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Rating:
From the title itself, a premonition and a feeling of painful bitterness.
What would today's music be like if Hendrix hadn't died too soon, if he had continued to shine beyond the "First Rays of the New Rising Sun"?
And to think he was a step away from starting a new music project with Miles Davis... What would have happened if two of the greatest artists of the twentieth century had joined their ideas at the height of their creative fervor? Unfortunately, we cannot know. We are left to listen and re-listen to one of the absolute masterpieces of the Seattle guitarist, to discover, each time amazed and ecstatic, new nuances, arrangements, and revolutionary sounds, riffs that express in their swift synthesis the subversive and compelling power of rock.
This album came out only in 1997, but it collects tracks mostly already released in the myriad of albums released after his death, albums that often served only to fill the pockets of those who speculated on Jimi's art for years.
Conversely, the tracklist of "First Rays" was precisely as Hendrix wanted it, and it is Eddie Kramer, the sound engineer who worked with him on the production of the tracks, who tells us this (to understand the fruitful symbiosis between artist and technician, the DVD documenting the production of Electric Ladyland is unmissable).
Reviewing this album is no easy feat; one might need to write a book, only to perhaps realize that writing about music is a bit like dancing about architecture, as someone once said.
There's everything in this work: there are wild funky rhythms and poignant ballads. There are solos that make it clear how guitarists should be distinguished by eras "before Hendrix" and "after Hendrix" (b.H. and a.H.), there are tracks that seem less committed, but that reflect another important aspect of the approach to music and changing times: "My friends" recreates the atmosphere of a typical jam session, as they occurred in the clubs of Greenwich Village in New York, late at night; when you could see Jimi improvising a blues with Stephen Stills who happened to be there. Or, you could, for example, bring a guitar or percussion and play, and if you were lucky, you could find yourself in the studio witnessing the recording of the latest album of a rock star... I never met Vasco Rossi (with the necessary distinctions, of course, it's the first name that came to mind) at the pub below my house!
But the main theme of "First Rays Of A New Rising Sun" is inherent in the title itself. Hendrix resumes in the studio the experiments started with Electric Ladyland and pushes his music toward unexplored areas, as befits every self-respecting genius.
The timbral research resulting from the aforementioned collaboration with Eddie Kramer leads blues and rock to appropriate the new instruments available (similar to what Miles Davis was doing at the same time). However, the experimentalism never gives way to the communicative power of art.
The strictly compositional aspects amaze today for their volcanic creativity and for the capacity that, at times, can be defined contrapuntal of our insights.
If it is true that art, to progress, must surpass the universe of commonly assumed language, it is also true that there are characters who reconcile the two apparently antithetical tensions, achieving an incredible and extraordinary squaring of the circle.
One of them was Jimi Hendrix.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Freedom (03:28)
You got my pride
hanging outta my bed
You're messin' with my life
So I bought my lead ...
You even mess with my children
And you're screamin' at my wife, baby
Get offa my back,
if you wanna get outta here alive
Freedom, give it to me
That's what I want now
Freedom, that's what I need now
Freedom to live
Freedom, so I can give
You got my heart
speak electric water
You got my soul
screamin' and howlin'
You know you hook my girlfriend
You know the drugstore man
But I don't need it now
I was trying to slap it out of her hand
Freedom, so I can give
Freedom, yeah
Freedom, that's what I need
You don't have to say that you love me
if you don't mean it
You'd better believe
If you need me
or you just wanna bleed me
you'd better stickin' your dagger in someone else
So I can leave
Set me free
(Yeah)
Right on, straight ahead
Stay up and straight ahead
Freedom
02 Izabella (02:51)
Izabella I'm dreamin about ya every night
Hey girl you know we gotta war
Yeah, we got a war to fight
Izabella I'm fightin this war for you
Hey little girl I'm fightin this war for the children of the world and you
So I hope you hear me baby
That what I'm tryin to tell you is true
Izabella I'm fighting this war for you
Hey, girl I'm fightin this war for the chlidren and you
Yeah, you save your love for me
Then I'll know that I'll be fightin true
Izabella, hey Izabella
We've gotta fight this war against harted....
