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Rating:
The posthumous discography of Jimi Hendrix is truly impressive when considering that during his lifetime, he released only three studio albums, one live album, and a compilation. It should also be noted that the legal situation regarding the official rights over both the material already published and the tapes still in the archive has been through several disputes over time. Today, the discography of the mixed-race musician is officially managed by "Experience Hendrix MCA Records," authorized by the "Hendrix Family," headed by the great guitarist’s sister. In contrast, there are several other smaller record labels that compete for the so-called "crumbs," with which they sometimes manage to produce intriguing products.
This is the case with "Purple Haze Records," which has already released many interesting titles, including, in 2005, this two-CD collection, "Truth and Emotion," which I purchased at Feltrinelli last week for the price of only seven euros and ninety cents. It is truly an intriguing product. The first CD contains a series of out-takes recorded in the studio between '69 and '70, many of which have already found space in various posthumous albums such as "The Cry of Love," "First Rays of New Rising Sun," "Live at Fillmore East," and "Live at Berkeley." It includes some of Hendrix's last recordings before fate took him away at just twenty-eight years old.
We are presented with a funkier Jimi, as many know that in his final period, it was his desire to reconnect with this genre, much appreciated by the African American community, and to distance himself somewhat from rock and psychedelia. In the tracklist, the splendid Izabella, Message to Love, Night Bird Flying, Freedom, Earth Blues, Stepping Stone, along with Dylan's cover, Drifting Escape and an extraordinary jam based on the theme of Blue Suede Shoes. Then the instrumentals Pali Gap and Hey Baby (New Rising Sun). Truly excellent music, folks! But if the first CD is remarkable, the real surprise (and the reason that pushed me to buy the product) is the second CD, the recording, I think complete although I can't be sure, of Jimi's last concert with the Experience, Mitch Mitchell on drums, and Noel Redding on bass, on May 24, 1969, at the San Diego Sports Arena (California). An excellent concert with many of the immortal classics, Fire, Hey Joe, Foxy Lady, Purple Haze, Voodoo Chile, a transformed reinterpretation of Red House, and an excellent medley based on Spanish Castle Magic, which includes an unmissable drum solo by Mitchell and a reinterpretation of Cream’s Sunshine of Your Love. The tracklist on the back of the case does not list I Don't Live Today, a piece that is present in the recording and performed masterfully before Foxy Lady, a small inaccuracy typical of unofficial products, but nothing serious (it would have been much worse the other way around). The Experience is in great shape, despite being in its final throes. The concert is of great energy and with a very raw sound, typical of the trio that live, performed their pieces in a more primitive and spontaneous manner, with ample space for improvisations. In Voodoo Chile, there seems to be some technical problem, but nothing too significant. It is an almost unheard live, I say almost because a version of this show was released as the fourth CD of a box set titled "Stages," a box set that is almost untraceable and anyhow much more expensive. I imagine you would like to know how the CDs sound, considering it's an unofficial product; well, I must say the audio is good, perhaps the output volume is a little low, but overall, there is no reason to complain at all.
Inside, there's a little booklet with some notes in English, some graphic reinterpretations of some of Hendrix’s photos, and the indication of other products published by Purple Haze. In short, a very well-made collection, with an extremely competitive price. Perhaps not recommended for those few who do not know Hendrix, to whom it is, of course, recommended to start with his historic albums, but definitely appealing to more discerning fans in search of gems and rarities.
Tracklist and Lyrics
03 Earth Blues (02:29)
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
05 Izabella (02:55)
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....
09 Freedom (03:26)
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
10 Drifter's Escape (03:03)
OH, HELP ME IN MY WEAKNESS
I HEARD THE DRIFTER SAY
AS THEY CARRIED HIM FROM THE COURT ROOM
AND WERE TAKING HIM AWAY
WELL, MY TRIP HASN'T BEEN A PLEASANT ONE
AND MY TIME IT ISN'T LONG
AND I STILL DO NOT KNOW
WHAT IS WAS THAT I'VE DONE WRONG
WELL THE JUDGE HE CAST HIS ROBE ASIDE
A TEAR CAME TO HIS EYE
WELL YOU FAIL TO UNDERSTAND, HE SAID
WHY MUST YOU EVEN TRY
OUTSIDE THE CROWD WAS STIRRING
YOU COULD HEAR IT FROM THE DOOR
INSIDE THE JUDGE WAS STEPPING DOWN
WHILE THE JURY CRIED FOR MORE, MORE, MORE
CRIED FOR MORE, CRIED FOR MORE
HEY YOU BETTER LEAVE THAT BOY'S SOUL ALONE
OH STOP THAT PASSING THE JURY
GRAB ME A TENDON AND ME A NURSE
OH, THE TRIAL WAS BAD ENOUGH
YES, BUT THIS IS TEN TIMES WORSE
JUST THEN BOLT OF LIGHTNING
SHOWED THE COURT HOUSE OUT OF SHAPE
AND WHILE EVERYBODY KNELT TO PRAY
THE DRIFTER MADE HIS ESCAPE
THE DRIFTER DID HIS ESCAPE
YEAH
SO LONG
11 Drifting (03:53)
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
14 Fire (04:09)
Alright,
Dig this baby
You don't care for me
I don'-a care about that
You gotta new fool, ha!
