I've already done this using croz's lists, I can post the tracklists if you'd like. I think it's the most accurate way to listen to his 1969 material, as compiled albums never really do the trick. He really wasn't making very commercial stuff then. An essential thread if there ever was one. Thank you so much for it, it's been so helpful. Also your Axis/ELL one. Funny enough I have an interview today. Not with EH though! Yep that was Loose Ends. Silly me.
It's a long fade there on DD isn't it. I thought of catching "Pali Gap" past the three minute mark, to sort of re-emerge from silence as a fade-up coda, but haven't tried it. It's got amazing guitar tone and playing throughout.
It doesn't quite match up due to the missing section. I did however create a "patch" of sorts on my on my First Rays creations: Start with New Rising Sun and before the drums kick in, crossfade into Dolly Dagger. Then right as it fades down, crossfade into Nightbird Flying, then as that fades down, cross into Pali Gap (my custom mix of the RB open into the Voodoo Soup version with the nicer mix and full ending. See it's good for something! )
What about Ezy Ryder. The mix on 1st Rays seemw so busy and claustrophobic, with the vocals set back so far? I prefer the Purple Box version by a relatively wide margin, though it does end noticeably sooner.
Best to just not listen to the First Rays CDs. I liked the concept of First Rays and I find it enjoyable on vinyl but it was one of the biggest disappointments for CD releases EH has ever done imo and the CD rerelease in 2010 was barely improved at all.
I enjoy the Purple Box version for a change, but the guitar overdubs on that are pretty scruffy compared to those on the final mix as issued on Cry of Love and First Rays. As mentioned above, the mastering of FR may be to the songs detriment.
I love the tone of that stinging lead guitar though on the box track . I like that there's a little more air and space in the mix. I suppose it is due to it not having as many overdubs? All good.
So the ideal mix might be using some but not all of the overdubs from the final version?! There are a lot of layers on there, I’m sure a convincing mix with some more space but with the vibe of the CoL version would be possible.
Yes. I have a RL copy of CoL and will give the song a listen again. No doubt it will sound better to me than the 1st Rays cd and I listen to that CoL LP in full when I do. Yes, yet a mix is a mix and it's hard to wrap my ears around the quite recessed vocals and the sort of chaotic, multi-layered tracks surrounding it...
Yes I have an early 90's COL CD which sounds great to my ears so never bought the lauded 2014 however First Ray's is lamentable.
Does anyone know why Rainbow Bridge was so shunned from reissues? Was it because it had the legal baggage of a soundtrack album?
I do like the final mix of Ezy Rider, and don’t prefer any other version over it, but I do get what you mean. It is pretty busy and a bit chaotic.
Alan Douglas didn't consider it to be a worthy album (he fool). He also didn't reissue Cry Of Love, favouring his own compilation Voodoo Soup (the fool). The Janie & Co. got a marketing idea and compiled that First Rays thing (the fools).
Cry of Love and everything else was reissued on CD during the Douglas regime. I recall it had something to do with Rainbow Bridge being a soundtrack album. But RB was reissued on LP and cassette in the late 80s/early 90s. I recall seeing the cassette tape in a HMV store in the early 90s. But no CD...
Of course we here in the states had been without RB, WH and In the West since 1975. At least Cry of Love survived until the MCA switch. When Douglas yanked them, he said the best of those tracks would be reissued. The only things that made it back out were Dolly, Room, Stepping and Izabella on Essential (oddly enough the two songs pulled from CoL and the two pulled from RB), then nothing until the digital era.
Yes, there was a Reprise cassette of Rainbow Bridge, German issue. I had one, years ago. Jimi Hendrix - Rainbow Bridge - Original Motion Picture Sound Track
