Tag Archives: Jimi Hendrix

The 11 Best Seattle Bands

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Today is the Super Bowl. The day when we celebrate what it means to be American.  We eat, drink, watch sports and pass out.  Here’s our pre-game warm-up for all you Seahawk fans.

Here are the 11 Best Bands from Seattle (or close by):

  1. Nirvana
  2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience
  3. Pearl Jam
  4. Soundgarden
  5. Modest Mouse
  6. Alice In Chains
  7. Death Cab For Cutie
  8. Foo Fighters
  9. Heart
  10. Sunny Day Real Estate
  11. Mother Love Bone

 

 

The 11 Best Posthumous Songs By Jimi Hendrix

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There has always been a question to the legitimacy of the posthumous releases of Jimi Hendrix’s unreleased material.  This is mostly due to Alan Douglas’ questionable producing on 3 of the albums and a couple of the compilations.  Using studio musicians to finish Hendrix’s tracks left a bad taste in fans’ mouths, tainting all the of posthumous releases, including the ones he had nothing to do with.  It wasn’t until 1997, when Hendrix’s estate took over his recordings are we given a real peak to what was left behind.  There really is only one official album that Hendrix was aiming to complete, that being First Rays of the New Rising Sun.  After that, what we have is a treasure trove of alternate takes, demos, instrumentals, and live jams.  So what are the true Jimi Hendrix releases?  The originals from the years directly following his death?  Or, the newer versions by the family?  Either way…neither versions were released by Hendrix.  Usually when you hear the family the family is taking over…and we instantly think they would have Hendrix’s best interests at heart.  That doesn’t mean they’re right.  I doubt any of the Jacksons could unanimously agree on how to release Michael’s leftover music.  And they’re all family.  So, my list will include alternate releases and really focus on the song…and not necessarily the recording.

Here are the 11 Best Posthumous Songs By Jimi Hendrix:

  1. Angel (First Rays of the New Rising Sun/The Cry of Love)
  2. Hey Baby (First Rays of the New Rising Sun/Rainbow Bridge)
  3. Ezy Rider (First Rays of the New Rising Sun/The Cry of Love)
  4. Valleys of Neptune (Valleys of Neptune)
  5. Room Full of Mirrors (First Rays of the New Rising Sun/Rainbow Bridge)
  6. Freedom (First Rays of the New Rising Sun/The Cry of Love)
  7. Message To The Universe (South Saturn Delta)
  8. Bleeding Heart (South Saturn Delta/War Heroes)
  9. Drifter’s Escape (South Saturn Delta/Loose Ends)
  10. Here He Comes Lover Man (South Saturn Delta)
  11. The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam’s Dice (South Saturn Delta/Loose Ends)

Buy Jimi Hendrix’s new album, People, Hell and Angels…now!!!

The 11 Best Songs of the Year (so far):

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I’m a sucker for a request.  And I’m a sucker for making lists.  Had no intention of doing this…but if the fans want it…then…

 Here are the 11 Best Songs of the Year (so far):

 1.  I Was A Teenage Anarchist – Against Me! (White Crosses)

2.  25 To Life – Eminem (Recovery)

3.  Odessa – Caribou (Swim)

4.  Soft In The Center – The Hold Steady (Heaven Is Whenever)

5.  You Wanted A Hit – LCD Soundsystem (This Is Happening)

6.  Giving Up The Gun – Vampire Weekend (Contra)

7.  Valleys of Neptune – Jimi Hendrix (Valleys of Neptune)

8.  End Love – OKGo (Of The Blue Colour of The Sky)

 9.  Can’t Hear My Eyes – Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (Before Today)

10.  Flash Delirium – MGMT (Congratulations)

11.  The Fourth Night of Drinking – The Drive-By Truckers (The Big To-Do)

 Buy any of the great releases from 2010 and more!

The 11 Best Songs By Jimi Hendrix

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I don’t think that any musical artist has been more prolific after their death than Hendrix and Tupac. In fact, I hear later this year, there’s a Hendrix/Tupac duets album that is coming out. They cover a White Stripes song…so that should be good.

 

Valleys of Neptune becomes the (approx.) 14th studio album released after Jimi’s death. Yes, that’s right 14 albums…after he died. Now as amazing as it seems…there’s a little cheating going on. Some of the early albums featured as few as 5-8 tracks. And lots of the tracks crossover onto multiple albums, with each new song only being an “alternate” version of a previously released track. While other songs are the exact same track that was from a previous release. Then there’s a box set…tons of live albums…and shitloads of demos that Courtney Love has been hoarding. So how the hell do you know what to own?

 

Let’s make it easy. Start with the big three: Axis, Are You Experienced?, and Electric Ladyland. From there ignore the immediate follow-ups: Cry of Love, Rainbow Bridge, and War Heroes. Most of the tracks were compiled to contruct the proper 4th LP, The First Rays of the New Rising Sun. So get that. Which means you can also ignore Voodoo Soup, which is pretty much the same thing…but with poor mastering. Then you’ve got Loose Ends, Crashing Landing, Midnight Lightning, Nine To The Universe. Forget these. The producer added new musicians to the mixes, creating his own version of Jimi’s rough outtakes. So they’re not official.  Pick up South Saturn Delta. It compiles most of the better outtakes, making these previous releases mostly obsolete. This means you can also ignore Blues…which like Voodoo Soup…is very similar…but not equal in production quality or track choice. The only other outstanding releases worth getting are the JHE box set, which features the best of the rest and many alternate takes of big songs, and the BBC sessions, which features live versions of his popular songs along with a plethera of covers.

 

With that taken care of…Valleys of Neptune should be the next to fit right in with the others.

 

Here are the 11 best Jimi Hendrix songs:

 

1. All Along the Watchtower (Electric Ladyland)
2. May This Be Love (Are You Experienced?)
3. 1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be) – (Electric Ladyland)
4. Bold As Love (Axis: Bold As Love)
5. Little Wing (Axis: Bold As Love)
6. Hey Baby (First Rays of the New Rising Sun)
7. The Wind Cries Mary (Are You Experienced?)
8. Purple Haze (Are You Experienced?)
9. Angel (First Rays of the New Rising Sun)
10. Hey Joe (Are You Experienced?)
11. Voodoo Chile (Electric Ladyland)

 

Buy Jimi Hendrix’s new album, “Valleys of Neptune” now!!

 

Also, check out the new $5 albums for March, including the new Spoon, early Phoenix, Kid A deluxe edition, the new Citizen Cope, Postal Service, and Lil Wayne’s Rebirth.