Hendrix In The West and other Joe Vig reviews

Joe Viglione's original review of Hendrix In The West

Before the Alan Douglas era set in with that after-the-fact producer's vision for the Jimi Hendrix catalog of music on albums like 1975's Crash Landing and Midnight Lightning releases, manager Michael Jeffery had engineers Eddie Kramer} and John Jansen} develop compilations after 1971's The Cry Of Love, those being the Rainbow Bridge Original Motion Picture Soundtrack} (actually studio tracks and a cut from the May 30, 1970 Berkeley Community Center concert) and this quick follow-up, Hendrix In The West at the end of
1971, early 1972.

With a version of {&"Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"} and the traditional British National Anthem, {&"The Queen"}, culled from the Isle Of Wight concert (but not the single disc 1971 Polydor {^Isle Of Wight} release), {&"Lover Man"}, {&"Johnny B. Goode"} and {&"Blue Suede Shoes"} from the Berkeley Community Center concert (the {&"Johnny B. Goode"} track
would be re-released the next year along with {&"Purple Haze"} from the Berkeley concert on Reprise Records ' Sound Track Recordings From The Film Jimi Hendrix}; and {&"Red House", "Little Wing" and "Voodoo Chile" from the San Diego Sports Arena, this album strangely works.
Perhaps it's the fact that {$Jimi Hendrix} and his music somehow had the
ability to rise above all the mutations his performances would endure in
the years after his passing. The {$Jim Marshall} photos are beautiful and
the seamless production by {$Eddie Kramer} and {$John Jansen} make for a
commercial and interesting mixture of the two versions of {$The Jimi
Hendrix Experience}, {$Mitch Mitchell} and {$Noel Redding}from the {-San
Diego Sports Arena}, {$Mitch Mitchell} and {$Billy Cox} from both Isle Of
Wight and the Berkeley Community Center. Author {$Steven Roby} gives a
clear explanation of how this album developed on page 171 of his book
{-Black Gold:The Lost Archives Of Jimi Hendrix}, citing engineer {$Eddie
Kramer} and manager {$Michael Jeffery's} ideas for the project. {$Roby's}
book also states that material on this release came from England's {-Royal
Albert Hall}, but that information is not on the liner notes. It's an
interesting release for the fans in the immediate time after the loss of
{$Hendrix}, and a guilty pleasure for purists years after the fact.


SOME QUOTES ON JOE V REVIEWS:


QUOTE #1

From: "jeffrey rois"
Date: Sun, September 18, 2005 6:05 am

Dear Mr.Viglione,

Thank you for being a reviever/critic that I can count on. I used to be
very adventurous in buying cds of acts that I haven't heard of and most
the time it turns out to be rubbish; what a waste of money. These days I'm
trying to economise by purchasing habit so I always check on your comments
first before buying. 85 percent of the time your reviews makes sense to me
and even when it doesn't, ...(infact no one) can deny the brilliance of
your writing.

Jeffrey (Rois)

QUOTE #2
Date: Mon, September 19, 2005 9:54 am

Hi, Joe ! The guy's right. Your reviews are excellent and reliable, so
you ocan include me among your fans (as if you don't already know that!)

Wayne Wadhams
Lead singer, THE FIFTH ESTATE
Producer, FULL CIRCLE (Columbia Records) and other groups.

QUOTE #3
From: jm@jonmacey.com
Date: Mon, September 19, 2005 10:43 am

it is true....you are a great critic!
_____________________________

Jon Macey
Actuality Recording Company
Box 408
Arlington, MA 02476
http://www.jonmacey.com

QUOTE #4
From: "Tom Egan" <nycameratom@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, September 19, 2005 10:57 am

Hey Joe:
Ya know classic rock history NEEDS your continued insight and historical
perspectives as the world rediscovers what a special time for great music
that was...
Keep it going

Tom Egan
NY rock photographer

PAGE 2 QUOTES

QUOTE #5
Date: Mon, September 19, 2005 9:44 am
To: vrtv@varulven.com


That really is a big uplift when people enjoy your writing AND trust
your instincts. That's what it's all about and that's what it should be
about-turning the public on to the worthy artists,eh?

