What are you listening to right now?

[NewRider]

Jay-Z and Kanye West - Watch The Throne

[hamilton]

Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3, Goodnight Oslo.

[Freeker]

[Esau.]

Second Tube's mix from 2003

Disc 1 (of 4)

1. Eric Truffaz Ladyland Quartet Sweet Mercy 12/09/01

2. The Product Toy R Us 11/04/02

3. The Slip 54/46 Was My Number 02/14/97

4. Robert Walter's 20th Congress Volcanic Acne 02/07/03

5. Estradasphere Giant Steps 01/05/01

6. Ulu Rollin 02/01/02

7. Jacod Freed Jazz Odyssey [1] Karl Denson & Big Sam Jam 07/07/02

8. YoMiles! [2] Moja 03/04/00

9. Jukejoint Too High > 07/20/02

10. Jukejoint As If 07/20/02

[NewRider]

[bradm]

http://www.archive.org/details/unseenstrangers2010-12-15.oktava.flac16

The Unseen Strangers - (live recording) 2010-12-15, The Rainbow Bistro, Ottawa, ON

Aloha,

Brad

[ollie]

Led Zeppelin - Presence

[bradm]

http://www.archive.org/details/unseenstrangers2011-01-29.oktava.flac16

The Unseen Strangers - 2011-01-29, The Clocktower Brewpub, Ottawa, ON

Aloha,

Brad

[Kanada Kev]

The Cowboy Movie is worth the download alone. PHIL moves me

http://bit.ly/pS3oBU

Allman Brothers Band

2011-07-27

Tune In To Hep C

Beacon Theatre, New York, NY

Source: Sirius Stream Rip

Rock ’n Roll Hall of Famer Gregg Allman announces Tune In to Hep C, a public health campaign to help raise awareness of chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

To help turn up the volume around hepatitis C, a one night only benefit concert featuring The Allman Brothers Band will be held at The Beacon Theatre in New York on July 27, the eve of World Hepatitis Day.

“There are many people who have been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C, but aren’t taking action. I want to tell them, don’t wait. Doing nothing is not an option; they need to talk with their doctor,†said Allman, a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. “I made the decision to take action and talk to my doctor, so that I could get back to making the music I love. I want others to take that action too, and if I can help make that happen, I’ve done my job.â€

Proceeds from the benefit concert will be donated to community-based organizations that provide education and support services to people with chronic hepatitis C.

mp3@320

Track List:

Set I:

1. Don’t Want You No More >

2. It’s Not My Cross To Bear

3. I Walk On Gilded Splinters

4. One Way Out

5. Into The Mystic

6. Statesboro Blues

7. Blind Willie McTell

8. Change Is Gonna Come (Natalie Cole, vocals; Danny Louis, keys; Ron Holloway, sax)

9. The Weight (Natalie Cole, vocals; Danny Louis, keys; Ron Holloway, sax)

10. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (Bill Evans, sax)

Set II:

11. Teach Your Children (David Crosby & Graham Nash, guitar & vocals, Derek, guitar)

12. Guenevere (David Crosby, guitar & vocals, Graham Nash, vocals)

13. Find The Cost Of Freedom (Crosby, Nash & Haynes a capella)

14. Cowboy Movie(David Crosby; Graham Nash; Phil Lesh, bass; Danny Louis, keys; James van der Bogert , drums)

15. Almost Cut My Hair(David Crosby; Graham Nash; Phil Lesh, bass; Danny Louis, keys; James van der Bogert , drums)

16. Shakedown Street (Phil Lesh, bass & vocals; Danny Louis, keys; James van der Bogert , drums)

17. Sugaree(Phil Lesh, bass & vocals; Danny Louis, keys; James van der Bogert , drums)

18. Franklin’s Tower(Phil Lesh, bass & vocals; Danny Louis, keys; Bill Evans, sax; James van der Bogert , drums; Oteil, vocals)

19. Whipping Post(Natalie Cole, vocals)

Encore:

20. Midnight Rider(David Crosby, Graham Nash, vocals; Devon Allman, guitar & vocals)

21. Will the Circle Be Unbroken(Natalie Cole, vocals; Billy Gibbons, guitar, Crosby & Nash, vocals; Danny Louis, piano)

http://bit.ly/pS3oBU :bonghit: :bonghit: :chug:

Edited August 10, 2011 by Guest

[hamilton]

Grateful Dead, Dick's Picks, Volume 27: 12.16.1992.

