Yeah...haha! As an aside, when I'm in forums I tend to write like a speak, only maybe my writing is a little slower than my speech. But anyway, that's with reviews, too. When I was a kid - I know it sounds corny - but I would listen to Hendrix interviews of booted cassettes (I even had a picture disc that was all a Hendrix interview), and I would listen and try to imulate Jimi's voice, his speech patterns, the way he'd phrase things. I had this old book with Jimi's lyrics. I would pour over that book constantly. Of course I sound nothing like Hendrix, but for a while there I think Jimi helped me lose my Texas accent. I still don't sound much like a Texan to this day. EDIT: I wonder what the hell my father thought of me when I was going through that phase, about 16 years old. Heh. I'm sure he was scratching his head. I think I recall him asking e to stop speaking that way.
One of Hamburg shows is really good the other one the sound quality is so poor its hard to tell. Really the Vienna shows are my favorite from the Europe 69 tour. Most of the German shows that circulate have something cool to offer as well.
I've had a smattering of the Euro '69 shows for a few years now, but some of them I've heard; some of them I haven't. Some I just got in January, like Copenhagen, Munster and that 2nd Hamburg show - one that I had always stayed away from. Do you know how long the Copenhagen' 69 shows have been circulating?
January 7th, 1968, Copenhagen, Denmark, Tivolis Koncertsal A short show, with only the first show recorded on this day. I think it's one to hear in your lifetime. We're lucky to have so many Hendrix shows anyway, so each one is a treasured gem. This is a really good performance, but like we've seen with the start of the 1969 shows, The Experience takes a while to warm up. This show isn't as bad as the first show of 1969, but we've turned over a new year, celebrated the release of a new album, and blah, blah, blah... Big props to @Gordon Johnson for some behind-the-scenes help. It's a lovely early 1968 performance. "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band" - Mitch opens the song up with force, slinging the band into a groove, loose but confident. It's not the tightest version, and the SQ of this song isn't that good, but you can tell what's going on. Jimi might fumble around the solo, but it hey it's good! Which other guitarist in Copenhagen could have done better? 4:02 "Fire" - Really about as tight as it gets, in a take that doesn't deviate from the script. No long jam, no extended anything, just a solid performance, guaranteed to raise a smile. 3:20 "Hey Joe" - Jimi is a bit out of tune. The licks Hendrix plays in the beginning are super sweet, melting into a solid take. You know, before this take he complains a bit about equipment problems, but by the time solo hits you hear nothing wrong. One of the better solos, and the best one he's played so far this evening. At 3:04 in the solo, Jimi shows us why he's the king. I mean, I say stuff like this, but I wonder if anyone pulls the takes the time to find out what I'm talking about. It's a very strong version. That last solo is both melodious and noisy. Love. How many moments like this were never captured on tape? 5:53 <some opera comes out of the amp and everyone laughs> "Catfish Blues" - It starts standard, but the first Hendrix mini-solo before the vocals is sublime. Crazy bends. Very different. A great vocal performance, to boot. Before the 2nd verse we get another fantastic mini-solo at the 2:36 mark to 2:58. It drops like rain. So, they are really changing it up, as these little solos are different. My god, at 3:57 when Jimi comes in has to be one of the most classic Hendrix live moments ever. The following solo isn't as quite as a hot as the beginning of it. Maybe Jimi surprised himself so much that he wasn't able to carry that same energy. Anyway, it's still good stuff. Mitch solos, next, and next, and next, and next. Just kidding. Its not that bad. Mitchell is in good this evening and it doesn't go on for long, as Hendrix jumps back in with pure blues. There are even hints of what's to come with "Voodoo Chile." It's Hendrix by himself, being forceful with the licks. Masculine. The song ends and it's a very good take. It has that one moment and then it's gone. 11:11 "The Wind Cries Mary" - Now a funny thing happens here. Here's a good version, nice and mellow, not a care in the world, yet...Jimi stops the song! Dammit! 