Jimi Hendrix: An Artist Profile (1942-1970)

Jimi Hendrix An Artist Profile: 1942-1970

Born: Johnny Allen Hendrix (aka James Marshall Hendrix) When: November 27, 1942 Where: Seattle, Washington Died: September 18, 1970 Where: London, England The Players Jimi Hendrix (vocals/guitar – The Experience: 66-69; Band of Gypsys: 69-70; The Cry of Love Band: 70) Noel Redding (bass – The Experience: 66-69) Mitch Mitchell (drums – The Experience: 66-69; The Cry of Love Band: 70) Billy Cox (bass – Band of Gypsys: 69-70; The Cry of Love Band: 70) Buddy Miles (drums – Band of Gypsys: 69-70) Links DMDB encyclopedia entry for Jimi Hendrix JimiHendrix.com (official site) Facebook Wikipedia Dave’s Music Database: Jimi Hendrix: Top 25 Songs Quotable: He “expanded the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since.” – Richie Unterberger & Sean Westergaard, AllMusic.com Overview: “In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, Jimi Hendrix expanded the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since.” AMG His “guitar was almost an extension of his nervous system but was also the one constant love of his life.” ES-30 “Hendrix was a master at coaxing all manner of unforeseen sonics from his instrument, often with innovative amplification experiments that produced astral-quality feedback and roaring distortion. His frequent hurricane blasts of noise and dazzling showmanship — he could and would play behind his back and with his teeth and set his guitar on fire — has sometimes obscured his considerable gifts as a songwriter, singer, and master of a gamut of blues, R&B, and rock styles.” AMG “When Hendrix became an international superstar in 1967, it seemed as if he’d dropped out of a Martian spaceship, but in fact he’d served his apprenticeship the long, mundane way in numerous R&B acts on the chitlin circuit. During the early and mid-‘60s, he worked with such R&B/soul greats as Little Richard, the Isley Brothers, and King Curtis as a backup guitarist. Occasionally he recorded as a session man (the Isley Brothers’ 1964 single Testify is the only one of these early tracks that offers even a glimpse of his future genius). But the stars didn’t appreciate his show-stealing showmanship, and Hendrix was straight-jacketed by sideman roles that didn’t allow him to develop as a soloist. The logical step was for Hendrix to go out on his own, which he did in New York in the mid-‘60s, playing with various musicians in local clubs, and joining white blues-rock singer John Hammond, Jr.’s band for a while.” AMG 1966-67: “It was in a New York club that Hendrix was spotted by Animals bassist Chas Chandler. The first lineup of the Animals was about to split, and Chandler, looking to move into management, convinced Hendrix to move to London and record as a solo act in England. There a group was built around Jimi, also featuring Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass, that was dubbed the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The trio became stars with astonishing speed in the U.K., where Hey Joe, Purple Haze, and The Wind Cries Mary all made the Top Ten in the first half of 1967. These tracks were also featured on their debut album, Are You Experienced?, a psychedelic meisterwerk that became a huge hit in the U.S. after Hendrix created a sensation at the Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967.” AMG “Are You Experienced? was an astonishing debut, particularly from a young R&B veteran who had rarely sung, and apparently never written his own material, before the Experience formed. What caught most people’s attention at first was his virtuosic guitar playing, which employed an arsenal of devices, including wah-wah pedals, buzzing feedback solos, crunching distorted riffs, and lightning, liquid runs up and down the scales. But Hendrix was also a first-rate songwriter, melding cosmic imagery with some surprisingly pop-savvy hooks and tender sentiments. He was also an excellent blues interpreter and passionate, engaging singer (although his gruff, throaty vocal pipes were not nearly as great assets as his instrumental skills). Are You Experienced? was psychedelia at its most eclectic, synthesizing mod pop, soul, R&B, Dylan, and the electric guitar innovations of British pioneers like Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, and Eric Clapton.” AMG 1967-69: “Amazingly, Hendrix would only record three fully conceived studio albums in his lifetime. Axis: Bold as Love and the double-LP Electric Ladyland were more diffuse and experimental than Are You Experienced? On Electric Ladyland in particular, Hendrix pioneered the use of the studio itself as a recording instrument, manipulating electronics and devising overdub techniques (with the help of engineer Eddie Kramer in particular) to plot uncharted sonic territory. Not that these albums were perfect, as impressive as they were; the instrumental breaks could meander, and Hendrix’s songwriting was occasionally half-baked, never matching the consistency of Are You Experienced? (although he exercised greater creative control over the later albums).” AMG “The final two years of Hendrix’s life were turbulent ones musically, financially, and personally. He was embroiled in enough complicated management and record company disputes (some dating from ill-advised contracts he’d signed before the Experience formed) to keep the lawyers busy for years.” AMG