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/p5XKSJ

T-Bone Walker - Walker Crossing (The Blues District)

T-Bone Walker invented the guitar solo as we know it — he was the guy who figured out how to make an electric guitar cry and moan. Born in Texas in 1910, he was a bluesman touring the South by the age of fifteen. As early as 1935, he was playing primitive electric-guitar models. But he shocked everyone with his 1942 debut single, “Mean Old World,†playing bent notes, vibrato sobs and more wild new electric sounds that other guitarists hadn’t even dreamed of. Walker invented a new musical language, from the urban flash of “The Hustle Is On†to the dread of “Stormy Monday.†Through the Forties and Fifties, he led his suave L.A. jump-blues combo on classics such as “You’re My Best Poker Hand,†“I Know Your Wig Is Gone†and “Long Skirt Baby Blues.â€

mp3@320

Track List

01. Don’t Leave Me Baby (2:47)

02. Low Down Dirty Shame (2:35)

03. She’s Going To Ruin Me (2:54)

04. I Can’t Stand Being Away From You (3:08)

05. Come Back To Me Baby (3:05)

06. T-Bone Boogie (3:02)

07. Trinity River Blues (3:06)

08. I’m Gonna Find My Baby (2:54)

09. T-Bone Blues (3:15)

10. Mean Old World (2:53)

11. No Worry Blues (2:41)

12. I’m Still In Love With You (2:52)

13. My Baby Left Me (2:51)

14. Bobby Sox Blues (2:38)

15. I Got A Break Baby (3:16)

16. Evening (3:27)

http://bit.ly/p5XKSJ

[ollie]

Napalm Death - Peel Sessions 1990-08-12

[bradm]

http://www.archive.org/details/tlg2010-07-16.oktava.flac16

Tea Leaf Green - (live recording) 2010-07-16, The Great Hall, Toronto, ON

Aloha,

Brad

[bradm]

The Dusty Drifters - (live recording) 2011-08-07, Irene's Pub, Ottawa, ON

Aloha,

Brad

[Esau.]

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/pjbF6m

Arthur Crudup - Crudup Street (The Blues District)

Crudup was one of America’s top-selling blues artists long before Elvis Presley, Elton John, Rod Stewart, and other pop stars began recording his songs. But like many other performers who had little education and little familiarity with the music business or copyright law, Crudup fell victim to exploitation. Only after his death did his heirs finally succeed in securing his copyrights and long-overdue royalties.

His best known records included “Rock Me Mama,†“Mean Old ‘Frisco Blues,†and three that were covered by Presley: “That’s All Right,†“My Baby Left Me,†and “So Glad You’re Mine.†Crudup rarely played concerts or theaters until the blues revival of the 1960s, but he was a juke joint favorite in Mississippi, where he performed with Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson, and locals such as George Lee, Odell Lay, and Clyde Lay.