1:27 "Purple Haze" - Hey, maybe they were just in a jamming mood. Nothing is cut short here, as again, we're on sure footing. Tightness...and a traditional solo, where you can hear the gear problems and how Jimi muscles through. Hendrix eventually loses some of that sustain during the latter parts of the song, but that doesn't stop him from making the guitar bleed with a slashing solo at the end. 4:14 <Jimi remarks again abut the equipment. Funny, they would get it all sorted out by the following evening) "Spanish Castle Magic" - Also unlike the upcoming evening, this is the only song this night played from Axis: Bold As Love. The result is nothing short of in the pocket, where the band is tight, Jimi's vocals are good, and the solo is even better, twisting and turning itself over, rolling and tumbling...because that's what it sounds like. File the whole solo from 2:07 to 3:42 under "Bad Ass." Early on Jimi knew that his solos for this song was his freak out moments, and he always followed that muse. The outro solo is just as good, making this version a necessary listen for the study of this song. 5:23 "Wild Thing" - Okay, so when did they ever play a bad take of thing cover? It doesn't happen this night either, as they play it exactly the way they are supposed to, loose, dirty, and fluid...when that solo comes in, of course it's fluid, with Jimi adding some interesting variations. The amps are almost spent now, as Hendrix guitar almost sound like a child's guitar in the more silent verses. Jimi locks on to noise, though, and manages to squeeze the last bit of strength from the amps, playing what is identical in parts to the feedback ending of "Third Stone From the Sun." This had to be intentional. Very worth the listen. 5:56 An excellent listen. Short but sweet. It doesn't match up to the Stockholm show on the 8th of January, but it sure demonstrates how for both '68 and '69, they started slow before gathering a head of steam. It's just that Copenhagen '69 blows this one away. 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 Stockholm 08-31-1970 Copenhagen 01-10-1969
Who has those real "audience tape ears?" It's not like I have bat's ears, but I was able to make sense out of most of the Hamburg '69 shows. I wonder also how much the brain fills in the spaces while listening to a very poor tape. For instance, if the vocals are inaudible, does the brain fill in the vocals to a certain extent so that you can follow along? I have this strong feeling that Hamburg '69 was one of the best of the tour. It's like, having that in better quality would be a dream, much like Honolulu' 70. Nobody will listen if I say Hamburg '69 is a bad ass show, though, will they? I think @Purple Jim would rather listen to Hamburg' 69 rather than IoW, anyway.
***WARNING*** The second show of this night has a top-5 "Hear My Train A Comin'". So, if you don't think you want to listen to the full shows, or if you don't know what I'm talking about, do whatever you can to hear this track. Skip the rest if need be (though both shows are excellent). January 11th, 1969, Hamburg, Germany, Musikhalle You know, there's another warning; the first set of this night is very rough. Not the roughest, but pretty close to it. That said @funkydrummer did an amazing job with the tape. Oddly enough, for real rough recordings I find that sitting by the speakers really helps, but not this time. The only thing that helped was a good headphone rig. That said, with a little effort the rewards are great. The second set sounds much, much better. That doesn't mean that the first set isn't listenable. Indeed, I think it is an amazing show, both sets, and there's no reason to think otherwise, considering how great the previous night was in Copenhagen, and how great Cologne is on the 13th. First Show: "Are You Experienced" - Wow, I mean, from what I can tell, this take is gigantic. You can hear the chord changes, faint vocals, and when the solo comes in it's pretty clear. I's such a shame because from the large bits you can hear the solos, it's killer. I mean, really killer, Maximum blow out! You can even hear the tight breakdown back into the last verse. Speaking of last verses, there's a moment where Hendrix does something really neat with his voice. Outside of that the last solo screams and cries. So nice. Granted, this is one of rougher sounding takes that night; nevertheless, I think the sound fills in enough to make it whole. It's a stately march that doesn't take supersonic hearing that Jimi's playing measured and inventive. 6:20 "Johnny B Goode" - Those first few licks are smoking! - Only it begins to get difficult to hear with that bass rumble. Again, the solo cuts through and Jimi doesn't miss a lick. Just listen to how Jimi hangs that note out at 2:28. He just leaves it reeled out there for an eternity. Man, this needs to be heard in better quality. Sure, you can tell it's damned good. I just hope a better tap surfaces, because if I'm not mistaken this is the only version of this from 1969. 