot of those songs were, in fact, complete.
I think Jimi was going in more than one direction. Jamming with the likes of Larry Young and McLaughlin certainly showed his jazz leanings. Buddy Miles et. al showed his funk leanings.
It's all there. Look at songs like "Dolly Dagger" (jazzy) and "Izabella" (funky). Add in his blues roots and you have Jimi.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
Yeah, Axis is his most sustained, cohesive effort with regard to the writing, arranging, and execution. His growing ear for and command of the sonic potential of the studio--"produced and directed by..."--marks the real advance on EL, the unsung "House Burning Down" being exemplary.
This a probably a fair assessment."First Rays of the New Rising Sun," finally released as was originally intended in '97. It was largely a return to his r&b roots and there's a decent portion of good stuff, but without Hendrix's input on the mixing and production, it probably pales in comparison to what it would've been.
Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes
Just listened to The Essential collection (not sure who released this double set) and I guess it always sticks out but the opening riff for Dolly Dagger is identical to the opening riff for Elected (Alice Cooper).. surprised Michael Bruce or Glenn Buxton (who ever wrote that song) didn't take a bit of flack for the direct lift..
While I love Electric Ladyland, I think it suffers from "double album sprawl", by that I mean there's 3 solid sides worth of songs and a 4th side's worth of stuff that could probably have been left off *cough* Noel Redding's awful song *cough*.
A buddy and I took a road trip to Las Vegas last year to see MUSE (who were incredible) and we cranked up Machine Gun from the Band of Gypsys album. That solo is.....is......easily one of the greatest guitar solos ever recorded. After the song was over, we turned off the CD player and I said "What's amazing about that solo is that just when you think it can't get any more insane and intense, it gets more insane and intense". We then put on this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Baggy's_Rehearsal_Sessions
It was the first time I heard it and I really liked it a lot, it made the quick demise of the Band of Gypsys even more baffling and sad.
...or you could love
[QUOTE] Machine Gun from the Band of Gypsys album. That solo is.....is......easily one of the greatest guitar solos ever recorded. After the song was over, we turned off the CD player and I said "What's amazing about that solo is that just when you think it can't get any more insane and intense, it gets more insane and intense". QUOTE]
In 1974, on a complete whim, I bought this album a few months after I started tinkering around with the GTR...right after this song was over, I ran down stairs and asked my Mom if I could have GTR lessons. She said OK and the rest, as they say, is history...
I think it was more about Chas losing control in the production room. He, apparently, thought Jimi spent too much time with his songs and was letting too many people into the studio.
If Chas would have stayed, I'm not sure Electric Ladyland, as we know it, would have happened, because he was impatient with Jimi's experimenting.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
A new forum member might be somewhat flabbergasted to see a thread entitled "Hendrix with the monkees photo" running to three pages.
I prefer that picture 10250112_10152410228559467_5748076482644410678_n.jpg
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
I prefer the picture of Jimi and the two topless blonde lasses but that's just the way I roll.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
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