mp3@320

Track List

01. Crudup’s After Hours (2:54)

02. Hey Mama, Everything’s Alright (2:54)

03. Dirt Road Blues (3:05)

04. I Want My Lovin’ (2:55)

05. Chicago Blues (3:11)

06. I Don’t Know It (2:48)

07. You Got To Reap (2:55)

08. Crudup’s Vicksburg Blues (3:11)

09. So Glad Your Mine (2:45)

10. Just Like A Spider (3:13)

11. That’s Why I’m Lonesome (3:03)

12. Roberta Blues (2:44)

13. Ethel Mae (3:07)

14. That’s All Right (2:51)

15. Train Fare Blues (2:43)

16. Katie May (3:02)

http://bit.ly/pjbF6m

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/oOqrlj

The New Mastersounds - Breaks From the Border

Rather than take a well-deserved break after a U.S. festival tour, Leeds U.K. funk quartet the New Mastersounds flew to Tomillo, Texas’ Sonic Ranch, a residential neighborhood studio located near the border between the States and Mexico. Deciding they wanted to append their near-constant instrumental output with vocals — that have primarily occurred on stages rather than in the studio — they flew in Rhianna “Freckles†Kenny to collaborate in the writing, arranging, and recording process. Cut in just over a week, Breaks from the Border reflects the bubbling, energetically infectious sounds of the New Mastersounds at their best, while adding depth and dimension to some beautifully breezy, elastic, harmonically savvy vocals that never manage to get in the way of the quartet’s knotty, rave-up funky grooves. All four members harmonize on opener “Take What You Need,†which merely highlights their backbeat-driven Meters-influenced funk with an into-the-red bassline groove led by Pete Shand. They pick up the tempo with “Run the Gauntlet,†featuring a smoking B-3 solo by Joe Tatton. The knotty breaks by kit man Simon Allen fuel the shimmering group vocals on “On the Border,†while the finger-popping dialogue between the bassline and Eddie Roberts’ jazz guitar wrangling on “Freckles†accounts for one of the finest moments on the disc. The burning Afro-funk at the heart of “Walk in These Shoes†reveals the quartet at full rhythm burn, even with the four-part harmonies adding a breezy, humid element to the mix. Roberts’ guitar break is one of the best on any New Mastersounds studio effort. “Josus†walks on the jazz side of funk and “Can You Get It?†sounds like an update of the Meters’ bubble and broil. Kenny takes her own lead vocal break on the album-closing jazzer “Up in the Air,†with spacy psychedelic soul grooves from the New Mastersounds. On paper, it would have seemed that Breaks from the Border might have fallen short; as it stands, however, this set adds another level of from-the-basement groove to the quartet’s already formidable attack. - Thom Jurek

mp3@320

Track List

1. Take What You Need

2. Run the Gauntlet

3. On The Border

4. Free Man

5. Freckles

6. Passport

7. Walk In these Shoes

8. Josus

9. Can You Get It?

10. Turn It Up

11. Up In The Air

http://bit.ly/oOqrlj

[Northern Wish]

Bright Eyes- Digital Ash in a Digital Urn

[Freeker]

[bradm]

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=540827

The Wood Brothers - (live recording) 2010-12-08, The Mod Club Theatre, Toronto, ON

Aloha,

Brad

[bradm]

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=529158

Mike Gordon - (live recording) 2009-10-02, The Mod Club Theatre, Toronto, ON

Aloha,

Brad

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/qLXYMt

Little Feat - Waiting For Columbus (Deluxe Edition)

What constitutes a great live album? It’s clearly not the mere application of a band’s studio performances. That approach may satisfy the attending audience, but what’s the point of making a record that sounds just like the one that already exists? It’s far more rewarding to experience a live album on which a band turbocharges its studio sound (as The Who did on the scorching 1970 document Live At Leeds); or expands the material through improvisation (The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East from 71 classic example); or enlarges the aural palate to open up a body of work (like The Band’s 1972 beauty Rock Of All Ages, its Allen Toussaint horn arrangements). What makes Little Feat’s Waiting For Columbus memorable is that it seamlessly and quite naturally encompasses all these approaches.

Waiting For Columbus (Deluxe Edition) contains the original Waiting For Columbus as well as ten tracks recorded during the same tour that were not included in the original album. It also contains previously unreleased outtakes.

Little Feat’s lone official live album was chopped up for its initial CD release, with two tracks lopped off so it could fit on a single disc (they showed up, inexplicably, as bonus tracks on the CD issue of The Last Record Album). After years of neglect, the album was finally restored in 2002, except “restored†might not be the right word for it. It was re-thought and expanded, with the original album now spilling over onto a second disc (which is where the encore is), which is fleshed out with seven previously unissued outtakes, plus three songs initially released on Hoy-Hoy. It’s a lovely package, with copious notes from Bud Scoppa and lots of photos, great remastered sound, and generous bonus tracks. It’s as well done as could be expected, but be forewarned — none of the unreleased material is as good as what made the record, tending to be a little slack and emphasizing their encroaching fascination with fusion. That’s really not that big of a deal, of course, since collectors will buy this no matter what, and they’ll be happy with this lavish, loving package.

