Search - Jimi Hendrix :: Radio One

Get the more complete 2-disc BBC Sessions Instead

S. Naimpally | Dallas, TX USA | 07/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though mono, the quality of these BBC recordings is excellent and well worth getting. The band is loose and the performances are excellent. There are even some humurous moments.



The Hendirx family re-released these recordings in a more complete form as the "BBC Sessions" on 2 CDs. I suggest purchasing that and avoiding this half-baked release."

An outstanding collection of early Hendrix recordings

Daniel Jolley | Shelby, North Carolina USA | 09/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you don't have at least one Jimi Hendrix album in your CD collection, you really need to rethink your musical priorities. I don't think I need to explain the revolutionary legacy of Hendrix to anyone, so I'll just get right to the content on this particular CD. The year was 1967, and Hendrix's career had just blasted off in the UK, when The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Hendrix, Noel Redding, and Mitch Mitchell) came together for several recording sessions for BBC Radio. You will find a number of Hendrix's most memorable songs in this collection, but they differ from the versions most fans are familiar with. Alongside these more familiar tracks are a number of very interesting covers and blues-oriented recordings, a few of which could and should be considered true rarities.



Appropriately enough, this collection starts out with an anthem song, Stone Free. With the funk established, it's time to jam. Hendrix standards emerging from these early recordings are Fire, Foxy Lady, Purple Haze, and Hey Joe. Hendrix pulls out all of the heavy guitar stops on the short but enervating Killing Floor. This killer track is then followed by what is still, as far as I am aware, the only live version of the classic Love or Confusion. Hendrix's mastery of the guitar is made most evident in a scintillating performance of Drivin' South. I find the background vocals on Wait Until Tomorrow somewhat questionable, but this track is a real treat indeed, as this was a song Hendrix never performed on stage. You get a somewhat light version of Hear My Train a Comin', infused with a lot of interaction with the small studio audience. Spanish Castle Magic is pretty faithful to the later studio version, but this is probably the earliest recording made of this standout song. Yet another significant recording is Burning of the Midnight Lamp, a much different version from that which appeared on the Electric Ladyland album of the following year.



Radio One Theme is a playful bit of filler, really, a half-joking new theme song for Britain's insurgent Radio One rock station. Hendrix's cover of the Beatles' Day Tripper takes the song to heights never imagined by the team of Lennon and McCartney. The novelty of this cover still pales in comparison to that of Hound Dog, which comes complete with all sorts of barks and howls from band members.



For me, the best this album has to offer are the blues-oriented recordings, in which Hendrix pays tribute to some of the strongest influences of his youth - the legendary Muddy Waters, in particular. Catfish Blues is great, but Hoochie Koochie Man is easily my favorite song on this album.



All told, these 17 early recordings showcase the variety of musical styles that Jimi Hendrix made his own, and the entire album has a fresh and jubilant feel that differs from the heavier sound of Hendrix's later career. I wouldn't necessarily recommend Radio One as someone's first introduction to Jimi Hendrix, but Hendrix fans will definitely love every one of the 59 - plus minutes of this album."

Hot stuff

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 01/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like Tabasco sauce, a little Jimi Hendrix goes a LONG way. Because of the intensity of the man, any one of his albums can simply wear a listener out. This phenomenon also applies to JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE * RADIO ONE. What comes across most from this set is not only how polished and tight a band they really were, but how they also poured their hearts and energy into the music. Be it live concert or in a recording studio, the Experience had few peers. The album RADIO ONE is proof positive that over the airwaves of the usually staid BBC, the Jimi Hendrix Experience was equally as fiery and untameable.



TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 59:27"