Jimi Hendrix: Purple Box Disc-by-Disc

EH have a stash of AYE & A:BAL outtake multitracks they got from the Chandler estate, with only a couple recordings featured here.

Calling modern alternate mixes "unreleased recordings" is a mild bait 'n switch.

My biggest complaint about EH is they simply aren't releasing enough stuff.

 

Regarding Little Wing:

Not much at all. Mitch and Jimi (rhythm guitar) just stop playing a moment after the fade is complete, and there are a couple of stray lead guitar notes, an intentionally sloppy fast strum, and that's it. Don't ask how I know, not that it's a big deal.

 

Thanks for sharing that! A bummer but I'm glad to know. While we are at it do you know if the fade of the Axis title track is similar?

 

IMO this box contained too much material already released, where's 'Valleys Of Neptune' or that french title song etc

 

I think Taking care of business is a blast, just the guys having some fun in the studio. Lover man is very good, I really enjoy that. Really interesting to hear the talk from Third stone from the sun.

A very good first disc, and yes, chronological is the way to go, it might have only been a few years that this box covers, but the changes along the way would make it jar any other way.

 

I really wish they'd included the 1967 version of Look Over Yonder.

 

So it was intentionally brief. Thanks for posting that. Another mystery solved.
I guess if there had been any inspired jamming after the fade he might have considered using it. Sucks for us, I suppose, but part of the charm of 'Little Wing' has always been it's brevity. I guess that's why as soon as it's over I automatically play it again, like the Beach Boys' 'This Whole World.'

 

I guess my question about the Paris Olympia tracks is why on earth wasn't the whole gig included with such nice recordings at hand? Why tease with only two? Those two tracks are among the highlights of disc 1 for me.

 

Unfortunately they only played 3 songs on the Johnny Hallyday tour in 10/66. The 3rd song was Wild Thing. An interesting performance but probably the lesser of the 3 songs. You can tell he was pulling out all the visual stops on Wild Thing and it doesn't translate to disc as well as a video of the performance would.

 

Just a question - is that the same material as on the 8 LP Experience Box set ?
I like that stuff. Nothing VERY special, but mostly good solid live performances and even some unknown stuff; but I haven't listened that carefully to all of those 8 LP's yet - simply too much material; but it is not that long in my collection... a few weeks or months..
Speaking of CD 1 that would equal LP's 1 + 2 ? 56 trax all in all ?

will have to compare the tracklist - no one else here who knows that 8 LP Box set ?

 

Another question answered. Thanks, Chris. This thread has paid for itself already.

 

I couldn't find it on youtube but Wild Thing from that show is out there. Slightly interesting as the intro sounds exactly like the Troggs version and there is no Strangers in the Night quote. Speaking of the first JHE shows here is Jimi backstage with Johnny Halliday at (I think) the first JHE show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVb7xuASjlw

 

I haven't visited this set in quite a while and decided it was time, based on this thread. I listened to tracks 1-12 at the gym last night and really enjoyed it. I dug the alternate vocal and mix on Purple Haze and felt Killing Floor knocked my socks off. The attempt at Hey Joe was a riot, as was the narration for Third Stone.

In the context of last night's listening session, I didn't mind the standard studio cuts of Foxey Lady or the rest of Third Stone, though I agree they weren't vital additions to the set. Taking Care of No Business reminds me of Belly Button Window and My Friend. Fun, but not life changing or anything. Lots of great playing on those cuts all around. I had completely forgotten about the extra few measures between the two parts of If Six Was Nine, and that threw me for a few seconds.

I do think the roughly chronological idea works well here, and seeing/hearing Jimi in the studio, working things out whilst having a blast does, indeed, add to understanding the man. The humor really comes across, and I think that can get lost in the "serious musician" vibe if you just focus on the playing and writing in the official canon.

I'd have liked some of the DeLane Lea stuff, the alternate takes on Red House form the first sessions, instead of the Monterey material, but, it is four disks of overall great stuff.

 

I agree with Chris M that "lot of disc 1 falls into the 'historically interesting' category." I enjoy spinning it from time to time, but it isn't my favorite on the box and I guess there is a part of me that thought it could be.

 

Yeah, I was hoping "La Poupee Qui Fait Non" was going to be part of the box.

.

 

When I first heard La Poupee Qui Fait Non I figured it was just something they did to pass the time but FWIW it sounds like it did get a guitar overdub. Worthy of release as maybe a bonus track on an AYE Deluxe Edition but IMO nothing more than an interesting curio.

 

But that is what the Purple Velvet box should be IMO, collections of curios!

 

If you include all the curios you have a 20 CD box which isn't exactly fesiable.

 

This box has been my most played Hendrix item since I've bought it, it is my first choice for a Hendrix hit.

 

What's your take on "Cat Talkin' To Me"
That's another one I would've liked to have seen included on the box.

 

It is the same material, I bought it on LP, too. I haven't heard it all - I pull out a new record about once a year so I get a new Hendrix LP to listen to every year. The first CD discussed so far corresponds to the first LP, the first side of the second plus one song from the LP 2 Side 2.

 

I have always thought that AYE was the perfect candidate for the Deluxe Edition treatment on Universal. There are a lot of things EH could do with the mainstream catalogue, but they seem asleep at the wheel. For example, last year would have been the perfect opportunity for 40th anniversary box set for Electric Ladyland (I believe this was discussed on this board).

 

I love the 1967 version. Great guitar parts and that killer intro with the cow bell. The version with Mitch and Noel's late 80's overdubs is disgusting. Having Noel and Mitch write and record new lyrics for instrumental backing tracks of Jimi originals? No idea what he was thinking. I mean did Chas really think Mitch recording his newly written lyrics for Jimi originals 20 years after the man died was somehow more palatable to the public than the 1967 instrumentals? Apparently so..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq9yq6Ie_bA&feature=related - 1967 backing track

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqsu1tOYvZ0&feature=related - with 1988 Mitch and Noel overdubs and lyrics

 

I don't know, I'm just speculating but it might be that they are holding out for the missing session tapes to turn up (studio Rolling Stone, Stone Free session tape, early versions of 3rd Stone, session tape for UK Red House, etc).

 

NO! NO MORE ****ING DELUXE EDITIONS! NO, NO, NO!

I'm ****ing sick of buying the same album over again just to get the second disc. They could put out another box set like this. It doesn't even have to be four discs, it could be three. Pad it out with live performances. There are lots of Jimi conerts that have an outstanding song or two but there is no need for the whole concert to get released. Rescue those live tracks and put them together with some studio outtakes and have an entire new release instead of a deluxe edition.

I know that Experience Hendrix haven't said anything about deluxe edtions of any albums yet. Yet.

I used to have a guitar magizine that had Al Kooper's review of this boxed set. He was saying how Jimi was a privite person and would have been mortified about this set.

I can't rememer the name of the magazine. I threw it out long ago. I used to have most of the official Jimi Hendrix magazines that Janie put out years ago. I threw those all out too. I wish I had kept all those.

never throw anything out
ever

Except obi strips. Now those go in the trash.