Best Hendrix Live Recordings

**Vorago** · #1 08-27-2005, 02:10 PM

As you all know, Jimi Hendrix has released more albums after his death than before (4 or 5), just like Jaco (and Tu Pac

).

So, I'm looking for his best live recordings. There is plenty of garbadge out there, every note he ever played has been released I guess, so let's here it!

JimK · #2 08-27-2005, 04:37 PM

Band Of Gypsies.

FWIW, I'm not too thrilled with the 'sound' of The Rainbow Bridge Concerts.

relayer66 · #3 08-28-2005, 02:45 AM

+1 for Band of Gypsies. Outstanding, classic album. Rainbow bridge sounds crappy, but Live and Berkeley and Live at the Filmore East are both very good.

Bass_Machine · #4 08-28-2005, 04:37 AM

I like the BBC sessions. Not technichally live, but not rehearsed either. I think it's a fab little double album.

FunkKing · #5 08-28-2005, 07:06 AM

The Isle of Wight show isn't amazing, they sound pretty rough, but the performance of 'Machine Gun' kills me every time. Probably my favourite Hendrix performance. Mad props to Mitch Mitchell too.

43% burnt · #6 08-28-2005, 07:11 AM

The Isle of White version of "Machine Gun" is great. You can hear a security guards walkie-talkie bleeding into the mix- which is pretty cool.

My Favorite is Hendix/Band of Gypsies "Live at the Fillmore East". Once again the version on "Machine Gun" is amazing. Sends chills up my spine whenever I hear it.

zbigniew · #7 08-28-2005, 07:28 AM

I've always liked "Live at Winterland" much

It has many of my favorite Hendrix songs plus "Sunshine of your love" which is kinda cool (it has Noel Redding doing a fuzz drenched solo)

Band of Gypsys is great too.

jerry · #8 08-28-2005, 01:57 PM

Band Of Gypsies!!!! Some of the best guitar solos ever, and over a groove rhythm section......plus I went to one of those Fillmore shows

Hendrix just stood there and played, and his playing was not from this world!

JSCHRO7376 · #9 08-28-2005, 02:17 PM

Band of Gypsies, no doubt about it.

chadds · #10 08-28-2005, 02:46 PM

Live at Winterland "Spanish Castle Magic and Voodoo Child Slight Return". Live in the West and South Saturn Delta albums "Little Wing" and the whole Monterey Pop concert whew! Preeminent Trio Rock and tight.

MikeyFingers · #11 08-28-2005, 03:01 PM

WOODSTOCK!!! The sound quality isn't perfect, but it's good. And the band plays beautifully throughout the concert. The only other live recording I've heard is a DVD I have called "Blue Wild Angel" which I think is the Isle of Wight. The playing is a little sloppy.

43% burnt · #12 08-28-2005, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerry

Band Of Gypsies!!!! Some of the best guitar solos ever, and over a groove rhythm section......plus I went to one of those Fillmore shows

Hendrix just stood there and played, and his playing was not from this world!

What! Thats insane...you were there!!

Must have been fantastic. I watch the BOG dvd and I'm just blown away. I couldn't even image being there in person. Hearing Jimi play through that wall of marshalls must have been unreal. His playing really was not from this world...He was so deep in the zone whenever he played- its rediculous.

ryco · #13 08-28-2005, 08:06 PM

Love Band of Gypsies at the Fillmore! My favorite Hendrix song is Message to Love - and this version has the little bridge section right before the guitar solo the studio versions leave out. Why he dropped it is beyond me. Also love how the breakdown ("Everybody come alive...") shifts the beat by a sixteenth note and how Buddy brings it right back into regular time. Thought it was a mistake but it's in the studio cut as well on Crash Landing. Amazing!! how did he EVER think of that?? But then again it's Hendrix :shakes head:. I like the Cox/Mitchell lineup best but I thought Miles did a real jammin' job on Fillmore.

Jerry - you are indeed a fortunate guy!!

Nadav · #14 08-28-2005, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FunkKing

The Isle of Wight show isn't amazing, they sound pretty rough, but the performance of 'Machine Gun' kills me every time. Probably my favourite Hendrix performance. Mad props to Mitch Mitchell too.

A friend showed me the DVD of Isle of Wight.. Mitch Mitchell is incredible in that show.

But, Band of Gypsys is necessary to any Hendrix listener.

Mike Shevlin · #15 08-28-2005, 09:30 PM

Woodstock 'Voodo Child' gives me chills every time I see it

jerry · #16 08-28-2005, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryco

Jerry - you are indeed a fortunate guy!!

Growing up around NYC and being born when I was, definitely did not suck

bigtexashonk · #17 09-01-2005, 12:42 PM

Band of Gypsys is amazing. The intro to "Power to Love" is as defining a rock guitar moment as the intro leads of "Voodoo Chile - Slight Return". Absolutely the ultimate and a standard for anyone to try and live up to.

Some of the San Diego recordings from 1969 were very impressive. The intro to "I Don't Live Today" sounds so much like the best modern Van Halen it's uncanny.

RIP Jimi and thanks for re-inventing the way electric guitar is played.

bassmonkeee · #18 09-01-2005, 01:09 PM

I'm a big fan of the Live athe Fillmore double disc set.

But, my favorite live Hendrix recordings are on a disc called "Live Forever--Sacred Sources Vol 1." It was a project released by Carlos Santana that has some of the last live recordings of Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, John Coltrane, and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

The version of "I Don't Live Today" is one of the more frightening assaults I've heard Hendrix pull off...

dougjwray · #19 09-01-2005, 01:19 PM

"Band of Gypsys"!!!
The "Live at the Fillmore East" collection (recorded over the same nights) has extra material, but to me it isn't worth buying because the version of "Machine Gun" is different from the one on "Band of Gypsys."

That version contains what is customarily considered the single greatest electric guitar solo in history. The entire "Band of Gypsys" is absolutely stunning, though. One cool thing about it is the way Hendrix's great rhythm guitar playing is on display. And he is soaring the whole way, continuously inventing. Probably the most linear and coherent playing he ever did, IMO.
Next, I'd say "Live at Monterey", although it seems to be out of print these days. It's the opposite of "Band of Gypsys"-- short, concise bluesy rock and roll with the Experience, and Hendrix is on his toes, trying to win over the U.S. crowd in his first appearance back in his native country. He is nervous, dosed with acid, and on fire! (Actually, his guitar ends up on fire...)

I used to love the LP "Hendrix in the West", but the tracks are probably widely dispersed among multitudes of CD compilations now. Too bad, because it had brilliant live versions of "Little Wing", "Voodoo Child, Slight Return" and "Red House."
To me, the Woodstock performance is marred by a sloppy band (of course, "The Star Spangled Banner" is awesome, though) and the Isle of Wight one is weird because Hendrix was utterly exhausted and pissed off by equipment malfunctions and a clueless crowd, and his playing shows it. If you see films of it, at the end of the show he says, "Thank you, I hope we'll meet again someday, peace, love and all that other good s***t", and then dejectedly and carelessly hurls his guitar right down onto the floor. THUD.
Damn...

jerry · #20 09-01-2005, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougjwray

"
I used to love the LP "Hendrix in the West", but the tracks are probably widely dispersed among multitudes of CD compilations now. Too bad, because it had brilliant live versions of "Little Wing", "Voodoo Child, Slight Return" and "Red House."

That's a great version of Red House! I think it's only available on the Hendrix box set now