One of the problems Hendrix scholars run into is finding words to describe Jimi’s sound. Frank Zappa came close in his article The Oracle Has It All Psyched Out from the July 28,1968 issue of LIFE  Magazine. Zappa stated “The sound of his music is extremely symbolic: orgasmic grunts, tortured squeals, lascivious moans, electric disasters and innumerable other audial curiosities are delivered to the sense mechanisms of the audience at an extremely high decibel level. In a live performance environment, it is impossible to merely listen to what the Hendrix group does… it eats you alive.”

A few weeks after the Fillmore East concerts the Band of Gypsys disbanded, Jimi being forced by management to go back to a revised version of the Experience with Billy Cox joining Mitch Mitchell. A 4-month 30 date tour of weekend gigs was booked which allowed for studio time on weekdays for working up new material. His cutting-edge studio, Electric Lady, was being built by Eddie Kramer in New York City at tremendous expense and the live dates brought in essential revenue. Jimi worked on a double-albums’ worth of songs, many of which were near completion at his untimely passing on 18 September. The studio officially opened the night before he flew to England to start the European leg of the tour at the Isle of Wight Festival. There are several recordings available from this tour also known as “The Cry of Love tour”. In my book the best were the two sets from May 30th at the Berkeley Community Theatre across the bay from San Francisco. Both sets were recorded and filmed. The heavily edited and poorly crafted film Jimi Plays Berkeley is what is left of the filmed version. As far as audio, most of the opening set has not been released but can be streamed in it’s entirety on the Wolfgang’s Vault website. The second set was released in 2003 as Live at Berkeley and includes excellent versions of Lover Man, Stone Free, Hey Joe and I Don’t Live Today. Here are the final list of the best live Hendrix songs. . .

15. Hear My Train a Comin’– Berkeley Community Theatre, May 30 1970, 1st set.

Of the several live versions of this song available, a regular concert staple for nearly two years, this one is definitive. The song has the pace of a slow blues but it is such a violent collection of sounds that you can hardly describe it as blues. Hendrix lays down the foundation of the song for about 2 minutes before going into the first verse and chorus. At 3:25 he begins a series of blistering solos. This involves layers of sweeping violence with which Hendrix, organizes, carves up and shapes like a sculptor handling clay. Two minutes later he quiets everything down creating a gentle respite before the 2nd verse. At 8 minutes he has built to a new level of intensity. The artist is one with the sound. Focused on his creation. Possessed by it. The solos come one after another with the visceral pleasure and diverse flavors of a pie-eating contest. [found on Blues and Voodoo Child: the Jimi Hendrix Collection]

The song is 11 minutes long and can be seen in Jimi Plays Berkeley in such a heavily edited form it’s a travesty (see following link). Showing this song as a collection of highlights is like throwing paint on the Mona Lisa–it’s Ansel Adams in low-res. But it’s such a good performance the bits we do see reflect genius.

16. Johnny B. Goode – Berkeley Community Theatre, May 30 1970, 1st set.

Speaking of a man possessed. Check out this outrageous, balls-to-the-wall version of the Chuck Berry nugget which preceded Hear my Train. [found on The Jimi Hendrix Experience Box Set]

Another significant concert from this era and the last to be fullt recorded and filmed was the aforementioned Isle of Wight Festival gig on August 31st, just a couple of weeks before he died. This concert finally was released properly in 2002 and you can hear or watch the entire concert as it happened on the Blue Wild Angel disks.

Unfortunately this was not a good Hendrix concert for many reasons. Jimi was in terrible shape. He appears to have had no sleep in days or weeks- he spent untold hours in August working in the studio. Compared with how healthy he looked at Berkeley he seems physically exhausted. Perhaps of greater importance was he couldn’t get his sound together for various reasons. In spite of this there are  interesting rare moments: live versions of All Along the Watchtower and new songs Freedom, Dolly Dagger,  Hey Baby, Midnight Lightning and In From The Storm.

Honorable Mention

Foxy Lady –Isle Of Wight Festival, August 31 1970.

