Jimi Hendrix - The All-Encompassing Live Shows Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by EVOLVIST, Nov 27, 2018.

  1. John Harchar

    John Harchar Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Unfortunately my Berkeley DVDs are in another state and the CD is in storage. I do remember I liked the sound of the DVD audio version better than the CD so that's the one in my iTunes and on the barely functioning iPod (considering it was 2003, it was a pronounced difference for me to still remember it this distinctly). I never got to play it on my surround sound set up back then, the description on the back makes it sound like it's a full 5.1. If so, when I pulled the video off, it must have defaulted to a folddown. The audio was carried over to the 2012 rerelease so anyone who has that can check it as well. Sorry I can't be more definitive.
     
  2. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    It looks kind of heavy.
     
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  3. John Harchar

    John Harchar Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Maybe the gold circles on the arm were really light. :cool:
     
  4. Experiencereunited

    Experiencereunited Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland
    I find the vinyl (both pressings) still trumps the audio only on both the DVD and Bly Ray.
     
  5. All Down The Line

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

    Location:
    Australia
    There are two pressings?
     
  6. Gordon Johnson

    Gordon Johnson Forum Resident

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  7. Experiencereunited

    Experiencereunited Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland
    Yes 2003 Mastered by George Marino and 2012 mastered by Bernie Grundman. I prefer the Marino myself. There is at least one poster here that disagrees with me on that I know. Irregardless while the Audio only on the DVD should be at least better than the CD (which I find to be lifeless) it is not any better at all imo. I will have to check the Blu Ray again but my memory was it wasnt much better. Although I think ithe Blu Ray does allow you to listen In 5.1 If I remember correctly
     
  8. Gordon Johnson

    Gordon Johnson Forum Resident

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    Yep, me!

    The 2003 sounds like s***e to me. Played less than half a dozen times since I bought it on issue.
    All I hear is digital.

    On the other hand, the later BG cut does sound AAA and McDermott has [recently] stated that it is. Still I have a few niggles on this given the shenanigans surrounding many pressings!

    Regardless, the Berkeley BG vinyl is to a high standard, a very high standard and sounds excellent.

    Jimi Hendrix: Berkeley all analogue 2012
     
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  9. EVOLVIST

    EVOLVIST Kid A Thread Starter

    September 4th, 1970, Berlin, Germany, Deutschlandhalle

    Als "Super Concert 1970" beworben, mit Jimi Hendrix der Headliner, ist die Geschichte des Konzerts im Kontext wirklich gar nicht so wichtig, nur dass dies Jimi's vorletztes Konzert war. In wenigen Tagen wäre er tot.

    Es gibt einen dunkleren Ton zu diesem Konzert, aber das heißt nicht, dass das Konzert ein schlechter war. In der Mitte des Konzerts ist, wo das Fleisch ist, voll von tollen Spielen, wenn auch oft manisch. Der Beginn der Konzert ist auch nicht schlecht, voller fester Zahlen, aber nicht bemerkenswert. Wir wissen auch, dass Jimi erschöpft war, wahrscheinlich mit Kokain, um sich selbst abzuholen, was seltsam ist, da einige der Songs langsamer als üblich gespielt werden. Mischen Sie das mit Jimi's Stimme, die abgenutzt wird, ist es für eine einzigartige Aufführung, aber auch eine traurige.

    Trotzdem ist es ein Konzert, das man nie verpassen sollte. Ich bin im Laufe der Jahre auf diese Aufnahme zurückgekehrt und habe einige sehr unterhaltsame Songs gehört. Ich bin mir sicher, dass Jimi nicht stolz auf diese Komzert sein würde, aber für viele der Songs ist die Stimmung elektrisch!

    Source: FD's audience merge
    Produced by: Helmut Ottovordemgentschenfelde
    Mix by: Maximilian Von dem Knesebeck
    Mastered by: Steve Hammersmark Hoffman

    “Straight Ahead” – A nice intro, as if he were going to play “Hey Baby,” but oh not yet. Instead, “Straight Ahead,” bursts in, and though Hendrix's vocals come in weak, he picks it up in what is a fairly steady version. Right before the solo it stalls, and when I say stalls, it comes to a dead stop, but not in a good way. A nice solo, though, but only followed by some general slop in the vocals and music. Still, all in all a highly listenable version in context, though not one you need to run out and hear. 6:11

    “Spanish Castle Magic” – Musically? So tight. So fierce! The solo screams in pain, too! Vocally? Not so good, and Hendrix stops singing altogether at some parts. That’s okay, because it allows you to hear the music some more. Oh, and about that solo again, it always hangs together, even with some otherworldly invention that breaks into noise. Really, despite the vocals it’s great. When it comes screeching to a halt the audience is caught off guard, a big pause, then the applause. There are many others versions that will more you more, but again, in context it's a quality listen. 4:59