Little Feat:

Lowell George (vocals, guitar, maracas, cowbell)

Paul Barrere (vocals, guitar)

Bill Payne (vocals, piano, electric piano, organ, synthesizer)

Kenny Gradney (bass)

Richie Hayward (drums, percussion, background vocals)

Sam Clayton (congas, percussion, background vocals)

With:

Mick Taylor (guitar); Tower Of Power (horns); Michael McDonald,

Patrick Simmons (background vocals).

Recorded live at the Rainbow Theatre, London, England; The Lisner Auditorium,

Washington, D.C. in August 1977. Includes liner notes by Bud Scoppa.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

mp3@320CBR

Track List

Disc 1.

01 Join The Band

02 Fat Man In The Bathtub

03 All That You Dream

04 Oh Atlanta

05 Old Folks Boogie

06 Dixie Chicken

07 Tripe Face Boogie

08 Rocket In My Pocket

09 Time Loves A Hero

10 Day Or Night

11 Mercenary Territory

12 Spanish Moon

Disc 2.

The Encore

13 Willin’

14 Don’t Bogart That Joint

15 Apolitical Blues

16 Sailin’ Shoes

17 Feats Don’t Fail Me Now

Previously Unissued Outtakes

18 One Love Stand

19 Rock And Roll Doctor

20 Skin It Back

21 On Your Way Down

22 Walkin All Night

23 Cold, Cold, Cold

24 Day At The Dog Races

Outtakes First Issued On Hoy-Hoy!

25 Skin It Back

26 Red Streamliner

27 Teenage Nervous Breakdown

http://bit.ly/qLXYMt

[Kanada Kev]

This is a killer collection to have. It originally came out alongside a version with JG's covers of all these, but I don't have that one, sorry.

http://bit.ly/nijwk8

I’ll Take A Melody - The Roots of Jerry Garcia

Here is an incredible compilation of original versions of songs that Jerry Garcia performed in his numerous side-projects outside of the Grateful Dead. A fantastic display of variety in styles and tastes from JG.

mp3@320

Track List

001 - Accidentally Like a Martyr - Warren Zevon

002 - After Midnight - J.J. Cale

003 - Ain’t No Bread In The Breadbox - Roy Rogers & Norton Buffalo

004 - And It Stoned Me - Van Morrison

005 - Angel Band - The Stanley Brothers

006 - Standin’ On The Corner (Blue Yodel #9) - Jimmie Rodgers

007 - Boogie on Reggae Woman - Stevie Wonder

008 - Bright Side Of The Road - Van Morrison

009 - Catfish John - Johnny Russell

010 - Cigarettes And Coffee - Otis Redding

011 - Crazy Love - Van Morrison

012 - Creepin’ - Stevie Wonder

013 - Dear Prudence - The Beatles

014 - Deep Elm Blues - The Shelton Brothers

015 - Don’t Let Go - Roy Hamilton

016 - Down Where The River Bends - Rocky Ridge Ramblers

017 - Drifting Too Far From The Shore - The Monroe Brothers

018 - Evangeline - Los Lobos

019 - Everybody Needs Someone To Love - Solomon Burke

020 - Expressway To Your Heart - The Soul Survivors

021 - Favela - Antonio Carlos Jobim

022 - The Fields Have Turned Brown - The Stanley Brothers

023 - Finders Keepers - Chairmen Of The Board

024 - Forever Young - Bob Dylan

025 - Freedom Jazz Dance - Miles Davis

026 - Freight Train - Elizabeth Cotten

027 - Georgia On My Mind (Sept.15,1930) - Hoagy Carmichael Orchestra

028 - Get Out Of My Life, Woman - Lee Dorsey

029 - Going to the Races - The Country Gentlemen

030 - Going, Going, Gone - Bob Dylan

031 - Irene - Lead Belly

032 - Handsome Cabin Boy - Ewan MacColl and A.L. Lloyd

033 - Hard Hearted - Jim & Jesse

034 - The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff

035 - He Ain’t Give You None - Van Morrison

036 - Hesitation Blues - Ralph McTell

037 - Hi-Heel Sneakers - Tommy Tucker

038 - Hopalong Peter - New Lost City Ramblers

039 - Hot Corn, Cold Corn - Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs

040 - How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) - Marvin Gaye

041 - The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game - The Marvelettes