I am not a fan of this song. It is the second or third most played Hendrix tune by the millions of fans who are only interested in his first album. It is also something he felt compelled to play at every gig and he phoned it in many times. The Isle of Wight version is interesting for a couple of reasons. Jimi does a split a few minutes into the song and he clearly thinks he’s ripped out the backside of his stage pants. He has to go behind the amplifiers and get checked out or safety pined by the roadies so there is a few minutes of Billy Cox holding the moment with some bass lines awaiting the solving of Jimi’s problem. At the same time there is walkie-talkie interference from security personnel or radio interference (or both) feeding through the amps which creates an unintentional but eerie effect. This is clearly audible on the CD or MP3 version of the song but unfortunately was intentionally covered up in the film so you don’t hear the full effect on the YouTube clip. [found on Blue Wild Angel: Jimi Hendrix Live at the Isle of Wight]

Jimi Hendrix’s career – his discovery by Animals bassist Chas Chandler in mid 1966 until his death in September of 1970 – can be boiled down to 4 distinct phases. The first year Jimi created a brand: he was brought to England, formed a band, made a record and toured England and Europe while established himself very quickly as someone the likes of which the world had never seen. Jimi’s equipment and overall sound were elementary at this stage when compared to his mature sound, incorporating a fuzz tone and newly invented 100 watt Marshall amplifiers.  The Octavia pedal designed by Roger Mayer was added for the recording of Purple Haze in March ‘67 and was used from that point on. His stage act relied heavily on showboating- using outrageous gimmicks like somersaults (while playing), doing a bump and grind with the guitar or amplifier, playing behind his back and with his teeth, flicking his tongue at girls in the front row, etc. The initial year ended with his U.S debut at the Monterey Pop Festival in June of ’67. The audio and video of this event is definitive of this period.

The second year– through mid ‘68– was spent touring to theaters and arenas, extensively in the U.S., and work on Axis: Bold as Love. The October ’68 Winterland concerts offer the best glimpse of The Jimi Hendrix Experience as a cohesive and aggressive trio with a sound more complex then at Monterey, as Jimi was (by now) an international star tasting fame and success. Jimi’s sound was enhanced by his use of the Wah Wah pedal, introduced in mid 67. Cream’s Tales of Brave Ulysses and Jimi’s Burning of the Midnight Lamp, were the first rock recordings to utilize this effect. Any Wah Wah like effects on Axis were done manually and not with a pedal.

The third phase of his career,  commenced with several months working on his magnum opus, Electric Ladyland. By late ’68 Jimi was tired of the restrictions of playing hits over and over and of being supported by the same guys. He was constantly bringing music friends like Steven Stills, Steve Winwood and Jack Cassidy into the studio to play on sessions or to jam. Bassist Noel Redding, who joined the group with the expectation it would be collaborative, became increasingly disenchanted. After the album’s release, the Experience went back to extensive touring, but the concerts in the spring of 1969 are marked by several changes: Other than the usual problems associated with stardom (rampant drug use, greedy management, legal problems, groupies. etc.), there were frequent technical challenges associated with the Jimi’ unusual and customized electronics, which caused frustrating delays for the audience and the band. Jimi also began winging his set lists to match his mood and to avoid the boredom of rehearsals and choreographed set lists. Several songs now included long improvisational jams. Finally, his enormous popularity allowed him to be booked into stadiums – often playing to unruly crowds who would rush the stage.

This is the backdrop for the Royal Albert Hall London concerts in February and the San Diego concert in May of 1969. With Albert Hall you get the extended jams. The San Diego recording reflects the un-ruley crowds that were typical of these dates.

The final year of Jimi’s life and career begin with Woodstock, as previously mentioned, a completely new type of performance. Jimi still did some of the old tricks on the hit songs, but on the new material focused more on playing with incredible dexterity and invention. New bassist Billy Cox, a bandmate of  Jimi’s from their Army days, added a soulful groove which Noel Redding had been unable to provide. Also, Woodstock was Jimi’s first use of the Uni-Vibe pedal, which is partly responsible for the incredible sound he presented at this performance and others in the year following.