    “Sunshine of Your Love” – A slow take (the slowest ever?), yet no less powerful! From 1:25 to 2:20 it is just about as good as any solo Jimi has played for this song. Even the second solo is pretty damn tasty. So, yeah, it’s Jimi at the top of his game, in the only version of this song that they played in 1970. Short, but so ****ing good. The constant flow of soloing makes it highly recommended. 4:05

    “Hey Baby (Land of the New Rising Sun)” – I’ve always loved this slow take, so pretty, and easy…and my opinion hasn’t changed, even with my hyper-critical ears on. Oh Lord, Jimi comes in with those scratchy vocals like the deepest voice of the deepest Mississippi delta. Okay, so it was really, really good. I wonder if he should have played it this slow at every show. I consider this a top version and highly recommended. Unfortunately Jimi cuts the song right off and marches into… 4:30

    “Message To Love” – Not that this version is bad. In fact, it’s pretty fair. The vocals are better, too. It’s simply too bad that Jimi cut short the previous song. Nevertheless, by the time this one hits its stride, you’ve forgotten what he’s played before. It’s a muscular version. Getting carried away in this version is so easy to do, when he’s soloing off like this, and putting together a tight groove. Maybe not the greatest string of solos, though still controlled. You know, I don’t care what anybody says, Jimi was focused during the gig, voice problems, notwithstanding. All in all, though, not one that I would recommend. Then again, not that many versions to choose from. 4:01

    “Machine Gun” – A dirge of just proportions. A horror show painted in music. It’s like the guitar never stops grinding, walking in big cement shoes at the bottom of the ocean. That solo is agony, in the only way it makes sense, in a patchwork quilt of riffs, licks and phrases. Frame-by-frame, images of ghouls and freak. At 7:11 it’s an acid bath. Noise, beautiful noise, and that goes on until 8:30. The familiar pings…and then he dissolves us into other mind expanding templates for sound. Jimi’s voice is cold and reaching, where the voice perfectly matches the anguish herein. Highly recommended, as a top-ten version. 10:05

    “Purple Haze” – It meets where “Machine Gun” end, or the other way around. He’s dedicated to a good version and his voice sounds clear, though still rough. A nice first solo, while the rest are middling. Not too spectacular, but God, that solo kills it at the end. Oh, and he glides, really glides into…3:31

    “Red House” - The transition between this one and “Purple Haze would be worth the price admission, if Hendrix didn’t just keeping making this version of "Red House" better and better. Jimi has so much game here that it’s like Boggle. Every lick is perfection throughout this whole intro. And that voice. That voice conjures up the distant past. “Wait a minute something’s wrong.” The warble of his guitar underneath to voice is . I’m thinking every verse fill here is superb. I got so lost in the music. Then those unison riffs fly in and charge on. At 6:05 something weird happens, like we are missing a bit of tape.. So strange. The only thing that keeps this take from the top-10 or so, is the last verse and whatever strange happened with the guitar. Still, it's a more standard electric blues take. Highly recommended. 7:46

    “Foxey Lady” – This one is not quite good. Did he switch guitars after “Red House?” Super sloppy. All of the mojo that he had when the guitar took a powder in “Red House” is now gone, like this take belongs to Denver ’69 or something. Really it sounds like he has a hard time controlling the sound. 3:26

    “Ezy Ryder” - After a false start, Jimi has the drums hang on for a long time, playing the familiar drum intro before he comes in. Actually, before this, it sounds like he's plugging the guitar in, and working out technical problems, which probably accounts for the long drum into. Anyway, this version doesn’t sound together at all. Maybe they were coming down from all of coke. Yuck! Even the solos suck. Gawd awful. 4:40

    “Hey Joe” – A little better, but very grungy. This sound worked with “Machine Gun,” earlier, but it doesn’t work here. The sound of Jimi mailing it in now. Pedestrian at best. Sorry Jimi. 5:03

    “Power of Soul” – Ummm…Not even Billy’s steady bass could save this. Jimi’s just dealing with the wrong frame of mind and/or the wrong tone. I mean all of the notes are there, sure, but a bunch of the wrong notes are there, too. Jimi botches the vocals in a bad way. Fragments and then… 2:25

    “Lover Man” – A instrumental version. Hendrix just wasn’t going to sing anymore, and everything had betrayed him. Be glad this wasn’t Jimi’s final show, because this one, despite starting strong and dark, didn’t end well. 1:20

    So, all in all, our imaginations will forever be fueled by knowing that Jimi would soon pass away. It doesn't take this knowledge to acknowledge the moribund sound of this show, though. It's just there. It's very palpable. Or, like they say in the German...well, I don't know what they say in the German, but we've got some highly recommended numbers in "Sunshine of Your Love," "Hey Baby" "Machine Gun" and "Red House." About half of the rest of the show is just solid, while the other half is putrid. I don't think that was Jimi's fault. Technical problems didn't help. His aching voice didn't help. The crowd didn't help. It's a wonder that we got a handful of great performances at all.