Nancy L. Foster
The Somerville News
former editor, OUI Magazine, 15 Fever

QUOTE #6
Subject:JIMI HENDRIX LIVE @ LOS ANGELES FORUM
From: .......@aol.com
Date: Sun, August 8, 2004 9:54 pm

Hiya Joe -

…I've seen your name all over the AMG pages, I think
you're one of their most trusty reviewers! I definitely think having a
copy of your review of the Jimi boot up on the auction site helped sell
the record.

Someone's gotta keep the flame of all this old rock and roll alive!

…thanks for all the great reviews. You guys at
AMG are doing us all a great service, keep up the great work!

Whenever I hear about a band or artist I've never heard before and want
to know which album to check out first, allmusic.com is always my first
stop.

Take care Joe,

Trevor Sutcliffe

QUOTE #7
LESLEY GORE July 19, 2005

Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 14:46:30 -0400
To: "Rock Journalist Joe Viglione" <recordreview2001@yahoo.com>


Ms. Gore really enjoyed the review, and is thrilled that it's the
highest rated album of her career.

Thanks so much Joe,
Paula

Paula Ford
Engine Company Records

QUOTE #8
On Visual Radio

From: "JAMES PUFF"
Date: Mon, September 19, 2005 12:25 pm
To: vrtv@varulven.com


By the way, I've been an active musician in the Boston area for many
years, and occasionally get a chance to see you on Burlington Cable
Access, which I enjoy very much. Charlie Farren, The Stompers, John
Butcher, The Atlantics, The Hoods, and New England were great bands that
I've always idolized. Please feel free to include me
on any email/postal mailing lists for events or shows that you're doing.

Again, thanks for the help.

James Puff


Joe Viglione Being Quoted:

On FROOGLE and Collecatbles Record's site:
http://www.oldies.com/product/view.cfm/id/74622.html

Quote from Joe Viglione’s review of Tim Moore:

"Tim Moore is a pop maestro...[with] an exquisite understanding of pop
structure and melody."

(Joe Viglione, Allmusic.com)

---

6)Friends From The Beginning Little Richard / Jimi Hendrix



There are only two instances of Jimi Hendrix performing with{$LittleRichard known to exist on tape. There's the Vee Jay single, "I Don't What You Got..." Parts 1 and the live performance at Revere Beach, Massachusetts of Little Richard in concert with Hendrix on guitar, recorded by the legendary mastering engineer"Little" Walter DeVenne. According to very reputable sources, this release, Friends From The Beginning, is totally bogus. There's Aki Tomita's illustrations of Hendrix and {$Penniman} onthe front and back cover, there are ridiculous liner notes that arealmost as absurd as the ones producer {$Johnny Brantley} etched on the back of Jimi Hendrix and Lonnie Youngblood: Two Great Experiences Together - (another album reportedly containing tracks that feature a Hendrix sound alike to fill out the disc), and there's the "music".The album claims to be produced by {$Bumps Blackwell} and {$LittleRichard} but who can be sure? The version of {&"Tutti
Frutti"} whichends side one sounds like a simple guitar lesson being played over aquick studio session with vintage sixties ambiance.Where a true "bootleg" album contains rare performances that fanstreasure, and a "counterfeit" is usually a reproduction of legit albumsby unscrupulous individuals, fraudulent recordings like {^Friends FromThe Beginning} serve no purpose but to confuse the public and harm thereputations of the artists whose names appear on these travesties. Thisalbum says it is a 1972 release, and it actually credits most of thesongwriting to {$Little Rchard} and {$Jimi Hendrix}. Of value to fansonly as a bizarre artifact from an industry where the artist and thepublic are both being cheated. Author {$John McDermott} from the official
Experience Hendrix company has a book which sets the
record straight on all this. Very necessary for an artist whose catalog isrifewith such items - it is suggested you spend your money on that.

