Hendrix in the West

Last updated

Hendrix in the West
Hendrix in the west.jpg
Live album by
ReleasedJanuary 1972 (1972-01)
RecordedFebruary 1969 August 1970
Genre Rock
Length40:43
Label Polydor
Producer Eddie Kramer, John Jansen
Jimi Hendrix UK chronology
Rainbow Bridge
(1971)
Hendrix in the West
(1972)
More Experience
(1972)
Jimi Hendrix US chronology
Rainbow Bridge
(1971)
Hendrix in the West
(1972)
War Heroes
(1972)

Hendrix in the West is a live album by Jimi Hendrix, released posthumously in January 1972 by Polydor Records (UK), and in February by Reprise Records (US). [1] The album tracks are split between those recorded in 1969 by the Jimi Hendrix Experience with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell and in 1970 with Billy Cox and Mitchell during The Cry of Love Tour.

Contents

Recording

The album contains songs from Hendrix's performances at the Royal Albert Hall on February 24, 1969, the San Diego Sports Arena on May 24, 1969, Berkeley Community Theatre on May 30, 1970 and the Isle of Wight Festival on August 30, 1970. The album's credits mislabel "Little Wing" and "Voodoo Child" as being recorded in San Diego, but actually they were recorded at the Royal Albert Hall on February 24, 1969. [1]

Critical reception and charts

Professional ratings
1971 album
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Christgau's Record Guide A− [3]

In a review for AllMusic, Sean Westergaard gave the album four out of five stars. He notes the relatively rare performances of "God Save the Queen", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Johnny B. Goode" as adding to Hendrix's more typical concert material. [2]

Hendrix in the West reached No. 7 in the UK albums chart, [4] No. 12 on both the U.S. Best Selling Soul LP's [5] and the Billboard 200 charts, [1] and No. 11 in Canada. [6]

1971 album track listing

All songs were written by Hendrix, except where noted. The album details are taken from the original 1971 Reprise LP record labels. [7] The original UK Polydor release reverses the sides, with "Johnny B. Goode" opening side one and "The Queen" side two. Both the Reprise and Polydor album liner notes list the tracks in a different order than the actual LPs.

Side one [7]
No.TitleVenue/date [1] Length
1."The Queen" (Traditional) Isle of Wight, 8/31/70timing combined with next track
2."Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)Isle of Wight, 8/31/704:02
3."Little Wing" Royal Albert Hall, 2/24/693:13
4."Red House" San Diego Sports Arena, 5/24/6913:12
Side two [7]
No.TitleVenue/date [1] Length
1."Johnny B. Goode" (Chuck Berry) Berkeley Community Theatre, 5/30/70 (1st show)4:45
2."Lover Man"Berkeley Community Theatre, 5/30/70 (2nd show)3:05
3."Blue Suede Shoes" (Carl Perkins)Berkeley Community Theatre, 5/30/70 (afternoon rehearsals)4:31
4."Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"Royal Albert Hall, 2/24/697:55

2011 re-release

Professional ratings
2011 re-release
Review scores
SourceRating
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [8]

Hendrix in the West was re-released on September 13, 2011, as part of Experience Hendrix's project to remaster Hendrix's discography. Since the rights to the Royal Albert Hall performances that appear on the original LP are in dispute, [9] the re-release substitutes the recordings of "Little Wing" (3:52) from Winterland on October 12, 1968, and "Voodoo Child" (10:40) from the San Diego Sports Arena on May 24, 1969. [2] It also adds "Fire", "I Don't Live Today" and "Spanish Castle Magic" from San Diego as bonus tracks after "Little Wing". [10]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<i>Electric Ladyland</i> 1968 studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience

Electric Ladyland is the third and final studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in October 1968. A double album, it was the only record from the Experience with production solely credited to Hendrix. The band's most commercially successful release and its only number one album, it was released by Reprise Records in the United States on October 16, 1968, and by Track Records in the UK nine days later. By mid-November, it had reached number 1 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, spending two weeks there. In the UK it peaked at number 6, where it spent 12 weeks on the British charts.

