Album Reviews

Hendrix's psychedelic morning after pill was a gloriously unfocused affair, at times sprawling and tentative, at times like his “Star Spangled Banner,” timeless, brilliant and classic. At his most tentative that morning, playing with a newly assembled group, Hendrix was still in control, still exploding the limits on what one man can do with an electric guitar.

The headliner was supposed to close the show Sunday night but as we all know you just can't believe everything you see and hear, now can you? It was too late Sunday evening, so Hendrix opened and closed the show Monday morning in front of the 25,000 or so left in the mud and refuse.

The performance probably wouldn't have been any better had it taken place on time. Hendrix was in mid-concept when he put together this rag-tag large grouping called Gypsy Sun and Rainbows anchored by Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox who would go on with Jimi to form yet another power trio Band of Gypsies. Here Hendrix merely invents jam bands and what we now call “fusion.” That it didn't gel to perfection is no surprise.

At Woodstock Hendrix performed with a second guitarist and two additional percussionists, none of whom were particularly well miked, so they are not that evident in this Eddie Kramer remix from the original 8 track analog tapes. Even had they been well recorded, percussionists Juma Sultan and Jerry Velez and guitarist Larry Lee probably would have been mixed out of the proceedings, judging by the liner notes. There were few musical opening for them to fill and little for them to add to what Hendrix and his rhythm section were doing.

It's obvious from Hendrix's apologetic, nervous between song raps that he and the group were unrehearsed and unprepared. Still, there were some stellar, propulsive and magical moments, thanks to Jimi's musical ingenuity and craftsmanship.

The sprawling “Message to Love,” and the hair raising 9:49 second “Hear My Train A Comin'” were my favorites, but yours may be found in other grooves of what was a heady mash of jazz, blues, rock, soul and psychedelia that the stragglers ate up.

The full story is best left to the wonderful liner notes accompanying this sumptuous box set from Classic Records written by David Fricke and John McDermott plus a Kramer interview conducted by Classic's Mike Hobson.

The music, spread out over 6 200 g Quiex SV-P sides covers almost all of Hendrix's Woodstock performance. Recently remixed from the original 8 track tapes, the sound is far removed and far better than your memories of the original 3 LP Cotillion Woodstock set and the follow up Woodstock II. Here the performances are full and unedited and Eddie Kramer blends a richer, fuller palette. Just don't expect Belafonte at Carnegie Hall! There's a bonus 45rpm single containing post Woodstock studio recordings of “Izabella” and “Message to The Universe [Message To Love] recorded at The Hit Factory late summer and early fall of 1969.

The packaging is exceptionally well done, from the box to the full sized full color glossy booklet, and the glassine envelope containing a guitar pick and a facsimile ticket for Sunday's performance, August 17th, 1969. Look at the photo on page 5 of Hendrix playing and the back stage elite watching, and there in front is Linda Eastman, soon to be Paul McCartney's wife-if she already wasn't. The others don't exactly look like poor hippies either. That's just the way it was back then, as it is now. The good seats go to the folks with money and connections.

I went to Woodstock Friday afternoon, but soaked and starved, cold and clammy, coming down from some good acid, my friends and I packed up and left late Saturday. We missed Sunday's greatness and Monday's Jimi Hendrix performance. With this box, finally, the entire experience is once again available. Woodstock wasn't as great as it was cracked up to be, nor was it as awful as the revisionists would have you believe. I'm glad I went, and I'm glad that I can return now as often as I wish.

This box set is not essential Hendrix, but it's important Hendrix as it captures Jimi in “mid thought,” moving toward the next great light. He died a little more than a year later, making every captured performance that much more precious. Hendrix's stock will only soar higher as time passes, and this limited edition box is sure to be a collector's item. But even if it becomes monetarily worthless, the music will remain priceless.