Jimi steals the show
Jimi Hendrix pulled all the stops and he won the attention of the Rock Fans from that point to his death. This high energy concert was given by Jimi in 1967, The Experience stole the show, Pete Townsend was so Jealous it was obvious. No collection is complete without this CD, once you listen to the first song you will know what I am saying, Jimi burns everyone with this act, literally. .
A Stunning Peformance...
That was Monterey pop for you right there. 5 Tributes 5 Orignal Songs. Jimi Hendrix played 5 tributes and 5 orignal songs. . . Though the greatest peformance on here, "Wild Thing", is a tribute Jimi Hendrix litterlay made that song his own and in the end lighting the guitar on fire was classic never had been done before. The sound quaility on here is stunning and it sounds like the actual concert live right in front of your eyes. . . All the songs on here sound great and this was music that was tottaly different back than. Some other key live tracks on here are, wild thing, hey joe, like a rolling stone, really bassicly every live track on here is just great. This is a perfect album with no flaws whatsoever. Great timeless concert buy today!.
Behold - A Terrible Beauty Is Loosed Upon The Landscape
When he walked off the stage, popular music had been completely transformed. When Jimi Hendrix walked onto the stage at Monterey he was relatively unknown in the United States. The American debut of the Jimi Hendrix Experience at Monterey isn't just the most exciting live rock concert ever recorded; it's also one of the most significant moments in the history of modern American music. Hendrix took the music world completely by storm and turned it on its head. His influence today is greater than ever, 41 years after the fact. Days after the mind-boggling "set the guitar on fire" stunt, Hendrix was a household word.
The set kicks off fast and hard with Killing Floor, one wonders how Mitch Mitchell (drums) could keep up without injuring himself. Next up, Foxey Lady, soon to be a standard. The treatment of Bob Dylan's beautiful ballad, Like A Rolling Stone, is compelling and soulful. Rock Me Baby is simply beyond belief; it throws off heat like a jet engine. A hard-edged version of Hey Joe comes next; it's blues all right, but psychedelic blues. By the time Hendrix gets to Can You See Me? it's clear that he and his cronies are all settled down and solidly in the groove, this one speeds past like a bullet. The Wind Cries Mary is handled gently and carefully, it's a great song and provides a welcome break from the mayhem.
Purple Haze has never sounded ruder, more demented, and incoherent - it is riveting. If you have any imagination at all, think about what this music must have sounded like to people who'd been nursed on The Platters, The Four Freshmen, and The Beach Boys. We are now completely accustomed to the influence Hendrix has had and it's easy to forget that when this was recorded what Hendrix was doing wasn't merely new, it was earth shattering. As to the closer, Wild Thing, I remember the Troggs version, sort of a frat house crowd pleaser. Hendrix takes it into the stratosphere; in many ways it's the highlight of the performance. Burning the guitar was theatrical genius, really, after you've just invaded the greatest nation on earth and conquered it in one night, what else is there to do? .
The Way To Monterey
On that date, at The Monterey International Pop Festival, the Jimi Hendrix Experience exploded onto the American music scene through an incredible, historic performance. June 18, 1967.
By taking the visual aspect of the art of music to new heights, this was Hendrix setting a course which redefined rock and electric guitar as a lead instrument through the driving force in a power trio.
Introduced by the Brian Jones, Hendrix launched the set with a rapid-fire romp of Howling Wolf's Killing Floor. But it is the ever-changing moods in the numbers - The Wind Cries Mary, Foxey Lady, Rock Me Baby, Like A Rolling Stone - which shows the genius of Hendrix.
In 43 minutes, Hendrix began a revolution in sound that still sounds fresh some 40 years later. This is one of a handful of essential live releases and a sonic reminder of the vision of a true artist.
NOT THE BEST AUDIO AVAILABLE
Therefore, when this new version was released, I picked it up and compared it to another, older edition.
I'm always interested in having the best audio version of any recording.
The previously released version was the fourth and final disc of the Rhino Monterey Pop Box, released in 1992.
Upon A/B comparison, I was very surprised and dismayed to find the new disc does not have the clarity of the Box CD. The drums & cymbals especially sound muffled.
From a historical standpoint, it's interesting to hear the small snippets of Hendrix' conversation in between songs that do not appear on the Box disc, and yes, the new CD packaging & photos are excellent.
However, it's no fun, after listening to the Box CD for the past 16 years, hearing a recording that sounds that has less clarity.
I haven't heard the other previous Monterey Pop editions, which were released after the Box, but I sure can't recommend this one.
You can see a complete list of all The Jimi Hendrix Experience discography, or go back to the The Jimi Hendrix Experience tabs
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