In the fall Jimi hung out with Buddy Miles, another old friend from the “chitlin’ circuit” days, recording several songs which would show up after his death. This black band, Band of Gypsys, played only a few live gigs, the Fillmore East in NYC on New Years Eve and New Year’s Day 1970 being the most notable. This concert was recorded and handed over to Capital Records to settle an old contract dispute. Ironically, the only live album Jimi produced in his short career, one of the great live albums of all time, was given away.

The music from these 2 nights is more coherent with the band condensed to a trio again, and due to Buddy Miles having a vastly different drumming style than Mitch Mitchell.  Much of the material from both sets of each night can be found on the more recent, Live at the Fillmore East but clearly the best set was the first show of January 1^st, the key tracks of which are found on the Captial release Band of Gypsys. The recent complilation Voodoo Chile: The Jimi Hendrix collection, has many of Jimi’s greatest live moments on the second disc but it’s version of Machine Gun is subpar, being from the pervious night, The Band of Gypsys version is one of Jimi’s most amazing performances. A black and white video (very early for this medium) can be seen on the DVD Live at the Fillmore East.

13. Machine Gun- – Fillmore East, New York City, January 1, 1970

Hendrix’s political take on the horrors of war. No tricks, just Jimi standing trancelike shredding violence out of his black Stratocaster over Buddy’s punctuating bullet sounds. Many guitarists favor this as the ultimate Hendrix track. [found on Band Of Gypsys].

14. Power of Soul­–same date and location as above.

This includes one of my two favorite Hendrix solos. There are two versions of this song from the Fillmore East gigs.  The other version is ragged on the vocal, Jimi forgets the words, but it has an extensive build up of the groove over the first several miniutes, which is truer to the studio version of this song.  This version jumps right into the main solo, which is beyond description. After 39 years I am still blown away by this. [found on Band Of Gypsys. Alternate found on Live at The Fillmore East.)

Next up- Berkeley 1970.

After the Experience broke up at the end of June 1969 Jimi took some time off and traveled with friends to North Africa. Returning to the states he rented a house in the Catskills near Woodstock and assembled some friends and Army buddies into a band loosely named the Gypsy Suns and Rainbows. They worked up new material for a month or so and previewed the band at the Woodstock Festival with former Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell. In spite of his inclusion of The Star Spangled Banner, probably Jimi’s most famous contribution to pop culture, many critics panned this performance as a whole. It is true there were problems: a.As the headliner and last to last to go on and the event so far behind schedule it was 9AM Monday when Jimi hit the stage, about when most of the attendees were expected back at work. The crowd had thinned to (a still huge) 180,000 or so. b. The band wasn’t the Experience. Other than Mitchell and new bassist Billy Cox, the other band members were out of their league. Imagine a crowd pumped for Foxy Lady suffering through Larry Lee singing Gypsy Woman. c. Even though the long set covered all the hits, they spent at least half the time doing untested, unheard songs, some of which like Message to Love, were in an embryonic stage. What I use to judge a good Hendrix performance is the quality of Jimi’s playing (which depended a lot on his mood) and his sound, which depended on his ability to manage all the technical issues associated with the effects boxes (Univibe, Octavia and Fuzz Face), the P.A., his guitars and amps. From this criteria I consider Woodstock among his finest moments. His sound was great – rare for open air performances- and in spite of being up all night he was relaxed and concentrating on playing music as opposed to showboating.  The set list may have been weird for the audience, but they saw him at the top of his game.