Joe Viglione






Midnight Lightning
http://music.yahoo.com/read/review/14175615



Midnight Lightning
http://music.aol.com/album/midnight-lightning/7531

The opening riff to "Foxey Lady" provides the foundation for the instrumental "Trash Man," and no amount of bastardization can take away from the genius guitarist his legacy. If you take this work at face value, without the baggage of what "producer" Alan Douglas did to the tapes, this time with Tony Bongiovi along for the ride, it's still Hendrix. Maybe God allowed the series of albums to happen so the world could see Hendrix's work could survive doctoring and musicians jamming with his art after the fact. That this disc goes for big bucks on Internet auction sites says something about the timelessness of the music. The title track, as with seven of the eight performances here, has session player Alan Schwartzberg on drums, a far cry from his work with Carole Bayer Sager. Mitch Mitchell only appears on Hendrix's blues classic "Hear My Train," Schwartzberg adding shakers. Bob Babbit is the "designated bassist" on the entire project (no doubt what Billy
Cox and Noel Redding thought about this), and Jeff Mironov shares guitar duties with Lance Quinn. That's not a misprint. Thankfully, the extra guitarists are somewhat invisible -- you know, what's the point of having co-vocalists add their talents to a Janis Joplin disc? What these recordings effectively do is offer the world a comparison between what the official Hendrix estate is doing, and what Douglas did. The Hendrix estate wins that battle, Eddie Kramer and John McDermott carefully restoring all the master tapes of Jimi Hendrix, and restoring them properly. Discs like Midnight Lightning are also a statement on how a great artist's legacy can go through various hands and the artistic consequences of tapes traveling as if under their own steam. History is an excellent vantage point from which to view. The title track is great -- and it goes along with the cover painting very nicely. Is it blasphemy to say that this is a highly enjoyable disc? All
the post-Cry of Love releases -- War Heroes, Crash Landing, Voodoo Soup, Blues, Hendrix in the West, Rainbow Bridge, the soundtrack to the Jimi Hendrix film, and this -- provide another crucial look at Hendrix. The more the merrier. It is great to have the official Hendrix estate with Janie Hendrix, John McDermott, and Eddie Kramer doing this properly, but this version of "Gypsy Boy (New Rising Sun)," the inclusion of Mitch Mitchell's "Beginnings," another "Machine Gun," and "Blue Suede Shoes" exist, thus they are important additions to the Hendrix archives. It will be interesting to see if the official Hendrix estate eventually re-releases the Alan Douglas masters just to keep these once-legit works from cluttering the market with counterfeits. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide


Hendrix MOODS
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,101223,00.html

Buyer beware! This is a mostly instrumental work - allegedly by Jimi Hendrix, part of a vast catalog of questionable vinyl LPs issued in the '70s by various companies looking to capitalize on the guitar hero's rabid following. Is it the guitarmaster? We have it on good authority that it is not! Moods at least shows some effort taking the time to put a beautiful painting of the genius on the cover - as did the Shout label on their Jimi Hendrix/In The Beginning - material which claims to be a Vidalia production, the name that appeared alongside Johnny Brantley's productions. You can go down the list on these items - Roots Of Hendrix with its 24 x 24 poster included as a bonus, Springboard's Jimi Hendrix In Concert, which is just another re-release of the Johnny Brantley produced Lonnie Youngblood tapes (as are Two Great Experiences Together and Roots Of Hendrix). A mind boggling barrage of vinyl releases which found their way into record stores in the
years following Jimi's passing, which can be put into four categories: a)the legitimate releases; b)the counterfeit versions of those legitimate releases; c)the bootlegs of live recordings and unreleased sessions d)this stuff which is very likely not even Jimi. As usual, there are no recording dates or musicians credited. It's your basic lo-fi jam. "A Mumblin' Word" has a prayer-like vocal, most likely the product of the mic not picking up the voice of whoever decided to sing. "Miracle Worker" has guitar leads over a '50s second guitar accompaniment. It would also be a stretch to think Hendrix composed any of this material or came up with monikers like "Human Heart", "Get Down", "Feel That Soul" and other such titles. It just wasn't his style. Horns and conga somehow infiltrate "From This Day On" with the guitar up in the mix. But does it matter? Moods is only for the very extreme completists who need a colorful album cover painting of Hendrix and every
item issued that has his name attached to it, whether the artist is in the grooves or not. 28 minutes and 25 seconds of music that isn't as much fun as The Cry Of Love, nor does it have the magic found in those grooves. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide





THE SPIRIT LIVES ON, The Music Of Jimi Hendrix Vol. 2
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fhdayl74xpbb

