Jimi Hendrix: Purple Box Disc-by-Disc

That period fascinates me. Especially the post EL sessions with the JHE. He may have been a little rudderless but just as creative and inspired as ever. The new Sessions book pulls a lot of those sessions into focus.

I thought it was pretty neat. Hear My Train as well. That session was an in-studio rehearsal for the Albert Hall shows. They recoreded several other songs including Red House at that session. Amazing they went to the trouble of making a pro multitrack recording of a rehearsal not to mention paying for the studio time.

 

Yes I think the Little Wing in the box and the Hendrix In The West vinyl are the same version. I'm not a vinyl person but the sound quality of this album, particularly on Little Wing was just amazing. Goosebump stuff with the band in the room. I haven't heard it in years (the vinyl) but I remember being a little let down when I first heard the cd.

 

I don't have the booklet with me---can someone please post the date on which the 7-min 'Bold as Love' was recorded? Also the location (city,studio) would be a big help.
Thanks.

 

Disc 3 didn't generate as many responses as I thought it would. I do have some comments about it, but I'll open up discussion on disc 4 now too.


Disc four

1. "Message to Love" (Hendrix) – 3:35
2. "Earth Blues" (Hendrix) – 4:08
3. "Astro Man" (Hendrix) – 4:11
4. "Country Blues" (Hendrix) – 8:27
5. "Freedom" (Hendrix) – 3:52
6. "Johnny B. Goode" (Berry) – 4:46
7. "Lover Man" (Hendrix) – 2:57
8. "Blue Suede Shoes" (Perkins) – 4:28
9. "Cherokee Mist" (Hendrix) – 6:02
10. "Come Down Hard on Me" (Hendrix) – 3:18
11. "Hey Baby/In from the Storm" (Hendrix) – 8:56
12. "Ezy Ryder" (Hendrix) – 3:43
13. "Night Bird Flying" (Hendrix) – 4:24
14. "All Along the Watchtower" (Bob Dylan) – 4:22
15. "In from the Storm" (Hendrix) – 4:21
16. "Slow Blues" (Hendrix) – 1:46

* Tracks 4, 7, 9 and 16 are previously unreleased recordings.
* Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 12 and 13 are previously unreleased alternate recordings.
* Tracks 6 and 8 recorded live at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA, May 30 1970. (First Show)
* Track 11 recorded live at Maui, Hawaii, July 30 1970.
* Tracks 14 and 15 recorded live at the Isle of Wight, England, August 30 1970.

 

My faves from this disk:
Lover Man, Cherokee Mist and that great Hey Baby / In From the Storm Live. How many released versions of Lover Man Are there? The song is a serious killer and I am amazed it went unreleased during Jimi's life.

 

When I first heard this disc, i expected Cheroke Mist to sound different, the lifelines version is very different! (and dare I say better IMO) Was the Lifelines version a Douglas bastardised overdub version??

 

Lots to like for me on Disc 4, but why include the already released Isle of Wight performance of All Along the Watchtower, when there's a much better version from Randall's Island that must exist on multitrack?

 

Totally Agree, the Randalls Island version is my live to go version, love the little brief snippet of Astro man at the beginning! The IOW one is embarresing

 

Anyone know where in London Olympic Studios is/was located?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Studios

 

That San Diego "Red House" (also on Hendrix in the West) has my favorite Jimi solo ever. When I listen to it, I feel like running around the house screaming at the top of my lungs, it's just so powerful.

 

I listened to the Experience for years before I got into the later stuff. Having said that, the forth disc is by far my favorite.

 

5th of October 1967 at Olympic Studios in London. The 7 min version on the box is take 21. John McDermott describes the session in his updated Sessions book and mentioned that the previous 2 takes (19 and 20) were "superb efforts"; take 27 is the basic track of the released version.

The JHE recorded several run throughs of Bold As Love the previous night in addition to instrumental backing tracks of (gulp) 2 unreleased Hendrix compositions Hardcore collectors didn't even know these existed until the updated Sessions book came out.

 

Lots of live versions have been released as well as a few studio versions.