10. Jam Back at the House (A.K.A.Beginnings)- Woodstock Music and Art Fair, Bethel, NY August 18, 1969

A  jam which Jimi referred to as a “primary rhythm thing.” The unedited version on the Live: at Woodstock can be watched in excellent quality on DVD. The link here shows the second half of the song after Jimi steps aside to light a cigarette, which Mitch covers with a short drum solo. What follows is Jimi having a transcendent moment. The best times to see Hendrix are when he is totally at one with his instrument, when he seemingly goes to another place. This song is really out there – very different from anything else he did. I’m sure this is pretty dense and repetitive for most people. About 1.5 minutes into the following clip it is obvious he is channeling something coming from somewhere. Sorry I can’t describe it better but this piece always floored me. [found on Live: at Woodstock, Woodstock II]

11. The Star Spangled Banner – same date and location as above

An iconic moment. By linking the Vietnam war and the violence of the race riots rampant in several major cities that year with a key symbol of patriotism, Hendrix created a 60’s version of Picasso’s Guernica. Nothing touches his technique, which when seen in the Woodstock film in 1970 on a big screen- the white Stratocaster 25 feet wide- was an experience never to be forgotten. I still can’t fathom how Jimi’s fingers working the strings so gently – created the sound of the apocalypse. This version is a different cut from Woodstock and you can see him at the beginning tune the guitar during the solo! [found on Live: at Woodstock, Woodstock (soundtrack), Voodoo Child: the Jimi Hendrix Collection]

12. Villanova Junction- same date and location as above

The Star Spangled Banner is best watched as a continuous part of the final half hour of so of his set which began with Voodoo Child (Slight Return) and ended with this slow, exquisitely beautiful instrumental. As the solo progresses, Jimi’s guitar seems to be communicating directly with the listener on some deeper or spiritual level. A remarkable performance and the only known version. [found on Live: at Woodstock, Woodstock (soundtrack)]

I969 will continue next week. . .

There is a large amount of live material found among the officially sanctioned releases from the Hendrix family estate with more coming every year. I had the pleasure of meeting famed engineer Eddie Kramer a few years ago and (as he is now involved in the repackaging of the Hendrix archive) I asked him how much was out there still to come- a ton of stuff apparently. The only live stuff released during Jimi’s lifetime (the only stuff he agreed was suitable) was the 45-minute Band Of Gypsy’s, the 15 or so minutes which close the Woodstock soundtrack album and Historic Performances Recorded at the Monterey International Pop Festival, released a month before his death. Hours and hours of live recordings were released since, in various packages mostly of poor quality. Being an obsessive fan, I grabbed most of these and more times than not felt I had been ripped off. In the late 1990’s, the Hendrix family used their wealth to buy up Jimi’s archive and create new releases with proper sound and packaging, restoring a measure of dignity to the Hendrix legacy. Jimi’s place in history is unimpeachable, and due to his particular talents the live material is critically important. So far complete or near complete concerts are available for Monterey ’67, Woodstock ’69, Fillmore East ’70, Berkeley ’70 and Isle of Wight ’70. Others yet to surface are Winterland ’68, Royal Albert Hall, London ’69, Los Angeles Forum’69, San Diego’69 and Atlanta Pop Festival‘70. There are others which I consider sub-par and won’t mention here. Here is Part 1 of my list of the absolute killer live Hendrix moments. The order is chronological.

1. Wild Thing-June 18, 1967- Monterey Pop Festival, Monterey, CA

Jimi’s U.S. debut culminated in his outrageous version of the Trogg’s Wild Thing during which he lit his guitar on fire and then smashed it to pieces (partly to one up The Who and Pete Townsend who Hendrix followed and also it being a trick which had went down well in England). Check out D.A. Pennebaker’s film Monterey Pop and note the reaction of the girls in the front row. They look like they have seen the antichrist. The clip that is linked here hasn’t got the ending unfortunately. The Experience opened for The Monkees that summer but got kicked off the tour (effective publicity stunt), probably by freaking out teenyboppers with Jimi’s guitar humping. [found on Live at Monterey and Voodoo Child: the Jimi Hendrix Collection]

2. Fire- October 10-12, 1968- Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA

Showcasing the typical Hendrix sound as they barnstormed North America in 1968, Fire was the classic concert opener for nearly all the Experience gigs in 1968-69. [found on Voodoo Child: the Jimi Hendrix Collection]

