No. I mean, I started it, but there have been other contributors. The more the merrier! Besides, there are tons of people in here that are more knowledgeable about Hendrix than me. I'm coming into this as a hardcore who knows just enough to be dangerous.
Oh the Lulu crowd ! I think I may have combined that with the Radio One material in my head, which is why I dropped this controversy into the thread.
August 31st, 1970, Stockholm, Sweden, Stora Scenen, Tivoli Gröna Lund I won't go too much into the history behind this show. We all know the story: Jimi played the Isle of Wight Festival, then turned around and played Stockholm in less than 24 hours. Sources say he was either tired, strung out on strong dope, not wanting to tour...or maybe he was in the first stage of his last stage of dying. Perhaps a combination of the above. Whatever the case, this show was probably one of his worst, and let's not forget how he fared the following day at Gothenburg, September 1st, 1970. It ends up that the bad vibes came to a head at Aarhus, Denmark on September 2nd. It's impossible not to compare the two shows at Stockholm & Gothenburg, as it doesn't necessarily show a steady decline, culminating at Aarhus; it demonstrates that at least Jimi was able to sustain his personal vigor (at least his mindset), where he didn't give in. He was determined to perform, against the odds, displaying what a professional Jimi was. Where Gothenburg '70 was evenly shattered, Stockholm has some of the roughest moments, by far, but also a clutch of songs that I would recommend. It's a good thing that the month would eventfully get better and at least end on a note that was more befitting Jimi's legacy. Everyone knows he was better than this. Much, much, better! "Lover Man" - Pretty spectacular playing to be honest. Save for Jimi's teeny screw up right before the vocals, there's not a dropped note. Check out that solo from 1:05 to 1:40; it's measured-off perfection. Listen for the last few notes in that solo, too. They should bring you chills. Even Jimi's last solo screams white phosphorous! Then comes a nice coda-like leads to put the capper on it. Yeah, it's not the tightest version, yet I dare your brain not to boogie. Highly recommended. 3:37 "Instrumental Jam "Midnight Lightning"/"Race with the Devil") - The is such a strange section, and you know Jimi isn't terribly off, but since the band doesn't know where he's going the whole thing doesn't quite mesh. It's as if Hendrix has some grand idea behind it, but he just didn't communicate it to the band. Jimi stops and Mitch plays some hip-hop beats. Right into... 2:04 "Ezy Ryder" - Okay, the intro is pretty clean, the solo next to it is pretty good, and then the vocals come in and the song collapse on itself on all fronts. It never regains a head of steam as the band meanders a lot. I don't know what else to say, but even with a few cool seconds here and there, it's not a good take. Embarrassing, even. 4:59 (Jimi jokes w/some great lines) Jimi must have been on some good ****...only perhaps not for the music. It might also be mentioned that what if it sounded good to Hendrix at the time, but his ears weren't in the right place? There are times in every musician's life where he or she is on something and they think they're jamming, only to hear the playback the next day and cringe at their efforts. "Red House" - Here Jimi's strings sound elastic. They expand and contract, relax and flutter. It's not perfect; the second part of the intro solo goes off the rails, though even a few licks here have charm. When the vocals come in, though, there's not much redeemable. There's no control here, as even the vocals are muffed. No concentration. That said, it's not the worst listen. By the time the main solo comes in, Jimi starts cooking again! Some superb licks in there! But you know, Jimi's sounds in control, but his headspace isn't matching up to his fingers. Now, the second half of the solo is totally the opposite. Near the tail end of the solo it kicks ass, but the beginning is horrid. It's Jimi Hendrix, though; he's trying, but circumstance is catching up. By the time we get to last verses, the whole band sounds spent. This is one you can skip, though in the end it won't hurt you. 10:37 (The same thing happened at Isle of Wight. We have radio broadcasts coming of the amps. Mitch then plays so very cool drums bits, going off on his own) ...but for some reason Jimi decides to go into... (Mitch jellies some jam, though) "Come On (Part 1)" - It doesn't sound good either for the first 18 seconds. After that, though, the song solidifies. Jimi's playing is incredible. Unfortunately, for some reason, Jimi can't get the vocals and guitar to mesh. The rest is pretty blazing! It gets noisy, but in the cool way where you feel Jimi's in control and everything will be alright. A shaking version! Even in the strange parts - with an incredible screamed vocal from Jimi - I really like it aside for the first few seconds. Man, those licks just keep wailing and wailing! It might not be the tightest version, but it may be the most magical. Highly recommended. 