"Little Wing" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1967. It is a slower tempo, rhythm and blues-inspired ballad featuring Hendrix's vocal and guitar with recording studio effects accompanied by bass, drums, and glockenspiel. Lyrically, it is one of several of his songs that reference an idealized feminine or guardian angel-like figure. At about two and a half minutes in length, it is one of his most concise and melodically focused pieces.

<i>Smash Hits</i> (The Jimi Hendrix Experience album) 1968 greatest hits album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience

Smash Hits is a compilation album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Track Records first issued it on April 12, 1968, in the UK and included all four of the group's singles released up to that time, plus four additional songs from the UK edition of Are You Experienced.

<i>First Rays of the New Rising Sun</i> 1997 album by Jimi Hendrix

First Rays of the New Rising Sun is a compilation album credited to American rock musician Jimi Hendrix, issued in April 1997 on MCA Records. Featuring songs mostly intended for his planned fourth studio album, it was one of the first releases overseen by Experience Hendrix, the family company that took over management of his recording legacy. It reached the album charts in the United States, United Kingdom, and four other countries.

<i>Blues</i> (Jimi Hendrix album) 1994 compilation album by Jimi Hendrix

Blues is a compilation album of blues songs recorded by American singer/songwriter/musician Jimi Hendrix. Compiled by interim Hendrix producer Alan Douglas, it was released April 26, 1994, by MCA Records. The album contains eleven songs recorded by Hendrix between 1966 and 1970, six of which were previously unreleased. Hendrix wrote seven of the pieces; other writers include Muddy Waters, Booker T. Jones, and Elmore James. Most are demos, jams, and live recordings, which Hendrix may or may not have completed for release.

"Red House" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and one of the first songs recorded in 1966 by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It has the musical form of a conventional twelve-bar blues and features Hendrix's guitar playing. He developed the song prior to forming the Experience and was inspired by earlier blues songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voodoo Child (Slight Return)</span> Song written by Jimi Hendrix

"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968 that appears as the final track on the Electric Ladyland album released that year. It contains improvised guitar and a vocal from Hendrix, backed by Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. The song is one of Hendrix's best known; it was a feature of his concert performances throughout his career, and several live renditions were recorded and released on later albums.

<i>The Jimi Hendrix Experience</i> (album) 2000 box set by the Jimi Hendrix Experience

The Jimi Hendrix Experience is a box set by the British-American rock band the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in 2000 by MCA. The material includes alternative recordings, live performances and some rarities. Although most of the material had been released in earlier compilations, some previously unreleased material was also included.

<i>The Cry of Love</i> 1971 studio album / compilation by Jimi Hendrix

The Cry of Love is a posthumous album by American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Recorded primarily in 1970, it features new material that Hendrix was working on for his planned fourth studio album before his death later that year. While most of the songs were included on proposed track listings by Hendrix, the final selection was made by recording engineer Eddie Kramer and drummer Mitch Mitchell, with input from manager Michael Jeffery. Hendrix, Kramer, and Mitchell are credited as the album's producers, with Jeffery as the executive producer.

<i>Kiss the Sky</i> (Jimi Hendrix album) 1984 compilation album by Jimi Hendrix

Kiss the Sky is a compilation album by American rock guitarist, singer–songwriter Jimi Hendrix. In the US, it was released by Reprise Records in October 1984 and by Polydor Records in the UK in November 1984. The album's title is taken from the lyrics of "Purple Haze."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel (Jimi Hendrix song)</span> 1971 single by Jimi Hendrix

"Angel" is a song by American rock musician Jimi Hendrix, featured on his 1971 posthumous studio album The Cry of Love. Written and self-produced by Hendrix, he recorded it for his planned fourth studio album just months before he died in September 1970.

"Stone Free" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and the second song recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It has been described as a "counterculture anthem, with its lyrics praising the footloose and fancy-free life", which reflected Hendrix's restless lifestyle. Instrumentally, the song has a strong rhythmic drive provided by drummer Mitch Mitchell with harmonic support by bassist Noel Redding. "Stone Free" was issued on December 16, 1966, as the B-side of the Experience's first UK single "Hey Joe" and later included on the Smash Hits compilation album.

