Jimi Hendrix
Live at Berkeley

Hendrix's last years were a continuous change. After dissolving the Experience, he appeared at Woodstock with a new expanded formation, Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, among whose members were, besides the historical drummer Mitch Mitchell, an old friend of Hendrix, Billy Cox, on bass. With the same Cox and Buddy Miles on drums, Hendrix later formed the trio Band of Gypsys, with whom he recorded four excellent concerts at the Fillmore East in New York on the occasion of the New Year's festivities, 1970. The Band of Gypsys also had a short life, lasting just enough to produce a live album consisting of unreleased tracks derived from the last two of those four shows, an album necessary for Hendrix to free himself from an old American producer with whom he still had contractual obligations, yet the live album was excellent. After the Fillmore East, Hendrix's manager, Michael Jeffery, pushed the guitarist to reform the Experience, but the conflicts between Noel Redding and Hendrix remained irreconcilable, so, with Mitchell reinstated, the choice for the bassist fell on Billy Cox. Thus, the new Experience was born, and a series of concerts was scheduled for a comeback. Among these, two shows at the Berkeley Community Theatre in California, on May 30, 1970. At that time, it was common to hold two concerts on the same day, often with different setlists, and both are partially documented by the video Jimy Plays Berkeley, a beautiful video that, however, mixes the cards a bit with snippets taken from both shows, and especially with several cuts. This CD, released by Experience Hendrix in 2003, is instead the full recording of the second concert, the one at ten in the evening.

At Berkeley, Hendrix was in great shape, he was feeling good and it shows, he had begun to compose new material, and the renewed formation seemed to guarantee him the right balance, it’s a pity that a few months later things turned out as everyone knows. But let's return to Berkeley, yes because this is truly a great concert, perhaps one of Hendrix's best, with a setlist that mixes old and new, a simply perfect sound, and I must say that the technicians who handled this digital remastering did a great job. A sound that comes out clear and masterfully balanced in volume, yet at the same time sincere and respectful of the original, as there are no alterations, and the proof comes during "Hey Joe", when at the beginning some interference from the amplifiers can be heard, nothing too annoying though, it almost seems as if Hendrix plays with it and tries to reproduce the same with his guitar. The opening is entrusted to two new ideas from the guitarist, both still in their embryonic stage, "Pass i On" a classic mid-tempo blues rock, very jammed, and then "Hey Baby (new rising sun)", pure spectacle, the introduction of this piece is incredible, mocking those who say Hendrix was not technical, an introduction that can finally be enjoyed in full, as in the video it is partially cut. "Stone Free", a beautiful "I Don't Live Today" (great Mitchell), the usual endless improvisation and reproduction of the war in "Machine Gun", "Foxey Lady", and then the combination "Star Spangled Banner - Purple Haze" (one of the best Purple Haze I've ever heard), an orgasm and a continuous emotional crescendo.

There are no poorly played pieces, that evening Hendrix was monstrous, every composition would deserve a separate review, every track presents the right mix of energy, passion, and brilliance. The two accompanists do their duty flawlessly; Mitch Mitchell was the perfect drummer for Hendrix, creative and imaginative, able to provide the guitarist with the ideal inputs for his improvisations. Billy Cox was perhaps the prototype of the laid-back bassist, not flashy, certainly less than Redding and especially with fewer urges for protagonism, probably there were even better bassists around, but on one hand, there was the deep friendship with Hendrix, on the other, the fact that Cox had played with Mitchell at Woodstock and therefore there was already a certain affinity with the drummer. So, we reach among guitar strokes of great class and animalistic distortions, the final "Voodoo Child", a tremendous performance, Jimi skips the pre-introduction of the song and starts immediately with the main riff, and for ten minutes he transports listeners into another dimension, another world, a limitless hard-psychedelic journey. And after all, Jimi himself said it at the beginning of the concert: "don't think about yesterday or tomorrow, this will be our little world tonight".

It's worth saying a few words about the very beautiful cardboard package, with a vintage look, and a booklet full of photos and anecdotes. In short, Experience Hendrix did a great job with this Live at Berkeley. Perfection might have been a double CD with both shows, but I would say it's fine, indeed it's really fine like this. For the rest, I have nothing else to say, other than to get this CD and start traveling with Jimi.