What are the best sounding Jimi Hendrix CDs?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Harlanator, Jan 12, 2013.

  1. alchemy

    alchemy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sterling, VA
    So easy to forget, that when Jimi died his business affairs were a complete mess. Soon after Michael Jeffery`s death, Leo Branton an estate lawyer took control of the estate.

    He and Reprise, charged Alan Douglas with the task of making NEW Jimi Hendrix Product with the tapes on hand. Easy to forget that Michael Jeffery and Eddie Kramer had first troll through the tapes on hand. Resulting in Cry Of Love, Hendrix In The West, Rainbow Bridge. I believe that War Heroes was put together after Jeffery died.

    So Branston with a Reprise three LP contract gave Douglas a free hand to make up Midnight Lightning, Crash Landing & Nine To The Universe. The goal was not to put out an Anthology or Archive Respective or a Jimi`s Sketchbook of his ideas. It was to make new product which he did, like or not. As a purist most of us want the music as Jimi did them. But that was not the intened audiences. They were aiming for mass appeal.

    Like them or not they got Jimi back in the public eye. With those successes Douglas with new found studio, concert and radio tapes could move on with new product. And this happened perfectly when the CD Boom hit.

    Every thing old is new again.
     
  2. John Harchar

    John Harchar Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    War Heroes came out before Jeffery died, he pulled off the stereo mix of Stars That Play With Laughing Sam’s Dice to set aside for yet another new album. That album, Loose Ends, he didn’t live to see come out…or in Reprise’s case, not come out.

    But Douglas’s job back then was indeed to make brand new albums. Crash Landing hit it big, then lulled until Concerts did good business in the UK but oddly just ok in the US. The mid 80s Capitol gambit flamed out but Ryko worked out well. Things looked like they were getting settled into the new digital era when the MCA deal went through. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time but it ended up his undoing of sorts. He was going to retire anyway but this sped up the process and adding legal fees on top of it.
     
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  3. sbardc

    sbardc Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Many people still don't realise that was Douglas' simple remit with the Hendrix tapes. To create new music for the contemporary audience. It was a business move. And once you become aware of that fundamental intention, it becomes somewhat easier to understand the reasoning behind his much maligned methodology....although it doesn't tend to make it any more palatable!

    Had the Internet existed in the 1970's and that information been preserved as common knowledge, the Hendrix fan universe may subsequently have been a little more forgiving of the "frankenstein years". A little.
     
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  4. alchemy

    alchemy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sterling, VA
    Thanks for both relies,

    I mixed up War Heroes with Loose Ends.
     
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  5. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    So you are boot only or er EH?
     
  6. Talpa

    Talpa ourmaninthesouth

    Location:
    Tejas
    the '89 jimi hendrix concerts cd release. almost leeds like on some cuts.

    still have my original loose ends (germany issue) lp - some great jams esp. tstpwlsd and burining desire. =|

    "where's that g.d. grass"??...jim & buddy were having a raveup at baggys
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2022
  7. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    Golf Accessories? o_O
     
  8. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    Sorry can't follow your 1st sentence?
     
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  9. John Harchar

    John Harchar Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Stone Free is definitely similar in feel to Live at Leeds
     
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  10. A Local Bloke

    A Local Bloke Forum President

    Location:
    canada-na-na-na-na
    Are the mono masters for the first 4 UK singles known to still exist?
    - Hey Joe
    - Stone Free
    - Purple Haze
    - 51st Anniversary
    - The Wind Cries Mary
    - Highway Chile
    - Burning Of The Midnight Lamp
    - The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice
     
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  11. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    Yes, but are you finding multiple copies?

    The Doors - Live At The Aquarius Theatre: The First Performance
    I found the above release in a local charity shop for £2, but I won't hold out for a second copy or the Second Performance.
     
  12. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    You can see the bronzing around the outer edge. The play side often appears perfect. I see these UK PDO all too often.
     