Awards

Studio Albums

Posthumous Albums You tread dangerous ground with most of this material (if you can even find it). Your best bet is to avoid anything that hasn’t been put out by Experience Hendrix and stick to First Rays of the New Rising Sun and South Saturn Delta. Hover over an album for the name and year of release. Click to go to its snapshot on this page. COL The Cry of Love (recorded 1968-70, released 1971) RB Rainbow Bridge (recorded 1969-70, released 1971) WH War Heroes (recorded 1967-70, released 1972) LE Loose Ends (recorded 1967-70, released 1974) CRL Crash Landing (recorded 1968-69, released 1975) ML Midnight Lightning (recorded 1969-70, released 1975) FR First Rays of the New Rising Sun (recorded 1968-70, released 1997) SS South Saturn Delta (recorded 1967-70, released 1997)

Compilations Songs highlighted on this page are followed by the following codes to indicate appearances on any of the above compilations. SH-UK Smash Hits (UK version: 1966-68, released 1968) SH-US Smash Hits (US version: 1966-68, released 1969) UE Ultimate Experience (covers 1966-70, released 1992) Spotify Playlist Here’s my Smash Hits playlist at Spotify that combines all songs from the UK and US versions of the album.

Live Albums Songs highlighted on this page are followed by the following codes to indicate appearances on any of the above live releases. BG Band of Gypsys (recorded and released in 1970)

Are You Experienced? The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Released in Europe: May 12, 1967 Released in U.S.: August 23, 1967 Peak: 5 US, 10 RB, 2 UK, 15 CN Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 6.0 US, 0.1 UK, 6.13 world (includes US + UK), 39.69 EAS Genre: classic guitar rock Rating: 4.766 out of 5.00 (average of 31 ratings)

Tracks (UK version): Foxey Lady * SH-UK, SH-US, BG, UE Manic Depression * SH-UK, SM-US, UE Red House SH-US, UE Can You See Me SH-UK, SH-US Love or Confusion * I Don’t Live Today * May This Be Love * Fire * SH-UK, SH-US, UE Third Stone from the Sun * Remember SH-US Are You Experienced? * Other Songs from This Era: Hey Joe * SH-UK, SH-US, UE Stone Free SH-UK, SH-US, CRL Purple Haze * SH-UK, SH-US, UE 51st Anniversary SH-UK The Wind Cries Mary * SH-UK, SH-US, UE Highway Chile SH-UK, WH, UE * tracks on U.S. version of Are You Experienced? About the Album: Richie Unterberger of AllMusic.com called this “One of the most stunning debuts in rock history, and one of the definitive albums of the psychedelic era.” Go to the DMDB page for more about this album, including awards and deep dives into individual songs.

Axis: Bold As Love The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Released: December 1, 1967 Peak: 3 US, 5 UK, -- CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.1 UK, 1.10 world (includes US and UK), 10.54 EAS Genre: classic guitar rock Rating: 4.495 out of 5.00 (average of 20 ratings)

Tracks: EXP Up from the Skies Spanish Castle Magic Wait Until Tomorrow UE Ain’t No Telling Little Wing UE, SS If 6 Was 9 You Got Me Floatin’ Castles Made of Sand UE She’s So Fine One Rainy Wish Little Miss Lover Bold As Love About the Album: VH1 called this “a giant step forward for the band who were perfecting the concept of the ‘power trio.’” Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including awards and details about individual songs.

Electric Ladyland The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Released: September 16, 1968 Peak: 12 US, 6 UK, 13 CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.1 UK, 27.37 EAS Genre: classic guitar rock Rating: 4.635 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings)

Tracks: …And the Gods Made Love Have You Ever Been to Electric Ladyland LE Crosstown Traffic SH-US, UE Voodoo Chile Little Miss Strange Long Hot Summer Night UE Come On, Pt. 1 Gypsy Eyes UE Burning of the Midnight Lamp SH-UK, UE Rainy Day, Dream Away 1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be) Moon, Turn the Tides…Gently, Gently Away Still Raining, Still Dreaming House Burning Down All Along the Watchtower SH-US, UE, SS Voodoo Child (Slight Return) UE About the Album: In 25 Albums That Rocked the World!, Chris Charlesworth said, “For pure experimental genius, melodic flair, conceptual vision, and instrumental brilliance, The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Electric Ladyland is a prime contender for the status of rock’s greatest album.” Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including awards and details about individual songs.