3:12 "Spanish Castle Magic" - You can hear most of this better. The verses are tight, the band is right on-time, and when that solo hits it's like a bong hit! Indeed, lick for lick, change for change, figure to figure, the leads sound beautiful. They aren't quite as spacey as the usually are. Jimi even inserts this set of chords that helps the band breakdown into their loose jam section. Mitch takes over for a while (which sounds great), until 5:38 to 7:45, where Jimi does something unique, making these different chord stabs, with little fills in between, at one point letting Noel solo under the stabs. It's amazing. When the band rocks back in Hendrix decides so solo off some more, never returning the verse vocals. Pretty spectacular. 9:16 "Hear My Train A Comin'" - Hendrix has a such a good tone. Even through the murkiness of this recording, you can still tell that Hendrix has really adjusted the tone knob, volume, and neck pickups to get a creamier sound. The notes and sustain tell the whole story. Hendrix plays a bit of "Day Tripper" not once, but twice. Oh god, and when he hits that one solo note at 2:49. It makes the thing bounce and kiss the sky. He keeps returning to that note, too! The whole solo is so measured out, just ripping through the air. Perfect notes. At 4:10 listen to the motif that Hendrix invents to bring the band back in. But Hendrix isn't through with us yet. There's some guitar and drum interplay before the vocals come back in. When the vocals return, watch out! The guitar playing during the last verse is stellar. 6:09 brings in the last extended solo, and it's even better than the previous solos. Jimi is superb with his slides to bring the song to an end. It's almost as good as the version he played later that night. Truly, this take is probably smoother, just not near as inventive as the 2nd set. It was a great night for this song. 8:35 "Fire" - Jimi is singing his heart out! He takes the word "Won't" from "Won't get burned," and pitches it up to make a unique vocal flourish. It sounds as if the band gets a little lost during the middle of Jimi's solo, but Hendrix doesn't miss a beat, as this dude is locked-in. It seems a little faster than usual. Just a very solid take. Very. 5:08 "I Don't Live Today" - Hendrix teases with a blistering set of licks which the crowd enjoyed (and so do I). Mitch comes rolling in with Noel and Jimi following right behind. Copious feedback during the verse makes Hendrix's vocals totally inaudible until the chorus. The solo breaks in and sounds good until Hendrix loses it a little bit. What's interesting is that Hendrix hits the noisy section early, but then peels out of it for group of licks that don't sound entirely together. We get an extended dose of "Third Stone From the Sun," though, making the whole "freak out section" abbreviated. Instead, Jimi does some more trippy stuff after the the band back in. The result is an arrangement unlike any other. Jimi gets his heart back together 5:13, with mind blowing work, only that doesn't last long. All of it was a grand idea, but I think the theme was lost along the way. In context of the show? Great! By itself? You can skip it. 8:21 "Red House" - Oh lord what an intro! Much more if that good stuff is to follow, as Hendrix hardly drops a note. It's not all inventive, but it still sets a nice tone for this tune. Jimi might even get a little too aggressive with it during the verses, but when you balance that with the rest of the better licks, it all comes into the fold (my child). The solo is fine, too, but Noel's bass clouds most of it where you can't hear Hendrix. Those moments, like at 5:27, when Jimi cuts through the bass are sublime. Take 6:02 as an example, as well. Burning down the house. If fact that whole second solo digs in, fighting for space among the clouds. It's rocket fuel. Jimi's going to vamp down during the breakdown, where a little feedback creeps in, creating an eerie sound. Jimi's playing isn't delicate here; he rips at the strings...and it sounds good....as well as the naked wah solo behind it. It's not his best solo wah performance for this song, but when he brings the band back in, everyone is on target. The solo afterwards is smashing atoms, with Jimi totally in control of those high notes, screaming ever skyward. Brilliant. The last verse has fed off of everything that Hendrix did before, so it's ultra fluid. Really, most of Hendrix's work in this take is as good as he's ever played it. Another big recommendation. 