042 - I Ain’t Never - Mel Tillis

043 - I Just Wanna Stop - Gino Vannelli

044 - I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles

045 - I Second That Emotion - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

046 - I Shall Be Released - The Band

047 - I Truly Understand You Love Another Man - New Lost City Ramblers

048 - I Want To Tell You - The Beatles

049 - I Was Made To Love Her - Stevie Wonder

050 - I’ll Take A Melody - Frankie Miller

051 - I’m Troubled - Flatt & Scruggs

052 - If I Lose - The Stanley Brothers

053 - Imagine - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band (with the Flux Fiddlers)

054 - It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry - Bob Dylan

055 - It’s A Sin - Jimmy Reed

056 - It’s Too Late - Chuck Willis

057 - Jackaro - Pete Seeger

058 - Jenny Jenkins - New Lost City Ramblers

059 - Johnny Too Bad - The Slickers

060 - Knockin’On Heaven’s Door - Bob Dylan

061 - Last Train From Poor Valley - The Seldom Scene

062 - Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton

063 - Lazy Bones - Hoagy Carmichael

064 - Let It Rock - Chuck Berry

065 - Let Me Roll It - Paul McCartney & Wings

066 - Let’s Spend The Night Together - The Rolling Stones

067 - Like A Road - Albert King

068 - Little Sadie - Clarence Ashley

069 - Little Sunflower - Freddie Hubbard

070 - Lonely Avenue - Ray Charles

071 - Lonesome & A Long Way - Eric Clapton

072 - Lonesome Fiddle Blues - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

073 - The Long Black Veil - The Country Gentlemen

074 - Long Train Runnin’ - Doobie Brothers

075 - Louis Collins - Mississippi John Hurt

076 - Lovely Night For Dancing - Bill Withers

077 - Magnificent Sanctuary Band - Roy Clark

078 - I’m A Man Of Constant Sorrow - The Stanley Brothers

079 - Midnite Moonlite - Peter Rowan

080 - Mighty High - Mighty Clouds Of Joy

081 - Milestones (M. Davis) [take 3]; Feb 4, 1958 - Miles Davis

082 - Mississippi Moon - Seatrain

083 - Money Honey - Clyde Mcphatter

084 - Blue Yodel No. 8 (Mule Skinner Blues) - Jimmie Rodgers

085 - Mystery Train - Elvis Presley

086 - Neighbor Neighbor - Jimmy Hughes

087 - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - The Band

088 - Off To Sea Once More - A.L. Lloyd and Ewan MacColl

089 - Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie - Elizabeth Cotten

090 - On And On - Bill Monroe

091 - See That My Grave’s Kept Clean - Blind Lemon Jefferson

092 - Orange Blossom Special - Bill Monroe

093 - Lindberg Hop (Overseas Stomp) - Memphis Jug Band

094 - Pig in a Pen - The Stanley Brothers

095 - Poison Glass of Wine - The Stanley Brothers

096 - Positively 4th Street - Bob Dylan

097 - I’m Ragged But I’m Right - George Jones

098 - Red Rocking Chair - The Country Gentlemen

099 - (I’m a) Road Runner - Junior Walker & the All-Stars

100 - Rockin’ Chair - Hoagy Carmichael

101 - Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu - Huey ‘Piano’ Smith

102 - Russian Lullaby - John Coltrane

103 - See What Love Can Do - Eric Clapton

104 - Señor (Tales of Yankee Power) - Bob Dylan

105 - Shady Grove - Jean Ritchie

106 - She Belongs To Me - Bob Dylan

107 - Shenandoah - Pete Seeger

108 - Shining Star - The Manhattans

109 - Simple Twist of Fate - Bob Dylan

110 - Sing Me Back Home - Merle Haggard

111 - Sitting In Limbo - Jimmy Cliff

112 - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Platters, The

113 - So What - Miles Davis

114 - Stealin’ Stealin’ - Memphis Jug Band

115 - You’re Not Goin’ To Worry My Life Anymore - Lightnin’ Hopkins

116 - Spike Driver Blues - Mississippi John Hurt

117 - Stir It Up - Bob Marley & The Wailers

118 - Stop That Train - Bob Marley & The Wailers

119 - Strange Man - Dorothy Coates

120 - Struggling Man - Jimmy Cliff

121 - Sweet Sunny South - Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers

