Product Description This four CD/1 DVD collection tracks Jimi’s incredible journey from R&B sideman to international acclaim. This collection presents the most sought after of Jimi’s pre-Experience recordings as a sideman for such Rhythm & Blues stars as The Isley Brothers, Don Covay, Little Richard and others. The remaining three discs feature previously unreleased and commercially unavailable studio recordings from every chapter of his career, live recordings with the Experience and Band of Gypsys spanning 1967 through 1970. The studio recordings include never before released [or even bootlegged!] alternate versions of such classic fare as "Are You Experienced", "Fire", "May This Be Love" and "Love Or Confusion". In addition, new songs such as "Hear My Freedom", "Hound Dog Blues" and "Lonely Avenue" make their debut as part of this special collection. To provide further insight and understanding into Hendrix’s creative development, there are acoustic and electric home recordings of Electric Ladyland signature songs such as "Long Hot Summer Night", "1983 (A Merman I Shall Turn To Be)" as well as "My Friend" and "Angel" later featured as part of First Rays Of The New Rising Sun. It also features another major revelation—an electric demo version of Bob Dylan’s "Tears Of Rage" and a previously unreleased version of "Everlasting First", Jimi’s 1970 celebrated collaboration with Arthur Lee & Love, an unheard 1967 studio session with Traffic’s Dave Mason as well as an expanded presentation of Jimi’s legendary session with jazz organist Larry Young. Four hours of rare and previously unreleased Jimi Hendrix. The DVD features Jimi’s life story told in his own words. Legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins brings Jimi’s words and story to life. Rare and never before seen footage and photos, as well as the Hendrix family archive of the late guitarist’s personal drawings, postcards home to his father, song drafts, sketches, lyrics are all featured in this special 90 minute presentation. Review Compromising four CDs and a DVD in which Hendrix's story is told in his own words with Parliament's Bootsy Collins as narrator, West Coast Seattle Boy is a collection of Hendrix material previously officially unreleased. It spans his early career on the "Chitlin' Circuit", where he earned his spurs playing behind the likes of Little Richard in the mid-60s, to his very last days, sketching out material for a mooted new studio album in his Greenwich Village apartment.It's quite obvious that this is not the place for newcomers to begin – they are directed to the great Jimi Hendrix Experience albums, finished articles in which studio and engineer were vital components to the end product. Hendrix was the supreme master of electricity in rock – for him it wasn't mere amplification but the element in which he sculpted. He might well have been horrified that much of what appears on these four discs – early drafts, tentative run-outs, acoustic sketches – is seeing the light of day at all. Although he was the sort of live performer whose incendiary charisma melted the hinges off doors, he is not necessarily an artist best heard "in the raw".One of the boasting points of this collection is a hitherto unpublished version of Bob Dylan's Tears of Rage. It's interesting enough, with Hendrix, a Dylan devotee, channelling Dylan's own impersonation of a 90-year-old bluesman, complete with harmonica and plucking. But along with the rest of the acoustic numbers included here recorded in the same session, such as a version of 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be) from Electric Ladyland, it reveals that Hendrix lacked delicacy as an acoustic player, and that he only realised his musical visions when he colourised them on the electric guitar and using multi-tracking to the full.An album, then, for completists only; but it should be borne in mind that most artists strive their entire careers to attain the quality of Hendrix's cast-offs. Furthermore, this collection is studded with fascinating items which make this a vital purchase for the bootleg-averse Hendrix-ologist. Take, for instance, The Isley Brothers' 1965 number Move Over and Let Me Dance. Woozy and sensual, it uncannily prefigures Hendrix's own Foxey Lady, as well as offering him the chance to cut loose, liquid and tremulous. Disc three yields a live version of Star Spangled Banner, which at once desecrates the anthem and invests it with more oozing beauty than it deserves, as well as a truly shredding version of Purple Haze. Similarly, the extended 1969 version of Stone Free is a great improvement on the under-developed 1966 original.While some might regard collections like this as exercises in barrel-scraping, there's much of precious worth here, and a warming sense that posthumously, the Hendrix legacy is still yielding fresh things. --David StubbsFind more music at the BBC This link will take you off in a new window
G**R
Very good, for what it is
I very much looked forward to getting this set and have given it a few listens.Briefly, if you're a Hendrix fanatic, you'll want it, regardless of the reviews. However, this is not a set for new listeners, or those who are happy with just having the key albums.Putting aside the pre-Experience material on Side One, this is a sort of `son of The Jimi Hendrix Experience box set' which came out a few years ago and had a wealth of excellent, unreleased and rare material - almost all Hendrix fans would have it.As with the previous box, the packaging of West Coast Seattle Boy is excellent, with many unreleased photos and detailed information about each track. The DVD is inserted into a heavy paper sleeve and might get scratched, so purchasers might store it elsewhere.It's good to have the early material on Side One, in excellent sound. It doesn't have all of Jimi's pre-Experience material, of course, due to space and taste considerations. For example, it lacks the two dreadful tracks with Jayne Mansfield which were among Jimi's first recordings. ("it makes by back crack, makes my liver quiver' etc)More importantly, Jimi's stints with Lonnie Youngblood and Curtis Knight and the Squires were a key part of his development as a musician. The liner notes could at least have noted Jimi's playing with Knight, even if for legal reasons, tracks couldn't be included. For example, "I'm a Man" and ""Drivin' South" would have fitted in well, despite their muddy sound.I can't find much joy in some the `alternate mixes' and a few of the jams, but overall the set is a good listen which is never less than interesting. I particularly like the Berkeley version of Red House, Bolero/Hey Baby, the Young Hendrix jam and the acoustic songs including `Tears of Rage'.The DVD, narrated by `Bootsy' Collins in Jimi's own words, is enjoyable and includes some rare footage. It's being sold on its own in Australia for $20!After this release, you might ask what else might be coming on to the market. There's at least the 1969 Albert Hall concert on CD and DVD; the LA Forum show from 1969, which EH hasn't fully released; the complete Band of Gypsys concerts; and `official EH releases' of material already released on other labels, such as the `Stages' box set, 1968 Winterland and 1969 Swedish shows.Dagger Records may release more `bootleg' material such as the 1970 LA Forum concert, or oddities like `Mockingbird' from the Dusty Springfield show. Perhaps some of the `Chas Chandler' tapes, which feature overdubs from Mitch and Noel, might also officially see the light of day - fingers crossed.The set is good value, well packaged and recommended for the true fan.
