What are your top 2 Jimi Hendrix Experience live albums?

[skeith]

I am looking for the Experience albums - meaning Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell.

I prefer single disc selections, or maybe you might recommend a single disc selection from a box set like they did with WInterland.

Please give order of preference and any explanation is helpful

Thanks.

[danasgoodstuff]

In the West has some good stuffs, esp'ly "Red House" from San diego, but Jimi was v. hit or miss live, often inspired and not within the same show.

[king ubu]

Nothing beats "Band of Gypsys" - but that's not what you're asking for

"In the West" is indeed pretty darn good! I got the great vinyl release last year and haven't regretted it at all, even though most (or all) of the tracks are available elsewhere. And I guess the Winterland recordings are pretty darn good, too, though I've not really digested all that's in the box ... had the single disc before that.

[jazzbo]

"Band of Gypys" is the ultimate for me, but then I'm a huge Jimi and Billy Cox fan, not really a Noel Redding fan. The new "In the West" (which differs in content from the previous "In the West" lp) is very good, as is the two cd "BBC Sessions" (live in studio, despite the fake stereo).

The latest Monterrey release is a good one, but might as well get that on Blu-ray or DVD. The second disc of the two cd collection "Voodoo Child" is very good, but doesn't all feature Noel Redding.

All my other favorites are with Billy Cox. . . .

Edited June 13, 2013 by jazzbo

[Stefan Wood]

I'm with jazzbo, the Billy Cox stuff is fantastic. But to answer the question, the BBC sessions is recommended.

[Rooster_Ties]

Can't recomend the entire recording -- but the Albert Hall recording of "Little Wing" (I think from 1969) is absolutely definitive -- even topping the studio version. That said, the rest of that night is a mixed bag.

[felser]

I like the Winterland box that came out, it is my "go to" live Hendrix. If that's too much at 4-5 discs (depending which version you get), get one of the smaller Winterland sets. "Band of Gypsies" is also really good, but a different thing. I'm not a fan of the Monterey, Woodstock, or Isle of Wight recordings, especially find the Woodstock set to be directionless.

[Noj]

In the West has some good stuffs, esp'ly "Red House" from San diego, but Jimi was v. hit or miss live, often inspired and not within the same show.

I agree with this. It's less about entire shows than moments/certain songs within shows. For example "Villanova Junction" from Woodstock is one of the most chilling live performances I've ever heard. I love the different, funkier version of "Red House" Jimi did in that show marred by the drunken, obscenity-shouting Jim Morrison (same show? I have it on a weird boot).

[skeith]

Thanks everyone.

I have the latest version of the Monterrey live concert which I have loved forever.... had it on vinyl with the Otis Redding performance since forever.

By the way, on the BBC performances .... does the band stretch out? My experience with BBC performances is that they tend to run 2 to 4 minutes.

[skeith]

I like the Winterland box that came out, it is my "go to" live Hendrix. If that's too much at 4-5 discs (depending which version you get), get one of the smaller Winterland sets. "Band of Gypsies" is also really good, but a different thing. I'm not a fan of the Monterey, Woodstock, or Isle of Wight recordings, especially find the Woodstock set to be directionless.

thanks felser ....do you happen to know if the single disc of Winterland contains the best performances?.... probably this is a dumb question.

[felser]

I like the Winterland box that came out, it is my "go to" live Hendrix. If that's too much at 4-5 discs (depending which version you get), get one of the smaller Winterland sets. "Band of Gypsies" is also really good, but a different thing. I'm not a fan of the Monterey, Woodstock, or Isle of Wight recordings, especially find the Woodstock set to be directionless.

thanks felser ....do you happen to know if the single disc of Winterland contains the best performances?.... probably this is a dumb question.

Can't really say if they are "best" as I don't listen often enough. One thing is that they offer one take of each title on there, where the box has a lot of takes of given titles from given sets.

[Quincy]

By the way, on the BBC performances .... does the band stretch out? My experience with BBC performances is that they tend to run 2 to 4 minutes.

Your past experience holds up. "Hear My Train..." is 5 minutes long but often it 7 minutes or over in a concert setting. A version of "Hoochie Coochie Man" is listed as 5:30 although I'm not sure how is talk (I have the clear vinyl version of BBC and can't check at the moment). But I believe everything else is 2 to 4 minutes. Before the BBC Cream set was officially released a version was being traded and initially people were excited about hearing Cream in A+ quality. Then they realized they were playing everything at Ramones song length.

I really like the vinyl version of Concerts when it came out. It's not all Experience though, and it's a hodgepodge of places (some Winterland '68) and I believe the CD version changed a few songs too (though I'm not positive).

Edited June 13, 2013 by Quincy

[Rooster_Ties]

The nice thing about the BBC stuff is there are a handful of tunes that he otherwise never (or very rarely) ever performed live.

Throw in a few nice covers, and the the BBC stuff -- while made up of shorter tunes -- is generally a really strong set of material - IMHO.

[robertoart]

Fuck those shorter tunes

[skeith]

Fuck those shorter tunes

[jazzbo]

Man, Wayne gets no respect, even in a Jimi thread !

[felser]

Man, Wayne gets no respect, even in a Jimi thread !

[John L]

I am also particularly fond of the Winterland Box set.