Jimi Hendrix's Last Song

[westen44]

Although I wasn't expecting to even buy it, I did decide to go ahead and get the last Hendrix CD of previously unreleased songs--People, Hell, and Angels.

This song "Crash Landing" is my favorite song by far.  Unlike the earlier version, this one doesn't have studio musicians who were brought in to overdub parts.  Billy Cox is playing bass but I don't know who the drummer is--evidently not Mitch Mitchell,  though.  The song was about his girlfriend Devon Wilson, the one that "Dolly Dagger" was written about.  But this version has never been heard before.  Besides the guitar which I like very much, I like Billy Cox's bass as well or better than anything I've ever heard him play.  But the highlight is Hendrix's guitar playing, of course.  Nothing like this will ever be released again.  This is the last of the previously unreleased recordings.  If anyone is thinking of buying this CD, I'd recommend the Target exclusive which has 20 minutes of extra tracks (for the same price as the regular version.)  Nevertheless, Crash Landing, as far as I know was considered a reject by everyone.  It was abandoned and morphed into the song "Freedom" which I've never liked, but I suppose a lot of other people do.  I can't stand it, but I like Crash Landing very much.  Needless to say, when most people think of Crash Landing, they think of this--

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_Landing_(Jimi_Hendrix_album)

[nofi]

forty years on and the record company is still milking that cow. kind of disgusting, really.  but i turned down free tickets to see hendrix so what do i know.

[westen44]

forty years on and the record company is still milking that cow. kind of disgusting, really.  but i turned down free tickets to see hendrix so what do i know.

You are correct--definitely disgusting and milking the cow. This "album" is a snapshot of what Hendrix had in mind as the original band was breaking up.  It's a musical direction I would not have liked much at all.  It's comparable to the way I now feel about Muse.  Great music for a while, then veering off in an uninteresting direction.  Nevertheless, I do like this one song quite a bit.  Whether or not it's worth the price of the CD is debatable.  I suppose for me as a fan, it might be.  But for anyone listening to Hendrix for the first time something like this should be totally avoided, IMO. 

[Pilgrim]

I don't have any problem with the music companies issuing CDs years after the initial offering.  What I have heartburn with is them charging full price for 30-year-old music.  Stuff that's past a few years old should be reduced in price to no more than half the initial retail.  They've already made their money and spent their marketing budget.

[westen44]

I don't have any problem with the music companies issuing CDs years after the initial offering.  What I have heartburn with is them charging full price for 30-year-old music.  Stuff that's past a few years old should be reduced in price to no more than half the initial retail.  They've already made their money and spent their marketing budget.

I pointed out earlier that I bought mine at Target and it had extra tracks.  In their defense, these extra tracks were very good.  Some jams I had heard about but never had listened to.  So, if someone gets the Target edition, that's a lot of music for only eleven dollars.  My problem is the genre of music itself.  I'm definitely not interested in it, although there are a few good songs, but mostly the "Crash Landing" song.  I'm in the strange situation of being a Hendrix fan but being one who objects in many ways to them choosing this particular so-called album to focus on at this point in time. 

[uwe]

Jimi has been ill-served with worse posthumous releases I think. His death was more exploited by the horrendous crap that was released in the early seventies following his death than what has been released in, say, the last twenty years. Sure it's barrelscraping, but a least it's now done with an archivist's dedication to the barrelscraping. Those people buying something "new" of Hendrix today know what they are in for and they still want it, being a completist in other areas myself I can relate. Their are more heinous crimes than satisfying that particular demand.

[westen44]

^
My perception is changing the more I listen to it.  It's definitely way better than I was expecting.  Besides liking some of Hendrix's guitar work I've never heard before, I'm also enjoying listening to Billy Cox play on songs I've never heard him play on before.  This album is definitely being presented as the closest thing possible to original recordings and I value that archivist's mentality very much. 

[ramone57]

has anybody ever checked out this Hendrix 'release'?  I think it's brilliant.
they were authorized by the Hendrix estate to sample his recordings for this project.

http://www.amazon.com/60s-Were-90s-Beautiful-People/dp/B000005X90

[westen44]

has anybody ever checked out this Hendrix 'release'?  I think it's brilliant.
they were authorized by the Hendrix estate to sample his recordings for this project.

http://www.amazon.com/60s-Were-90s-Beautiful-People/dp/B000005X90

I've never even heard of it, but it has a lot of reviews, so it must be of some interest, obviously. 

[copacetic]

So Westen, how is the quality of the recordings on this one? So much trash in the Hendrix catalogue and skeptical by now. I always like Bill Cox's playing and to hear him on some 'fresh' cuts is appealing to me. Never cared for Noel Redding's playing live or on album. I did see Hendrix several times with both of them and I remember several times Hendrix looked irritatatingly over at Redding like WTF?

[westen44]

So Westen, how is the quality of the recordings on this one? So much trash in the Hendrix catalogue and skeptical by now. I always like Bill Cox's playing and to hear him on some 'fresh' cuts is appealing to me. Never cared for Noel Redding's playing live or on album. I did see Hendrix several times with both of them and I remember several times Hendrix looked irritatatingly over at Redding like WTF?

The quality is very good.  For some reason, on some songs the bass isn't as loud as it was on the "Valleys of Neptune" album from three years ago.  But most of the time it is loud enough.  Quality is not an issue; it's good.  Anyone interested in listening Hendrix play some stuff they've never heard and Billy Cox playing should be interested.  Anyone who likes the "First Rays of the New Rising Sun" at all should like "People, Hell, and Angels."  I cannot stress enough, though, how much more sense it makes to get the Target edition.  That edition concludes with Ezy Rider/MLK (aka Captain Coconut.)  Very interesting and lasting quite long. 

[copacetic]

My daughter will be delighted for me to willingly go there. She usually has to drag me there. Thanks

[westen44]

My daughter will be delighted for me to willingly go there. She usually has to drag me there. Thanks

I hope they aren't sold out.  I know what you mean, though, I don't like going there, either.  If you are able to get that version, that will be good for you.  They've gone up slightly on the price, but it's still around 12+ without tax.  You want to look for it in new music or best sellers.  Not sure. 

[hieronymous]

Thanks for the heads-up on the Target edition - picked it up yesterday! To me it's worth the price of admission just for the bonus track. Haven't listened to "Crash Landing" yet - I was thinking that was one of my favorite songs when I was in high school, but the song I actually loved from that album was the instrumental "Peace in Mississippi"...

[Highlander]

Such a gorgeous bit of guitar work...