Smash Hits The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Recorded: 1966-1968 Released: 4/12/68 (UK), 7/30/69 (US) Peak: 6 US, 4 UK, -- CN, 11 AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.1 UK, 2.1 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic guitar rock Rating: 4.175 out of 5.00 (average of 13 ratings)

Tracks (UK Edition): (1) Purple Haze (2) Fire (3) The Wind Cries Mary (4) Can You See Me (5) 51st Anniversary (6) Hey Joe (7) Stone Free (8) The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam’s Dice (8) Manic Depression (9) Highway Chile (10) Burning of the Midnight Lamp (11) Foxey Lady Tracks (US Edition): (1) Purple Haze (2) Fire (3) The Wind Cries Mary (4) Can You See Me (5) Hey Joe (6) All Along the Watchtower (7) Stone Free (8) Crosstown Traffic (9) Manic Depression (10) Remember (11) Red House (12) Foxey Lady About the Album: The 1968 UK version of Smash Hits was mostly an excuse to gather Hendrix’s first three singles and B-sides in one place, as they had not been featured on a UK album before. The collection was rounded out with four cuts from Are You Experienced? as well as the single “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” and its B-side, “The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam’s Dice.” The U.S. version of the album included seven songs from the UK version but replaced the B-sides on that collection with the three songs from Are You Experienced? that were featured on the UK version of that album but left off the U.S. version. The U.S. version of Smash Hits also included two songs from Electric Ladyland. Axis: Bold As Love is not represented on either collection. Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam’s Dice SH-UK, LE, SS

Band of Gypsys/The Cry of Love Band 1969: “He disbanded the Experience in 1969, forming the Band of Gypsys with drummer Buddy Miles and bassist Billy Cox to pursue funkier directions. He closed Woodstock with a sprawling, shaky set, redeemed by his famous machine-gun interpretation of The Star Spangled Banner. The rhythm section of Mitchell and Redding were underrated keys to Jimi’s best work, and the Band of Gypsys ultimately couldn’t measure up to the same standard, although Hendrix did record an erratic live album with them.” AMG 1970: “Hendrix felt torn in many directions by various fellow musicians, record-company expectations, and management pressures, all of whom had their own ideas of what Hendrix should be doing. Coming up on two years after Electric Ladyland, a new studio album had yet to appear, although Hendrix was recording constantly during the period.” AMG “While outside parties did contribute to bogging down Hendrix’s studio work, it also seems likely that Jimi himself was partly responsible for the stalemate, unable to form a permanent lineup of musicians, unable to decide what musical direction to pursue, unable to bring himself to complete another album despite jamming endlessly. A few months into 1970, Mitchell — Hendrix’s most valuable musical collaborator — came back into the fold, replacing Miles in the drum chair, although Cox stayed in place. It was this trio [often referred to as ‘The Cry of Love Band’] that toured the world during Hendrix’s final months.” AMG “Everyone who…claimed to know [Hendrix] well has different versions of his state of mind in 1970. Critics have variously mused that he was going to go into jazz, that he was going to get deeper into the blues, that he was going to continue doing what he was doing, or that he was too confused to know what he was doing at all. The same confusion holds true for his death: contradictory versions of his final days have been given by his closest acquaintances of the time. He’d been working intermittently on a new album, tentatively titled First Ray of the New Rising Sun, when he died in London on September 18, 1970, from drug-related complications.” AMG

Band of Gypsys Jimi Hendrix

Recorded: January 1, 1970 – live at Fillmore East in New York City Released: March 25, 1970 Peak: 5 US, 6 UK, 5 CN, 4 AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 7.81 EAS Genre: classic rock Rating: 3.854 out of 5.00 (average of 27 ratings)

Tracks: Who Knows BG Machine Gun ML, BG Changes BG Power of Soul (aka “Power to Love” and “With the Power”) BG, CRL, SS Message to Love (aka “Message of Love” and “Message to the Universe”) BG, SS We Gotta Live Together BG Hear My Train A Comin’ * BG, RB, ML Foxey Lady * BG Stop * BG * bonus tracks on 1991 Polydor Europe and Japan CD rerelease Total Running Time: 45:16 About the Album: After three albums with the Experience, he disbanded the three-piece and assembled a new trio with Billy Cox and Buddy Miles. They did a handful of shows and captured their performances on this album. Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including awards and details about individual songs.

