Live at Berkeley

Last updated
Live at Berkeley
Jimi Hendrix Live At Berkeley.jpg
Live album by
ReleasedSeptember 16, 2003 (2003-09-16)
RecordedMay 30, 1970
Venue Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, California
Genre Rock
Length67:47
Label MCA
Producer Abe Jacob
Jimi Hendrix chronology
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Jimi Hendrix
(2003)
Live at Berkeley
(2003)
The Singles Collection
(2003)

Live at Berkeley is a live album by American rock musician Jimi Hendrix. It documents his second performance at the Berkeley Community Theatre on May 30, 1970, and was released by MCA Records on September 16, 2003.

Contents

Background

Hendrix performed in Berkeley about one month into his The Cry of Love Tour with bassist Billy Cox and drummer Mitch Mitchell. The set list was fairly typical for the tour a mix of popular tunes and some newer material. "Hey Joe", "Foxey Lady", "Purple Haze", and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" had been in Hendrix's concert repertoire since he first recorded them. [1] "Machine Gun" was released two months earlier on the live Band of Gypsys album, and "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" was in development for his planned fourth studio album. [1] Portions of some of these songs were included in the 1971 concert film Jimi Plays Berkeley. [1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
All About Jazz Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Tom Hull – on the Web A− [7]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]

Rob Fawcett of BBC Music called Live at Berkeley "the strongest newly-released Hendrix material in a long time". [9] Robert Christgau cited "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" and "I Don't Live Today" as highlights and deemed it "the Cox-Mitchell band at its most documentable" in his consumer guide for The Village Voice . [10] In his review for Blender , he said Cox was a significant improvement over Noel Redding in a group that was Hendrix's best. [5] Uncut magazine was less enthusiastic and felt "there are still better versions of these tracks elsewhere." [8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jimi Hendrix, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Introduction"1:47
2."Pass It On (Straight Ahead)"6:58
3."Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)"6:07
4."Lover Man"2:59
5."Stone Free"4:08
6."Hey Joe" (Billy Roberts)4:49
7."I Don't Live Today"5:26
8."Machine Gun"11:22
9."Foxy Lady"6:30
10."The Star Spangled Banner" (Francis Scott Key, John Stafford Smith)2:45
11."Purple Haze"3:48
12."Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"10:49
Total length:67:28

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Related Research Articles

<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 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-style songs recorded by American 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; others 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.

<i>Live at Woodstock</i> (Jimi Hendrix album) 1999 live album by Jimi Hendrix

Live at Woodstock is a posthumous live album by Jimi Hendrix released on July 6, 1999. It documents most of his performance at the Woodstock Festival on August 18, 1969, and contains Hendrix's iconic interpretation of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and other songs from the original festival film and soundtrack album.

Billy Cox American bassist

William Cox is an American bassist, best known for performing with Jimi Hendrix. Cox is the only surviving musician to have regularly played with Hendrix: first with the experimental group that backed Hendrix at Woodstock, followed by the trio with drummer Buddy Miles that recorded the live Band of Gypsys album, and, lastly, The Cry of Love Tour trio with Mitch Mitchell back on drums. Cox continues to perform dates with the Band of Gypsys Experience and the Experience Hendrix Tour.

<i>Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight</i> 2002 live album by Jimi Hendrix

Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight is a posthumous live album by Jimi Hendrix released on November 12, 2002. The album documents Hendrix's last U.K. live performance at the Isle of Wight Festival on August 31, 1970, three weeks before his death. The set list for the concert contained songs from the original Experience albums, as well as new songs. Some were previously available on Isle of Wight (1971) and Live Isle of Wight '70 (1991). "Power to Love ", "Midnight Lightning", and "Foxy Lady" released in the US on the three record set The First Great Rock Festivals of the 70s: Isle of Wight/Atlanta Pop Festival" released on Columbia Records in 1971.

<i>South Saturn Delta</i> 1997 compilation album by Jimi Hendrix

South Saturn Delta is a posthumous compilation album by American rock musician Jimi Hendrix. Released in 1997 by Experience Hendrix, it consists of material such as demo tapes, unfinished takes and alternate mixes, and previously released material, most of which Hendrix had been working on prior to his death in 1970.

<i>Hendrix in the West</i> 1972 live album by Jimi Hendrix

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). 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.