3. Manic Depression – same date and location as above

Awesome, only known, live version of this great tune from Are You Experienced?. [found on Rycodisc’s Live at Winterland now out of print]

4. Hey Joe- same date and location as above

Though Jimi did this song at probably every concert, this version has an outrageous, operatic, thundering introduction which lasts through the first minute and which is beyond description. The only time I am aware of him doing this intro. [found on Voodoo Child: the Jimi Hendrix Collection]

5. Stone Free- February 24, 1969- Royal Albert Hall, London, England

We are still waiting for this concert to be released properly and it is certainly on it’s way. It was filmed for a movie and released as two import albums in 1970. This was an important enough gig for Jimi to hold rehearsals- unusual at that point.  This version of Stone Free is remarkable for the solo, which has Jimi in rhythm mode going off into space for several minutes then taking a break (probably to light a cigarette) during which Mitch covers with a drum solo. There are several other great versions of this song (especially Berkeley ’70) but this one is the best. [found on The Jimi Hendrix Concerts –now out of print]

6. Little Wing- same date and location as above

Breathtaking-definitive-version of the song from Axis: Bold As Love. [found on The Jimi Hendrix Experience Box Set]

7. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)  -same date and location as above

One of Jimi’s greatest achievements,  nothing beats the original studio version which closes Electric Ladyland. This live version is faster than most but also incredible, with an amazing, lyrical, quiet section near the end. [found on The Jimi Hendrix Experience Box Set].

8. I Don’t Live Today- San Diego Sports Arena May 24, 1969

Similar but far superior in my view to the Los Angeles Forum version (from the month previous) found on the box set and Voodoo Child. [found on The Jimi Hendrix Concerts, and Stages now out of print]. Here is a link to a similar version from February 24, Royal Albert Hall where you can see his technique. . .

9. Red House -same date and location as above

This is another song Jimi did practically ever night, (I have 9 versions) but the San Diego version is much different from the usual way he played this slow blues. Widely cited as the best recorded version- I totally agree. [found on The Jimi Hendrix Experience Box Set]

The Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up a month later after the June 29th Denver gig. Next week I’ll continue with the best from the final 12 months of Jimi’s career.

Last weekend I had the great pleasure to see Emmylou Harris at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. It was my first time (seeing Emmy and going to the ballroom) which was a surprise considering I have been a fan of hers since 1975- back in my solo-drives-across-the-country days. As good as Emmylou was (as good as ever at 62!) the revelation of the evening was seeing her friend, guitar player and opening act Buddy Miller. Buddy is only 2 months my senior but sounds like the penultimate American sage. He won the Americana Music Association Album of the year  award in 2005 for Universal United House of Prayer a steaming concoction of rootsy gospel and blues. I’m taking his version of Mark Heard’s  I Worry Too Much as my new theme song. How can I not love a song with a lyrics like “it’s these sandpaper eyes. . .it’s the way they rub the luster from what is seen” or ”it’s the way we beat a hot retreat and heave our smoking guns into the river” or “it’s the way there’ll be no muffled drums to mark the passage of my generation. . ”  Whoa.  Coming to the gig a few minutes late we could hear Buddy’s voice and guitar coming though the venue’s walls from across the street in the parking lot. I totally recommend the above album and the newer Written in Chalk which he did with his wife June. These are readily found on iTunes and Amazon. He was the guitar player on the Alison Krauss-Robert Plant tour last year. You can find him on YouTube as well. Check it out.

[ Buddy Miller Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]

It’s been nearly a year since i blogged. I needed time- not that much time- to figure out what I was doing and why I need to do this. Now that is out-of-the-way, I hope to make more frequent posts, not try and get bogged down thinking how bad my writing is and relay musical discoveries or recount inspirational moments from my past. It will continue to be only about music.