122 - Swing Low, Sweet Chariot [4471-B-5] - Leadbelly

123 - Take Me - George Jones

124 - Tangled Up in Blue - Bob Dylan

125 - Tears Of Rage - The Band

126 - The Teddy Bears’ Picnic - Ethel Smith

127 - That Lucky Old Sun - Ray Charles

128 - That’s A Touch I Like - Jesse Winchester

129 - That’s All Right Mama - Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup

130 - That’s What Love Will Make You Do - Little Milton

131 - The Maker - Daniel Lanois

132 - There Ain’t No Bugs On Me - Fiddlin’ John Clarson

133 - Think - Jimmy McCracklin

134 - Three Men Went A Hunting - Byrd Moore And His Hot Shots

135 - The Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King

136 - Throw Out The Lifeline - Ella Fitzgerald

137 - Til The End Of The World Rolls Round - Flatt & Scruggs

138 - Tore Up Over You - Hank Ballard

139 - Tough Mama - Bob Dylan

140 - Trouble In Mind - Georgia White

141 - Twilight - The Band

142 - Uncle Pen - Bill Monroe

143 - Visions of Johanna - Bob Dylan

144 - Waiting For A Miracle - Bruce Cockburn

145 - Walkin’ Boss - Doc Watson

146 - The Temptations / The Way You Do The Things You Do - The Temptations

147 - Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon

148 - What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

149 - What Goes Around Comes Around - Dr. John

150 - What You Won’t Do For Love - Bobby Caldwell

151 - The White Dove - The Stanley Brothers

152 - When First Unto This Country - New Lost City Ramblers

153 - When I Paint My Masterpiece - Bob Dylan

154 - Whiskey In The Jar - The Dubliners

155 - The Wicked Messenger - Bob Dylan

156 - Wicked Path Of Sin - Bill Monroe

157 - Wild Horses - The Rolling Stones

158 - Without Love - Clyde Mcphatter

159 - Wonderful World - Sam Cooke

160 - Working on a Building - The Stanley Brothers

161 - You Can Leave Your Hat On - Randy Newman

162 - You Never Can Tell - Berry, Chuck

163 - You’ll Find Her Name Written There - Bill Monroe

http://bit.ly/nijwk8

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/r2xzbc

Jimi Hendrix – West Coast Seattle Boy

Very few artists have recorded as much worthwhile material in as short a time period as Jimi Hendrix. Beginning his solo career in 1966, by the time of his death in in September 1970 Hendrix had already released four albums that can only be described as classics and had wowed audiences throughout the United States and Europe. When he died, he left a vast archive of recordings in varying degrees of completion that have been the source of countless albums beginning with 1971’s Cry of Love and going through to Valleys of Neptune from earlier this year. While the early posthumous albums have been successful among fans and collectors, they have also been harshly criticized in some circles for providing only abbreviated snippets of longer songs and containing controversial overdubs. Enter West Coast Seattle Boy, the new four-CD and one-DVD box set from Legacy and Experience Hendrix which will be released on November 16. The set attempts to correct the aforementioned problem while also providing fans with alternate takes of released material, live recordings, studio jams, home demos, and early recordings showing Jimi’s prowess as a backup musician.

It is the latter which comprises the set’s first disc. This disc displays Hendrix backing up several soul and R&B artists, most notably Little Richard and the Isley Brothers. While the Isley Brothers tracks are a far cry from the legendary group’s best work, the numbers by Little Richard will offer those listeners only familiar with his seminal ’50s work a completely different, and decidedly more soulful, view of the man’s music. Even without Jimi, this disc would make a fine stand-alone collection of mid-’60s R&B and it is the numbers by artists like Ray Sharpe, Rosa Lee Brooks, and Jimmy Norman that truly make up the heart of the disc. In fact, there are certain songs in which Hendrix’s presence is nearly indiscernible and you could be listening to any good studio guitarist. But there are others where he gets a brief moment in the spotlight and we know from the first notes that it can’t be anyone else.