Posthumous Work (1970-74): Hendrix produced a massive amount of studio material during his lifetime. Hence there were many posthumous releases after his untimely death that were sanctioned by Jimi’s father, Al Hendrix, as the heir to his son’s estate. The first releases were created with the same personnel that Hendrix was working with at the time of his death: drummer Mitch Mitchell, engineer Eddie Kramer, and manager Michael Jeffery.” WK The first of these releases, 1971’s The Cry of Love, consisted of material he had been working on for an album before he died. After that, however, most of his posthumous studio releases were cobbled together collections. These were also controversial because Alan Douglas, the producer who oversaw Hendrix releases in the mid-‘70s, overdubbed Jimi’s original recordings with additional parts by studio musicians. Many fans saw this as “sacrilege, destroying the integrity of the work of a musician known to exercise meticulous care over the final production of his studio recordings. Even as late as 1995, Douglas was having ex-Knack drummer Bruce Gary record new parts for the typically misbegotten compilation Voodoo Soup. After a lengthy legal dispute, the rights to Hendrix’s estate, including all of his recordings, returned to Al Hendrix, the guitarist’s father, in July of 1995.” AMG

The Cry of Love Jimi Hendrix

Recorded: 3/13/68 to 8/24/70 Released: March 5, 1971 Peak: 8 US, 2 UK, 3 CN, -- AU, 12 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Genre: classic rock Rating: 3.830 out of 5.00 (average of 18 ratings)

Tracks: Freedom COL Drifting COL Ezy Ryder COL Night Bird Flying COL My Friend COL Straight Ahead COL Astro Man COL Angel COL, UE, FR, SS In from the Storm COL Belly Button Window COL About the Album: The first posthumous Jimi Hendrix album was a shaved down version of an intended double album tentatively titled First Rays of the New Rising Sun. Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including awards and details about individual songs.

Rainbow Bridge Jimi Hendrix

Recorded: 3/18/69 to 8/24/70 Released: October 1971 Peak: 15 US, 16 UK, -- CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Genre: classic rock Rating: 3.700 out of 5.00 (average of 16 ratings)

Tracks: Dolly Dagger RB, FR Earth Blues RB, FR Pali Gap RB, SS Room Full of Mirrors RB, FR Star Spangled Banner (studio) RB, UE Look Over Yonder RB, SS Hear My Train A Comin’ (live at Berkeley) BG, RB, ML Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) RB, ML, FR Total Running Time: 42:22 About the Album: “Slapped together to fulfill a Mike Jeffreys contract after the tapes to the real Rainbow Bridge concert were stolen, this collects a few excellent tracks (Dolly Dagger, Hey Baby) with trivial outtakes (a curiously tame Star Spangled Banner)” WA and the live “10-minute electric version of Hear My Train A-Comin’, which saw the song transformed almost beyond recognition; like ‘Machine Gun,’ it showcased the classic elements of the Hendrix electric sound and featured some of his most inspired improvisation.” WK Overall, though, the “strong material is on New Rising Sun and [South Saturn Delta].” WA

War Heroes Jimi Hendrix

Recorded: 4/3/67 to June 1970 Released: October 1972 Peak: 48 US, 23 UK, -- CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Genre: -- Rating: 3.363 out of 5.00 (average of 13 ratings)

Tracks: Bleeding Heart WH, SS Highway Chile SH-UK, WH, UE Tax Free WH, SS Peter Gunn/Catastrophe WH Stepping Stone WH, FR Midnight WH, SS Beginning WH, ML Izabella WH, FR Total Running Time: 30:44 About the Album: “Just a couple of new release-quality tracks (Izabella) plus B-sides (Highway Chile) and throwaways (Three Little Bears).” WA “This one would be worth owning if the two new Hendrix estate releases hadn't made it irrelevant.” WA

Loose Ends Jimi Hendrix

Recorded: 7/19/67 to 6/17/70 Released: February 1974 Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Genre: classic rock Rating: 2.777 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings)

