Search - The Gypsy Suns and Rainbows :: Jimi Hendrix : Live at Woodstock

Fantastic!

G. Case | Indianapolis, IN United States | 03/29/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I agree that this wasn't the best Hendrix band. On some tracks you can hear the bass player struggling to find his place. However! When I heard this as a kid it changed my life. At the end he plays purple haze and that goes into a lot of Phrygian jam stuff. If it had stopped there it was not legendary. But then he goes right into "Villanova Junction" or as I knew as a kid "untitled." It's a minor blues form. This is one of the most beautiful, sensitive things I have ever heard on electric guitar (Santana's "Samba pa ti" and Page's Since I been loving you are great too). His phrasing, ideas, and touch are unmatched. I assumed it was something he made up on the spot but I ran into a rare vinyl called "Nine to the Universe" where he plays something similar. After spending the rest of my life as a musician I still think Hendrix and this track are fantastic. some other hidden gems are "Pali Gap", "Hear my train a coming", "Golden Rose" (which is overlooked because of the fantastic tracks surrounding it)"

Astronomically Groovy Monster...

Edward Z. Rosenthal | Collingswood, NJ, USA | 01/19/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Who am I to comment on the poetry of the Angels? Me, a mere mortal, an unholy, absurd wretch of a soul. How dare such a filthy turd as myself dream of scavenging the words that, at best, merely hint at the Aural Miracle that is offered here. But I vainly persist...



On that August Monday morning of '69 a haggard, sodden horde found themselves awash in a roiling cascade of fathomless sonics. The dwindling throng, the lingering faithful, were ritualistically cleansed by Astronomically Groovy Monster Waves of Pure Electric Soul. A Cosmic Baptism.



"Woodstock" has assumed the mantle of a tired cliche; a fading symbol of both the surprising potential of our nation's youth, and our yet-unredeemed hopes for profound social change. The festival's memory is encumbered by the weight of four decades of unrepentant Idolatry and obsessive Mythology.



Myths, it seems, fulfill that odd cultural need to reassure ourselves in our doubtful belief that We Belong Here, that we are forever needing to be reminded that we have a Divine Right to be at any one particular place at any one particular moment. Jimi's astonishing creations passionately remind us that this is a FALSE need, for we ALL Belong not just HERE but EVERYWHERE, because EVERYBODY already is EVERYWHERE. Spiritually, Jimi declares, we ALL have always been, and always will be, ENTITLED TO EVERYTHING, EQUALLY. That's why when I listen to this CD I know HE is still here... and there... and here...



But people are prone to fits of ego preening and this is manifested in the indignant barking and bitching over this collection's perceived shortcomings. Some find it unpardonable that Larry Lee's 2 featured numbers are omitted or that his rhythm guitar is unheard on other cuts. Perhaps these are valid concerns in worlds ruled by absolute precision and slavish attention to minor detail. The rabid purists take pride in their fury, forgetting that Jimi himself was extremely unsatisfied with his unresolved fledgling formation. He disbanded this lineup almost immediately after the festival, returning to the proven 2 man rhythm section that had served him so well previously. If it's dutiful commitment to meaningless routine and hollow ceremony that's engorging the critical elite, then they should take another listen with open ears and passive mind to what IS offered here. It's so much better than they want to believe. The edits are inconsequential, the omissions are forgivable, even reasonable. If your intent is to reveal that Jimi Hendrix is fallible, a mere mortal who erred greatly in assembling this particular lineup, then insisting on the inclusion of inferior material that the artist himself was dissatisfied with just seems to me to be vindictive. Your pride in knowing that something is being denied you, no matter how trivial, overshadows your better senses.



So if "others" conspired to contaminate Jimi's legacy, by altering, deleting, maiming, butchering his art, that would be sad. If we believe we've been duped we may allow our prideful indignation to obliterate our joy. It may seem that I am being contradictory, but by emphasizing the debatable negative aspects of this production you do yourselves and Jimi's spirit a great disservice. That some of this "live" event has been modified is perhaps less than ideal, but don't let this minor fact drown your love of special music. What remains here, what we ARE given to behold is in fact remarkable, magical, transcendent. So, words are feeble tools in the service of exalting the miracle of Jimi's Sublime Gift. Perhaps it's better expressed by A Forty Year Smile on the Collective Face of All who witnessed, two generations later still radiating pearly white and wide."

Shambolic Band...Get Live at Berkeley Instead...

S. Johnson | Washington, DC United States | 03/15/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Given that you can get this version of 'Star Spangled Banner' elsewhere I would avoid this release. I first heard this gig in it's complete form (including the two Larry Lee vocal cuts not included here) on bootleg vinyl back in the day. It was pretty poor. Subsequent releases haven't been much better. Why? Because of two reasons: the poor recording quality and the poor quality of musicianship on the part of some of his bandmates. This gig is legendary but doesn't live up to it's legend. It sounds bad to the ears both in terms of it's audio quality and band performance. Contrast this expanded Hendrix band with the Allman Brothers Band of the same era and you'll notice that the 'Gypsys, Suns and Rainbows' group of Hendrix's is pretty weak. There are plenty of other Hendrix releases where Jimi and his band are cooking: get the Live from Berkeley release for one. This CD only exists to capitalize on the iconic status of Woodstock and Jimi's amazing Star Spangled Banner..."