Ten more songs that {$Jimi Hendrix} once played grace the second volume of
{@Lion Music}'s {^The Spirit Lives On: The Music of Jimi Hendrix} series,
to go along with the thirteen cuts on volume one. Where {$Regi Hendrix}
wrote the liners to the first collection it is metal guitarist {$Lars Eric
Mattson} who does the honors here, and who opens the disc with an exciting
{&"Roomfull Of Mirrors"} aided by {$Megadeth}'s {$Chris Poland} and
vocalist {$Alf Wemmenlind} of the band {$Mister Kite}. It's hard and
driving - as is {$Winterlong}'s look at {&"Purple Haze"}. This is a far
cry from {$Buddy Miles} semi-orchestrated dance version on the {^In From
The Storm} tribute, and at some point do we stop rating this music in
terms of how much it adds to the {$Hendrix} legacy and start comparing it
to all the covers finding their way to the marketplace? Which allows the
instrumental of {$Buddy Miles}' {&"Them Changes"} by {$Tommy Denander} to
emerge as one of the album's shining moments - a terrific reinvention of
{$Miles} songwriting contribution to the {^Band Of Gypsys} album. It is
followed by another non-vocal gem, {$Condition Red}'s lovely and moody
instrumental reading of {&"Villanova Junction"} - an interesting track
Jimi performed on {^Jimi Hendrix: Woodstock} - covered by {$Arlen Roth} on
the 2003 {@Horizon} compilation {^Voodoo Crossing: A Tribute To Jimi
Hendrix} - proving that even the master's obscure titles are starting to
get extra play. {$Condition Red} at least put a new breath into this
lilting approach, though it is the {$Hendrix} delivery at Woodstock which
carries something special. {$Torben Enevoldsen} takes on {&"Who Knows?"},
another slice from the {^Band Of Gypsys} outing, and in this context it
works very well, though {$Jeff Richman} does a jazzy rendition on
{@Horizon}'s second volume of covers released in 2005 - {^Gypsy Blood: A
Tribute To Jimi Hendrix Volume 2} - with {$Robert Trout} and {$Popa
Chubby} also covering the tune on the {^Blue Haze: Songs of Jimi Hendrix}
title issued in 2000. You need a scorecard to keep track of Jimi's own
versions as well as the amazing amount of covers that just keep
proliferating. So perhaps it comes down to personal taste - in which case
this writer finds {$Dave Martone}'s transcendant instrumental of
{&"Angel"} on this compilation to truly be in "the spirit" of {$Jimi
Hendrix} - spacey, other-worldly, and a delight for the ears. The song
drifts away from {$Hendrix} original concept and takes on a life of its
own evolving with stunning moments despite the fact that everyone from
{$Rod Stewart} to {$Jeff Healey} and {$Gil Evans} have walked down this
path. Heck, the song shows up on {^If 69 was 96} by {$Pinguin Moschner}
and on {$Roy Mette}'s {^A New
Experience: An Acoustic Tribute to Jimi Hendrix}, two more nods to Jimi's
seemingly endless influence. And perhaps because so many have jumped on
the bandwagon these releases tend to become a blur. That's a pity because
{^The Spirit Lives On: The Music Of Jimi Hendrix Vol. 2} is a fun
listening experience with some innovation and substance that gives it the
thumbs up.

03:29 Mattsson/Poland "Room Full Of Mirrors"
03:29 Winterlong "Purple Haze"
03:50 David Martone "Angel"
03:24 Project Alcazar "Manic Depression"
06:13 Torben Enevoldsen "Who Knows"
04:47 Mattsson/Byrd "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp"
03:57 Tony Hernando "Red House"
03:49 Tommy Denander "Them Changes"
03:36 Condition Red "Villanova Junction"
03:27 Baltimoore "Freedom"

The Spirit Lives On, The Music Of Jimi Hendrix Vol. 1

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781CDD4AAE7420ED9C2C45C7BD7CE71AFE5AFB86112F0456D3B82D6DA30B47D00BE49F81B0FB6AB57AB0FD2EA45E43D7C0EC54F6DE652D5DF0&sql=10:5y59kettfq7c~T1