I spent last night at Dave’s Juke Joint in the Uptown section of Minneapolis watching Corey Stevens and his excellent blues band (more about Corey here).  The band was a delight, Corey a compelling blues guitarist and Paul Testa handling the Hammond B3 with capable hands, but mostly, it was a treat to hear good live music. A goal of mine is to find great blues clubs (Kingston Mines in Chicago for example). The only way to see the blues is in the intimate setting a club affords. I’ve been fortunate to have had some wonderful “blue” club moments over the years seeing: Albert Collins, Robert Cray and Gatemouth Brown at Hunts in Burlington Vermont; JB Hutto in a hotel in White River Junction VT (of all places); Ma Rainey at in Memphis; Freddie King in Greennich Village; James Cotton and Mike Bloomfield (unfortunately past his prime) in Seattle; Indigenous at the Paradise in Boston; The Nighthawks at the House of Blues in New Orleans as well as ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Jr.Wells and BB King at larger venues. Dave’s Juke Joint may be the best place for blues in Minneapolis. It is actually part of Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que, a national chain which offers a wonderful experience and even if it is faux authentic, the décor is a lot of fun and the food is awesome. My daughter Emma turned me on to Famous Dave’s. I’ve been on a BBQ mission since my first trip to Memphis in the 70’s. This is the first Dave’s I have found with live music. What is it about New England that is bad for the blues? Proximity to Chicago could be a factor. It is a crying shame Boston can’t support a blues club. A House of Blues is going in across from Fenway Park in a few weeks, we’ll see how well it does. The crowd in Minneapolis was an older crowd, but it was a crowd.

What came to mind last night was how much a part of my musical education came from watching bands live and what an important social experience it was to go out and hear live music when I was younger. We just don’t do this enough anymore.

When I was old enough to walk downtown with my friends on a Friday night (fourteen in 1967) I was living in Rutland Vermont. We’d go to the “Rec” Center (God bless who ever came up with this idea for teens) where we’d hear live bands like “The Rejects.” They usually weren’t very good but pickup bands performing covers were everywhere then. The sets would include stuff like Midnight Hour, Walkin’ The Dog and Susie Q. The main objective was to get girls to dance in the hopes that they’d eventually fall for the line “let’s go outside and cool off” and become victims of our lame kissing attempts. The absolutely worst song to dance to was “Keep Me Hanging On” which at the time, everybody did in the Vanilla Fudge version. This was a huge hit amazing to consider now. The Fudge turned this above average Motown tune into some sort of bombastic tour de force. The height of teen awkwardness was figuring out how to approach this tune dancing? Is it fast? Is it slow? solo organ part forced you to stop and watch the band undoing any progress you made connecting with your dance partner. You had a 60% chance she would walk off the dance floor right then and there. Check out this clip of the Fudge doing KMHO. Note  the band’s “heavy” attire and watch how the go go girls deal with the problem of the tempo.

When we turned 16 we got driver’s licenses, which greatly increased our live music options. Rutland was the halfway point between the under 21, non-alcohol bars like The Wobbly Barn on the Killington access road to the east and the dives over the New York border (where the drinking age was 18) to the west. The classic venue “over the line” was the legendary Hampton Manor. We’d hear about “The Manor” from stories passed down from our older brothers. Either way we got to hear a lot of bar bands, a lot of live music, much of it badly played but at the least  we usually got a fun night full of anticipation. 

I got into Neil Young in a big way this weekend. His “new” album, the third release in the Neil Young Performance Archives series, was released Tuesday. Sugar Mountain, Live at Canterbury House 1968 is a live recording of Neil doing a solo acoustic set in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Nov 10, two days prior to the release of his first solo album Neil Young. Like the second album of the Series, Live at Massey Hall 1971, we get to hear stripped down versions of songs from Neil’s previous and upcoming albums. What makes this set significant, is that the original versions of these songs were (for the most part) grossly overproduced – especially those on Neil Young -a commercial and critical failure. The fact that the year was 1968 has everything to do with the overproduction. This was the year everyone from Simon and Garfunkle (Bookends) to The Young Rascals (Once Upon a Dream) were trying to come up with their own version of Sergeant Pepper’s. Many of these overly ambitious projects were terrible. Notable exceptions were Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland and the Who’s Tommy, which was recorded over the course of the year although released in ’69.

