Your Go-to Hendrix CDs!

Hey All,

After checking pages upon pages of threads on the topic I thought I'd add one more and collect data to get a more definitive answer to a complicated question. What are your "go to" CDs for Hendrix's first 3 original albums (Are Your Experienced, Axis Bold as Love, Electric Ladyland). Feel free to elaborate on your choices!

Non RE-1 Reprise
Japanese Polydor
West German Polydor
'93 MCA
Experience Hendrix '97s
Experience Hendrix 2010s
Needledrops
Other

 

You won't know which choices are made for which albums the way this poll is set up unless comments are left too.

 

Non RE-1 for AYE and Axis, I like the Japan For Elec Ladyland.

 

I always go to my double CD "The Essential Jimi Hendrix Volume 1 and 2"

I voted "other".

 

Non RE-1 Reprise

However - I kinda like the '93 MCA, the discs with the "new" cover art. I like the artwork and the booklets.

But for sound quality - those Reprise discs are great. Get'em while you can. I think they are the Bowie RCAs of the future.

 

I like the EH 97 CDs (and by default, the new Sony 2010s).
The Reprise non-RE1 would be nice to pick up new, but how does one do that with anything except Electric Ladyland?
The RE-1 Reprise and the MCA 1993 (ersatz covers) are not very good, IMHO, with the latter slightly better soundwise than the former, and the covers of the former better than the latter.
None of the Polydors ever did anything for me on CD.

 

I have an RE-1 Reprise of AYE. What is the difference between this and a Non RE-1? I love to hear from someone who has done a direct sound comparison.

 

I can never keep up with which type is better. I thought the thread would be more like "which cd, like AYE?, Axis, Electric Ladyland, Band Of Gypsys", ect.

I vote for Band Of Gypsys, any label.

 

RE-1 (in these particular cases - the 3 studio Reprise CDs) means that the albums were remastered using lots of lovely brand new NoNoise technology. This was later undone with the Experience Hendrix releases. The first non RE-1 Reprise were prior to NoNoise rearing its head and sound good.
Band Of Gypsys was on a different label and was first issued in the US in 1995. The EH or Sony versions are better - from the real original master.

 

Thanks John for your answer. So bearing in mind the EH versions are from the original master - is there any different difference sonically between Experience Hendrix '97s and Experience Hendrix 2010s?

 

The Sony versions are supposed to be slightly softer. To me they sound the same (Axis has some balance problem on the Sony). I would go for the Sony versions personally. You can get Digipak versions of Band Of Gypsys (Japanese or EU) that match the rest of the CDs.

 

I din't know that. I thought that the Sony versions were identical to the 1997 MCA versions.

 

I voted Non RE-1. Not because I have heard all the other offerings, only that the non RE-1's sound authentic to my ears.

 

Anybody feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here. I seem to remember the EAC figures weren't the same.

 

Does it also include a DVD, like the others?

 

My EH '97 sounds fine.

 

I hope that this thread is able to draw out a definitive answer for this question.

 

Easy - the original Reprise discs all the way for me; just the most listenable compared to other masterings (the EH discs are much too loud, the MCA discs are weirdly EQ'd/NR'd/artwork challenged, and the Polydors are arguably sourced from inferior tapes), but I should qualify that even these have room for improvement:

AYE: I had this on vinyl at one point, but kind of wanted a CD (this was in '90 or so), and purchased the then current RE-1 version...man, that sounded so awful I actually returned it to the store, and waited a few years until the MCA was released. I still have that one for the bonus tracks (speed issues and all), but have recently found a non-RE1 and must concur that the original Reprise disc ('85?) is the best overall for this album, even if it does have that early "digital" sound.

Axis: This was one of the first CDs I purchased in '88 or so, which happened to be the original Reprise, and while it may be a bit bright I'd say it really is the best sounding of the bunch. I have recently supplemented it with the West German Polydor for the alternate mix, which is not really "better" (I think the somewhat bass-heavy Olms mastering is a matter of taste) but makes for an interesting occasional listen along with the Classic Records Mono, plus it features more of the album artwork.

Electric Ladyland: Of the original Reprise CDs, this 2-disc set is probably the worst sounding (fairly dull in spots) but still better than any single disc editions I've heard (more crankable). I do remember listening to the naked lady Polydor fatboy in the store around '90 or so and was not wowed enough then to double-dip, but I see that a lot of people around here prefer that version so it would probably be a good choice if you cannot find the 2-disc Reprise.

I believe our host has opined that Hendrix has never really been adequately represented on CD, and I tend to agree with this assessment. I wouldn't recommend spending big bucks for those non-RE1 Reprise discs, even if they are my go-to CDs, but I'm not exactly holding my breath for superior deluxe editions either.

 

Anything made in the land of Sushi. Doesn't matter what tapes they used or who mastered the disc, cause as soon as its expensive and the CD cover says Japan it's the best!

 

So you would say 2010 for AYE and ELL, but '97 for Axis?

 

I hope when the OP is done, he will post a summary of his findings! Here is my attempt to summarize the forum's discussions on the first three Hendrix studio albums.

On this forum, the least liked Hendrix CDs are the "RE-1" versions (because they use No Noise). The '93 MCA versions are also not very popular.

Forum opinion is split on the '97 remasters. Some like them, citing them as being remastered from the 2 track stereo master. Others hate them, saying they are too loud (i.e., maximized or hot sounding).

Opinions vary when it comes to preferences among the non-RE-1 Reprise, Japanese Polydor and West German Polydor versions. Not many forum members have posted comparisons of all these versions, so you always have to be careful that when a forum member says he prefers X, he may not have Y and Z to compare against.

Other notes:

There are two early Japanese pressings, P20 and P30, with P20 being the earlier version. I believe forum members generally prefer P20 over P30 for Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold As Love. I believe one forum member posted a thread showing that the P20 and P30 versions of Electric Ladyland are identical.

With the older versions of Are You Experienced (i.e., before 1993), you would need to get more than one version to collect all the tracks found on the U.S. and U.K. versions of the album (U.S. version has "Purple Haze", "Hey Joe" and "The Wind Cries Mary"; U.K. version has "Red House", "Can You See Me" and "Remember").

One of the older versions of Axis: Bold As Love that some forum members like uses a different mix than other versions of the album.

Some forum members give high praise to the HDCD version of the compilation "Ultimate Experience". The mastering for this compilation was changed after its initial pressing (to a non-HDCD version), so forum members who like this are referring to the earlier pressings.

 

Only the Polydor 825 Are You Experienced uses an inferior tape source for some songs, the other original Polydor are better than the first Reprise, Electric Ladyland (Fat Boy Nude Cover) is the best I have ever heard that album for example !!

 

You are right. If people prefer one set of CD reissues for one album, but another set for another album then I would ask that they let us know with a post. Considering what's been posted in the achives I'm actually suprised that the EH '97s are doing as well as they are. Could it be that people really do like them after all, or is this simply a case of the lesser of multiple evils?

 

... or, people not owning the tough-to-find non-RE-1's, as opposed to the easily available EHs?

I would guess that most people choosing the EHs have not heard the non-RE-1s. (Which is not against the thread, since after all it asks for one's "go-to" version, NOT which version they "prefer". If you only have one issue of an album, pretty sure that that will be your "go-to" version!).

 

I've heard 'em. I still prefer the current issues.