    Other Hendrix Show Reviews:
    Isle of Wight Pt. I 08-30-1970
    Isle of Wight Pt. II 08-30-1970
    Monterey Pop Festival 06-18-1967
    Winterland 10-10-1968
    Winterland 10-11-1968
    Winterland 10-12-1968
    Winterland 10-12-1968 Jimi Bat
    Hollywood Bowl 09-14-1968
    Vancouver 09-07-1968
    Berlin 09-04-1970 DTK
    Royal Albert Hall 02-18-1969
    Royal Albert Hall 02-24-1969
    Flamingo Club 02-04-1967


     
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  10. jhm

    jhm Forum Resident

    Well, I don't have a review to go with it, but since the Monkees were early supporters of Jimi (and of course we have some wonderous stories of the Experience's ill-fitting tour opening for them in '67), I thought it'd be worth it to say...R.I.P. Mr. Tork.

    [​IMG]
     
  11. Gordon Johnson

    Gordon Johnson Forum Resident

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    News to me. R.I.P. Peter
     
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  12. EVOLVIST

    EVOLVIST Kid A Thread Starter

    Thanks for posting this here, as I hate "RIP" threads.

    I imagine that Jimi must have blown young Mr. Tork's mind (in more ways than one) on the Monkees' tour. Peter was only 8 months older than Jimi.

    Unfortunately we don't have any shows recorded with the JHE opening for The Monkees. I've always wondered if Jimi held back any during that Summer tour, or if he just played balls to the wall, as usual.
     
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  13. Gordon Johnson

    Gordon Johnson Forum Resident

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    Seriously, you think Jimi may have held back? :)
     
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  14. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Jimi hated their music but seemed to like the guys as persons.
     
  15. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Interesting, thanks. I don't see the concert as two halves but pretty even throughout with a definite high point in the scary Machine Gun.
    Foxy Lady, Hey Joe and Haze were pretty uninspired in all the 1970 concerts as he was dead tired of playing those.
     
  16. jhm

    jhm Forum Resident

    I think it was the latter. There's an awesome story out there from Mike Nesmith saying he was at the soundbooth to watch Jimi's set. The band finishes a feedback laden number, the audience of mostly young girls is standing there looking awestruck and he catches himself yelling out "YEEEESSSS" at the top of his lungs. All eyes in the crowd turn to him and he suddenly realizes he may have put himself in harm's way by drawing attention to the fact that he was out in the audience. Great stuff!
     
  17. EVOLVIST

    EVOLVIST Kid A Thread Starter

    I don't see too halves, per se, yet it's that middle section from "Sunshine of Your Love" to "Red House" that really turns me on. Despite Jimi's voice problems, the beginning of the show is no slouch. It's when the gear starts to go south at the end of "Red House" it just seems as if an otherwise strong show melts away.

    I've noticed that if there are bad gear problems, there are several shows that indicate that Jimi's sounds like he says "Screw it," and mails it in out of frustration. Even with a fairly cool instrumental of "Lover Man," the thing is only 1:20 minutes, so instead of ripping it up like he could have, he sort of goes through the motions and ends it quickly.

    It's still a highly listenable show., though.

    By the way, you're German, aren't you? How was the German text (if applicable)? :)
     
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  18. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Yeah something goes spectacularly wrong at the end of Red House, where Jimi completely stops playing aside from some weird fret noises.
    I was dramatic and thought it was Jimi just losing it mentally, like the coke wearing off, but perhaps it was indeed equipment problems kicking in.
    I just find the whole show spooky, with Jimi's distant and strained voice.
    Nah, I'm merely a Swede :). Sehr schön to me ;)
     
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  19. Fox67

    Fox67 Bad as Can

    Location:
    Isle of Rhodes
    [​IMG]
     
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  20. Fox67

    Fox67 Bad as Can

    Location:
    Isle of Rhodes
  21. All Down The Line

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

    Location:
    Australia
    I had no idea?
     
  22. All Down The Line

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

    Location:
    Australia
    Seems so but Noel at the very least could not take Davy Jones and perhaps he was not the only one amongst the Experience?
     
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  23. All Down The Line

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

    Location:
    Australia
    As long as your not a certain ice skating champion!
     
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  24. EVOLVIST

    EVOLVIST Kid A Thread Starter

    January 23rd, 1969, Berlin, Germany, Sportpalast

    50th years, 1 month and 2 days ago, as a part of their European tour, The Jimi Hendrix Experience paid visit to the Sportpalast in Berlin, Germany, to tear the house down. I'm sure they did.

