The Jimi Hendrix Experience - BBC Sessions

Some of Jimi Hendrix's live radio broadcasts for the BBC were released by Rykodisc in 1988 on Radio One, but The BBC Sessions, remastered and fleshed out into a two-disc completist's dream, is perhaps the best document of how the Experience sounded live in 1967. From blues stomps such as Muddy Waters's "Catfish Blues" to surly R&B vamps such as the three takes of Curtis Knight's "Driving South," Hendrix explores his roots with hardscrabble passion. Meanwhile, he pushes the psychedelic-pop spectrum with surprisingly rich versions of studio-tweaked numbers like "The Burning of the Midnight Lamp." There's plenty of slop--a stumbling jam with Stevie Wonder on "I Was Made to Love Her"--and lots of horsing around and awkward interview fragments. But in its balance of pop form, interstellar improv, R&B pedigree, and sheer charm, The BBC Sessions is about as accurate and honest a snapshot of the charismatic, still-pimply 24-year-old phenom as you're likely to hear. --James Rotondi Amazon.com

(4.5 stars) A remarkable archive release

This is my favorite Hendrix live album for the same reason that Electric Ladyland is my favorite Hendrix studio album: it shows off his range better than any others. I'll grant that's not exactly a fair thing to say, because it's a compilation spanning his entire career, but as it turns out that career was quite a diverse one, so that's okay. This runs the gamut - Hendrix blues ("Catfish Blues", which served for the basis of the "Voodoo Chile" jam; "Hear My Train a Comin'", "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Hey Joe", "Hound Dog", featuring a bunch of real dogs, a manic "Killin' Floor"), funk-rock ("Little Miss Lover"; the instrumental "Driving South"), ear busting acid-rock ("Foxey Lady"; a stripped-down "Burning of the Midnight Lamp"; "Purple Haze"; "Fire"; "Love or Confusion"; "Spanish Castle Magic"), and even a few covers of contemporary covers - the famous snippet from "Sunshine of Your Love"; a fine cover of "Day Tripper"; and, best of them all, Dylan's obscure b-side "Can I Please Crawl Out Your Window?". There's even a brief set with Stevie Wonder, who guests on his own hit "I Was Made to Love Her", and jams with Hendrix on the aptly-titled instrumental "Jammin'" I prefer the blues tracks greatly - "Catfish Blues", "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Hear My Train a-Comin'" and "Killin' Floor" are probably the album's best four songs, more or less in that order. But just about everything is great - I really like the underproduced "Burning of the Midnight Lamp"; while "Foxey Lady", "Fire" and "Stone Free" are as invigorating as ever. Plus I'll always love Mitch's drumming on "Little Miss Lover". And the Stevie Wonder set is fantastic, merging two of the most fantastic musical talents of the 20th century. So I have little to no complaints about the music itself. Okay, so "Purple Haze" is disappointing. I don't think Jimi ever recorded a truly excellent live version of that song, because part of its greatness is in its trippy production, production he couldn't really recreate live. Instead, my main problem here is with the layout, so to speak. A couple songs are presented in multiple takes, and while I really enjoy "Hey Joe", "Driving South", "Foxey Lady" and "Hear My Train a-Comin'", multiple versions of the same songs that differ only superficially are both redundant and exhausting. Even with that little gripe, this is still an essential addition to the Hendrix catalog. March 17, 2008

The Jimi Genius

Well I've had the Ryko collection for years but I didn't hesitate too long before deciding to buy this. This is the complete version and well worth the price of admission. All great stuff recorded before the Monterey concert, which broke him in America. All the genius is there in spades. A must have!! November 25, 2007

One of my favourite Hendrix albums. Stellar quality. A must have.

Jimi Hendrix first became a hit in Europe before he was noticed in the U.S. The BBC radio in England had a policy of airing a specific amount of live music broadcasts. This gave Jimi, along with Noel Reading and Mitch Mitchell, an opportunity to perform live in the BBC studios. Thus, this recording combines the best of a studio recording and a live recording by having the band perform live in the studio. The result is an amazing recording.

First of all, the quality of the recording is fantastic, especially considering the technology back then. The sound is crisp and clean. Second, the band is having a lot of fun playing and it comes through in the performances. Third, because they performed live to tape, there are no overdubs, studio effects etc. so you get to hear the band in its purest form. I own many Hendrix albums, but this is the one I listen to most often because the performance are so fresh sounding. Highly reccomended!

Before the Hendrix family got the rights to Jimi's recordings, select songs from the BBC studio recordings were previously released on a single CD, called Radio One. However, this recording contains the complete sessions, including all songs and the DJ chatter, and so is a better, more complete recording than Radio One. The BBC Sessions also contains a very informative booklet. Get it, its worth it. February 8, 2007

Simply amazing

Never heard this before, just great stuff. How is it this guy's leftover tapes are just mind bogglingly good compared to others' pinnacle albums. If you like blues, you'll love this.... December 8, 2006

THIS IS NOT THE RYODISC RADIO ONE LIVE SESSIONS

these are pre-canned radio shows with the ever unbearable alexis korner talking on top of the songs as wow cool groovy DJ "intro". the old Radio One was a real live in studio show that was GREAT. THese are mostly studio released cuts from the first and second album mixed with DJ chatter and one HEndrix interview with a phoney, well let's hear that song now shall we intro to the recorded album version! As one who has been seriously burned by repackaged Hendrix stuff in the past, and as a loong time fan (I remember when he lived and died) it takes alot for me NOT to recommend all things Hendrix, but I cannot recommend this. Find the actual LIVE RAdio One recording, not these packaged cut and pasted radio shows
June 23, 2006

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