6:47 (Jimi still sounds in a really good mood) "Room Full of Mirrors" - A very loose and wayward take. I guess that's another way of saying that it's not too together. It's interesting, though. Jimi's solo cuts in with the same tone that he was using for the rhythm work, so the solo is tonally fluid. I can see what he's doing but it's not quite landing. I don't think this is a good take if you're picking the best live version. Meandering and dare I say boring. 5:02 "Hey Baby (Land of the New Rising Sun)" - It starts off very interesting, even with a few sour notes mixed in. Jimi sound almost lost, but his compass is still pointing North. This is also super slow. It may be even slower than the Berlin 1970 show. Jimi is trying to do killer stuff but he's fingers won't cooperate, and the tone is a bit too biting. There are swell licks peppered throughout, all the same. I imagine an evil spirit flying in and occupying his body just when it seems that he is getting it together. It's almost like free jazz. "There's no such thing as wrong notes," right? I'm not saying that Jimi knew he was going to die soon; still, it's almost as if you can hear him reaching up to heaven, barely hanging on to his guitar, as earthly things are not allowed. When the vocals come in, the song evens out, but that's mostly due to the rest of the band and some pretty good vocals. Now from 6:58 to 8:50 we have a section of lofty leads, psychedelic whammy work, and fireworks. Plenty of fireworks! So, incredible. It's a sacred part that then dissolves into a Mitchell drum solo. It's a good solo, too, as Mitch seemed to tear it up in Stockholm more than anywhere else. Even so, the solo goes on for much longer than it should. Hendrix could have finished a whole jay by the time Mitch stops (which was probably the plan). Uneven (very), but the sublime parts are, indeed, heavenly. 15:26 "Message to Love" - Another take full of slop. Whatever Jimi hit backstage didn't help him much, with some real dud notes sprinkled throughout. The lead work is pretty fair, though, up until Jimi kicks on the fuzz face and loses control. This ultimately spells bad news, while being out of tune doesn't help, either. It only gets worse. Ugly. Assuredly the worst he's played it. I don't need to hear this ever again. 8:34 (You know, I've said that Jimi has lost control before, but not like this.) "Machine Gun" - Imagine this: a metal hulled ship sailing a sea of razor blades. This could be a good thing, if you're so inclined. It sounds like Hendrix keeps trying to weave "Midnight Lightning" into several songs. Next, Jimi weaves "Taps" into the intro, which gives this take a unique angle. In fact, Jimi's playing is all angular here. Not bad at all, only coming at us from a parallel world. I must have listened to this take 6 times to make sure what I was hearing. It's a very interesting listen, as the song is a meditation on yet another possible sphere for this song to exist in. By the time the vocals come in, Hendrix has the band playing a "Hear My Train" rhythm. There's even that "Midnight Lightning" motif again. It's a boiling cauldron, this version. Indeed, when people say Hendrix is "acid rock," this would be a good example. When the main solo comes, it comes in fits and starts. It would be arguable if this is glorious noise, and I wouldn't disagree. It's like yeah, he has control...you know, screw it! - I like this take, but for very different reasons that I've loved others. It's just so raunchy. It could be the sound of the song dragged through gravel. Oh, there are mega-bits of sublimity all over the place. Goddamn! Just check out 11:43 to 12:05 for some great chords that Hendrix had never played in this song. Following that, the whammy work is all killer. It ends in a cacophony of sound. Bleeding! Recommended? Yeah! In many ways the sound of where Jimi was going, yet not quite realized. If only he hadn't died and had been able to distill the grand parts of this take. 14:57 "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - What an awful intro. Jimi begins tuning on the fly, but not quite getting it. This take sounds like mush. Not only that but the guitar tone is putrid. Okay, Jimi busted his nut with "Machine Gun." Now it's over. There was only so much in him to give this night. I guess the run time goes on for as long as it does because Jimi was still trying to please. 