One must give thanks to the Experience Hendrix LLC for doing a yeoman’s work of putting the Jimi Hendrix catalogue in repair after years of mis-use. Not only have the respectfully reissued the classic albums, but they’ve put out some very important and excellent sounding recordings of vintage gigs, such as this one from the Hollywood Bowl in 1967. Just because you may have similar recordings, don’t let this one pass you buy.
Hendrix was still with his team of Mitch Mitchell/dr and Noel Redding/b and were in the halcyon days of their time together. What’s so impressive about this concert, and I’m sure that no one noticed it at the time, was how wide ranging Hendrix and company were.
I mean, think about it-who else could get away covering a Bob Dylan piece such as “Like A Rolling Stone” as well as a Chitlin’ Circuit R&Ber like “Killlng Floor” or a rural blues breaker such as “ Catfish Blues”? Not to mention, the trio sears through a growling read of The Beatles’ “ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” while the album was just out in the record stores. And then, he goes way back into the pop charts with a thunderous take of The Troggs’ “Wild Thing” and makes it all his own. And we haven’t even mentioned his own material, like the ethereal and tasty “The Wind Cries Mary” the acidic “Foxy Lady”, stomping “Fire” or mind bending “Purple Haze”. Hendrix was on a mission, and all most of us white kids noticed is that he was “cool”. He was so cool he was hot!