From the excellent fansite http://hendrix.guide.pagesperso-orange.fr/contents.htm
A very striking photo of Jimi on a chopper which was a nice surprise. Jimi in fact had dreadful eyesight and was lethal in a car, so I dread to think what he would have got up to on a motorbike ! The glossy mirror lettering is a bit too much perhaps but all in all an excellent packaging job
Having used up nearly all the "most finished" post Experience materiel on the previous release, Eddie Kramer was obliged to delve deeper into the archives to complete this collection. The problem again is that the mastering is too harsh.
Like with "Jimi Hendrix :Blues" this is a collection of old and new, with some stunning moments. One drawback is that some demos and alternate mixes are, like on "Voodoo Soup", a bit out of place next to the more polished re-released tracks. Messy compiling. Uneven finish.
That aside, those too young to have known the old albums will discover some fabulous Hendrix here. The blistering rocker from The Experience "Look Over Yonder" just screams along as Jimi punches in some of his greatest rock licks, rising to a shattering, whiplash climax. There are the great Experience studio instrumentals "Tax Free" and "Midnight" which feature some breathtaking guitar. The beautiful, Santana-like, "Pali Gap" is one of Jimi's most moving and accomplished instrumentals. "Bleeding Heart" takes the Elmore James' lyric into new funky rock territory, as good as anything on "First Rays". Other treasures from the vault are another Dylan cover in "Drifter's Escape" and the title track, a quirky jazz experiment from Jimi, complete with a brass arrangement !
A studio version of "Power Of Soul" by the Band Of Gypsys is also included but it is bizarre - at the beginning, tthe mix is all out of sync with the intro guitar parts misaligned and the opening "Yeah, yeah" vocal missing (it is present on an earlier mix as bootlegs reveal). A better mix (by Hendrix/Kramer) appeared on Both Sides Of The Sky in 2018.(1)
Some interesting studio jams are included, "Lover Man" (in fact two takes cleverly edited together) opens with the intro that Jimi usually used for "Killing Floor", then takes off into an awesome display of screeching rock guitar. The essentially rhythmic Little Wing" (that title was written on the tape box) in fact turns out to be "Angel" , in an early instrumental run through with Mitch. "Sweet Angel" (which resembles more the structure of the "Angel" that is now on "First Rays") is another early version with overdubs, where Jimi uses a primitive electronic rhythm box to keep the beat. "Message To The Universe" is a raggedy but interesting live-in-studio run through of "Message To Love" featuring Jimi's ill fated "Woodstock" band (they had played the song at the famous festival). It does sound out of place here though. Finally "Midnight Lightning" is Jimi alone on guitar, tapping the beat with his foot and sounding like an old blues master.(2)
A couple of "alternate mixes" are also included. The early Olympic Studios mix of "Watchtower" is really a bit too close to the "Ladyland" version to merit inclusion on this set (it would have been better placed on the box set which would soon appear) and an exciting remix of "The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice" (originally the B-side of the UK single "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp"). On that track the devastating guitar solo is mixed up front this time, fasten your seat belt !
"Look Over Yonder","Pali Gap" - previously on "Rainbow Bridge"
"Bleeding Heart", "Tax Free", "Midnight" - previously on "War Heroes"
"Drifters Escape" - previously on "Lifelines" and in an different mix on "Loose Ends"
"The Stars That Play " - previously on "Loose Ends"
"Power Of Soul" - previously on "Crash Landing" in a modified form and retitled "With The Power"
"South Saturn Delta" - previously on "Lifelines" in a slightly different form
(1) An earlier, February 1970 mix of "Power Of Soul" (that Jimi made with Bob Hughes) appeared in 2013 on the B-side of the 7" vinyl single of "Somewhere".
The 2018 official collection of outtakes Both Sides Of The Sky features the better mix by Kramer and Hendrix.
(2) A similar solo take od "Midnight Lightning" appeared on the bootled Freakout Blues.
Recording dates:
Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice - 19/20 July 1967
Little Wing (Angel) - 14 October 1967
Sweet Angel - 13 November 1967
Tax Free - 1 May 1968
South Saturn Delta - 14 June 1968
All Along the Watchtower - January, June-August 1968
Look Over Yonder - 22 October 1968
Here He Comes (Lover Man) - 29 October 1968
Midnight - 1 & 3 April 1969*
Message To The Universe - 28 August1969
Power Of Soul - 21 January 1970
Midnight Lightning - 21 March 1970
Bleeding Heart - 24 March 1970
Drifter's Escape - 17 June 1970
Pali Gap - 1 July 1970
Label: Experience Hendrix – 88697 85760 1, Legacy – 88697 85760 1
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Reissue, Remastered, 180 Gram, Gatefold
Country: US
Released: 12 Apr 2011
Genre: Jazz, Rock, Funk / Soul, Blues
Style: Blues Rock, Rhythm & Blues, Jazz-Funk
Tracklist
A1 Look Over Yonder 3:25
A2 Little Wing (Angel) 2:44
A3 Here He Comes (Lover Man) 6:33
A4 South Saturn Delta 4:07
B1 Power Of Soul 5:20
B2 Message To The Universe (Message To Love) 6:18
B3 Tax Free 4:56
C1 All Along The Watchtower 4:01
C2 The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice 4:21
C3 Midnight 5:32
C4 Sweet Angel (Angel) 3:55
D1 Bleeding Heart (Peoples, Peoples, Peoples) 3:15
D2 Pali Gap 5:08
D3 Drifter's Escape 3:05
D4 Midnight Lightning 3:07