First Rays Off The New Rising Sun

The heritage official discographic of Jimi Hendrix knew three periods:

  • the period Michael Jeffery, of 1970 to 1973;
  • Douglas the Alan period, of 1974 to 1995;
  • the period Experiment Hendrix LLC since then.

If the first two decades have a certain continuity (at least in Europe, where the first wave of republications CD begins again, with some exceptions, existing it), years 1990 show a will of resequencing of the inheritance. But when Alan Douglas decides to remove The Cry Of Coils catalog in favor of Voodoo Soup , it creates the greatest controversy discographic since Crash Landing .

It is thus with relief which the majority of the amateurs of the guitarist learn into 1995 that the family of Jimi Hendrix takes the control of her musical heritage. The more so as the father of Jimi (Al) and his adoptive half-sister (Janie) decide to resort to the services of Eddie Kramer and the archivist John McDermott. The two men did not cosigné excel it Hendrix: Setting The Record Straight of which the only title summarizes the legitimate ambition?

The resumption in hand of the catalog by the family (Experiment Hendrix LLC) is thus translated on April 22nd, 1997 by the republication of the four albums left living Hendrix, as well as First Rays Of The New Rising Sun , which replaces thus Voodoo Soup , but also The Cry Of Coils in the role of the fourth album studio of Jimi Hendrix.

Titles

  1. Freedom

  2. Izabella
  3. Night Bird Flying
  4. Angel
  5. Room Full Off Mirrors
  6. Dolly Dagger
  7. Ezy Ryder
  8. Drifting
  9. Beginnings
  10. Stepping Stone
  11. My Friend
  12. Straight Ahead
  13. Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)
  14. Earth Blues
  15. Astro Man
  16. In From The Storm
  17. Belly Short prop Window

The fourth album studio of Jimi Hendrix?

First Rays Of The New Rising Sun does not present any new title. We thus invite the readers of this article to reading that devoted to The Cry Of Coils , which reconsiders the stakes of this fourth album studio (which did not change since September 18th, 1970), but also those on Rainbow Bridge and of War Heroes , which one finds certain extracts here (they are the same catches, and the same mixing), and to a lesser extent that of Voodoo Soup , which largely First Rays Of The New Rising Sun answers.

The two main arguments developed by Experiment Hendrix LLC to promote First Rays Of The New Rising Sun were then the following: on the one hand the audio quality of new the opus would be definitely higher than the preceding republications because only their pressings would come from the master originals of first generation, but especially, on the other hand, First Rays Of The New Rising Sun would correspond to the project such as Jimi Hendrix had truly considered it. According to Eddie Kramer, it is the pressure of Warner to the beginning of the year 1970 which explains the fact that the preliminary draft of Jimi Hendrix was scattered on three successive albums.

A better audio quality?

If the use of the master originals of first generation is regarded as true more, the lack of dynamics related to an excessive general sound volume is on the other hand completely criticizable. Indeed, the mastering of George Marino is far from achieving the unanimity among the audiophiles. Because George Marino delivers recordings to us which yield with the contemporary requirements of the " large son" … but with the detriment of all the nuances which a lower total level would make it possible to perceive.

The reflection of the last wills of Jimi Hendrix?

It is what was announced in a peremptory way in the press in 1997, by specifying that the handwritten notes of Jimi had been used as reference. It is not exactly the case, as I propose to you to note it. The last known list, rather precise, is indeed the following one:

Face has

  1. Dolly Dagger
  2. Night Bird Flying
  3. Room Full Of Mirrors
  4. Belly Button Window
  5. Freedom

Face B

  1. Ezy Ryder
  2. Astro Man
  3. Drifting
  4. Straight Ahead

Face C

  1. Night Bird Flying twice
  2. Drifter' S Escape
  3. Like Down Hardware One Me
  4. Beginnings
  5. Cherokee Mist
  6. Angel

Face D : No indication.

It is interesting to compare these various lists, in particular that of Roby, with the titles remixés at the ultimate meetings studio in Electric Lady at the end of August 1970 (according to Encyclopedia):

  • Angel

  • Astro Man
  • Beginnings
  • Belly Short prop Window
  • Bleeding Heart
  • Bolero (of which there does not exist any official version to date)
  • Dolly Dagger
  • Drifter' S Escape
  • Drifting
  • Ezy Ryder
  • Freedom
  • Hey Baby
  • In From The Storm
  • Lonely Avenue (this title is unknown, but it is perhaps a jam)
  • Message To Love
  • Midnight Lightning
  • Night Bird Flying
  • Power Off Drunk
  • Room Full Off Mirrors
  • Straight Ahead

It is noted that three of the titles dating from Band Of Gypsys, present on First Rays Of The New Rising Sun are dubious: Earth Blues , Izabella and Stepping Stone . But perhaps were these titles sufficiently advanced so that Jimi Hendrix does not return above at these last meetings?

Consequently, that to think of the choice operated by Experiment Hendrix LLC?

Obviously, My Friend owes its presence on First Rays Of The New Rising Sun only with the initial choice of Kramer and Mitchell to include it in The Cry Of Coils . This title had not been retained on Electric Ladyland (it goes back to 1968): Jimi Hendrix was not kind to be turned over behind. Leave with all to give flat, it was necessary to await South Saturn Delta to reintroduce this title in the official catalog.

The absence of Bleeding Heart and Drifter' S Escape is explained perhaps quite simply by financial reasons: the text of Elmore James and the title of Bob Dylan constituted as many shortfalls for Experience Hendrix. Perhaps would Hendrix have replaced Bleeding Heart by As Down Hard One Me (to which the composition is very close)? Concerning Midnight Lightning , the advance of the title undoubtedly explains the decision not to include it in the collection. The same applies to Cherokee Mist .

First Rays Of The New Rising Sun is thus not as well a true attempt at re-creation of the last album studio of Jimi Hendrix as a Deluxe Edition of The Cry Of Coils . Eddie Kramer thus legitimates its work of producer of the first album postmortem. And Experiment Hendrix LLC undoubtedly thought of satisfying the amateurs of the guitarist, drawing the conclusions from the critical failure of Voodoo Soup .

Where the pack wounds, it is that neither the force here is found, nor balance present on The Cry Of Coils . The force because where The Cry Of Coils proposed us 10 titles musicalement irreproachable, First Rays Of The New Rising Sun proposes 17 of them to us, but perhaps of which some did not deserve to be retained ( Izabella , Beginnings ). Or how more quantitative can result in less qualitative… The majority of the amateurs of Jimi agree on the fact that the absence of Pali Gap is not easily justifiable. Pali Gap was certainly absent from famous lists of Jimi… but it would advantageously have replaced Beginnings , the more so as First Rays Of The New Rising Sun always does not take account of the list in question. With regard to the balance of the project, the format of CD undoubtedly penalizes the company (cf the balance of the faces of The Cry Of Coils ), but the order of the titles is him also debatable: to place Izabella as of the second beach is at the very least disconcerting.

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