Poll: What's your favorite posthumously released Jimi Hendrix album/compilation?

Hey guys, thanks a lot for keeping up this thread a bit more. Have to apologize again that most of the live albums are not included in the poll.
Originally I had studio and live albums in the poll's list but because of limitations there I decided for compilations with studio recordings only... and somehow I forgot to throw out Isle Of Wight, ugh...

 

I don't get people who say that anything not authorized by Hendrix is automatically subpar. Personally, I think he'd be pissed if nobody ever got to hear Room Full Of Mirrors or Ezy Ryder or any of his other posthumously-released gems just because he had to go and prematurely die.

What really blows my mind is that, even if you exclude the music released during his lifetime, he STILL had one hell of a career.

 

Agreed except Ezy Rider was totally finished and approved by Jimi.

 

I just wanted to chime in because I've been a Hendrix fan for over 25 years and as a purist I could not approve of anything posthumous (other than Band of Gypsies) before 1997. This is when Jimi's dad and half-sister wrested control of his back-catalog from Alan Douglas. Mr. Douglas was widely disliked by fans because he removed the original backing musicians and essentially did 80s era remixes of Jimi's sketches. All of the post-'97 work has been done with Eddie Kramer who was the only man who worked the boards with Jimi in his lifetime.

These albums are on the Experience Hendrix label or Dagger Records which is basically comprised of officially-licensed bootlegs that are mixed by Eddie Kramer to get the best possible sound. They just finished putting out a trilogy of unfinished sketches and ideas that Jimi was working on to possibly include on a fourth album. You should definitely hear "Valleys of Neptune", "First Rays" and "South Saturn Delta". These albums were all compiled to give a sense of listening to an fully-realized album and a great deal of care and expense has gone into all of them.

I have heard for concerts that Winterland, Berkeley, and, of course, Monterey Pop are particularly special. I hope all this is helpful for someone new to the magic of Hendrix.

 

Note: "Blues" is also excellent and was compiled by the family prior to '97. Just look for Experience Hendrix, if you care about that sort of thing. Enjoy!

 

Man, I thought I knew this better. Apparently the Alan Douglas albums span from '74-'95 (not '97 like I said before). You all probably knew all this. I' m sorry and I will leave now.

 

It's alright, you're only young, learning fast. BOG was released in Hendrix's lifetime btw.

 

So it seems the favorite ones are The Cry of Love; Purple Box; Rainbow Bridge.

In my opinion, The Cry Of Love is by far Hendrix best posthumous album. Not really far from his previous studio albums. I started to think why this album isn't more popular and isn't considered a "classic". Perhaps because Alan Douglas and then Hendrix family always treated it as some kind of inferior release and tried to erase it from history books and presented us with Hendrix "definitive" 4th studio album in form of Voodoo Soup and First Rays of New Rising Sun, both inferior releases on my books. The fact both Rainbow Bridge and Cry of Love were reissued speaks loud about the relevance of both releases.

 

Song/track wise, First Rays is perfection, but good lord the mastering is atrociously awful

 

It has to be the Purple Box. It's magnificent.

Not including that then predictably I'll go with Cry of Love and Rainbow Bridge. The rest I can take or leave. I have a few of them.

I love Radio One / BBC Sessions but they aren't here. In The West and The Jimi Hendrix Concerts are my favourite live ones.

 

Blues
Purple Box
Hear My Music
Morning Symphony Ideas
Burning Desire

... the last three are Dagger releases.

 

I didn't read all the responses. I have or have had almost all of these titles.
The Cry of Love and Rainbow Bridge are essential. After that, it's all a mish-mash.

 

I bought Radio One when it was released, and it soon overtook Cry of Love as my favorite post-humous release.

 

I voted for Rainbow Bridge, Cry Of Love, Blues and Songs For Groovy Children.

 

Simple mistake. Much larger mistakes have occurred at this forum

 

I enjoy Jimi’s live releases, especially the famous festival gigs like Woodstock and Isle of Wight (‘Wild Blue Angel’). The Atlanta pop festival release is also great.

I’m surprised that Jimi’s 1970 gig in Maui wasn’t released this past week as it’s the 50th anniversary.

 

War Heroes for three reasons;

1. "Tax Free"
2. "Midnight"
3. "Beginning" (Jam Back At The House)

"Bleeding Heart" for good measure. That wah-wah is brilliant.

 

War Heroes deserves a reissue!

 

Cry of Love is probably the best*, but I don't think it compares to the original 3 studio records. I'm sure if it had been finished it could have. Voodoo Soup gives a better picture, to me, but the sound really is kind of lousy. A shame.


*unless you count In The West (as originally presented). In that case you cannot do better, pound for pound.

The Purple Box is an astonishing collection, but I don't really see it in the same light as the attempts at making an "album". Since it's eligible it got my vote. As far as "albums" go, Nine To The Universe demands mention.

 

RB, N2tU, Purple Box and WCSB. Also would add Experience from 1971. I know it's in mono and is unofficial in the canon but I love those Royal Albert Halls shows from 1969.

 

I love the melody on 'Three Little Bears'. An instrumental version of this would be great (the lyrics & vocal are rather silly).

 

Cry of Love
Rainbow Bridge
War Heroes
Hendrix In The West
Isle of Wight - original single album with the radio interference coming through the amps.
Purple Box

 

You could always re-compile it from the other releases with better sound!

 

And with the original drums

 

I'd only end up making my own "best of" from that material.