Review by Joe Viglione

Homage and honor to Jimi Hendrix via various artist compilations has
become more than a cottage industry, from the Rubber Band's Hendrix
Songbook released back in the 1960s, to Pat Boone doing a hideous cover of
"The Wind Cries Mary." Jimi has certainly made his mark beyond influence
in a world where his music is absolutely adored. In From the Storm and
Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix were the most commercial of the lot
until 2004's Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix landed on the
market. Released almost simultaneously with the Experience Hendrix
company's official tribute comes the first of at least two collections
from the Lion Music group out of Finland. Regi Hendrix, a cousin of
Jimi's, writes the CD booklet essay on The Spirit Lives On, Vol. 1: The
Music of Jimi Hendrix Revisited. Regi also performs on "Bold as Love"
along with Jason "JMR" Richardson and Greg Howe. Like the majority of the
tracks on this disc, the playing is competent, though it doesn't break any
new ground. Hearing Cyril Archard reconstruct the great "Highway Chile" is
fun, as is Eric Sands on "Stone Free." The song selection is what is most
intriguing. Carl Roa does an interesting "3rd Stone From the Sun," while
Arabesque try their hand at "Crosstown Traffic." Sun Caged's "Freedom" is
faithful, but the question is, does it add to Jimi's legacy, or perform as
a platform for this group? Either way is OK, but inevitably people are
going to go back to the superb original. "Gypsy Eyes" by Mistheria and
Andrea Rivera could be the album's most creative moment, sounding like a
jazzy "Room Full of Mirrors"-influenced rendition, it has some elements of
Deep Purple's "Highway Star," which make it a standout here. Randy Coven
gives us his rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," although working a
Hendrix original would have been preferable for this artist. Covering
music that Jimi covered and made his own is not only redundant, but
pointless. How can anyone hope to compare to the master? And if they could
do a better job it might go from tribute to showing off. Still, The Spirit
Lives On, Vol.1 has some fine moments, and is a decent addition for fans
who collect such things. Surprisingly, Buddy Miles' Tribute to Jimi
Hendrix has a bit of a different spin; he resurrects the ideas that were
created with Band of Gypsies rather than going over material he and Jimi
played (with the exception of "Red House"). Perhaps that is where this
potential series could go. Just make sure Ronnie Montrose and Robin Trower
are on-board.


The Rubber Band : The Hendrix Songbook
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:f9b1z81ajyv2~T1

Artist Rubber Band

The Hendrix Songbook

Label GRT

Review by Joe Viglione

Along with it being a ridiculous concept to begin with, the other tragedy
of this tribute album to Jimi Hendrix created by producer Michael Lloyd
(and probably record exec Mike Curb, as a Curb/Fitzpatrick team is listed
as "production" ) is that none of the vaunted musicians are listed here.
Imagine the fun if someone of substance had actually put his/her name to
this? The Rubber Band previously released The Cream Songbook, a tribute to
the Eric Clapton/Ginger Baker/Jack Bruce ensemble, and maybe there was a
market back in the day for knock-offs of six Hendrix tunes, including
"Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," "Manic Depression," "The Wind Cries Mary," and
"Fire," all from the Are You Experienced? album, as well as "Little Miss
Lover" from Axis: Bold As Love; a wedding band cover of Bob Dylan's "All
Along the Watchtower"; and a Michael Lloyd original, "Rubber Jam." How
"Rubber Jam" pertains to Hendrix's genius is the mystery as there is
nothing vaguely resembling Robin Trower or April Lawton, let alone
Hendrix, on this particular track. It's clear from the Joe X. Price liner
notes that concern for the music is not the primary focus on The Hendrix
Songbook. With 24 minutes of mostly instrumental music, the one "vocal" on
"Foxy Lady," they were clearly out for the quick buck — but decades later
it survives as a bizarre collectors item. Imagine the group on the fake
Little Richard/Jimi Hendrix release Friends From the Beginning performing
one-take Experience covers with electric organ, violins, cellos, viola,
oboes, and horns. Price claims that they are "blending Mike Lloyd's
arranging talents with the creative genius that is Hendrix." Well, with a
production resumé that includes Debby Boone, Pat Boone, the Mike Curb
Congregation, and Shaun Cassidy, one wonders if this is the Bellamy
Brothers performing Hendrix's works, and that Lloyd got the idea when the
Experience opened for the Monkees. Not as galling as Pat Boone performing
"The Wind Cries Mary" on his 1997 release In a Metal Mood: No More Mr.
Nice Guy, of course, by Michael Lloyd. Too bad he just didn't have Pat
Boone sing on these old tracks....