In order to full appreciate the material on Sugar Mountain I spent the week steeped in Buffalo Springfield, after discovering my embarrassing lack of experience with anything not on their greatest hits album. This should really be another post altogether, but the short version is the second album “Again” is what you want to have in your record collection. The third album Last Time Around suffers from nineteensixtyeightitis combined with the fact that the group was largely absent and broken up long before it’s release. The songs were recorded by two or three members at time. There were a few great tunes. Still’s Question, Young’s On The Way Home, and  I am a Child, Richie Furay’s Kind Woman, but I digress. . .

The song Sugar Mountain, one of Neil’s earliest (written in 1964), is a lament to lost youth and was the inspiration for Joni Mitchell’s Circle Game. It was released as the B-side of The Loner, a single from Neil Young and the B-side of Cinnamon Girl, from his following album. Both of these versions and the Live at Canterbury version are the same recording. Neil also performs a beautiful version of Birds which wouldn’t end up on an album until ‘71.

On The Way Home, Mr. Soul, Expecting To Fly, Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing, Broken Arrow and Out Of My Mind are the Springfield tunes covered on Live at Canterbury.  The Last Trip To Tulsa, The Loner, If I Could Have Her Tonight, I’ve Been Waiting For You and The Old Laughing Lady were songs from Neil Young that can now be assessed without the weight of the strings and gospel singers. It is a treat to finally hear these songs stripped down. The disk comes with a DVD version for optimal sound. There is no video other than a great bonus (on the DVD), a must see preview of Neil’s archives box, which will prove to be the mother of all box sets. It is already listed on Amazon, (here) you can preorder for $324. Unless my marriage fails between now and Feb 24^th  I won’t be preordering but I am hopeful most of this stuff will be available as single downloads at some point. The preview is really well done and a lot of fun.

The disk includes all the stage banter between each song- a great insight into Neil back then but each is segmented into it’s own track so you can program the banter out later when you just want to hear the songs. The casual fan might find the solo acoustic style lacking in dynamics and the recording and performance not a match for Live at Massy Hall. All in all, this is a remarkable missing piece into a critical period of Neil Young’s life and one I whole-heartedly recommend for serious fans.

It is always a blessing and a curse when Rolling Stone does a special Issue. The 100 Greatest Albums, 100 Greatest Songs, 100 Greatest Live Performances have now been joined by 100 Greatest Singers.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/24161972

These issues are great for the most part but for the more fanatical of us out here, they also disappoint. Consumer magazines need to cater to a wide audience and so make every attempt to please a majority. What is really bad is when they fob off research on editorial interns who are arn’t old enough to have even a limited interest in the classic artists. This seems to increasingly be the case with Rolling Stone. Note what they list as “Key Tracks” for these musical icons. Most look like they came directly off Wikipedia. If Jan Wenner had the time he could have done a better job coming up with these off the top of his head.  And so I’d like to submit to you my additions, in case you were thinking of putting together a 100 Greatest Singers of All Time playlist. [Note, the order is Rolling Stone's and not my personal order, if a number is missing it is because I didn't have any additions to their Key Track list, this post only deals with the first 50 of the greatest 100]. I got carried away on a few artists (how do you pick 3 Dylan or Lennon songs?) and tried to just consider great vocals. . .

1. Aretha Franklin- (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone, Until You Come Back To Me

2. Ray Charles- Drown In My Own Tears, Hallelujah I Love Her So, Tell Me How Do You Feel

3.  Elvis Presley-Anyplace is Paradise, Treat Me Nice, Little Sister

4.   Sam Cooke- Cupid, Chain Gang, Twistin’ The Night Away

5.   John Lennon-Twist And Shout, Leave My Kitten Alone, You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away, The Word, Tomorrow Never Knows, A Day In The Life, Hey Bulldog, Mother, I Found Out

7.   Bob Dylan-Girl From The North Country, Seven Curses, Tomorrow Is A Long Time, Positively 4th Street, Most Likely You Go Your Way, Idiot Wind (session), Black Diamond Bay, High Water (For Charley Patton)