04 Angel (04:23)
Angel came down from heaven yesterday
She stayed with me just long enough to rescue me
And she told me a story yesterday,
About the sweet love between the moon and the deep blue sea
And then she spread her wings high over me
She said she's gonna come back tomorrow
And I said, "Fly on my sweet angel,
Fly on through the sky,
Fly on my sweet angel,
Tomorrow I'm gonna be by your side"
Sure enough this morning came unto me
Silver wings silhouetted against the child's sunrise
And my angel she said unto me,
"Today is the day for you to rise
Take my hand, you're gonna be my man,
You're gonna rise"
And then she took me high over yonder
And I said, "Fly on my sweet angel,
Fly on through the sky,
Fly on my sweet angel,
Forever I will be by your side"
05 Room Full of Mirrors (03:23)
I used to live in a room full of mirrors
All I could see was me
Then I take my spirit and I smash my mirrors
And now the whole world is here for me to see
Now I'm searching for my love to be, Hey!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
All right
A broken glass was solvin' my brain
Cut and screamin' crowdin' in my head
A broken glass was loud in my brain
It used to fall on my dreams and cut me in my bed
It used to fall on my dreams and cut me in my bed
I say making love was strange in my bed
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Hey, ooh
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Hey!
06 Dolly Dagger (04:45)
Here comes Dolly Dagger
Her love's so heavy, gonna make you stagger
Dolly Dagger
She drinks the blood from a jagged edge
Aw, drink up baby
Been riding broomsticks since she was fifteen
Blowin' out all the other witches on the scene
She got a bull whip just as long as your life
Her tongue can even scratch the soul out of the devil's wife
Well I seen her in action at the Player's Choice
Turn all the love men into doughnut boys
Hey, red hot mama you better step aside
This chicks gonna turn you to a block of ice
Look out!
Here comes Dolly Dagger,
Her love's so strong gonna make you stagger, baby
Dolly Dagger
She drinks her blood from a jagged edge
Uh, right on
Drink up, baby
Hey!
Yeah, look at old burnt out Superman
Tryin' to shoot his dust on the sun
Captain Karma kids, they're dead on the run
Oh the words of love, ah
Do they ever touch Dolly Brown?
Better get some highway an' clear outta town
Here comes Dolly Dagger,
Her love's so heavy gonna make you stagger
Dolly Dagger
She ain't satisfied 'til she gets what she's after
She drinks the blood from a jagged edge
Alright
Watch out Devon
You give me a little bit of that heaven
Dolly, heavy mama, get it on, get it on, get it on
Dolly, heavy mama, get it on, get it on, get it on
Dolly, heavy mama, get it on, get it on, get it on
Dolly, heavy mama, get it on, get it on, get it on
Get it on, get it on, get it on, get it on, get it on, get it on
Woo, yeah, yeah, yeah
Woo, yeah, yeah, yeah
Woo, yeah, yeah, yeah
Woo, yeah, yeah, yeah
Woo, yeah, yeah, yeah
07 Ezy Ryder (04:10)
There goes Ezy
Ezy Ryder
Ridin' down the highway of desire
He says the free wind
takes him higher
Tryin� to find his heaven above
but he's dyin' to be loved, dyin' to be loved
He's tellin' me livin'
is so magic
Something is forever
so he claims
He's talkin' 'bout lyin'
it's so tragic baby
But don't you worry 'bout today
we got freedom comin' our way, freedom comin' our way
How long
do you
think he is gonna last
carryin' on outta gas
See all the others say
"do what you please"
Gotta get the brothers together
and the right to be free
In a cloud of angel dust
I think I see me a freak
Hey motorcycle mama
you gonna marry me?
