Hendrix – Songs For Groovy Children The Fillmore Concerts – Sony/Legacy 19075982761/Experience Hendrix Limited Edition Numbered Box Set 8 LPs + 32-page booklet, 315:00 *****:
(Jimi Hendrix – guitar, vocals; Buddy Miles – drums, vocals; Billy Cox – bass, backing vocals)
Jimmy Hendrix was an icon of 60’s Rock Music, a veritable touchstone. The ex-service man from Seattle moved to Tennessee to play the chitlin’ circuit .He managed brief stints with The Isley Brothers and Little Richard. Jimi moved to England and joined forces with Animal bassist, Chas Chandler. Hendrix formed the earth-shaking trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Their first album, Are You Experienced yielded two hits in England, ”Hey Joe” and “Purple Haze” Overall the album shot to # 5 on the U.K. Billboard 200. Hendrix’s sonic assault shook up rock music, with psychedelic blues inflections and studio-inspired instrumental effects that produced a new, unique sound. This included prominent “backwards” guitar and drums, and experimental post-modern soundscapes. More importantly, Hendrix earned the deep adoration and support from British Rock Royalty, including The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Cream And The Who. The general American public would experience the Hendrix supernova in 1969. The guitarist blew away the mellow audiences at The Monterey Pop Festival withy an incendiary performance. The incendiary label became literal as Hendrix, in bravado showmanship, incinerated his guitar on stage. He proceeded to release two more seminal albums, Axis Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland. His live performances became legendary for their genre-bending stylizations and bold aural creativity. Not surprisingly, Jimi Hendrix was asked to close the greatest music festival of all time, Woodstock (1969). His set included an ear-splitting cover of “The Star Spangled Banner”. Just as with Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and The Beatles, rock was never the same again.
Sony/Legacy Recordings has released a Limited Edition vinyl box set of Jimi Hendrix performing with the Band Of Gypsys, Songs For Groovy Children. Using the original Wally Heider recordings, the two-night, four set Fillmore East New Year concert (presented sequentially) have been re-engineered by Eddie Kramer and mastered by Bernie Grudman. It is an amazing 43-song collection on eight 180-gram discs. It is clear that this version of a Hendrix power trio is more streamlined and focused on rocking blues. They storm through the four sets that include a lot of material not commercially released. Songs like “Power Of Soul”, “Message To Love”, “Lover Man” and “Ezy Rider” are gritty and unrelenting with explosive guitar tones and instrumental prowess. There are socio-political references (“Izabella”, “Machine Gun”) and rock-infused Delta (“Hear My Train A Comin’”). Buddy Miles is a huge addition adding complementary vocals and singing lead on the funk-driven, ”Changes”, and the hard-edged “Stop”. While the blues is at the core of this performance, there are many spine-tingling rock moments. As the second set opens, the weird strains of what appears to be Guy Lombardo and The Royal Canadians playing “Auld Lang Syne” waft through the concert hall. Immediately after, Hendrix redefines the tune in guitar pyrotechnics like his “Star Spangled Banner” reinvention at Woodstock. Then, a mostly instrumental number “Who Knows” combines a soulful groove with ear-piercing rock aesthetics. Only then, does a Hendrix hit (“Fire”) appear.
Jimi Hendrix, by Tomtall
In keeping with the spontaneous creation of the trio, there is some reticence toward Jimi Hendrix Experience hits. But, the December 31st 2nd set includes spirited renditions of “Stone Free”, “Fire” and “Foxey Lady”. On January 1st, “Foxey Lady” gets moved up to the 1st set, while the 2nd set includes “Stone Free”. A certain highlight is the “bring down the house” set and encore. An exhilarating and mind-numbing version of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”, with expansive guitar and voice effects, is vintage Jimi. The last album side features “Wild Thing” (which is emblematic of Hendrix’s uncanny artistic vision to transform a simple pop song into sonic rock history), and “Hey Joe” (the song that started it all). The anthemic “Purple Haze” closes out the mesmerizing performance.
This lavish vinyl box set captures the adventurous musical vision of Jimi Hendrix. He seems comfortable in this new trio, and the jams never ramble into excessive free-form psychedelia. Over five hours of music with reprised numbers are crisp, and never perfunctory. The quality of the re-mastered 180-gram vinyl is exceptional. The intense searing guitar effects are represented evenly. A good set of stereo headphones would be a definitive way to appreciate the re-mastered sound. There is jaggedness, but also fluidity in Hendrix’s guitar tones. Cox’s bass and Miles’ drums anchor the bottom end of the mix with precision and superb volume control (kudos to Heider’s mic placement). The box packaging is striking with enlarged painted ticket stubs (that stand out for their $6 price). There is a full-size 32-page booklet with a heartwarming, reflective essay from long-time Hendrix friend Nelson George and a reminiscence by Billy Cox. There are several color and black & white photographs of the legendary show and reproduced posters from the Fillmore East. Other details like state-of-the-art protective inner record sleeves contribute to the high quality production of this collector’s item.
Jimi Hendrix – Songs For Groovy Children is a riveting piece of rock history. It is also available as a 5-CD box.
TrackList:
Disc One:
Side One: Power Of Soul; Lover Man; Hear My Train A Comin’
Side Two: Changes; Izabella; Machine Gun
Disc Two:
Side One: Stop; Ezy Rider; Bleeding Heart
Side Two: Earth Blues; Burning Desire
Disc Three:
Side One: Auld Lang Syne; Who Knows; Fire
Side Two: Ezy Rider; Machine Gun
Disc Four:
Side One: Stone Free; Changes
Side Two: Message To Love; Stop Foxey Lady
Disc Five:
Side One; Who Knows; Machine Gun;
Side Two: Changes; Power Of Soul; Stepping Stone; Foxey Lady
Disc Six:
Side One: Stop; Earth Blues; Burning Desire
Side Two: Stone Free; Power Of Soul
Disc Seven:
Side One: Changes; Message To Love
Side Two: Machine Gun; Lover Man; Steal Away
Disc Eight:
Side One: Earth Blues; Voodoo Chile (Slight Return); We Gotta Live Together
Side Two: Wild Thing; Hey Joe; Purple Haze
—Robbie Gerson
