Obits are a periodic presence on this blog space, though not of late, and a number of recent passings certainly warrant mention, Robert Altman, Anita O’Day and “Steam Train Maury” Graham among them. Rather than dwell on the recently deceased, I thought I mix things up a bit and give a shout out to the memory of my favorite left-handed guitarist on his birthday. Jimi Hendrix would’ve been 64 today, hardly a ripe old age considering how long he’s been gone. That sexagenarian number makes the mind mull at what he might be up to had he been able to outrun the demons at his heels. I’m spinning Axis Bold as Love for the 100th-odd time & patiently pining for the December Dagger Records release of Burning Desire, another tasty collection of Hendrix family-sanctioned outtakes.
Posted by derek on November 27, 2006 12:48 PMThat's more of a lavender than purple, but I get the idea.
Posted by: narew ramsh at November 27, 2006 3:03 PMRest in Peace, Hendrix. You left the blues/rock world to fumble in its mediocrity.
Posted by: Michael Lawrence at November 28, 2006 4:27 AMHendrix, maybe our greatest loss... what would he be doing now?
Posted by: Jimi Rulez at November 28, 2006 8:12 AM> what would he be doing now?
Releasing "unplugged" albums of his old songs and touring with Eric Clapton.
Posted by: pdf at November 28, 2006 9:30 AMYeah, with a BB King size beergut and Buddy Guy ego to match. Nah, next to retiring, dying is just about the best thing that can happen to a rock star. I can think of plenty who should consider it as a career move. The same can, of course, be said for music journalists, before the Jimi Rules fan club come charging in with bows and arrows at the ready.
Posted by: Dan Warburton at November 28, 2006 11:14 AM>==])==>
Posted by: Jimi Rulez at November 28, 2006 1:29 PMfirst music i ever was obsessed with was hendrix (i even had a birthday cake one year with a frosting made picture of him and his strat on it!), and when i discovered punk rock in 1979 in los angeles, the first thing i did was spray paint a no left turn sign on top of my jimi hendrix t-shirt. next day some a-hole in gym class tried to kick my ass for it, and in some way he was right. fortunately when jimi's 64, and i'm 42 all goodness in music can co-exist and mr. hendrix is on a shelf with mr. feldman (and indeed also mr. rotten) and life is more beautiful than ever because of it... time for a little spanish castle magic!
Posted by: sroden at November 29, 2006 9:04 PMDamn, just listening to your Brombron duo w/Kahn tonight, weird. Your third track off "For Morton Feldman" is one of favorite pieces of music ever. Good to see you here!
In any event, I'm going to spin "Tax Free" right now!
Posted by: Michael Schaumann at November 29, 2006 9:17 PM[SRoden - when jimi's 64, and i'm 42 all goodness in music can co-exist and mr. hendrix is on a shelf with mr. feldman (and indeed also mr. rotten]
Well he might make some good music (Winter Couplet is my favourite) but he doesn't keep his CDs in very good alphabetical order tsk...!
Posted by: Richard Pinnell at November 30, 2006 1:59 AMwhat are the best posthumous hendrix releases? i have the hendrix family-approved "first rays of the new rising sun" that came out on CD a few years ago, and i've enjoyed most of the fillmore east 2cd, but then there's ALLL of those other ones.
Posted by: jp at November 30, 2006 9:58 AMHere are a handful of posthumous releases I return to most frequently:
BBC Sessions (MCA/Experience Hendrix) [expanded version of the old Ryko Radio One comp includes a hilariously chaotic airshot from the Lulu Show & multiple versions of the classic instro “Drivin’ South”; not to mention a slipshod, but lively two-part jam with Stevie Wonder on drums]
Morning Symphony Ideas (Dagger) [long form rehearsal jams, mainly in the company Buddy Miles, which are surprising tight & creative throughout]
Baggy’s Rehearsal Sessions (Dagger) [Band of Gypsys studio jams from ‘69; fidelity is a tad flat, but the music makes up for it]
Hear My Music (Dagger) [collection of studio outtakes from London & New York sessions in ’69, among them an absolutely killing version of the proto-metal instro “Trash Man”]
Live at Winterland & Winterland + 3 EP (Ryko) [great live versions of “Tax Free”, “Hey Joe” & “Killing Floor”, not to mention rarer renderings of “Are You Experienced” and “Like a Rolling Stone” on the EP.]
Posted by: derek at November 30, 2006 12:48 PMI like the Blues compilation (the version of "Hear My Train A Comin'" that closes it is pretty mind-roasting, and there are a couple of Band of Gypsys studio tracks included on it), the Jimi Plays Monterey live album (out of print but findable), and you should get someone to burn you the 4CD rarities box rather than buying one for yourself.
Posted by: pdf at November 30, 2006 12:50 PMReleasing "unplugged" albums of his old songs and touring with Eric Clapton.
Yeah, with a BB King size beergut and Buddy Guy ego to match.
Man, you guys sure are a cynical lot. I think he’d be doing a lot more than touring/milking the graybeard circuit with Clapton, Townsend and the like. Especially with the enthusiastic & exorbitant backing of Microsoft founder Paul Allen at his probable disposal. Maybe all the money & fame would’ve long since corrupted his creativity, but he was definitely branching out into some cool directions (jamming with Miles, Rashaan & Larry Young, etc.) at the time of his untimely passing. Those Dagger studio collections offer compelling evidence.
Posted by: derek at November 30, 2006 12:56 PMThat Blues comp. on MCA hasn’t aged all that well for me and I rarely go back to it these days. The box has some great stuff, though make sure you go for the 2000 one & not that awful Lifelines set from the early 90s (a repackaging of a British retrospective radio show w/ many of the selections all chopped apart by spoken commentary). The only good thing about the latter (& it’s pretty great) is fourth disc containing an amazing L.A. Forum show from ’69. And speaking of the live stuff, if you can find it the Stages box set is worth owning too. Four shows on four discs: Stockholm ’67, Paris ’68, San Diego ’69, and Atlanta ’70- varying quality, but overall, all worth hearing.
Posted by: derek at November 30, 2006 1:05 PM"I didn't mean to take up all of your sweet time. I'll give it right back to you one of these days".
Posted by: Graham L. Rogers at December 2, 2006 3:47 AMhendrix would jam with Miles throughout the '80s, that would be awesome...
that great fusion sound...
imagine hendrix contributing some nasty wah-wah on seminal 'Tutu'....
fucking nailed great awesome rite on the spot burning on the row...
Posted by: saznala je vake at December 7, 2006 8:45 AMTutu, seminal? You might make a case for a couple of tracks on Decoy (Code MD is pretty cool), but not Tutu, despite the great Anton Corbijn photo. Nah, I can't imagine Jimi (even without the beergut) jammin' with Marcus Miller..
Posted by: Dan Warburton at December 7, 2006 9:54 AMi think the cake is fasinating and beautiful.
Posted by: Amy at June 6, 2007 11:21 AM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................