Bridge:
I'll be stone crazy
love comin' in at you
Stone crazy baby
There goes Ezy
Ezy Ryder
Ridin' down the highway of desire
He says the free wind
takes him higher
Tryin' to find his heaven above
but he's dyin' to be loved, dyin' to be loved
08 Drifting (03:50)
Drifting
On a sea of forgotten teardrops
On a lifeboat
Sailing for
Your love
Sailing home
Drifting
On a sea of old heartbreaks
On a lifeboat
Sailing for
Your love
Sailing home
11 My Friend (04:38)
Hey, look out for my glass up there, man!
That's my drink, man, that's my drink, alright...
Make it a double, or eh...
Somebody has to sing
Some body will sing?
Somebody will sing, right?
Y'all pass me that bottle,
And I'll sing you all a real song
Yeah!
Let me get my key, ahum!
Well, I'm looking through Harlem
my stomach squeal just a little more
A stagecouch full of feathers and footprints,
pulls up to soap-box door
Now a lady with a pearl-handled necktie
Tied to the driver's fence
breathes in my face,
bourbon and coke possessed words
Haven't I seen you somewhere in hell,
or was it just an accident?"
(You know how I felt then, and so)
Before I could ask "was it the East or West side?"
my feet they howled in pain
The wheels of a bandwagon cut very deep,
but not as deep in my mind as the rain
And as they pulled away I could see her words
Stagger and fall on my muddy tent
Well I picked them up, brushed them off,
to see what they say,
and you wouldn't believe:
`Come around to my room, with the tooth in the middle,
and bring along the bottle and a president'
And eh sometimes it's not so easy, baby
Especially when your only friend,
talks, sees, looks and feels like you,
and you do just the same as him
(Gets very lonely up this road, baby)
(Yeah, hmmm, yeah)
(Got more to say!)
Well I'm riding through LA,
on a bicycle built for fools
And I seen one of my old buddies
And he say, "you don't look the way you usually do"
I say, "well, some people look like a coin-box"
He say, "look like you ain't got no coins to spare"
And I laid back and I thought to myself, and I said this:
I just picked up my pride from underneath the pay phone,
and combed this breath right out of my hair
And sometimes it's not so easy
Especially when your only friend
talk, sees, looks and feels like you,
and you do just the same as him
just got out of a Scandinavian jail,
and I'm on my way straight home to you
But I feel so dizzy I take a quick look in the mirror,
to make sure my friend's here with me too
And you know good well I don't drink coffee,
so you fill my cup full of sand
And the frozen tea leaves on the bottom
Sharing lipstick around the broken edge
And my coat that you let your dog lay by the fire on
And your cat he attacked me from his pill-box ledge
And I thought you were my friend too
Man, my shadow comes in line before you
I'm finding out that it's not so easy
Specially when your only friend
Talks, looks, sees and feels like you,
and you do the same just like him
(Lord it's so lonely here, hmmm, yeah)
Yeah!
(Pass me that bottle over there...)
Yeah, yeah, okay...
12 Straight Ahead (04:44)
Hello, my friend
So happy to see you again
I was so alone
All by myself
I just couldn't make it
Have you heard, baby
What the winds blowing round
Have you heard, baby
A whole lot of peoples coming right on down
Communication, yeah
Is coming on strong
And don't give a damn, baby
If your hair is short or long, huh
I said, get out of your grave (noo)
Everybody is dancing in the street, hi!
Do what you know, don't be slow
You gotta practice what you preach
'Cause it's time for you and me
Come to face reality (it sounds like he says "fake reality")
Forget about the past, baby
Things ain't what they used to be
Keep on Straight Ahead
Keep on Straight Ahead
Straight Ahead, baby
Straight Ahead, baby
We got to stand side by side
We got to stand together and organize
They say power to the people,
That's what they're screamin'
Freedom of the soul
Pass it on, pass it on to the young and old
You got to tell the children the truth
They don't need a whole lot of lies
Because one of these days, baby
They'll be running things
So when you give them love
You better give it right
Woman and child and man and wife
The best love to have is the Love Of Life
Pass it on baby
Pushing on Straight Ahead
Straight Ahead, baby
Hello my friend
It's so good to see you again
Say now I've been all by my self
I don't think I can make it alone
I gotta keep on pushing ahead
Hi!!!
