Fire (Jimi Hendrix) (LP 2731 - 2741)

Jimi Hendrix Jimi Plays Monterey (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1986) **** 

Jimi Hendrix Experience  Hollywood Bowl August 18, 1967 (CD, Sony Music, 2023) **** 

Jimi Hendrix  "Experience" - Original Soundtrack (Vinyl, Astor Records, 1971) ***  

Jimi Hendrix  More "Experience" - Original Soundtrack (Vinyl and CD, Bulldog Records, 1972) **** 

Jimi Hendrix Experience  Los Angeles Forum April 26, 1969 (Vinyl, Sony Music, 2022) ***** 

Jimi Hendrix  Live at Woodstock (CD, MCA Records, 1999) ***** 

Jimi Hendrix Experience   Freedom - Atlanta Pop Festival (CD, Legacy Records, 2015) **** 

Jimi Hendrix  The Rainbow Bridge Concert July 30 1970 (Vinyl, Radioactive Records, 1972) ** 

Jimi Hendrix  Isle Of Wight (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1971) ***** 

Jimi Hendrix  Blue Wild Angel: Jimi Hendrix Live at the Isle of Wight (CD, Experience Hendrix, 2002) ***** 

The Jimi Hendrix Experience  Pipedream: Recorded on stage in Amsterdam 1968 (Vinyl, Bootleg) ***** 

Genre: Rock 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records (Monterey/ More Experience); JB Hi-Fi (Hollywood Bowl); Real Groovy (Experience 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Fire (Woodstock)

Gear costume: Star Spangled Banner (Woodstock) / Purple Haze (Woodstock); All Along The Watchtower (Isle of Wight)

Active compensatory factors: Jimi seemed to play every day, either in the studio, or else live. And he played some big gigs - Atlanta Pop Festival, Monterey, Woodstock, The Isle of Wight, and he played some smaller gigs - package tours and so on. He was everywhere!

My run down isn't strictly chronological in terms of release date or performance date, but there a lot of them, so - settle back. I've grouped them roughly in years - 1967 kicks us off. Okay, all set? Here we go!

Monterey was to become a big deal at the time and has become an even bigger deal since. It was a tight set - one that fits on two sides of a record. Jimi is in great form and very chatty between songs. He was clearly feeling good. The highlight for me is Purple Haze.

Hollywood Bowl has a similar set list and length. Sgt Pepper, Catfish Blues and Fire make an appearance instead of Hey Joe, Can You See Me and Rock Me Baby. Mitch has his customary drum solo during Catfish. He's a great drummer, but drum solos are drum solos.

The set was part of their tour supporting The Monkees. Yes, you read that right. I'm a huge fan of both Hendrix and The Monkees, but they had very different approaches and sounds. Still, Jimi gives it his best, even though the crowd wasn't really his crowd.

Best moment - a supercharged Fire.

"Experience" and More "Experience" document his Royal Albert Hall show of 1969. 

"Experience" is well described in Wikipedia as 'an incomplete soundtrack to the unreleased film "Experience" documenting the Jimi Hendrix Experience's performance at the Royal Albert Hall on February 24, 1969'.

More "Experience" has edited versions of two tracks from "Experience", plus two previously released songs (Hendrix in the West - coming up next in the compilation edition) and three additional recordings from the February 24 concert.

Yes, all very messy. Fitting given the actual film was never released because of legal difficulties. The CD version I have is More "Experience" (plus Hey Joe and Foxey Lady). It came free with a newspaper (The Sunday Times) when I was living in England.

The music? Although it's not recorded brilliantly, it still sounds like primal Jimi Hendrix, beginning with a ripper version of Sunshine of Your Love. Dave Mason and Chris Wood from Traffic appear on Room Full of Mirrors and add some texture to the electric mayhem unleashed by Jimi.

More "Experience" is the better album in terms of sequencing. Little Wing (Little Ivey on the cover) and Fire are especially good, but the album holds together really well.  

The LA Forum gig, coming a few months later, is even better. Jimi is in a playful mood and the band is tight and on form. Foxey Lady sounds terrific but so does everything else. Spanish Castle Magic in particular sounds spectacular! It's also interesting to trace the development of Jimi's remarkable version of Star Spangled Banner. It's starting to take on the characteristics that would culminate in his Woodstock version.

By the time The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed at the Atlanta Pop festival in 1969, Noel Redding had been replaced by Billy Cox. The band still sounds like they are getting used to the change to me and although it's a great set, it's not quite up to the level of the Woodstock gig.

I know I'm biased, being mildly obsessed by the Woodstock festival, but that set sounds terrific - I'm right front and centre as Gypsy Sun and Rainbows tear into a stellar performance.

Jimi is in inspired form throughout and his stage patter is fantastic.

Many standouts on this one - from Izabella, Fire, Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) and the definitive version of Star Spangled Banner. Mitch and Billy joining in makes this version extra special. Jimi is in complete command of his instrument; primal, awe inspiring, and beautiful in equal measure.

Onto 1970 now, and first up is the Rainbow Bridge Concert, the early show, from Maui, Hawaii.

While the album's production lacks the sparkle of Woodstock, this album still sounds okay. 

However, the whole performance feels a bit flat, especially after the highs of the previous year. Maybe he was getting over playing these songs? After all - how many times did he perform Foxey Lady? A sloppy version of Fire tells you all you need to know really. In fact, his versions of Fire are a great barometer for an overall performance I've found. Probably telling that it's missing from the Isle of Wight setlist. 

Getting to the end now and time for Isle of Wight. Five stars you say?

Well yes. Because this was the first Hendrix album I ever heard and owned. I borrowed it from a schoolfriend when I was in Form 4. Taped it, and I played it and played it until I knew it off by heart.

I love everything about it and don't care about any criticisms. I love the sloppiness, I love the stage intro. I love the security radio cut ins along the way, I love the cover (I did a painting of it) and I love the versions.

To me, he sounds relaxed, fully in command. Mitch and Billy sound in top form to me, too. This is my go-to Hendrix album. Always will be.

The expanded Isle of Wight concert came out on album and was renamed Wild Blue Angel (no idea why). It's great to have, as well as the DVD. It's pretty intense to listen to in one go, which is why I prefer the less is more single album.

Pipedream is an excellent bootleg recorded in Stockholm, Sweden 1967 (mislabeled on the cover as Amsterdam 1968). The recording is high quality, as is the Jimi Hendrix Experience performance. 

I Don't Live Today is one of many amazing tracks. And the version of Fire? Spectacular! Driven by Mitch's speedy drums, it sounds fresh as a daisy! 

Where do they all belong? Final part will be a run down on the various Greatest Hits style compilations.