Backing track from AYE sessions - disc one of purple box

10/68 TTG Studios - on South Saturn Delta (one of my favorite JHE studio recordings)

First Rays version - disc 4 of purple box

The JHE recorded a slower unreleased version at Olympic in early 1969 and the BOG tried it in the studio at the Record Plant later that year.

IMO the best versions are the TTG one on South Saturn Delta and the version from the BOG Fillmore East shows. That version is just sick. Billy and Buddy are locked in a tight funk rock groove and Jimi's solo is short and sassy with a very clean tone. Only problem is the vocal mic didn't record so the vocals are pretty faint. Still totally worthy of release though.

 

The version on Lifelines isn't frankenstein'd. I don't think the mix is that good but all elements were recorded by Jimi and Mitch during the Electric Ladyland sessions. That performance is simply stunning. The atmosphere and mood Jimi creates with the electric sitar is totally cinematic. Amazing material as strong Cherokee Mist, Tax Free and South Saturn Delta was left off Electric Ladyland.

C'mon, obviously IOW wasn't a great gig but the version of Watchtower there is respectable. I do prefer the Randall's Island version but they aren't that different. I think the Randall's Island version was cut out of the reel indicating that it was considered for official release at some point. Hopefully Douglas didn't keep it for himself.

Sometimes I do just that

 

The whole of IOW is embarrasing IMO for Hendrix standards, real shame!

 

The fourth disc is my favorite also. This is misleading because every disc gets a 10 rating from me. This one has Message to Love, Hey Baby, Cherokee Mist and several other jaw droppers. I think Neil Young said something to the effect that Jimi was in a whole 'nother building compared to other guitar players. I would agree and say that his composing and his underrated singing are the real triple threat. This disc shows it all in the most mature form it would get, unfortunately.

 

Back to disc 3 for a moment, I like those remakes of 'Stone Free' and 'Spanish Castle Magic'. The backing vocals in the former and the guitar tone in the latter are particularly effective.
And speaking of tone, in the live 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' Jimi's sound is almost palpable; I feel I could reach out and grab the sound or something. And yes, I know it was part of In the West, but now it's not.

Thanks Mike for the link on Olympic.

And special thank-yous to Al Marks for posting about his experiences recording with Jimi.

 

I'm listening to disc three, . Stone Free, Spanish Castle Magic, Hear My Train, and Izabella are my favotites. I get a little giddy and dizzy in the head, , when listening to these marvels!

 

I had that frightening thought myself, as it's the only track from that show that only circulates as an audience recording. Possibly cut from the reel with Red House and considered for the (1982) Concerts double LP?

 

Upon further consideration I find that just about all of disc three is a beautiful listening experience.

 

Disc 4 is probably my favorite from the box set. Standouts include:
Astro Man
Country Blues
Johnny B. Goode
Cherokee Mist
Come Down Hard on Me
Hey Baby/In from the Storm
Night Bird Flying
Slow Blues

The Isle Of Wight tracks are nice. Again, not the greatest Hendrix show, but respectable performances nevertheless. My only issue was that, like the Monterey performances on disc one, I felt they could have saved these live tracks for a full-length edition of the actual concert and used the space on this disc for some studio outtakes. Johnny B Goode was available elsewhere, but it is just such a blistering performance, I love it no matter what release it is on. The alternate mixes of Night Bird Flying and Ezy Ryder were interesting to explore, but not vastly different from the well-known masters, still, I love Night Bird Flying so I enjoy this version whenever it comes on. Again, a nice disc and one that I enjoy spinning the most.

 

i always thought he said 'whipped pu.....'

 

I think the version of 'Message to Love' that opens up disc 4 is the definitive version of that song---and one of the indisputable highlights of the box. Great to hear Buddy on a tune like this; Mitch could never get that kind of groove (especially in 1970, when his playing went inexplicably downhill). The backup vocals are terrific, adding a nice subliminal hook. Jimi's tone is killer too. If this is an indication of where he was headed, then it puts the lie to those who saw Jimi on some sort of decline in the time before his death.

It's also good to get a version of 'Earth Blues' without Mitch's ill-fitting drum patterns.

 

Agree. But Douglas almost totally ruined it by cutting off the middle eight. I would like to hear the unedited version of this song some day...