I can make it alone
I gotta keep on pushing ahead
14 Earth Blues (04:23)
Well, I see hands and attesting faces
Reachin' up but not quite touching the promised land
Well, I taste tears and a whole lot of previous years wasted
Saying 'lord please give us a helping hand'
Lord lord lord
Lord, there's got to be some changes
Lord lord lord
Gonna be a whole lot of re-arranges
Lord lord lord
You better hope love is the answer
Lord lord lord
Yeah, it better come before the summer
Well, everybody can hear the sound of freedom's beating heart
Sirens flashing with earth and rockets stoning
You better love me like it's gonna be the last time
And tell the child to bury daddy's old clothes
Love love love
Yeah, they're talking about getting together, yeah
Love love love
Together for love love love
Love love love
You better hope love is the answer baby
I think you better hope it comes before the summer
Everybody
Everybody
Everybody
Every sister
Everybody
Every mother
Everybody
To feel the light
Everybody
It's shining bright baby
Everybody
Everybody, we got to live together, oh
Right on baby
Feel those earth blues coming at you baby
Don't let your imagination take you by surprise
A queen and me i, one day, visualise
My head in the cloud, my feet on the pavement
Don't get too stoned, please remember you're a man
Love love love
Lord, there's got to be some changes
Love love love
Living together's gonna be a lot of re-arranges
Love love love
You better be ready, lord, my lord
Love love love
Just hope love comes before the summer
Everybody
Everybody,
Everybody
Got to feel the light
Everybody
You gotta feel the light, baby
Everybody,
Everybody
We gotta live together
Everybody
Keep it together,
Everybody
Right on together,
Everybody
Oh yeah
All standing together for the earrth blues coming at you baby
Love love love
Right on
Feel those earth blues coming at you
Yeah yeah
16 In From the Storm (03:43)
Well I, I just came back today
I just came back from the storm
Yeah!
I said: I just came back, baby
I just came back from the storm
Yeah, from the storm
Well, I didn't know it then
But I was sufferin', sufferin'
For my love to keep me warm
It was so cold and lonely, yeah
The wind 'n' cryin' blue rain
Were tearing me up
It was so cold and lonely
The crying blue rain was tearing me up
Oh, tearing me up. (tearing me up)
I wanna thank you my sweet darling
For digging in the mud and picking me up
(Thank you baby)
Thank you so much!
(Thank you baby)
(Thank you baby)
(Thank you baby)
It was a crying blue rain burning my eyes
The wind and lightning struck by a surprise
It was you my love who brought me in
I love you so much
I'll never stray from you again
Hey!
I just came back baby
I just came back to get my baby on her way
Yeah, yeah
17 Belly Button Window (03:36)
Well. I'm up here in this womb
I'm looking all around
Well, I'm looking out my belly button window
And I see a whole lot of frowns
And I'm wondering if they don't want me around
What seems to be the fuzz out there?
Just what seems to be the hang?
'Cause you know if ya just don't want me this time around,
yeah I'll be glad to go back to Spirit Land
And even take a longer rest,
before I'm coming down the chute again
Man, I sure remember the last time, baby
They were still hawkin' about me then
So if you don't want me now,
Make up your mind, where or when
If you don't want me now,
Give or take, you only got two hundred days
'Cause I ain't coming down this way too much more again
You know they got pills for ills and thrills and even spills
But I think you're just a little too late
So I'm coming down into this world, daddy
Regardless of love and hate
And I'm gonna sit up in your bed, mama
And just a grin right in your face
And then I'm gonna eat up all your chocolates,
and say "I hope I'm not too late"
So if there's any questions,
make up your mind
'Cause you better give or take
Questions in your mind
Give it a take,
you only got two hundered days
Way up into this womb
looking all around
Sure's dark in here
And I'm looking out my belly button window
And I swear I see nothing but a lot of frowns
And I'm wondering if they want me around
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