It is remarkable that Jimi Hendrix has been dead for 39 years now, yet there is still quite a bit of excitement in the music community with the release of this collection of rarities and recently unearthed gems. And for the most part, gems these are. Perhaps no other artist has had his discography more abused posthumously. Much of it was Hendrix’s fault. While he was alive he seemingly signed contract after contract on a whim, even when the contractual rights overlapped. Upon his untimely demise, several parties had claim to much of his work, and over the next 20 years or so a dizzying number of questionable “new” Hendrix albums were released (Crash Landing, War Heroes, Midnight Lightning, Rainbow Bridge etc. etc…all of which, thank God, are long out of print). On these dubious releases, various incomplete sessions (Hendrix was a prolific studio experimenter, but he never intended for most of his studio noodlings to ever be released) were cobbled together with many overdubs and released to an unwitting public, forever diluting Hendrix’s real musical legacy. Finally in the early to mid-1990’s, Hendrix’s family gained control of his copyrights, and set about bringing order to his discography through the Experience Hendrix label.
It is worth noting that actual Hendrix-approved releases (those that he put out while alive) are very few. During his lifetime he only released three studio records (one a double), one live album (of all new material, so it was kind of like a fourth studio record, and it was released mostly to fulfill one of his bad contracts even while he was alive) and a short hits collection. That’s it. As far as “legitimate” posthumous releases go (that is, under the Experience Hendrix banner), First Rays of the New Rising Sun was the best approximation available of what his next record would have sounded like had he lived, as it contains most of his finished, almost finished and works in progress from his last year or so. New Saturn Delta was a quirky but valuable odds ‘n sods collection. There have been a bevy of live releases as well, some essential, such as Live at Monterrey.
So, where does this latest release, Valleys of Neptune, fit into the picture? All of these recordings are from 1969, and muddy the waters as to what his next record and direction would be. Whereas First Rays of the New Rising Sun has heretofore been the definitive statement of his new direction when he died, these newly found recordings were also recorded in an immediate attempt to follow up Electric Ladyland. Hendrix often talked, sometimes in confusing terms because he himself was in an uncertain transition when he died, about his next album. Most likely it would have been a double like its predecessor Electric Ladyland, so maybe much of First Rays... and Valleys would have eventually made it for official release. Who knows.
At any rate, Valleys of Neptune is a wonderful collection chronicling the last gasps of the original Jimi Hendrix Experience (Hendrix, Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums) and the first gasps of the “new” Experience that he envisioned (replacing Redding with bassist Billy Cox). Hendrix and Redding were not seeing eye to eye any more, and these sessions were the last of the original trio as they tried to ready tracks for the next record. In fact, this record contains the last studio sessions they ever recorded together.
These recordings along with the First Rays… material clearly indicate that Hendrix was moving more in a soul/rock hybrid direction that would have been fascinating to hear had he been able to bring it to fruition. He is more interested in deep groove than flash now. This combined with his talks with Miles Davis about a collaboration during the last months of his life creates one of the biggest “what if’s” in rock (and jazz, for that matter) history.
ABOVE: The title track
But we are left with his works in progress here, and they are great enough. The awesome title tracks is his best foray into his sci-fi fetish, and features shifting tempos and his often underrated rhythm playing (no solos here). "Ships Passing Through the Night" has a gritty soul vamp. "Mr. Bad Luck" shows off his humor as a lyricist. As far out as Hendrix went with his psychedelia and experimentation, he never really strayed too far from his blues roots. The blues-based numbers here are simply outstanding. We finally get a definitive studio rendition of his live staple "Hear My Train A-Comin'," and his funky cover of Elmore James' "Bleeding Heart" is magnificent, and "Crying Blue Rain" is a rare down home blues for Hendrix that creates an eerie and melancholy mood.
Even the jams that would never have made it passed the studio walls are focused and top quality Hendrix. A blazing and spirited instrumental cover of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" is fun and gives Hendrix an opportunity to show off his chops, while "Lullaby For Summer" is a groovy jam that eventually would turn into "Ezy Rider" (available on New Rays...) He also revisits some old standards within his own repertoire, which is actually welcome. Hendrix often tranformed his songs through working them out on the road, and so returning to earlier material again in the studio resulted in revelatory versions of songs you thought you already knew. Opener "Stone Free" dramatically improves an already killer song. Hendrix bests the original version by a long shot here, adding intricate rhythms and riffs built upon riffs that were missing from the original version. The burning "Red House" is given a quieter and double the length workout. Only a new version of "Fire" seems redundant and unnecessary.
Posthumous releases should always be looked at with suspicion, but in this case, this material is more than worthy of official release and adds greatly to Hendrix's legacy.
**** out of *****
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