This initial disc may be the most interesting to fans of forgotten ’60s recordings, but the least interesting to Hendrix aficionados. Whichever category you fit into, it is a good look at the beginning of Hendrix’s career and a glimpse into why he was so great in the first place. Unlike the majority of today’s self-proclaimed “guitar gods,†Hendrix paid his dues on the road and in the studio with seasoned veterans prior to striking it out on his own and it is that experience that made his playing among the best ever.

The second disc comes closer to the Jimi we all know and love, kicking off with an alternate take of the classic rock staple “Fire†before delving into lesser-known material. Among this material is “Little One,†an instrumental recorded for Electric Ladyland featuring Dave Mason on sitar, a hard rock comedy track titled “Calling All the Devil’s Children,†which finds Hendrix portraying a minister, and a wonderful alternate take of “Mr. Bad Luck.†Also included are the initial backing tracks of “Are You Experienced†and a slower version of “Castles Made of Sand†featuring only Jimi and drummer Mitch Mitchell. These numbers were very interesting to me and displayed beyond any doubt how far ahead of his time Hendrix really was. In fact, these backing tracks aren’t too far detached from what a new generation of Seattle musicians would be doing a few decades later when they created grunge.

The best parts of disc two, though, are the six demos Hendrix recorded solo inside his hotel room in March 1968. While I had long suspected that “Long Hot Summer Night†would make a damn good folk song, I was surprised that “1983 (A Merman I Shall Turn to Be)†also makes the transition very well. Neither are as good as the finished studio versions, of course, but that is to be expected. Perhaps the best among these demos are a highly emotional cover of Dylan’s “Tears of Rage†and Jimi’s own “My Friend,†which quite possibly ranks as his best song lyrically.

Disc three is something of a mixed bag, although the good far outweighs the unnecessary. Near the beginning of the disc, the listener is treated to a seemingly spontaneous medley of “Room Full of Mirrors†and “Shame, Shame, Shame†and an energetic cover of Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog Blues.†We also hear several very promising unreleased tracks such as the metal-like “Messenger,†the Curtis Mayfield-inspired “Mastermind†which features Billy Cox on lead vocals, and an instrumental simply titled “Untitled Basic Track.†But just as the disc shows glimpses of Hendrix at his best in the studio, it also displays the worst of his musical excesses. A case in point is the 20-minute-plus jam with jazz organist Larry Young that shows flashes of brilliance at points, but for the most part, is simply aimless jamming.

The third disc also contains several live recordings, including a pre-Woodstock version of “The Star-Spangled Bannerâ€/â€Purple Haze†medley and three outtakes from the legendary Band of Gypsys shows on New Years Eve ‘69 that extends onto to the next disc. While the former bunch do not measure up to the Woodstock versions, they still make for great listening and the latter numbers once again reiterate the need for a set of the complete Band of Gypsys recordings. The best among these is a scorching fourteen-minute version of “Stone Free†that opens the collection’s final disc.

The remainder of the final disc explores the direction Hendrix was heading in his final months. The best tune on the disc, and perhaps the entire set, is the beautiful instrumental “Burning Desire†which is hard-rocking in its brilliant delivery and jazz-like in its complexity. It is truly difficult to understand why this track has not been released sooner. The great material continues with the blues-rocker “Lonely Avenue,†and the uncompleted “All God’s Children.†We also get to hear the last instance of Jimi as a backup musician as he adds guitar to Arthur Lee and Love’s “Everlasting First,†released here for the first time in it’s complete form. The set ends with an acoustic home demo of “Suddenly November Morning†from the legendary “Black Gold†sessions. The tune ranks as one of the box’s most intriguing numbers and one which had the potential to be a true classic.

The fourth disc was my personal favorite and while the songs on it were never completed and therefore can’t warrant a comparison to Jimi’s four original albums, having listened to the entire set and hearing the alternate takes of classic numbers and the way Hendrix worked in the studio, it is hard to not draw the conclusion that he was just starting to reach his peak in the late summer of 1970. While we will never know what Hendrix would have released in ‘71, I am almost certain that it would have been his masterpiece.