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  13. sbardc

    sbardc Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Be very careful if you ever feel the need to wash one of these. I once purchased one online listed as "Excellent" condition. When it arrived it was bronzed in the same way as yours, but also had the free addition of some greasy mystery susbstance smeared across the label side. So I decided to give it a quick rinse under a tap to remove the strange residue....and the label text literally slid off before my eyes.

    So I was left with an ultra rare version with no print on the disc. :nyah:
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2022
  14. Digital Disc Delineation:

    825 Germany Polydor
    P33P Japan Polydor
    pre-RE-1 US Reprise
    P20P Japan Polydor
    RE-1 [NoNoise] US Reprise
    847 [NoNoise] Germany Polydor
    POCP-2019 Japan Polydor
    825 Germany Polydor
    MCAD US MCA
    521 Germany Polydor
    MVCE-24027 Japan Polydor
    UICY-9007 Japan Polydor
    UICY-2450 Japan Polydor
    UICY-9743 Japan Polydor
    UICY-93140 Japan Polydor
    UICY-6206 Japan Polydor
    UICY-93140 Germany Universal
    UICY 90757 Japan Polydor
    UICY-91386 Japan Polydor
    SICP 2636~7 Japan Sony
    88697 62162 2 US EH/Legacy/Sony
    88691938902 Germany EH/Legacy/Sony
    SICP 30001 Japan Sony
    88765455842 US EH/Legacy/Sony
    SICP 30821 Japan Sony
    CAPP 19782 SA US Analogue Productions
    "AYE": not complete/only Japan-Germany-US at best/source is the great Discogs/after initial NoNoise release subsequent releases under that label are NoNoise as well.

    Only to show what we're up against.
    Super interested in the CD-R Universal release:
    The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
    supposedly a 'Universal Music Archive Collection reissue of the European version of the LP originally released in 1967 with tracks 12 to 17 are the first three UK singles.'
    Wondering if any or all are mono.

    Personal preference is for the earliest; earliest US & earliest Japan issues.

    Good luck!
     
  15. Experiencereunited

    Experiencereunited Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland
  16. Experiencereunited

    Experiencereunited Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland
    You have 825 Germany Polydor listed twice. Did you mean 827 Germany Polydor? I believe there were 827 and 837 German Polydor's as well.
     
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  17. versionsound

    versionsound The six strings that drew blood

  18. darkbreezes

    darkbreezes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    so do we have any definiteve answers for

    AYE
    AXIS
    ELL
    cry of love
    rainbow bridge

    >??

    as far as absolute best digital release?
     
  19. pool_of_tears

    pool_of_tears Searching For Simplicity

    Location:
    Midwest
    Safest options, non-futzed with:

    AYE -1985 Reprise, non RE-1
    AXIS - 1985 Reprise, non RE-1
    ELL- 1985 Reprise, non RE-1
    cry of love -2014 Sony cd
    rainbow bridge- 2014 Sony cd
     
  20. darkbreezes

    darkbreezes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    the SACDs for Axis and AYE dont cut it eh?
     
  21. 80steen

    80steen John McClane

    Location:
    West Virginia
    The cds I bought in the 60s are amazingly good
     
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  22. ricks

    ricks Senior Member

    Location:
    127.0.0.1:443
    CD's from the 50s are even better!

    Nitpick: The Reprise NON RE-1's were first issued in 1987.

    Reminder on recommended EQ adjustments for the NON-RE1 AYE
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2022
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  23. 80steen

    80steen John McClane

    Location:
    West Virginia
    I bet
     
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  24. A Local Bloke

    A Local Bloke Forum President

    Location:
    canada-na-na-na-na
    From what I've read the channels on the stereo Axis are slightly out of sync, but the mono version of that SACD is definitive. As for AYE I can't remember what was said about the stereo version, but the mono is from the US copy tape that is pretty awful.
     
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  25. jhm

    jhm Forum Resident

    They do for me. There's no doubt that the Non-RE-1s are got 3, however and can still be found in the wild for cheap. I got AYE for $6 not that long ago.

    The stereo Axis SACD audio is of by a sample or to. I personally can't hear it but it's definitely there.
     
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