Tracks: Come Down Hard on Me LE, CRL Blue Suede Shoes LE, ML Jam 292 LE The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam’s Dice SH-UK, LE, SS Drifter’s Escape LE, SS Burning Desire LE I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man LE Have You Ever Been to Electric Ladyland (alternate recording) LE Total Running Time: 41:24 About the Album: “Scraping the bottom of the barrel, with trivial jams (Jam 292)…and an endless live-in-the-studio take on Burning Desire.” WA

Alan Douglas Era (1975-1996): This “era is defined by the period of control held by producer Alan Douglas…Douglas reconstructed selections of studio material by hiring session players to overdub portions that were incomplete. The resulting LPs, Crash Landing and Midnight Lightning, contain several important tracks but are generally considered to be of substandard quality. Intending to ‘refresh’ Hendrix's sound with the funk driven grooves of the era, they achieved only marginally successful sales, and the use of replacement musicians (including lead guitar work) was viewed by fans as sacrilege.” WK

Crash Landing Jimi Hendrix

Recorded: 3/13/68 to 11/12/69 Charted: March 22, 1975 Peak: 5 US, 35 UK, -- CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, -- UK, 0.5 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock Rating: 3.389 out of 5.00 (average of 13 ratings)

Tracks: Message to Love (aka “Message of Love” and “Message to the Universe”) BG CRL,, SS Somewhere Over the Rainbow CRL Crash Landing CRL Come Down Hard on Me LE, CRL Peace in Mississippi CRL Power of Soul (aka “Power to Love” and “With the Power”) BG, CRL, SS Stone Free Again SH-UK, SH-US, CRL Captain Coconut CRL Total Running Time: 29:34 About the Album: “The first really vile plundering of the vaults, with guitar and sideman tracks scrubbed to make room for session musicians (principally Jeff Mironov, guitar; Alan Schwartzberg, drums; and Bob Babbitt, bass). There was such a preponderance of clueless white people involved with the project that no one could figure what a track labeled ‘MLK’ stood for, so they retitled it Captain Coconut.” WA

Midnight Lightning Jimi Hendrix

Recorded: 3/18/69 to 3/23/70 Charted: November 29, 1975 Peak: 43 US, 46 UK, -- CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Genre: classic rock Rating: 2.838 out of 5.00 (average of 12 ratings)

Tracks: Trash Man ML Midnight Lightning ML, SS Hear My Train A Comin’ RB, ML Gypsy Boy (New Rising Sun) RB, ML, FR Blue Suede Shoes LE, ML Machine Gun ML, BG Once I Had a Woman ML Beginnings WH, ML, FR Total Running Time: 35:58 About the Album: “Worse than Crash Landing, with Hey Baby, Hear My Train, the title track and other unfinished tunes given the Douglas session cat treatment.” WA

The Ultimate Experience Jimi Hendrix

Recorded: 1966-1970 Released: November 2, 1992 Peak: 72 US, 25 UK, -- CN, 7 AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 3.0 US, 0.1 UK, 3.46 world (includes US + UK) Genre: classic rock Rating: 4.704 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks: (1) All Along the Watchtower (2) Purple Haze (3) Hey Joe (4) The Wind Cries Mary (5) Angel (6) Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (7) Foxey Lady (8) Burning of the Midnight Lamp (9) Highway Chile (10) Crosstown Traffic (11) Castles Made of Sand (12) Long Hot Summer Night (13) Red House (14) Manic Depression (15) Gypsy Eyes (16) Little Wing (17) Fire (18) Wait Until Tomorrow (19) The Star-Spangled Banner (live) (20) Wild Thing (live) Total Running Time: 71:55 About the Album: A Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: Wild Thing (live from Monterey Pop Festival, 1970)