"Third Stone from the Sun" is a mostly instrumental composition by American musician Jimi Hendrix. It incorporates several musical approaches, including jazz and psychedelic rock, with brief spoken passages. The title reflects Hendrix's interest in science fiction and is a reference to Earth in its position as the third planet away from the sun in the solar system.

<i>Rainbow Bridge</i> (album) 1971 compilation album by Jimi Hendrix

Rainbow Bridge is a compilation album by American rock musician Jimi Hendrix. It was the second posthumous album release by his official record company and is mostly composed of recordings Hendrix made in 1969 and 1970 after the breakup of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Despite the cover photo and subtitle Original Motion Picture Sound Track, it does not contain any songs recorded during his concert appearance for the 1971 film Rainbow Bridge.

<i>Band of Gypsys 2</i> 1986 live album by Jimi Hendrix

Band of Gypsys 2 is a posthumous live album by American rock musician Jimi Hendrix, released in October 1986 by Capitol Records. Produced by Alan Douglas, it followed the live mini LP Johnny B. Goode (1986), which also included live recordings from the Atlanta International Pop Festival (1970) and the Berkeley Community Theatre (1970).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimi Hendrix posthumous discography</span>

Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) was an American guitarist whose career spanned the years between 1962 and 1970. His posthumous discography includes recordings released after September 18, 1970. Hendrix left behind many recordings in varying stages of completion. This material, along with reissues of his career catalogue, has been released over the years in several formats by various producers and record companies. Since Experience Hendrix, a company owned and operated by members of the Hendrix family, took control of his recording legacy in 1995, over 15 Hendrix albums have appeared on the main US albums chart. Several of these have also placed on charts in more than 18 countries around the world.

<i>Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival</i> 2015 live album by Jimi Hendrix

Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival is a posthumous live album by Jimi Hendrix, released in 2015. It documents his July 4, 1970, performance at the Atlanta International Pop Festival. The festival's audience, subject to a wide range of estimates from 200,000-400,000, was the largest U.S. crowd to which Hendrix played during his career.

"Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" or simply "Hey Baby" is a song written and recorded by American musician Jimi Hendrix, from his second posthumous album Rainbow Bridge (1971). The song is a slower and more melodic piece, which features the prominent use of chorus- and tremolo-effects on guitar. Hendrix uses an idealized feminine figure that recurs in several of his lyrics. Commentators have seen the song as representative of his post-Band of Gypsys musical direction.

<i>Songs for Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts</i> 2019 box set live album by Jimi Hendrix

Songs For Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts is a chronologically sequenced collection of American musician Jimi Hendrix's 1969–1970 New Years recorded performances at the Fillmore East in New York City. It was released as a box set of five-CDs on November 22, 2019 and an eight-LP set on December 13.

<i>Los Angeles Forum: April 26, 1969</i> 2022 live album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience

Los Angeles Forum: April 26, 1969 is a live album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It was recorded during the group's last North American tour and includes a mix of popular Experience album songs along with some instrumentals. The album is the first full live release by the trio with Hendrix, Noel Redding, and Mitch Mitchell since 2013's Miami Pop Festival.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Shapiro, Harry; Glebbeek, Cesar (1990). Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy (1st ed.). New York City: St. Martin's Press. pp.  543–544. ISBN   978-0-312-05861-6.
  2. 1 2 3 Westergaard, Sean. "Hendrix in the West – Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: H". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved 26 February 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  4. "Official Charts Company – Jimi Hendrix Hendrix in the West". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  5. "Chart History: Jimi Hendrix R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard . Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  6. "RPM Top 100 Albums - April 8, 1972" (PDF).
  7. 1 2 3 Hendrix in the West (Album notes). Jimi Hendrix. Reprise Records. 1988. LP labels. MS 2049.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. Rosen, Jody (13 September 2011). "Hendrix in the West (Reissue)  Review". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  9. Wyeth, Wyndham. "The Jimi Hendrix Estate Files Lawsuit Over Royal Albert Hall Recordings". pastemagazine.com . Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  10. "In The West". Discogs . Retrieved 11 February 2024.