12:17 "Sunshine of Your Love" - It's standard, a little fast, and a little sloppy, where Hendrix doesn't quite create what's expected. But whatever (again). There's nothing he does wrong; we're just talking about degrees of creativity. Oh, Jimi plays that "chicken pickin'" along with the bass solo, but this time Jimi is picking in the lower registers. Noel is very clear...and then we're missing sections of the tape and it's done. It could have been a contender. 5:12 "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - Everything sounds in place from what I can hear. It's just that it's difficult to hear. Jimi's voice comes in and you can tell he's in good voice. The solo doesn't sound all that good, however, with another large tape cut. But I don't know, Hendrix could have been playing amazing, but the bass betrays the recording. I mean, at the end he's certainly tearing those strings up, in a blotch of amazing lead work. A suitable ending. Probably pretty cool, but we may never know. 4:04 Second Set: "Spanish Castle Magic" - Jimi sounds "Very far away...!" The vocals, that is. It's an upgrade in sound, for sure. Oh, but the song? Yeah. Hell yeah! - the band kicks the door in! Oh man, and when Hendrix heats into that lead, it's a more psychedelic circle that the one during the previous set. Strange, but obvious, that Hendrix decides on a short version, before capping off the final solo, just to give us our money's worth. It soars! - and very unlike any version of this vintage, as it's so damn short. 4:48 (and some of that is just the pause between the song) "Hear My Train A Comin'" - The band sounds as if they picked up where they left off during the first set. This one lopes along, with rock solid moments...I mean, even with things that Hendrix had never before. That one section from 1:00 to 1:47 where the Jimi keeps dropping that whammy bar low in between new motifs. This is the very definition of "Moaning the blues," to the extent that this probably takes the cake. Totally different than any other take. The vocals drop in and they are heartfelt, eventually becoming more rocking, until the first chorus appears - guitar and voice in unison. Oh boy, Hendrix switches to the neck pickup for the solo. It's so smooth. I've listened to this solo over and over, from 3:45 to 4:14. Something amazing happens between 4:06 and 4:07, where somewhere in there Hendrix sounds as if he "finger taps" with the side of his pick on the neck. I mean, it could have been the whammy work, but what the hell is that amazing sound? Now, the soloing before the breakdown is supremo. The breakdown recapitulates the main theme, but in this breakdown Jimi once again shows why he's the greatest, with a holy **** moment that has to be heard to be believed. It even has all improv jazz. I'm talking about between 7:22 and 8:20. Here you'll find guitar and vocals in unison like you've never heard Hendrix do, nor anybody else with such accuracy on an improv section. This is a top Hendrix live moment by any standards. Anyway, yeah Hendrix continues to blow ****ing minds. The guitar gets a bit scattered in places, but what a roll Jimi is on. It may not beat the first night performance in the fluidity department, but its inventiveness propels it to a top-5 take by any standards. It makes it a must listen if you have "Bootleg ears." The chorus is heart rending. It sounds as if Jimi really means it. By the time the song ends, that solo that emits from Jimi is note perfect and beautiful in every way. Wow. Takes like this make it well worth the digging. 12:35 "I Don't Live Today" - Great playing by Mitch for the intro. Much to Jimi's credit he prefaces the main riff with a great feedback intro. The vocals and feedback during the verse are again, "heartfelt." That's the only way I can say it. When the first solo comes in it's miles better than first set's version. In fact, the band doesn't screw around with the original arrangement much. Moreover, when Jimi's freak out section comes, he makes better use of his entire guitar. Afterwards, even, the band rumbles beneath Jimi's feet, as he stands atop th heap and bleeds sound from every pore. ****ing Master! My god, how Jimi hangs that whammy and feedback out there from 5:14 to 5:26. And Jimi just keeps feeding the monster. Glorious. Must hear. 7:28 <what happens next is the noise from "I Don't Live Today," pouring over into "Red House," as Jimi bridges them.