M**L
A Wonderful Collection, But............
Okay, let's get the negatives out of the way first. As one of the other reviewers has pointed out the so called alternate recordings are more like alternate mixes, and in some cases I'm not too sure some of them are an alternate mix. Despite my best efforts I can't hear the difference between the versions of Fire, May This Be Love and Love And Confusion on this set and the versions on Are You Experienced. Ditto the versions of In From The Storm and Hey Baby here and those on First Rays. As for Mr Bad Luck, that was on Valleys Of Neptune earlier this year and I can't hear any diffrence between that version and this one. All this I'm afraid gives off the slight aroma of rip off from Experience Hendrix.So, what about the positives? Thankfully these far out weigh the negatives. Let's start at the beginning and disc one. This might not be Hendrix as we know him but it's still crammed with some wonderful 60's R'n'B. Most of which I had never heard before and in some cases I'd never even heard of the artist but if you like that kind of stuff then it will not be a disc you listen to once and never return to again.Now, onto the meat of the collection, discs 2 to 4. The above complaint aside these discs have got alot of great stuff on them. There's an instrumental run through of Are You Experienced?, a rough take of Castles Made Of Sand with just Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell. Familiar songs but sounding so different. Acoustic versions of Hear My Train A Coming (Not the version on Blues), Angel and 1983 (although not too sure on this one) that were recorded in a bedroom somewhere. Add to these a twenty minute jam session with jazz organist Larry Young, which I admit is not to everyones taste but is mine, and a plethora of previously unreleased tracks the large majority of which will appeal to any Hendrix fan and this is overall a very good collection.Finally you have the DVD. If you saw this on BBC4 recently you'll already know this is a very good film, with Bootsy Collins reading Hendrix's letter, diaries etc over footage of him in concert, travelling the World and so on. It makes you realise what an incredible guy Hendrix was.So, do I recommend it. If you're new to Hendrix and wondering whether to start here, I would recommend you start with his offical releases and then move onto this. If you're already into Hendrix the answer is yes. At £35 it is value for money. It's just a pity that Experience Hendrix had to go and spoil the overall enjoyment by trying to convince us that some of the tracks are far more than they really are. There are plenty of other recordings out there they could have used, which when you think that Hendrix was only recording for three and a half years makes you realise what an incredible musician he was. This collection does bring that home to you. He clearly loved playing music and wanted to record his ideas at every opportunity. How many of todays artists can you say that about. Very few I suspect.
L**N
more please
This box set has some real gems, ok it could have been better but disc 1 is fantastic and there is a lot more where that came from - sort out the copyrights! I have an lp of the Icemen? with Jimi playing (one of those mid 70s releases) fantastic, give us more.Disc 2: 11 to 16 is the best music there, it is, fantastic, here we hear Jimi with his friend Paul relaxed having fun and playing Tears of Rage from Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes - what if? Also the rest of this acoustic set is fantastic I want a box set of this it is non record company fun, it is fun, it is not Jimi being virtuoso but having fun and if you play guitar it is for you. As well as being a homage to Bob Dylan it is a way in to understanding how to play real tunes/songs without the industry. I know there is so much more fantastic Jimi music out there and that the Hendrix estate have the resources to sort out the audio quality and copyrights - so what are you waiting for Experience Hendrix?I kind of agree that this box set is not the Jimi Hendrix that is for the first listen to Jimi but for those people go and get the first three albums then get the other box set then get this. What would be good is if there is a big box set of early Jimi and a box set of acoustic Jimi and a box set of long jams and what about the Albert Hall movie and soundtrack? Also the gig before at the Albert Hall? There is so much more too, why the separation with Dagger Records?For me this box set is wonderful listening pleasure and an education so please sort it out and give us more. Jimi Hendrix was the most important and significant artist of the twentieth century.
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