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Jimi Hendrix Archive

Mumpbeak – Tooth – RareNoise

by Audiophile Audition | Nov 19, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews, Pop/Rock/World CD Reviews

Mumpbeak – Tooth [TrackList follows] – RareNoise RNR078, 41:43 [5/26/17] ****: Is it jazz? Is it progressive rock? It’s definitely Mumpbeak. (Roy Powell – Hohner clavinet, Moog Little Phatty, Hammond organ, tubular bells; Lorenzo Feliciati – bass; Torstein Lofthus – drums) What’s a Mumpbeak? Despite the title, it’s not some fantastical bird. Mumpbeak is the Oslo, Norway-based prog-rock/jazz fusion instrumental power trio led by keyboardist Roy Powell with bassist Lorenzo Feliciati and newest member, drummer Torstein Lofthus. Feliciati has issued solo projects; Powell and Feliciati are in jazz-rock ensemble Naked Truth; Powell is also in the genre-defying trio Interstatic; and Lofthus drums for avant-garde group Shining and the psychedelic prog-rock/jazz trio Elephant 9. Mumpbeak crafts a kind of niche music, which blends classic progressive rock akin to Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Van Der Graaf Generator alongside forays into jazz comparable to Miles Davis’ early ‘70s material. Mumpbeak’s 41-minute sophomore release, Tooth, was issued as a CD Digipak, a limited-edition single blue vinyl LP (2×180 grams) and a digital download album. This review refers to the CD version. Roy Powell Powell favors a heavily-effected, guitar-sounding clavinet. “I play a stock Hohner E7 clavinet into a series of guitar effects pedals […]

Easy Rider Soundtrack – Dunhill Records

by Audiophile Audition | Oct 4, 2017 | Pop/Rock/World CD Reviews

Easy Rider Soundtrack – Dunhill Records DSX 50063 (1969)/MVD Audio MVD8151LP (2017) – stereo vinyl, 37:38 ****: (Featuring the music of Steppenwolf; Smith; The Birds; The Holy Modal Rounders; Fraternity Of Man; The Jimi Hendrix Experience; The Electric Prunes; and Roger McGuinn) As the 1960’s cinema evolved, the anti-hero dominated the narratives. Movies like Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, Bonnie And Clyde, Hud, and Midnight Cowboy examined the social mores (of the absence) of the counterculture. But it took a long time to shed a light on the peculiar “Hippie” movement. Mike Nichols’ The Graduate was a shrewd glimpse into the angst of suburban disaffection. But in 1969, Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda tackled the complex, idyllic world of sex drugs and rock and roll in Easy Rider. With a meager budget (allegedly around $60,000) , the saga of two dope dealers (Fonda and Hopper) cruising across America on motorcycles became a smash hit. It elevated Jack Nicholson (a late replacement for Rip Torn) to stardom. The crossover appeal was a boom for independent films and more importantly, rock music in films. The soundtrack for Easy Rider was also trend-setting. The various songs represented a visceral connection to the […]

Machine Mass – Machine Mass Plays Hendrix – MoonJune Records

by Audiophile Audition | Sep 5, 2017 | Pop/Rock/World CD Reviews

Machine Mass – Machine Mass Plays Hendrix – MoonJune Records MJR 084, 59:27 ****: Updated technical shout-out to a true rock legend! (Michel Delville – guitar, Roland GR09, loops, stylophone, electronics, samples; Tony Bianco – drums, percussion; Antoine Guenet – keyboards, synth, acoustic piano) It would have been difficult to predict the ascension of Jimi Hendrix. After his unsuccessful supporting band work in the early Sixties (most notably with The Isley Brothers and Little Richard), a chance meeting with former Animals bassist Chas Chandler at Cafe Wha changed rock music. Hendrix went to England, conquered the British isle and returned to the States. Then memorable performances at Monterey Pop and Woodstock made him a legend. His first three releases, Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold As Love, and Electric Ladyland were highlights of a career cut short in 1970. Paying homage to an artist with as indelible a style as Jimi Hendrix is difficult and ambitious. Machine Head and in particular guitarist Michel Delville approaches this challenge with determination and originality. With a variety of guitar sounds, electronics, loops, drums and keyboards, the band seizes on the Hendrix spirit. Opening this unusual tribute is “Third Stone from The Sun”, the space […]

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Smash Hits – Reprise (1969) / Sony Legacy – vinyl

by Audiophile Audition | May 26, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Smash Hits – Reprise (1969)/ Sony Legacy (2016) 8898303081, 44:3 stereo vinyl [6/10/16] ****: Vinyl reissue shows why Hendrix was the greatest rock guitarist in history! (Jimi Hendrix – guitar, piano, vocals; Mitch Mitchell – drums, backing vocals; Noel Redding – bass, backing vocals) As new guitar heroes have emerged on the rock scene, they all had one thing in common. How did they compare to Jimi Hendrix? The brilliant, charismatic guitarist burst on the scene with his debut album, Are You Experienced? in 1967. He followed this up with two double albums, Axis Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland. His original songs (“Purple Haze”, Foxey Lady”, “Fire”) and phenomenal covers (“All Along The Watchtower”, “Hey Joe”) pushed the rock genre to a new artistic zenith. The incendiary, effects-laden guitar licks were a perfect complement to his cool, bluesy vocals. He was adored by his fans and was the envy of his colleagues. Above the studio accolades (his first three albums have been included in the Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Albums of All Time), he is widely considered the greatest rock guitarist, ever. His untimely death in 1970 cut short a brilliant career, but magnified […]