Blues (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Blues
Type = compilation
Longtype =
Artist = Jimi Hendrix


Released = April 26, 1994
Recorded = 1966–1970
Genre = Blues, blues-rock, electric blues
Length = 72:17
Label = MCA
MCAD-11060
Producer = Alan Douglas
Bruce Gary (compilation)
Reviews =
*About.com Rating|4|5 [http://blues.about.com/od/cddvdreviews/fr/HendrixBlues.htm link]
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:1zrb28or05na link]
*Review-Christgau|A-|album=1697
*"Entertainment Weekly" (A) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302564,00.html link]
*"NME" Rating|8|10 [http://www.nme.com/reviews/jimi-hendrix/495 link]
*"Rolling Stone" (favorable) [http://www.tower.com/blues-jimi-hendrix-cd/wapi/106609339 link]
Last album = "Nine to the Universe" (1980)
This album = "Blues" (1994)
Next album = "Voodoo Soup" (1995)

"Blues" is a posthumous compilation album by musician Jimi Hendrix, released April 26, 1994 on MCA Records. [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gjfuxqegldte~T0 allmusic { Blues > Overview }] . All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-08-09.] The album contains eleven blues songs recorded by Hendrix between 1966 and 1970. Out of these eleven, six were previously unreleased. The tracks include seven of Hendrix's compositions along with covers of famous blues songs such as "Born Under a Bad Sign" and "Mannish Boy". Most of the album's material consists of leftover studio tapes that Jimi Hendrix might have never intended to release.

Compiled by MCA and released in 1994, "Blues" was met with surprisingly favorable criticism for a posthumous compilation. The album's critical recognition was met with multiple chart success and selling over 500,000 copies in its first two years of release. On February 6, 2001, "Blues" was certified platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America. [ [http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH RIAA Searchable Database - Search Results - Blues Jimi Hendrix] . Recording Industry Assoiation of America. Retrieved on 2008-08-09.] The album was re-released on Classic Records in 1998, following the Hendrix family's obtainment of the musician's recordings. [ [http://www.discogs.com/release/1256043 Discogs.com - Blues (1998)] . Discogs. Retrieved on 2008-08-09.]

Music

"Hear My Train Comin'" (aka (by Hendrix) "Getting My Heart Back Together Again") is a Hendrix original that he often played live, without ever recording a definitive studio version. The song features Hendrix alone playing a 12 string acoustic right hand guitar, strung for left hand and singing in a delta blues manner. This live studio performance was filmed for, and included in the film "See My Music Talking", later released as "Jimi Hendrix". It was also later released on the soundtrack LP "Jimi Hendrix". "Born Under a Bad Sign" is an instrumental jam of the Albert King number (performed by Band of Gypsys). "Red House" is the original (mono) version of the song from Hendrix's debut album, but minus the outro chat (previously unavailable in USA & Canada). [":Blues" CD sleeve notes, MCA] The later (different compilation from the rest of the world) 1969 USA "Smash Hits" LP featured a completely different stereo take, from a different session. On this version Redding plays electric guitar tuned down to resemble a bass. "Catfish Blues" is from a Dutch TV show "Hoepla". 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 the creation of producer 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 Hendrix's slow blues song. 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 a re-titled alternative take of "Jam 292" (the name on the tape box). It is an uptempo jam based on Duke Ellington's "Dooji Wooji". [From The Benjamin Franklin Studios by Steve Rodham] "Electric Church Red House" is a jam from TTG studios in 1968 featuring a group introduction by Hendrix (lifted from another, different jam at TTG) and Lee Michaels on organ. [From The Benjamin Franklin Studios by Steve Rodham] The last track is the live version of "Hear My Train Comin'" recorded in 1970 at Berkeley University.

Track listing

"All songs written by Jimi Hendrix, except where noted." [ [http://www.discogs.com/release/1148691 Discogs.com - Blues (1994)] . Discogs. Retrieved on 2008-08-09.]
#"Hear My Train Comin' (Acoustic)" – 3:05
#"Born Under a Bad Sign" (Bell, Jones) – 7:37
#"Red House" – 3:41
#"Catfish Blues" (Petway) – 7:46
#"Voodoo Chile Blues" – 8:47
#"Mannish Boy" (McDaniel, London, Morganfield) – 5:21
#"Once I Had a Woman" – 7:49
#"Bleeding Heart" (Traditional) – 3:26
#"Jelly 292" – 6:25
#"Electric Church Red House" – 6:12
#"Hear My Train Comin' (Electric)" – 12:08

Chart history

Billboard Music Charts (North America) – "Blues" [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gjfuxqegldte~T3 allmusic ((( Blues > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))] . All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-08-09.]
* 1994: Billboard 200 – #45
* 1994: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – #38
* 1995: Top Blues Albums – #4

Personnel

* Jimi Hendrix – guitar, arranger, vocals
* Alan Douglas – producer
* Mark Linnett – engineer
* Joe Gastwirt – mastering
* Bruce Gary – compilation producer
* Michael Fairchild – liner notes
* Glenn A. Baker, Chris Walter, Claude Van Heye, David Redfern, Jan Persson – liner photography
* Richard Bull, Rob O'Connor – art direction, design

References