I like it like that
I have only one burning desire
Let me stand next to your fire
Let me stand next to your fire (Repeat 4 times)
Listen here, baby
and stop acting so crazy
You say your momma ain't home,
it ain't my concern,
Just play with me and you won't get burned
I have only one itching desire
Let me stand next to your fire
Let me stand next to your fire (Repeat 4 times)
Oh! Move over, Rover
and let Jimi take over
Yeah, you know what I'm talking 'bout
Yeah, get on with it, baby
That's what I'm talking 'bout
Now dig this!
Ha!
Now listen, baby
You try to gimme your money
you better save it, babe
Save it for your rainy day
I have only one burning desire
Let me stand next to your fire
Let me stand next to your fire
15 Hey Joe (05:12)
1st verse (Oo-backing vocals on each line)
Hey Joe, where you goin' with that gun in your hand?
Hey Joe, I said where you goin' with that gun in your hand?
Alright. I'm goin down to shoot my old lady,
you know I caught her messin' 'round with another man.
Yeah,! I'm goin' down to shoot my old lady,
you know I caught her messin' 'round with another man.
Huh! And that ain't too cool.
2nd verse (Ah. -backing vocal on each line)
Uh, hey Joe, I heard you shot your woman down,
you shot her down.
Uh, hey Joe, I heard you shot you old lady down,
you shot her down to the ground. Yeah!
Yes, I did, I shot her,
you know I caught her messin' 'round,
messin' 'round town.
Uh, yes I did, I shot her
you know I caught my old lady messin' 'round town.
And I gave her the gun and I shot her!
Alright
(Ah! Hey Joe)
Shoot her one more time again, baby!
(Oo)
Yeah.
(Hey Joe!)
Ah, dig it!
(Hey)
Ah! Ah!
(Joe where you gonna go?)
Oh, alright.
3rd verse
Hey Joe, said now,
(Hey)
uh, where you gonna run to now, where you gonna run to?
Yeah.
(where you gonna go?)
Hey Joe, I said,
(Hey)
where you goin' to run
to now, where you, where you gonna go?
(Joe!)
Well, dig it!
I'm goin' way down south, way down south,
(Hey)
way down south to Mexico way! Alright!
(Joe)
I'm goin' way down south,
(Hey, Joe)
way down where I can be free!
(where you gonna...)
Ain't no one gonna find me babe!
(...go?)
Ain't no hangman gonna,
(Hey, Joe)
he ain't gonna put a rope around me!
(Joe where you gonna..)
You better belive it right now!
(...go?)
I gotta go now!
Hey, hey, hey Joe,
(Hey Joe)
you better run on down!
(where you gonna...)
Goodbye everybody. Ow!
(...go?)
Hey, hey Joe, what'd I say,
(Hey.......................Joe)
run on down.
(where you gonna go?
16 Spanish Castle Magic / Drum Solo / Sunshine Of Your Love / Spanish Castle Music (11:56)
17 Red House (14:12)
There's a Red House over yonder
That's where my baby stays
There's a Red House over yonder, baby
That's where my baby stays
Well, I ain't been home to see my baby
In ninety nine and one half days
'Bout time I see her
Wait a minute something's wrong here
The key won't unlock the door
Wait a minute something's wrong baby
Lord, have mercy, this key won't unlock this door
Something's goin' on here
I have a bad bad feeling
that my baby don't live here no more
That's all right, I still got my guitar
Look out now...
I might as well go on back down
Go back 'cross yonder over the hill
I might as well go back over yonder
way back over yonder 'cross the hill
That's where I came from
'Cause if my baby don't love me no more
I know her sister will
20 Purple Haze (04:59)
Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things just don't seem the same
Actin' funny, but I don't know why
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky
Purple Haze all around
Don't know if I'm comin' up or down
Am I happy or in misery?
What ever it is, that girl put a spell on me
Help me
Help me
Oh, no, no
Hammerin'
Talkin' 'bout heart 'n'...s-soul
I'm talkin' about hard stuff
If everbodys still around, fluff and ease, if
So far out my mind
Somethings happening, somethings happening
Ooo, ahhh
Ooo, {click} ahhh,
Ooo, ahhh
Ooo, ahhh, YEAH!
Purple haze all in my eyes, uhh
Don't know if its day or night
You got me blowin', blowin' my mind
Is it tomorrow, or just the end of time?
Ooo
Help me
Ahh, yea-yeah, purple haze, yeah
Oh, no, oh
Oh, help me
Tell me, baby, tell me
I can't go on like this
You're makin' me blow my mind...mama
n-no, nooo
No, its painful, baby
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