Hendrix blues

The latest splash in the Experience Hendrix pond is Blue Wild Angel, the complete 18-cut Isle of Wight Concert on 2 CD's in original festival programming. On vinyl too. It contains Hey Joe and Red House. Here's a blurb from the previous, incomplete, 9-cut, Australian Polydor CD:

"Legions of European fans made the pilgrimage to witness his long-awaited Wight light of August, 1970. What they heard was the swan song of a genius and an era. Eighteen days later Jimi died in London."

The well recorded live albums still sound fresh. Be careful with the bootleg concerts; some sound great over the headphones at the shop but lack punch through real speakers.

If you prefer the earlier stuff, check out the 1987 Rykodisc - Live at Winterland - from concerts in October, 1968. It has both Hey Joe and Red House. This is digitally remixed and sounds pretty good.

Some Red House playing times:

from Smash Hits - 3:50
Winterland - 10:58
San Diego Sports Arena - 13:12 (from Hendrix In the West LP)
Woodstock - 5:40
Isle of Wight - 12:37

In the November issue of Tower Records' free mag Pulse there was an article wherein various artists reflected on their relationship to Hendrix. Buddy Guy said Hendrix used to come to see him play but Guy neither mentioned nor implied any collaboration. He did however take lopsided credit for some kind of permanent musical influence on Hendrix. Guy's arrogance gave me the blues.

A coupla Labor Day's ago, Buddy MILES played a pool party at a private home in Dallas. Following a few songs on the drums, he closed the set with his own electric guitar work. It was awesome in its tonality and intensity, hypnotic too, and asserted a unique personality of its own to the universe. Take a lesson Mr. Guy.