8:10 "In From the Storm" - Maybe not as bad as Gothenburg the next day, but it's pretty close. Let's give it a coin flip. So, strange that Jimi would play probably the most definitive live version at Isle of Wight, and then produce these two clunkers of the same song on back-to-back days. The poor guy was spent this eve. 3:59 "Purple Haze" - It starts off well, but again melts into garbage. It's as if Jimi is trying to be too different with the improv that it no longer serves the song. Surely that's a product of where his head was that night. Somewhere very different, close to Pooh Corner. Maybe the worst live take of this song. 6:24 "Foxey Lady" - The guitar just won't stay in tune, followed by one of the worst stage moments of Hendrix's life. There's this part where he tries to tune up, but it makes it worse. Gawd! Jimi needs a nap. But you know, we know this isn't anywhere close to the norm for Jimi Hendrix. These are rare shows. Nothing is good here. The worst version of "Foxey Lady" ever. 6:06 I'll be stacking up "Love Man," Come On (pt.1)," and "Machine Gun" against other versions. I don't think "Machine Gun" will ultimately make the grade because really, I prefer this song more liquid smooth. Yeah, this was a bad show. But as we know, Hendrix would turn it around before the tour was through. This is almost akin to how the 1969 European tour started. That's where we're going next. We'll revisit Stockholm later, in the proper light, but for now, there are many more spectacular improvs to take in for 1969. 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 Berlin 01-23-1969 Miami Pop 05-18-1968 (Former Lee Warmer) Fillmore East 05-10-1968 Madison Square Garden 01-28-1970 Denver Pop Festival 06-29-1969 Newport Pop Festival 06-20 & 22-1969 Stockholm 01-08-1968 Rome 05-25-1968 Bologna 05-26-1968 Zurich 05-30-1968 Zurich 05-31-1968 ”Miami Pop 05-18-1968 Gothenburg 01-08-1969 Gothenburg 09-01-1970 Stockholm 01-09-1969 Stockholm 05-24-1967 Stockholm 09-04-1967 Stockholm 09-05-1967
Ain't no telling, really. If you're saying that my reviews are bad, or even really, really, bad, I'll take that with a smile.
Not at all just a lame poo line by me that did not connect, I read every word of all your hard worked reviews and appreciate your enthusiasm.
The Stockholm '70 concert is one where we know Jimi was drunk; he was spotted downing a bottle of vodka before going onstage. The man played great on acid and uppers, but not on booze and downers, his stimulants of choise on this tour. It's quite transparent why he did booze and downers on this tour (to cure his mysterious "cold"), but we don't need to go there.
So Hendrix was a happy drunk? It all makes sense as there were so many parts that were close to landing, but they just didn't hit the mark. If the playing could have been shifted to the right or the left, wherever it was that he could have been centered, this show might have had some more stellar takes. As-is, I could be wrong, but like I had mentioned, it seems as if he thought he was doing great, but he wasn't. It's like when you're drunk, and hitting on a chick; you think you're all suave, but you're really making a fool of yourself. And people say that Isle of Wight was bad...
I had the Stockholm 70 concert for years on cassette and then a similarly poor sounding trader's disc but I eventually downloaded the Tony Brown Tapes source and it was a vast improvement over what I had heard before. I find this more listenable than the painful Isle Of Wight (which was recorded earlier the same day of course). That second number is weird - Catfish Blues/Midnight Lightning/Race With The Devil - all 1 minute and 27 seconds of it. It's as if Jimi is just warming up, doodling away. The new songs sound sluggish and approximate (as they do on just about all the 1970 performances). The songs didn't really lend themselves to a live trio arrangement. On "Message To Love", you can hear Billy doing the "Wooh! Yeaaahh!" backing vocals.