8. Otis Redding- Can’t Turn You Loose, I’ve Been Lovin’ You Too Long, Hard To Handle, Trick Or Treat

9. Stevie Wonder- Uptight, Superwoman, Creepin’, Knocks Me Off My Feet, As

10. James Brown- It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World, Get Up (Sex Machine), Living in America

11. Paul McCartney-Things We Said Today, She’s A Woman, Monkberry Moon Delight, Ballroom Dancing

13. Roy Orbison- Crying

14. Robert Plant- How Many More Times, Ramble On, That’s The Way, Hots On For Nowhere 

15. Mick Jagger- Under My Thumb, Back Street Girl, 2000 Light Years From Home, Jigsaw Puzzle, Monkee Man, Fingerprint File, Hand Of Fate

17. Bob Marley- Hammer, Rat Race, War, Who The Cap Fit, Satisfy My Soul

18. Smokey Robinson- Mickey’s Monkey, The Tears Of A Clown

21. David Bowie-The Jean Genie, Golden Years

22. Van Morrison-Mystic Eyes, T.B.Sheets, I’ll Be Your Lover, Too, Into the Mystic, You Don’t Pull No Punches, But You Don’t Push The River, Tir Na Nog, Pagan Streams, Lonely Avenue   

23.  Janis Joplin- Ball and Chain,Try (Just A Little Bit Harder), Half Moon 

24. Howlin’ Wolf- Howlin’ For My Darling, Shake For Me, Hidden Charms, Worried About My Baby 

25. Bono-Two Hearts Beat As One, Bad (Live), Desire, Bullet The Blue Sky (Live), 

26. Steve Winwood-Can’t Find My Way Home, Freedom Rider, Dream Gerrard, Spanish Dancer

27. Dusty Springfield- Wishin’ And Hopin’, The Look of Love

28. Bruce Spingsteen- Forth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy), The Fever, The Promised Land, Downbound Train, Ain`t Got You, Human Touch, Secret Garden 

29. Neil Young- Oh, Lonesome Me, Needle & Damage Done, Comes a Time, Wrecking Ball, Cortez The Killer (Live)

30. Elton John-The Cage, Come Down In Time, Love Lies Bleeding, Don’t Let the Sun Go down on Me 

31. Curtis Mayfield- Gypsy Woman, Freddie’s Dead

32. Joni Mitchell- I Had A King, The Dawnreader, Urge for Going, Ladies Of The Canyon, Cold Blue Steel And Sweet Fire, Electricity, Edith And The Kingpin, Song For Sharon

47.  Jim Morrison- Back Door Man, The Crystal Ship, You’re Lost, Little Girl, When The Music’s Over, Roadhouse Blues, Peace Frog, The Changeling   

50.  Bonnie Raitt- You’ve Been In Love Too Long, My First Night Alone Without You, Sweet Forgiveness, Have a Heart

The death of Mitch Mitchell this week means Billy Cox is the only remaining Hendrix sideman of note. Jimi had four group configurations during the years of his success. Noel Redding played bass from the forming of the Experience in 1966 through the end of the Spring ’69 tour when he quit the band after the Denver show. Billy Cox, an old army buddy of Jimi’s, was the replacement bassist and stayed until Jimi’s accidental death in September of the following year. Mitch was the drummer for all four years with the exception of the Band of Gypsies period from the Fall of ’69 though early January when Buddy Miles played drums. Miles also died this year. Mitch joined the Experience Hendrix tour this Fall but from what I heard, he played rarely or made a few appearances. 

Mitch was a jazz drummer who liked to move around his set with lots of rolls and fills. A contrast to Miles, who was notable for a rock solid pounding beat, Mitchell’s busy style was perfect for Jimi’s frenetic sound. For Mitch’s shining moment check out side 3 of Electric Ladyland, released 40 years ago this month, for Jimi’s opus 1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be). Mitch is incredible on this track.