    I've become aware that while listening to all of these Jimi Hendrix concerts, no matter how good the tape is, or how well you can hear the venue, or the guitar tone, or the rhythm section, every single one of these reviews is ultimately a dry hump. Being there at the time, seeing Jimi in person, in all of his splendor, feeling the vibe of the place, the other people at the show, the amplitude in the venue, you get none of this from tape, not live nor Memorex. We're feeling around in the dirt for the shape of the fossil, but the bones are not there.

    I'm cool with that, though. It's still an act aural archaeology, without the need for Habeas Corpus.

    The Experience rolled into Berlin, set up their rigs to play, in what still amounted as a tour to support Electric Ladyland. The band played two shows this night. One is lost to the void of time. The other one, this one, I imagine was the 2nd show of the night, considering that the music, itself, only equals about 46 minutes.

    So, how did the concert go 1 year, 7 months and 12 days before his final show in Berlin on 09-04-1970?

    "Fire" - A pretty great version to kick off the show. Mitch is bit off in parts, though, but Jimi is on fire. Certainly not in the top live versions, but highly listenable. All of his solos are top-notch. 4:08

    "Hey Joe" - It's at about the tempo that I like, but it's not a good version. The guitar is out of tune quite a bit, which is strange, because Jimi doesn't sound out of tune in the preceding song. There are tape cuts to start the song, so it might have been some intro that wasn't caught by the taper that sent the guitar out of whack. Like I said, a hard pass. 4:24

    "Spanish Castle Magic" - Still out of tune a bit - then Jimi stops singing after the first verse, and turns the song it into an instrumental, only returning the vocals during the last verse. Because Jimi wasn't take it instrumental, Noel and Mitch lose the theme, so it goes pear shaped. When Jimi breaks into the main solo, though, the song corrects itself, with some often clever leads, though ultimately lacking. Oh, it's enjoyable. There's a nice drum solo and Jimi then Jimi brings the band back in a nice way, only to screw up the last verse. So, this one ends...a mixed bag. 7:47

    "Foxey Lady" - Musically, mostly searing and tight. Vocally, not Jimi's best effort by a long stretch. The outro solo is pretty amazing, though. Seriously. Amazing. Otherwise, 3 stars out of 5. 4:21

    "Red House" - Unbelievable. Not a duff note in the whole 10 minutes. Jimi is remarkably fluid throughout. A highlight of highlights. Where it sits in the pantheon of stellar versions, I don't know. It might not be as inventive as other versions, yet still note-perfect, and beautiful throughout. Essential listening. 10:23

    "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)" - A nice rousing version with a deadly solo from 1:16 to 1:47. Oh those high notes soar to the sky and never come down. Uh oh, microphone problems in the last verse. Even more, the outro solo is delicious, predating what Eddie Van Halen would do 9 years later. Could this be the best live version? Maybe. 3:58

    "Sunshine of Your Love" - A solid take. From 1:05 to 1:48 Jimi keeps it on the neck pickup, which gives an ultra creamy tone to the guitar. Jimi takes advantage of this tone in a procession of rolling licks, where not all work, but it just flows, and flows. Then we have the bass solo, which seems to come in early. Noel bites down on some good moments and takes off. From 3:42 to 4:29 these chords that Jimi plays behind Noel is something I've never heard in any version. It sounds like it always belonged, but they had never played it this way before to the best of my knowledge. Brilliant! And it's not even like this is the best version, but it's one I would recommend, simply by virtue of all the interesting things they are able to throw in. 6:54

    "Purple Haze" - Pretty sloppy in the verses. It's okay. I'm not being dismissive just because I've heard this song so many times. In the fact that main solo is a don't-miss solo. It's just a version, though. It might even be a tad on the fast side. 4:20



    Even if a show contains no magic moments, it's a blessing to have these shows at all. But here's the deal, even in a fairly obscure show like this Berlin gig, there was magic there. "Red House," Come On" and "Sunshine of Your Love" are mandatory listening, at least once in your life...maybe more. We tend to gravitate toward more famous gigs, but there's gold in them thar hills! In fact, it ends up being a little sad, because if special versions of songs are plentiful, how much more have we missed for shows that were never captured on tape?

    Other Hendrix Show Reviews:
    Isle of Wight Pt. I 08-30-1970
    Isle of Wight Pt. II 08-30-1970
    Monterey Pop Festival 06-18-1967
    Winterland 10-10-1968
    Winterland 10-11-1968
    Winterland 10-12-1968
    Winterland 10-12-1968 Jimi Bat
    Hollywood Bowl 09-14-1968
    Vancouver 09-07-1968
    Berlin 09-04-1970 DTK
    Royal Albert Hall 02-18-1969
    Royal Albert Hall 02-24-1969
    Flamingo Club 02-04-1967
    Berlin 09-04-1970


     
  25. John Harchar

    John Harchar Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    What is he doin' hangin' 'round?
     
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