Experience Hendrix (1997-present): In 1995, Jimi’s father Al Hendrix regained the rights to his son’s music. “With the help of Jimi’s step-sister Janie, Al set up Experience Hendrix to begin to get Jimi’s legacy in order. They began by hiring John McDermott and Jimi’s original engineer, Eddie Kramer to oversee the remastering process. They were able to find all the original master tapes, which had never been used for previous CD releases, and in April of 1997, Hendrix’s first three albums were reissued with drastically improved sound.” AMG That same year a pair of compilations were issued as well. The first was First Rays of the New Rising Sun, which was comprised of tracks first featured on Cry of Love, Rainbow Bridge and War Heroes. AMG Next up was South Saturn Delta which collected more tracks from posthumous albums including Crash Landing, War Heroes, and Rainbow Bridge “without the terrible ‘70s overdubs…along with a handful of never-before-heard material that Chas Chandler had withheld from Alan Douglas for all those years.” AMG “More archival material followed; Radio One was basically expanded to the two-disc BBC Sessions (released in 1998), and 1999 saw the release of the full show from Woodstock as well as additional concert recordings from the Band of Gypsys shows entitled Live at the Fillmore East. 2000 saw the release of the Jimi Hendrix Experience four-disc box set, which compiled remaining tracks from In the West, Crash Landing and Rainbow Bridge along with more rarities and alternates from the Chandler cache.” AMG “The family also launched Dagger Records, essentially an authorized bootleg label to supply hardcore Hendrix fans with material that would be of limited commercial appeal. Dagger Records has released several live concerts…and a collection of studio jams and demos.” AMG While there were several Dagger releases over the next decade, it wasn’t until 2010, when Experience Hendrix signed a distribution deal with Sony, that the first official “new” Hendrix album was released – Valleys of Neptune, containing primarily recordings from 1969. People, Hell and Angels followed in 2013.

First Rays of the New Rising Sun Jimi Hendrix

Recorded: 3/13/68 to 8/24/70 Released: April 22, 1997 Peak: 49 US, 37 UK, -- CN, -- AU, 13 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US + UK), 6.04 EAS Genre: classic rock Rating: 4.156 out of 5.00 (average of 17 ratings)

Tracks: Freedom COL, FR Izabella WH, FN Night Bird Flying COL, FR Angel COL, FR, SS Room Full of Mirrors RB, FR Dolly Dagger RB, FR Ezy Ryder COL, FR Drifting COL, FR Beginnings WH, ML, FR Stepping Stone WH, FR My Friend COL, FR Straight Ahead COL, FR Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) RB, ML, FR Earth Blues RB, FR Astro Man COL, FR In from the Storm COL, FR Belly Button Window COL, FR Total Running Time: 69:27 About the Album: This is as close as you can get to an essential “fourth” studio album from Hendrix. When Hendrix’s family got control of his estate, they reworked his first posthumous album, The Cry of Love, into First Rays of the New Rising Sun. It was closer to the Hendrix’s vision and stripped away the over-produced elements added by Alan Douglas to the original recordings. Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including awards and details about individual songs.

South Saturn Delta Jimi Hendrix

Recorded: July 1967 to August 1970 Released: October 7, 1997 Peak: 51 US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU, 13 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US + UK), 2.13 EAS Genre: classic rock Rating: 3.599 out of 5.00 (average of 17 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks: Look Over Yonder RB, SS Little Wing (alternate version) SS Here He Comes (Lover Man) SS South Saturn Delta SS Power of Soul (aka “Power to Love” and “With the Power”) BG, CRL, SS Message to Love (aka “Message of Love” and “Message to the Universe”) BG, SS Tax Free WH, SS All Along the Watchtower (alternate version) SH-US, SS The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam’s Dice SH-UK, LE, SS Midnight WH, SS Angel (aka “Sweet Angel”) COL, FR, SS Bleeding Heart WH, SS Pali Gap RB, SS Drifter’s Escape LE, SS Midnight Lightning ML, SS Total Running Time: 65:47 About the Album: “The second Hendrix family release, and again it consists mostly of previously available – though in many cases out of print - material. Generally speaking, this is the best of the material that wasn't seriously considered for release by Hendrix: abandoned tunes (the title track with a jazz horn section, Bleeding Heart); tossoff jams (Midnight, Pali Gap); demos (Sweet Angel, Little Wing). That said, it's very well put together, in several cases restoring material edited out or erased by the Douglas regime (Power of Soul), or returning to mixes Hendrix made before his death rather than posthumous mixes (Drifter's Escape). The biggest surprise on this set is a slow blues, unaccompanied version of Midnight Lightning that blows all the previously released versions away - for devotees, that one track alone makes this a valuable acquisition. Because the cuts featured here don't really reveal any previously unseen facets of Hendrix the composer, performer or producer, it's of interest only to fans, but it's roughly a hundred times better than the previous releases it makes irrelevant (War Heroes, Loose Ends, Crash Landing, Voodoo Slop). Finally somebody's doing the job right.” WA

Resources/References: AMG All Music Guide bio by Richie Unterberger & Sean Westergaard Related DMDB Links: First posted 2/20/2013; last updated 7/28/2026.