Live At Fillmore East [Box set] [Live] [Original recording remastered]

The first thing to note about this release is that the contents of this double CD differ from the tracks previously released on ‘Band Of Gypsys’ – I had thought is was just an extended compilation of tracks from the four shows on 31.12.69 and 01.01.70 but the track listing and enclosed booklet point out this important detail. Even if you have ‘BOG’, it is still very worthwhile getting this set for the different performances if you are a keen Hendrix fan. Secondly, given the dates of these shows, I have to commend the sound quality as it is excellent – a real treat for the ears.

One of the marvellous things about collecting Hendrix’s recordings is that you will very rarely, if ever, find two exactly similar performances of the same song. For example, the opening track ‘Stone Free’ runs for 12:56 and includes some wonderful guitar work with additional vocal elements that work extremely well. There are many good tracks in this set, although there are one or two places that lean too far towards soul music for my taste – not my choice, but you might like it. Overall though, this is an impressive set of recordings and fits well in a Hendrix collection with generally excellent guitar work and the band seemingly enjoying themselves. I still prefer the original ‘Experience’ line-up as I felt they added more than just musical ability to a performance.

The album is all about the 1st CD. But CD 2 is one fantasic CD. It some fantasticguitars and drums and bass lines. It starts off with "Auld Lang Syne" and "Who knows" which are 2 great songs with some great guitars. "Changes" has the drummer Buddy Miles singing, and yet again has some brilliant guitars in. Next is the second version of "machine gun" whcih is very nearly better than the first one. "Stepping stone," "stop" and "Earth Blues" follow and are very good songs with some fantasic guitars. The best song on this disc is next "Burning Desire" has some very good lyrics and some very good guitars and a very catch tune. It ends with the brilliant "Wild Thing" which is, in my oppinon much much better than the original.

Buy this album. You will not be dissapointed. The sound is top quality. A must for any Hendrix fan or music fan.

This release is essentially two hours of the best of what was left from his four shows those two nights. So you get another two takes of the fantastic "Machine Gun" (if you really want them), a fantastic extended "Stone Free", and the usual show-stopping "Voodoo Chile", "Foxy Lady" et.al., as well as newer souly material and horrendous Buddy Miles songs.

All of this makes for diverting yet unessential listening. I am big fan of the Band of Gypsies sound and concept, and really prefer Buddy Guy's rhythmic bass to Redding's wanna-be-lead-guitar style. However, despite all this, the release doesn't really work. Artistically, it's a mess, repeating several tracks from "Band of Gypsies" without affording the integrity of keeping the live sets as complete, giving it an aimless, incoherent feel. The new songs are half-baked jams that whilst pleasant don't really engage. And the classic Hendrix numbers are rock songs that sadly sound far ballsier when played live with the rock Experience. All of the music is interesting, but it really seems worthy of little more than bonus tracks released with "Band of Gypsies", which it perhaps should have been.

But there's not a lot of official live Hendrix around, and there's not much to choose between this and the equally flawed Woodstock or Isle of White shows my preference goes with the latter).

If you love Hendrix and know what you're letting yourself in for, by all means buy it, it's a good listen. But if you're a casual fan, there's better live stuff out there, particularly the Experience live in February '69, invariably released as "The last Experience", "The Albert Hall Experience", or (nastily chopped about) "Soundtrack to the film Experience".