Are You Experienced – Stereo/Mono Hybrid SACD
Released in September 2020
Following on from the 2018 remaster of Axis comes this new Bernie Grundman remaster of Are You Experienced on hybrid SACD from good old Analogue Productions. As with their release of Axis by Grundman, sound quality here is equal to the first Reprise CD of the 80s (non-RE1) which is considered to be the best CD version released by audiophiles. This version has a little more bass and a tad less high end. New booklet design also.
SACD layer: both the original Stereo and Mono mixes remastered
CD layer: only the original Stereo mix remastered (because of disc space restraints, dammit!)
Gord’s Review
Many other Hendrix albums in the Acoustic Sounds catalogue here.
BBC SESSIONS – 12 song Target exclusive orange vinyl
Released October 21st 2022
Side A: Hey Joe, Foxy Lady, Alexis Korner Introduction, Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window, Little Miss Lover, Driving South, Love Or Confusion
Side B: Purple Haze, Day Tripper, Spanish Castle Magic, Jammin’, I Was Made To Love Her, Introducing The Experience, The Burning Of The Midnight Lamp
Vinyl for the sake of it with this abridged BBC Sessions L.P. A shorter version of the album but still a damn good Jimi Hendrix Experience album! Only 12 songs and a two of them are the instrumental jams with Stevie Wonder on drums (Jammin’, I Was Made To Love Her). A pity that space wasn’t used for Hear My Train A Comin’, Hound Dog or Hoochie Coochie Man.
First Rays Of The New Rising Sun – Vinyl re-release and new Dolby Atmos mix
Released May 10 2024
It was announced that this is a “new” Bernie Grundman all analog remaster but he had already done that with all but three songs for the 2014 releases of Cry Of Love and Rainbow Bridge. Whatever, this is therefore an improvement sonically compared to the original release.
No CD version has been announced yet but in digital format there is a Dolby Atmos mix on streaming platforms (from May 10).
> Check out this discussion about the merits of the new vinyl edition
Electric Lady Studios – A Jimi Hendrix Vision
To be released – September 13th
CD1 – Ezy Ryder, Valleys of Neptune, Straight Ahead (Takes 1&2), Drifter’s Escape, Astro Man, Astro Man, Drifting, Night Bird Flying, Farther Up the Road, The Long Medley: Astro Man / Beginnings / Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) / Midnight Lightning (Keep On Groovin’) / Freedom
CD2 – Earth Blues, Dolly Dagger, Angel, Beginnings, Lover Man, Tune X / Just Came In, Heaven Has No Sorrow, Freedom, Valleys of Neptune, Come Down Hard On Me, Dolly Dagger, Messing Around, Tune X / Just Came In, Drifting, Freedom, Belly Button Window
CD3 – Dolly Dagger, Night Bird Flying, Freedom, Midnight Lightning / Beginnings, Straight Ahead, In From the Storm, Bolero / Hey Baby (New Rising Sun), Drifter’s Escape, Astro Man, Bleeding Heart, Drifting, Room Full of Mirrors, Angel
Blu-ray – Documentary, 5.1 surround sound mix of First Rays Of The New Rising Sun plus Valleys Of Neptune, Lover Man and Pali Gap.
This popped up sporadically on various purchase sites with a release date that was set for March 2022 but its release is blocked, apparently because of permissions issues concerning the Blu-ray disc. It will be an interesting collection of work-in-progress takes and alternate mixes from Jimi’s final months as he worked away on his fourth studio album. Perhaps some takes/mixes have already appeared officially/unofficially but we’ll have to wait for the release to sort things out.
From the press release:
“The deluxe box set offers 39 tracks (38 previously unreleased) that were recorded by the new-look Experience (Billy Cox on bass, Mitch Mitchell on drums) at Electric Lady Studios between June and August of 1970,…The project also includes 20 newly created 5.1 surround sound mixes of the entire First Rays Of The New Rising Sun album plus three bonus tracks [“Valleys Of Neptune,” “Pali Gap,” and “Lover Man”]. The Blu-ray includes the critically acclaimed, full-length documentary Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision. The film chronicles the creation of the studio, rising from the rubble of a bankrupt Manhattan nightclub to state-of-the-art recording facility inspired by Hendrix’s desire for a permanent studio. Directed by John McDermott and Produced by Janie Hendrix, George Scott and McDermott, the film features exclusive interviews with Steve Winwood [who joined Hendrix on the first night of recording at the new studio], Experience bassist Billy Cox, and original Electric Lady staff members who helped Hendrix realize his dream. The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and photos as well as track breakdowns of Hendrix classics such as “Freedom,” Angel” and “Dolly Dagger” by recording engineer Eddie Kramer.”
> Here’s a new website dedicated to the film that is included as a Blu-ray disc in the box set
SINGLE
Angel (Take 7) / Message To Love (Live) – Record Store Day vinyl single
Release: August 2024
An extract from the box set plus a live Message To Love form the New York Pop Festival (Randall’s Island) 17 July 1970, which was previously seen on the Hear My Train A Comin’ DVD.