He needed someone on competent back up vocals (sorry Billy) and second guitar (not Larry Lee) or keyboards to round out the sound on the new songs, which are stunning in the studio but sound incomplete live. Not even Jimi could pull off orchestral guitar arrangements live, and his vocals were sometimes hesitant on the new songs, like he hadn't settled on a lyric, or had problems remembering them, or didn't believe in them.
Incredible the method of stabilizing that video, which obviously is losing sync almost consta ntly. Anyone know how that was done? Beave
Yeah, in my head at least, I've maintained that probably a keyboardist, alone, could have helped out a great deal. Jimi would have had more freedom to pick and choose which rhythm and lead parts, because in theory a keyboardist could have played who backing/rhythm chords, giving the tunes a stronger bedrock, rather than just the root notes that Hendrix required of his bassists. (Well, they did more than the root, but pretty close to it.) The only drawback here, with another guitarist or keyboardist, may be a loss of Jimi's aforementioned freedom in other areas. If Jimi wanted to turn on a dime, as he was wont to do, that's at least one other player that Jimi had to worry about. They could get lost real quick, because let's face it, they would have needed heaps of rehearsal time, which is something Jimi hadn't been afforded much of his whole career. When he had plenty of rehearsal time it was a mixed bag. On one end of the spectrum we have Woodstock and on the other end we have the BoG. The BoG was a 3 piece, of course. Besides, it doesn't seem that Jimi cared for rehearsal, anyway. He often did whatever he wanted, where Noel, Mitch, Buddy or Billy had to be on their toes. A lot of rehearsal could have made the shows even better than they were, or perhaps worse, as Hendrix could have felt confined to only playing here, or there, but not in this section or that. We might be talking about hampering Hendrix, though the thought of having another musician to help him is tantalizing. We're square in the realm of what-could-have-been, though. It's a fun exercise. In your opinion how does Gothenburg '70 stand up to Isle of Wight?
Well as Charles Shaar Murray pointed out in his book "Crosstown Traffic", Jimi didn't seem to have it in him to be a "bandleader". I have always felt that, even with all that equipment, it was as if he was busking up there. The most cosmically fabulous busker of all time of course. The psychedelic troubadour. He wasn't always all about concentrated precision in live performance. He would wing it, improvise, experiment, jam, have fun. I've only listened to parts of that one once. I'll have to dig it out and give it a listen before commentating on it. It must be better than IOW.
Exactly! Confine him to a box, his world gets smaller and smaller, his magic gets constricted. It was either the spigot was all the way open and except whatever came out, or don't open the valve; close your ears, because it's coming whether you like it or not. You know, we can listen to a show, nitpick it, compare this to that, classify things, because that's just in our human nature. We say, "This is the best and this is the worst," but honestly, with someone like Jimi Hendrix (a very rare breed), we're comparing Jimi Hendrix to Jimi Hendrix, as their are no real peers, only distant runners-ups. What is it that Prince wrote, "My only competition is, well, me in the past."? Yeah, that about sums it up.
Yep, something like "Hendrix on an off night was still better than XX% of other artists playing live at the time" might be appropriate. It's just a comment, please don't feel the need to post, "but XX's live playing in 1970 was incredible" .
It depends on the session. The 2/67 Saturday Club is sourced from direct from the session reel. Amazing that reel survived. It sounds amazing....better than much of AYE in my opinion. The 12/67 session is also from the session reel IIRC. 3/67 (Fire, Killing Floor, etc) is from a Transcription disc. The Alexis Korner session is either a pro tape of the broadcast or transcription disc.. The fake stereo was created during mastering for Radio One and the EH For this session IIRC simple treble on the left/bass on the right. Some later tracks had reverb added. Wait Until Tomorrow comes to mind..
Oh God, a second guitar player? Backup vocalist? Keyboards? Jimi "Vegas" Hendrix. Some dancers too? Stockholm is magic in its own way, as was every note Jimi played...that's why we are talking about it 50 years later!