> "Red House" - The playing here is heavy (that means beautiful). Hendrix hits the vocals very early, at 1 minute in. Hey cool, the guitar during the vocals are all pretty much top-shelf fills. Sweet, sweet solo. Just the right tone, too. Control and release. Find a bad note anywhere in the first minute. You'd be hard pressed to. He's on the top of his game. At 5:38 it's interesting, very likable, grinding and churning. Yeah, it breaks apart a little here and there. It's kind of funny but it sounds like when Jimi stopped playing it surprised Noel and Mitch. Never mind, Jimi vamps nicely with the boys, with not much changing up, finally finding Hendrix by himself. He doesn't have the wah here. Here sort of noodles around the guitar, making great music, only we've heard it better. In the end, though, "better" doesn't matter, because everything is unique in these shows. I'm pretty sure Jimi is getting off to a tune that only he can hear. It's quaint. Yeah, that's the word for it. This time, though, when Jimi wants to bring the band back in, he's not subtle about it. Bang! - the power chords launch the group into boogie. The soloing afterwards sounds great, and even the verse fills gel. This is another one that super in context of the whole show. 13:56 "Sunshine of Your Love" - Jimi really idolized Cream. Okay now this is about as tight as you would expect. Jimi muffs some of his first licks, though that doesn't take away from the spirit here. It will never be a top-flight take, as oddly enough Hendrix gets more lost, in what had been a super fine show up to this point. Indeed, it doesn't seem all swell on all fronts. The band drops to almost no sound at all, and Noel doesn't make good work of it. He does nothing that makes sense. Mitch tries to save him, but evidently Noel doesn't want to be saved. Mitch tries again, and there are some better results, but nothing to write to East Berlin about. At 5:33 they invent a new riff, but Jimi gets off of it too soon. When he does it doesn't get better. Every good idea that Jimi comes up with he doesn't stick with it. A noble attempt that went south. (upon a 2nd and 3rd listen I warmed up more to this take, and maybe I was a little harsh) 10:15 "Driving South" - Hendrix begins this one like Johnny Cash would. Think, "Folsom Prison Blues." What a rare treat. Jimi really hesitates going into that solo, but perhaps he wanted to make sure that the band had caught on. The solos he begins to play are certainly the main theme, but it doesn't work very well, as they hadn't played it ages. Now from 2:38 to 2:46 is an excellent theme, much akin rockabilly meets metal. Alas, Jimi doesn't stick with that riff as long as he should have. How inventive, though! They screw around a little more before finally coming to a halt. It's worth the listen for the rarity alone. Indeed, the whole second show rocks! 4:34 "Foxey Lady" - A firecracker! Great vocals, Jimi! You can tell some showboating is going on. It drives...which makes up for any too-loose moments. Hey, that's not to say that these aren't spicy times. Some of those fills in the vocals are great; what's more, so is the solo. Some of those notes sound as if the guitar is choking on the fretwork. It's a very different solo, with a healthy dose of freak out. Moreover, it sounds fun and definitely nice in the context of the evening. Let's give some more whammy work at the end for good measure! 5:13 "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - Ha! I like what Jimi goes in the first verse, and then he repeats the first verse of this stinging, yet slightly sloppy take. Jimi always manages to hang on, though. The licks they Hendrix introduces are all left of center, coming in angular. Not good and not bad. So, yeah, it shakes the bedrock but doesn't cause the head to expand. It's simply kind of boring considering everything that came before. But be wise, there's no way to shake the outro solo (both of them), as Jimi aims to please by making those solos chock full of solid chops! The ending solos are as good as it gets. Bless this show, too. 8:17 So, yeah, I must have listened to each one of these songs 5 times each. I wanted it to be fair and accurate. The band is really on fire during this part of the tour, as we will also hear in the next show. Gun 'em down, Jimi! 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 Stockholm 08-31-1970 Copenhagen 01-10-1969 Copenhagen 01-07-1968
Many of us Texans sound nothing like Texans unless if we are making fun of the way Texans talk (especially if we live in the big cities). For topic reasons: I had a professor at UT-Austin who taught film classes that was briefly a roadie for Hendrix.
I had big accent. I'm from Amarillo, Texas. Oh, the accent is there, alright. I don't sound much like that anymore, though.
Re-watched the footage from the January 9, 1969 first show tonight. Although, Jimi & Noel look quite bored. Mitch really has some fine playing on "Fire." Too bad that was the only highlight and the song didn't come together. The band had performed the song a few hundred times in concert at the point. Jimi looks like he just wants to get through it. Probably in a hurry to get to that rarely played live song, "Hey Joe."