<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.

"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.

<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>The Essential Jimi Hendrix</i> 1978 compilation album by Jimi Hendrix

The Essential Jimi Hendrix is a compilation album of songs by American rock musician Jimi Hendrix, released in 1978 by Reprise Records. Some editions in the UK, Japan and Italy also contained a 7-inch 3313 rpm one-sided EP single of the Jimi Hendrix Experience performing the song "Gloria".

"Stepping Stone" is a song by American musician Jimi Hendrix. Written and produced by Hendrix, he recorded it early in 1970 with the short-lived Band of Gypsys lineup of Hendrix, Billy Cox and Buddy Miles. The song, with "Izabella", was released as a single by Reprise Records on April 8, 1970. It was the last single released by Hendrix before his death. Other versions are included on posthumous albums.

<i>The Essential Jimi Hendrix Volume Two</i> 1979 compilation album by Jimi Hendrix

The Essential Jimi Hendrix Volume Two is a compilation album of songs by American rock musician Jimi Hendrix, released in 1979 by Reprise Records. It is the follow-up album to The Essential Jimi Hendrix, released by Reprise the previous year. Some editions in the US, Canada and Italy also contained a 7-inch 3313 rpm one-sided EP single of the Jimi Hendrix Experience performing the song "Gloria", which had first been issued with some editions of the first Essential release in the UK, Japan and Italy.

<i>Johnny B. Goode</i> (album) Album by Jimi Hendrix

Johnny B. Goode is a posthumous live album by Jimi Hendrix released in June 1986. It contains three songs from Hendrix's performance at the 1970 Atlanta International Pop Festival on July 4, 1970, and two songs from Berkeley Community Theatre on May 30, 1970.

<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).

<i>Live at Winterland</i> 1987 live album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Live at Winterland is a live album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. It compiles performances from the band's three concerts at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, where they played two shows each night on October 10, 11 and 12, 1968. The album was released posthumously by Rykodisc in 1987 and was the first Hendrix release to be specifically conceived for the compact disc format.

<i>Woodstock</i> (Jimi Hendrix album) 1994 live album by Jimi Hendrix

Woodstock is a live album by Jimi Hendrix released posthumously on August 20, 1994. It presents some of Hendrix's performance at Woodstock Festival on August 18, 1969. The album was replaced by a more-complete version in 1999 titled Live at Woodstock, albeit with some of the performers mixed out.

The Cry of Love Tour was a 1970 concert tour by American rock guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix. It began on April 25, 1970, at the Forum in Inglewood, California, and ended on September 6, 1970, at the Love & Peace Festival in Fehmarn, West Germany. The majority of the 37 shows were in the United States, with two each in Sweden, Denmark, and West Germany, and one in England, where Hendrix was the final act at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970.

"Hey Baby " 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>Live in Maui</i> 2020 live album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience

Live in Maui is an album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience documenting their performance outdoors on Maui, Hawaii, on July 30, 1970. It marks the first official release of Hendrix's two full sets recorded during the filming of Rainbow Bridge (1971). The two-CD and three-LP set was released on November 20, 2020, along with a video documentary titled Music, Money, Madness ... Jimi Hendrix in Maui.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Shapiro, Harry; Glebbeek, Cesar (1990). Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy (1st ed.). New York City: St. Martin's Press. pp. 422–426. ISBN   978-0-312-05861-6.
  2. Gordon, Keith A. "Jimi Hendrix Experience - Live At Berkeley (2012)". About.com . Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  3. Collette, Doug (November 10, 2012). "Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live atBerkeley". All About Jazz . Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  4. Westergaard, Sean. "Live at Berkeley: 2nd Show - Jimi Hendrix". AllMusic . Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (December 2005). "Back Catalogue: Jimi Hendrix". Blender . New York. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  6. "Review". Q . No. December. New York City. 2003. p. 153.
  7. Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Grade List: Jimi Hendrix". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  8. 1 2 "The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Live At Berkeley". Uncut . London (December). 2005. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  9. Fawcett, Rob (2002). "BBC - Music - Review of Jimi Hendrix - Jimi Plays Berkeley". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  10. Christgau, Robert (2005). "Consumer Guide: Christians and Heathens". The Village Voice . No. November 1. New York. Retrieved February 20, 2015.