The music on the four discs enhanced my already immense level of respect for Hendrix’s music and, likewise, the DVD **Nowhere to be found yet**which accompanies the set enhanced my respect for Hendrix as a person. The documentary Voodoo Child features photographs and footage of Jimi as funk legend Bootsy Collins narrates, allowing Hendrix to “speak†in his own words through interviews and never-before-seen writings. The film shows a man confident in his talents but, at the same time, very humble regarding his success. I would highly recommend the DVD to anybody who likes Hendrix’s music and wants to know more about the man behind it. - Adam Sheets

MP3@320CBR

Track List

Disc One

01. Isley Brothers - Testify (1964)

02. Don Covay & the Goodtimers - Mercy, Mercy (1964 - #1 Cashbox R&B - #35 Billboard Hot 100)

03. Don Covay & the Goodtimers - Can’t Stay Away (1964)

04. Rosa Lee Brooks - My Diary (1965 - written by Arthur Lee)

05. Rosa Lee Brooks - Utee (1965)

06. Little Richard - I Don’t Know What You Got But It’s Got Me (1965)

07. Little Richard - Dancing All Around The World (1965)

08. Frank Howard & The Commanders - I’m So Glad (1966 - written by Billy Cox)

09. Isley Brothers - Move Over And Let Me Dance (1965)

10. Isley Brothers - Have You Ever Been Disappointed (1965)

11. Ray Sharpe - Help Me (Get The Feeling) (Part I) (1966)

12. The Icemen - (My Girl) She’s A Fox (1966)

13. Jimmy Norman - That Little Old Groovemaker (1966)

14. Billy Lamont - Sweet Thang (1968)

15. King Curtis - Instant Groove (1969)

Disc Two

01. Fire (1967) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

02. Are You Experienced (1967) - Previously Unreleased Recording

03. May This Be Love (1967) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

04. Can You See Me (1967) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

05. The Wind Cries Mary (Live) (1967)

06. Love Or Confusion (1967) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

07. Little One (1967) - Previously Unreleased Recording (featuring Dave Mason on sitar)

08. Mr. Bad Luck (1967) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

09. Cat Talking To Me (1967) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

10. Castles Made Of Sand (1967) - Previously Unreleased Recording

11. Tears Of Rage (1968) - Previously Unreleased Recording

12. Hear My Train A Comin’ (1968) - Previously Unreleased Recording

13. 1983 (A Merman I Shall Turn To Be) (1968) - Previously Unreleased Recording

14. Long Hot Summer Night (1968) - Previously Unreleased Recording

15. My Friend (1968) - Previously Unreleased Recording

16. Angel (1968) - Previously Unreleased Recording

17. Calling All The Devil’s Children (1968) - Previously Unreleased Recording

18. New Rising Sun (1968) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

Disc Three

01. Hear My Freedom (1968) - Previously Unreleased Recording

02. Room Full Of Mirrors (1969) - Previously Unreleased Recording

03. Shame, Shame, Shame (1969) - Previously Unreleased Recording

04. Messenger (1968) - Previously Unreleased Recording

05. Hound Dog Blues (1969) - Previously Unreleased Recording

06. Untitled Basic Track (1968) - Previously Unreleased Recording

07. Star Spangled Banner (1969) - Previously Unreleased Original Mix

08. Purple Haze (1969) - Previously Unreleased Original Mix

09. Young/Hendrix (1969) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

10. Mastermind (1969) - Previously Unreleased Recording

11. Message To Love (1969) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

12. Fire (1969) - Previously Unreleased Recording

13. Foxey Lady (1969) - Previously Unreleased Recording

Disc Four

01. Stone Free (1969) - Previously Unreleased Recording (live at the Fillmore East, New York, December 31, 1969)

02. Burning Desire (1970) - Previously Unreleased Recording

03. Lonely Avenue (1969) - Previously Unreleased Recording

04. Everlasting First (1970) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording (featuring Arthur Lee)

05. Freedom (1970) - Previously Unreleased Recording

06. Peter Gunn/Catastrophe (1970) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

07. In From The Storm (1970) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

08. All God’s Children (1970) - Previously Unreleased Recording

09. Red House (1970) - Previously Unreleased Recording

10. Play That Riff [Thank You] (1970) - Previously Unreleased Recording

11. Bolero (1970) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

12. Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) - Previously Unreleased Alternate Recording

13. Suddenly November Morning (1970) - Previously Unreleased Recording

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[hamilton]

Ron Sexsmith, Exit Strategy Of The Soul.