Hendrix on CD: your favorite masterings

Thanks for the reviews, Ascot. I'm gonna look into ordering these soon!

 

After thirty years of listening to some of the most awful Hendrix boots. I'm very grateful that they are even making these available to us Hendrix die hards. I remember back in 75 when a bootleg of Jimi's BBC appearances showed up pressed on beautiful vinyl with a full color glossy cover (it was issued in Europe on the Stoned label) and great sound, I just about S**T and it cost about $20 for a single LP back then.

Remember Dagger releases are aimed at the completest some are even from audience tapes. After years of suffering at the hands of Alan Douglas, I bow down to the Hendrix Family in their handling of the catalog.

 

I have "Electric Ladyland" on a W.German Polydor 2xCD release. I also own the Gastwirt CD's (hits and 3 studio albums). Finally, I have "New Rays" from the Experience Hendrix series.

My opinions:

The Polydor is a mixed bag. The track listing is mixed up (this is shoddy), some tracks sound great, others are frankly awful IMO.

The Gastwirts are an odd bunch. Sound quality is not that great (no-noise in evidence) but also, not that terrible. The Hits CD has a good track selection and I like the booklet/photos...shame the sound is just ordinary.

As for the EH "Rays", I actually find this quite listenable, despite the maxed up sound. I will probably replace my Gastwirts with these until something better (he hopes!) comes along one fine day.

 

The Polydor EL is not realy mixed-up CD 1 has the LP sides 1&4, CD 2 has the LP sides 2&3, so the tracks are not really mixed.

 

You're quite correct Tom - still shoddy IMO though.

What do you think of the overall sound quality of the Polydor "EL"?

 

It definitely not 1st gen tapes but the vocal are vastly superior sounding to the current CD issues. At least the polydors weren't mastered overloaded.

 

Agreed Tom - although of varied quality overall, I believe the Polydor "EL" is still worth keeping.

The full length Voodoo Chile sounds very good indeed.

 

While I like the EH CD's, I'd really enjoy hearing this in SACD form, and I'd personally really like to hear this in 5.1....

 

So is it for certain that the US-release of EL (two disc Reprise, non NoNoise) uses a different mastering than the Polydor?

 

Given that the Polydor has the tracks in the wrong sequence, it would seem probably they are different masters, wouldn't it? If Polydor had simply received a digital master from Reprise, rather than producing their own digital master, it would have had the tracks in the right order, wouldn't it?

 

The polydor version of EL appeared about 2 years before the 2CD reprise version.

 

So, a consensus;
1. The Singles Album.
2. West German Polydor(s): AYE, ABAL, EL (sides in the wrong order, and all), SH, CoL, ITW, RB, & WH.
3. Ultimate Hendrix HDCD Polydor W.G..
4. Essential Hendrix Reprise.
5. EL Reprise (original two CD's, two jewel cases).

Correct?

 

If anyone is interested in a comparison of various versions of Band of Gypsys, please PM me, as I have just updated this - it's a Word document (let me know if you don't have Office)

 

'Everyone' is saying early Polydor CD releases.
Are there, newer, Polydors' to be avoided?
Thanks!

 

One minor comment: The Singles Album disc _1_ is the special one, while disc 2 is less impressive, IMHO.

FFF

 

If your into Jimi this Rhino 4-CD Monterey Box is a must own. It just let's you finally hear how Jimi and other's totally blew away not only the audience but some of the more poplular acts that were best known on the Radio as well.

This Box set is like Album size and the Booklet and info that comes with it is well worth the price. Look for a big Pee Pee YELLOW BOX with Purple Text on the outside.

It does have the best performance bar none of The Jimi Hendrix Experience in full at Monterey! Get it and ENJOY a great piece of history on 4 excellent sounding CD's

 

Has anyone compared the old Reprise Kiss the Sky compilation CD (target disc) to the West Germany Polydor discs (Kiss the Sky and other discs with common tracks)? I haven't compared the Kiss the Sky CD to my later Reprise and MCA Hendrix discs yet, but Kiss the Sky sounds good to me. The front cover says that it was "Digitally Re-Mastered From The Original Vault Tapes", which I like to see. Does this mean that this disc and the Polydors used the same digital masters? They were released around the same time.

 

Good Q, KeithH.
Also waiting for an answer!

 

I read this whole thread, and there are a lot of issues, and some very good information mixed up in this thread. First of all, my list of favorite Hendrix versions on CD:

1. The Hendrix catalog on Japan Polydor, the P20P seires.

2. The Hendrix catalog on Japan Polydor, the P33P series.

3. The Hendrix catalog on Japanese MCA, by EH, the George Marino remasters.


4. The Hendrix catalog on German Polydor.

5. The MCA catalog with the Mankowitz cover art, Joe Gastwirt and Allen Douglas.

6. The Hendrix catalog on US MCA, the EH series.

7. The old Reprise CDs.

Of course there are a lot of other variations, the Austalian Polydor sounds good to my ears, but I don't own any to be able to compare A/B. The Canadian Reprise CDs are much better than the US Reprise CDs, they are a good deal right now if you buy them second hand, a little pricey new. (OOP for over 13 years.) I have a few different Hendrix CDs, 65 right now, but I am still buying more when ever I get the chance. My wife is not too happy with my Hendrix collection, so I am slowing down on my aquisitions. When you get over 50 Hendrix CDs, each new disc becomes a costly and time consuming task. I just picked up a Japan P20P of MIDNIGHT LIGHTING for $60 US, a great deal and a great disc. As far as VOODOO SOUP, it really is a good CD if you listen through the EQ and listen to the unique vocal tracks found no where else. Also, for post Hendrix death CDs, stick with the cheap German Polydors, they are going real cheap and are very listenable. These discs are:

1. CRY OF LOVE,
2. WAR HEROES,
3. CRASH LANDING,
4. LOOSE ENDS,
5. MIDNIGHT LIGHTING.

These discs should be able to be bought in the $20-$30 range and they are going up in price. These discs are the cornerstone of a good Hendrix collection. I have an email address of [email protected] if anyone has any specific questions regarding Hendrix CDs, sorry no vinyl.