Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Chile Blues (1970)

Just when you think that there can't be any more unheard Jimi Hendrix recordings, a 5CD box set turns up from Midnight Beat, containing a treasure trove of recordings made between 1967 and 1970. As usual with Hendrix bootlegs, it contains a lot of multiple takes of the same tracks, and also unfinished snippets which just stop when they fall apart, and so to save you trawling through the whole thing I've extracted the very best of the recordings into one album. The comprehensive notes in the booklet give a background of when and where the music was recorded, so here is the lowdown on the recordings. 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return) had 15 takes recorded at The Record Plant in May 1968, and I've used the best complete recording, although it did have a very prominent tambourine all the way through, which I've toned down considerably. 'Midnight, Valleys Of Neptune' was recorded at Olmstead Studios in April 1969, and this version is the last of seven takes of the song. An instrumental version of 'Sending My Love To Linda' is another Record Plant recording from April 1969, and is the second of three takes of the track. 'Mannish Boy' is from January 1970 at the Record Plant, and the best of the seven takes was take 3, so that's what we have here, with some outstanding playing as the Gypsies try to cut this tune. 'Closer To The Truth' is an alternate 'Roomful Of Mirrors', and is a home recording from March 1969 at Hendrix's Brook Street, London address. It's an unusual take of the track, with talking and chanting to the accompaniment of taped music of others, which he is controlling on his cassette deck or record player. Vocals were on one channel, while the music was on the other, so I've done a stereo mix to make it easier to listen to. 'I Was Made To Love Her' was recorded in a medley with 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg' at the Playhouse Theatre in October 1967, with Stevie Wonder on drums. Sound quality is excellent, and Jimi lets rip on some great riffs, although there are no vocals. The first half is better than the second, so I've only included the 'I Was Made To Love Her' section. 'Had To Cry Today' is from July 1970 at Electric Ladyland Studios, and is a particularly percussive take on the songs, with conga, drums, and cowbells dominating at the beginning. 'Voodoo Chile Blues' is a May 1968 recording from the Record Plant, and is the last and best of the five takes, although it did include a lot of chatter throughout the recording, most of which I've removed. Experienced collectors might want to consider this since it brings together a lot of favourite booted tracks in one place, and for someone like me, who has quite a number of bootlegs but would not consider myself a fanatic, there was stuff on here that I hadn't heard before, and once the fat was trimmed then it left a really nice hour-long collection. 

Track listing

01 Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (Take 15)
02 Midnight, Valleys Of Neptune (Take 7)
03 Sending My Heart To Linda (Take 2)
04 Mannish Boy (Take 3)
05 Closer To The Truth (Take 1)
06 I Was Made To Love Her (Take 1)
07 Had To Cry Today (Take 2)
08 Voodoo Chile Blues (Take 5)