Totally lifeless performance from Jimi, like he really wants to get the hell out of there, which was of course the case.
But it IS interesting how the 1969 Euro tour picked up speed after the dreary start in my native Sweden. Jimi picked Sweden as one of his favorite places in the world prior to that, but the romance seems to have worn off pretty badly in 1969, perhaps due to the unavailability of the drugs the trio now needed to get on. Anyway the Copenhagen gig is a blunder and the German gigs are generally inspired.
I was surprised at how good the Copenhagen '69 gig was. Reading back through my review, I noted a little bit more than usual bits of slop through most of the songs, but outside of moments it shows that they were getting progressively better. I mean, it's certainly a better show than Stockholm, with tons more energy. Energy doesn't always translate over to the best playing, but I would rather hear an energetic show, compared to the general lethargy in Gothenburg and Stockholm. In other words, they were going somewhere. By the time they get to Hamburg they sound pretty close to full swing. Cologne is similar to Hamburg. Munster is...almost divine? I need to listen to that one again, as I just heard it last night with cans. I'll hear it on my speakers tonight, probably. I know this much upon one listen, Munster is akin to Vancouver '68 where Jimi's vocals are amazing. He really pulls out all of the stops there.
I did as well as a kid but more urban-Texan. I guess we all lost it when the world got smaller. Btw, I also had a professor at UH who saw Hendrix in San Antonio and said "he was the fastest guitarist" he had ever seen. The prof was a big Todd Rundgren fan, so I never thought of Hendrix in terms of technical speed. If there is a show from 69 or 70 with Jimi really shredding, I'd like to hear it.
That's a very good question, and though I haven't heard every single extant show yet, I can confidently say the answer is yes and no. Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but one main reason that Hendrix is so endearing - especially in a live setting - was his notion of balance. So, yes, he could shred as fast anyone before him, or since, but since Hendrix was all about the improv, you'll find a natural understanding of Expanding & Contracting from Hendrix. Pause & Release. Shrink & Swell. So, your question might as well have been, how smooth was Hendrix, because you'd have to point at sections, or parts, whole melodic lines to find those bits between the angular bits, the psychedelic bits, the pure blues bits, the jazz bits, and yes, the shredding bits. I recently reviewed the Hamburg '69 show and here's a good example of pure shred, even shred in some very abstract ways, and some that points to the future in what EVH would bring. You have to go all the way to 1:05:32 until the end to hear it, and if you do, check out the second between 1:05:48/49 to 1:05:53...what is that? I mean, as a guitarist I know what it is, but how did he do that on the fly, pure improv? But this is just one of many sections where Hendrix went into full-on shred mode. If you have the BoG album, on "Machine Gun," there is perfect example right at 7:00. It's too bad that the cameraman panned away from Jimi right before that part in the film.
@DTK May I recant my position on the 01-13-1969 Cologne show? I don't think it's close to being as good as Hamburg. It might be more Copenhagen '69 level. It's too uneven. Don't get me wrong, it's still a good show, but sandwiched between Hamburg and Munster? No, I don't think it holds up, as well. I was kind of thinking of another recent show that I listened to, thus mixing them up. I think one nagging thing about Cologne is the sound they got in this venue. Man, I'm really getting ahead of myself here. Heh.
I came across Cologne in my old CD-r box yesterday but didn't pull it out as I remember it's pretty bad-sounding? I liked your description of Jimi's playing as expanding and contracting. That is very true, like all the best improvisers he was dynamic, leaving space and shaping his solos with peaks and valleys. He could play fast, but that was never an end goal in itself, but I'm sure you've posted one or two examples here where he goes for speed and fireworks to cover lack of inspiration.
No, it sounds really good. The one I have is an FD merge, making the show complete. You can hear all instruments and vocals very well.
Fascinating as to what we read into Jimi's seen performances as opposed to his simply heard performances! Two shows that day, one judged as much on what we see as to what we hear. The same for IOW in many respects, always a better listen than a watch. The problems occur when we can't leave preconceived thinking at the door when we listen, once the footage has been seen!
