Need Help. Best sounding Jimi Hendrix CD's

Maybe I need an education. IIRC Are You Experienced was originally a UK mono album, and the stereo mix was prepared for the US market. There is also a oft repeated story (urban legend?) of Jimi leaving the original stereo mix tapes for Axis in a taxi, resulting in a last minute marathon mixing session for the stereo version in order to make the deadline. I have never heard of alternate "officially released" stereo mixes of either of those albums.

As far as the "Ultimate Experience" CD, am I the only one that notices that the bottom end on "Purple Haze" is fine in the intro until the 0:19 or 0:20 mark when it is jacked up noticeably? It really plays havoc with the kick drum sound, which, after playing the opening riff two or three times suddenly has quite a bit of unnecessary mud in the lower register. (I imagine this might not be notable on systems with small speakers. You can really hear it if you use a subwoofer. It makes me "dial down" the sub volume every time). It always just seemed like sloppy mastering to me. Considering the "on the fly adjustment happens at the 0:20 mark, would it have been to much to just do it again?

That pretty much sums up my feelings about the MCA verses the EH issues. The former had to many weird EQ choices, and the latter are maximized a bit too much.

 

I will have to hunt down the original W. German or Japanese CD's for AYE, Axis, and EL. I just don't have much to compare right now. I have the W. German Singles Album and that's ok but can't be the best thing out there.

 

Is this it?

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=17747

 

Cool . Thanks for the heads-up, I love hunting down those teensy details on a disc. I'll give ita listen.

 

Experience Hendrix response to fan complaints about Digital Clipping

The above link is EH/MCA's response to a Swedish fan that wrote a letter to Eddie Kramer and George Marino regarding EH's "digital clipping" and square wave forms. It's hard to believe that George Marino doesn't understand the difference between analog distortion and digital distortion caused keeping the levels way too loud

Chris

 

Chris M,

Those back and forth emails are sooooo depressing

The author obviously feels very strongly about the situation and I do as well. Looks like there's no turning back the clock on the EH remasters. At first I was extremely excited when EH announced they'd be redoing Jimi's catalog, now, it's rather depressing.

What I can't figure out is how some releases show maximizing and compression, while some don't

I have to go my memory here, but I think the Blue Wild Angel release looks ands sounds fine, while the Live at the Filmore East 2-CD set is clipped, maximized etc.... what gives?

 

Malc, yes.

mud-

 

The U.K. stereo mix of the first two lp's are different than the U.S. versions. AYE was released in both formats in Britain on May 12 1967. The U.S. release date was August 23 1967. U.K. stereo mix done and released first. The Axis that I speak about can be heard on any U.K. version of the record. More phasing, etc...Somebody must know what I am talking about because I am no expert on why this happened. Somebody must know...

 

Hmmm - I AM aware that when some chowder heads at Reprise heard the masters for Electric Ladyland they assumed the whole thing was out-of-phase and they mucked with the tapes to put them all "in phase". They actually released the first pressing that way. The Hendrix camp straightened them out fairly quickly, and subsequent issues retained the "phasiness" we now all know and love.

 

Does the use of different stereo mixes explain the difference with the intro to You Got Me Floatin' between the EH CD of "axis" and the West German Polydor?

 

Be aware that the original MCA Ultimate Experience title is horribly NR'd, and I do not like the sound on it; sold mine, in fact.

The original MCA issues with the unique artwork are probably the way to go; you do need the EH First Rays Of The New Rising Sun, however, as this is the closest to Jimi's vision of this material ever released.

Evan

 

OK, now I want to straighten things up. What version of this disc do I have? Spine says

POLYDOR - - - - Jimi Hendrix The Ultimate Experience - - - - 517 235 - 2

(dashes mine)

 

Different mixes......

Well, I'll be.......

The UK Polydor CD and the Japanese mini-LP sleeve (Experience Hendrix) CD of axis: bold as love use different mixes !!! .

I decided to check since I was wondering about the obvious difference with the intro on You Got Me Floatin' and I am amazed to discover that there are all sorts of little differences throughout the album .

For example, there is vocal panning on "Up From The Skies" and "Castles Made Of Sand" on the EH disc that is not on the Polydor. There are other differences such as snare drum rattling on the intro on "Castles" mostly absent on the EH mix and different reverb on various things.

So, I guess that both CDs are essential for the Hendrix fan. I prefer the EH mix even though I have lived with the Polydor CD for about 15 years! It's just a bit more pychedelic

The question is, which is the UK and which is the US mix (assuming they are the original US and UK mixes......).

 

Could Polydor have used the mono mixes on those tracks?

 

No, all tracks are stereo on the Polydor. It's a shame that the mono mix hasn't been released on CD yet (officially, that is).

I guess this new information about the alternate stereo mix increases the value of the old West German Polydor CD somewhat.....

 

Who made the U.S. stereo mixes?

 

I agree with Evan, I have the non-HDCD Ultimate Experience, both the MCA and EH Axis, German Polydor and EH Electric Ladyland, and EH First Rays. I still like the sound of the Polydor EL best, LP sides and all.

 

Kramer did the U.S. mixes as well. Whether Jimi was in the room with him as we know he was when the original mixes were done is another matter.

I really want a copy on cd of the W.German Poly of "Axis" and saying this might mean that it'll be months before I find one at a decent price but...

If the copy that was examined has a around approx. 5 second gap in "If Six Was Nine" then that is the U.K. version. I would assume that this would be the one on the Polydor. Having said that, and opening this cat out of the bag, I am looking for one. So those who find two...PM me or if you have a second copy lying around, PM me as well!

 

I have been out for the weekend, but I am so glad that this thread has grown to its present involvement and interest. As I stated earlier, I do have 87 Jimi Hendrix CDs right now, I have had more but I have sold some. I do plan on buying more, and my goal is to own about 200 Hendrix CDs. I have a good friend that has 645 Jimi Hedrix CDs, and all of them are legitimate, (i,e., Polydor, Warner, MCA).

I will stick with my previous assertion that the new Experience Hendrix discs are by far the worse versions available on CD, and must be avoided at all costs. Within the serious Hendrix collecting community (which strangely enough is almost dominated by females) these releases are considered to be filthy insults to our tastes, and are merely collected as completionist material, not to ever seriously listen to. As I said at the beginning of this thread, if the EH remasters are your only option, then simply don't listen to Hendrix, you will never be a Hendrix fan. There are millions of copies of his popular titles out in the world on Polydor, Warner and the Mankowitz MCA editions, that no one ever has to subject their body and soul to the absolute insulting sound of the EH remasters.

 

What I wanna know is, what's the deal with the German Electric Ladyland gold CD? Specifically, is the mastering identical to either of the standard MCA editions (1993/1997), or is it unique to this disc?

--Paul Curtis

 

Paul, I'd be willing to bet that it is just the standard NRed MCA version on a gold CD similar to the Ryko gold CD of Live At Winterland which is the exact same mastering as on their aluminum version.

 

That's a little extreme, don't you think?

 

therockman,
Where were you about 6 months ago when i was spending hundreds & hundreds of dollars on W.G.'s on EBay!?!?!?
Now I've GOT too get the Japanese cee dee's!

 

Therockman doth protest too much, methinks.