Blues (Jimi Hendrix album)

Music

The opening song "Hear My Train A Comin'" (aka, by Hendrix, "Getting My Heart Back Together Again") is a Hendrix original that he often played live in concert, particularly in 1969 and 1970. The song was from a long lost master tape of Hendrix alone playing a 12-string acoustic right-hand guitar, strung for left hand and singing in a delta blues manner. This December 1967 live studio performance was filmed for, and included in the film See My Music Talking, and later included in the 1973 documentary Jimi Hendrix and accompanying soundtrack LP. The last song on Blues is a live version of "Hear My Train A Comin'", recorded on May 30, 1970, at the Berkeley Community Theatre, that had previously been released on the posthumous Rainbow Bridge album in 1971.

"Born Under a Bad Sign" is an instrumental jam of the Albert King number originally written by Booker T. Jones and William Bell (performed by Band of Gypsys). "Red House" is the original (mono) take from the European version of Are You Experienced, but minus the outro chat (previously unavailable in US & Canada). Another take (stereo) from a different session was released on the US version of the 1969 compilation album Smash Hits. On this version Redding plays electric guitar tuned down to resemble a bass. "Catfish Blues" is from a Dutch TV show, Hoepla, which was recorded in November 1967. Hendrix uses the first two verses from Muddy Waters "Rollin’ Stone" (which is based on older versions usually with "Catfish" in the title) and the last verse is from Muddy's "Still a Fool" itself based on "Roll and Tumble Blues" by Hambone Willie etc.

"Voodoo Chile Blues" is another creation of Alan Douglas, recorded during the sessions that produced the finished track, "Voodoo Chile", for the critically acclaimed Electric Ladyland album. This track is made up of two different takes of the song that were edited and joined together in order to come up with one consistent track. "Mannish Boy" is actually a hybrid of Muddy Waters's "Mannish Boy" and Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man", it is a similar edited studio creation that combines several takes. "Once I Had a Woman" is a slightly longer edited version of a song recorded at the Record Plant in New York City on January 23, 1970 with musicians Buddy Miles on drums and Billy Cox on bass guitar. The band starts to jam during the second half of the long song and then a fade out follows. "Bleeding Heart" is a cover of the Elmore James number, performed here by Band of Gypsys. "Jelly 292" is actually take 2 of the song "Jam 292" (the name on the tape box) which appeared on the 1974 European-only LP Loose Ends. It is an uptempo jam based on Duke Ellington's "Dooji Wooji". "Electric Church Red House" is a jam from TTG Studios in Los Angeles featuring a group introduction by Hendrix (lifted from another, different jam at TTG) and Lee Michaels on organ.

Critical reception

In a 1994 review, Rolling Stone magazine was impressed by how Blues showcased Hendrix's ability to pay homage to his influences but also transcend them, while NME said the compilation of lengthy blues jams was distinguished by his "definitive" style of electric blues and the digital remastering quality. Writing for AllMusic, Richie Unterberger said the songs showed "the master guitarist stretching the boundaries of electric blues in both live and studio settings." Village Voice critic Robert Christgau believed the ordinary blues concept and track selection were conducive to Hendrix's unique and eclectic style. He later wrote of Hendrix's blues legacy in Blender:

"Though it's reductionist to define Hendrix as a bluesman just because he was black, he melded Chicago blues and country blues and interplanetary blues and bent blues like a supernatural. His sound was even thicker than mentor Albert King's, yet it could get as fanciful as prime Skip James."

Track listing

Chart history