Jimi Hendrix-West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology

At times I feel like I have been sort of hemming and hawing my way as I listen through discs three and four during the past week and more. I can't make up my mind if I like this or that, or if I do, how much so, or what instrumentals are more instrumental than another, and despite near chronological sequencing how almost schizophrienic at times the track list can seem to be to me when listening to the cd's, blahblahblah. Anyway, sometimes titles really do mean something special, and buried at the bottom of disc two, and though released in some form before, is in what otherwise I might think of as a dubious mood-piece (New Rising Sun) is something much more compelling and meaningful because of what it sounds like it tries to accomplish via its given name. This morning, though long after sunrise itself, but morning enough, and while in transit, during three listens in a row, this New Rising Sun, and the kind of feeling or knowledge it seemed to invoke or manifest, was a real pleasure to listen to. I think it tries to convey some spirit of Nature, or genesis of creation, and inhabit a sense of being and discovery, and the repetition provides a certain inevitability about its coming, and the overdubs of backwards guitar add that air of mystery, and the drum the beat of time, together like some peaceful and beautiful but l turbulent beast of a machine awakening to life. Whatever it seemed to be, or was pointing to or reflecting, the seven plus minute (x3) meditation sounded to me like something perhaps of a small blessing.

Been much enjoying Lonely Avenue, .

 

I'm feeling like these two tracks played as one might be the next addiction for me, like the New Rising Sun instrumental has been/is. I think that on the first few listens Bolero seemed too repetitive/lengthy to me at that time, as it was heard in the context of some of the other instrumentals/jams I had been previously listening to from the set, but when going right to the track, and making sure I had more than enough time to listen all the way through to both as one piece, I can see it being a real exclamation point and highlight from a First Rays concept album. Maybe a key track in such a way as it has something epic about it. When Hendrix asks about the mic being on, and I'm totally reading into this, and not sure about the exact timing of his question, but by then the piece has just got that sense of momentum and sparks of creativity flowing through it, and listening to it as it happens and evolves, it's like he just realises where he wants to go with what he's been doing right then and there, and he goes with it, from Bolero to New Rising Sun? So, is the one track seguing into the other as a singular performance at that time, in dispute? Or is it the intention in question? Confused.

Enjoying Lonely Avenue and Hound Dog Blues as a back to back doubleshot.

 

The intention is in question, maybe. The source must be Eddie Kramer.

It's not a singular performance according to Ultimate Hendrix (by McDermott/Kramer):

Wednesday July 1, 1970
'Boloro' was actually marked take 1, followed by an effective complete take of 'Dolly Dagger'. With the group not entirely in sync, Hendrix shifted gears, guiding them through the more familiar 'Hey Baby'. Hendrix sang the first line off-key, which caused him to unceremoniously remark "flat" before continuing the song as an instrumental. Their next attempt was considerably upgraded, creating the version later issued as part of "Rainbow Bridge".

 

Thanks dino. I'm not familiar with or knowledgeable about any of the bootleg recordings, specifically of Bolero and New Rising Sun in this case, so being that the info above is the same recording date as mentioned in the the box set liner notes which claims the two songs were recorded together, is it possible then without contradicting the info above, that after continuing Hey Baby as an instrumental, they had another go at Bolero, then headed into the final take of Hey Baby? Or that the info above isn't all-inclusive of that day's recordings? Or the result of the two not together before is due to missing/incomplete multi-tracks as mentioned in the liner notes? Curious.

 

I'd go for the last alternative. Perhaps Kramer and McDermott listened to incomplete multitracks when writing the book and the missing multitrack for Bolero was found later.
That take of Bolero has been out on bootl*gs for a number of years, part of it is even heard in the Rainbow Bridge film from 1972. The liners say it was cut from the master in 1976, which seems weird as Alan Douglas had no projects in the works then (as far as I know).

 

Thanks again dino. Interesting info.

 

Yeah, I'm not sure what the deal is here. I think there is more to the story than the liner notes conveniently portray. Perhaps it is a new discovery. But the question remains, is it accurate to assert Hendrix was going to combine Bolero with Hey Baby OR was this just another jamming sequence in the studio. He did work this way during this period....he would play multiple tracks and song sketches one after another.

 

It's such a 'sweet' listen to the two of them. I heard them back to back as they are on the set, only for the second time now, and the two together is a beautiful thing.

There's no discernible edit that would indicate the two weren't played back to back or that the liner notes in this case would intentionally mislead?

 

I don't necessarily doubt that they weren't played together, my original question was whether Hendrix actually intended them to be coupled as one piece. I tend to think he was playing one piece which then lead into another. A very common thing for him to do.

 

Read!
"WCSB":
"The original July 1, 1970 multi-track master had been inexplicably cut apart in January 1970. In recent years, EH has been able to restore many of these original multi-track tapes and, as this mix revels, Jimi intended for "B" and "HB(NRS)" to flow together as one. This medley was recorded live in the studio... "

My guess:
Jimi 'jammed' the too songs together, as previously stated he often did, hence asking "is the microphone on?" when he got to "HB(NRS)".
Sooooo, IMO (which doesn't count), the two would not have been released "together".
Too me:
Its at about the one minute mark, that Jimi finds the groove for "HB" (hence the mike question).
Always luv'd the cut on "Rainbow Bridge".
Deep.

 

Interesting quote, but I'm guessing it was cut in January of some other year, can't go backwards in time!

I wonder how cut up that night was, and how much they can or do know about the actual running order. The July 1st studio takes are my Hendrix holy grail right up there with the Black Gold tapes and an LA Forum 1970 soundboard.

 

Yeah, I would love to hear more from those July reels at some point. Hendrix was working hard during the summer of '70, not just with mixing nearly completed tracks, but laying down a lot of musical sketches and ideas.

 

Please continue the discussion here:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?p=6072017#post6072017