Review: Jimi Hendrix, “South Saturn Delta” and “Band of Gypsys: Live at the Fillmore East”

When Jimi Hendrix wrote the lyrics, “Well, she’s walking through the clouds, with a circus mind that’s running ’round?,” is it possible that he was writing about himself? Hendrix isn’t generally considered part of the school of autobiographical singer/songwriters, and appreciation of his lyrical and melodic craft usually takes a backseat to his dazzling virtuosity as a musician. So while “Little Wing” isn’t precisely about Hendrix, the vivid lyrical imagery of a dreamer with a “circus mind” applies to the restless, creative young man who recorded more music in his 27 years than many artists do in a natural lifetime.

Legacy and Experience Hendrix kicked off their third wave of releases with three reissues of titles previously available under the Universal Music Group imprimatur: South Saturn Delta, Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix and Band of Gypsys: Live at Fillmore East, a DVD. Mike will tackle Power of Soul in a future review, but for now it’s time to crank up South Saturn Delta and Band of Gypsys. While these titles offer no new material for those collectors who purchased the previous editions, both are essential purchases for those just getting interested in Hendrix.  After all, his catalogue can be daunting. For newbies, where to start? As for old-timers, some might wonder what happened to the collections they grew up on, titles like Rainbow Bridge and War Heroes. For either generation of fan, South Saturn Delta is worthwhile.  The Experience Hendrix-curated collection, originally from 1997, features once-unissued material and is a celebration of Hendrix as both musician and songwriter.

The 15-track South Saturn Delta (Legacy/Experience Hendrix 88697 62773 2) features Hendrix alongside a number of collaborators in both incarnations of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, his Woodstock group Gypsy Sun and Rainbows and the Band of Gypsys. Each ensemble brings out a different side of the artist as he traversed rock, soul, blues, pop and jazz with a seemingly endless amount of imagination and courage. At the time of its initial release in 1997, every track was unreleased.

After one gets over the initial shock of just how much good stuff was left in the Hendrix vaults, it’s easy to appreciate the wide variety of music on South Saturn Delta.  Blistering guitar is de rigeur; the propulsive “Look Over Yonder” has been rescued from the now out-of-print 1971 LP Rainbow Bridge and doesn’t disappoint.  “Pali Gap” is another track from that set, and it originally began life as the jam immediately following the master take of “Dolly Dagger.”  There are other such transformations on display here.  It’s fascinating to hear the driving, up-tempo track “Little Wing [Angel],” aspects of which informed two eventual ballads, “Little Wing” and “Angel.”  From 1972’s War Heroes comes two more scorching instrumentals, “Tax Free” and “Midnight,” both with Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding as personnel.

“Power of Soul” is one of the funkiest tracks ever cut by Hendrix, and it’s the song that inspired the title of the tribute disc reissued alongside South Saturn Delta.  “Power of Soul” was cut just three weeks after the Band of Gypsys’ stand at the Fillmore East in 1970, but it didn’t see release until 1975’s controversial Crash Landing.  For that release, producer Alan Douglas applied various overdubs to a truncated version which was retitled “With the Power.”  The overdubs have been scrapped and the original introduction and two guitar solos have been reinstated.  “Bleeding Heart,” originally issued on War Heroes, is another funky track; it began life as a 12-bar blues before morphing into something else entirely.

There are two Bob Dylan covers on South Saturn Delta; “All Along the Watchtower” is heard in an early mix by Chas Chandler, which is perhaps more conventional than the finished song but no less classic.  Dave Mason and Brian Jones both join Hendrix and Mitchell for this track.  “Drifter’s Escape” is heard on a new mix which differs from the version introduced on 1974’s U.K.-only Loose Ends.  Hendrix’s is a more visceral interpretation than Dylan’s, emphasizing music over lyrics in a change of pace from the original.  Carried over from that collection is “The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam’s Dice,” as remixed by Eddie Kramer and John Jensen in 1972.  This track showcases the guitarist’s offbeat humor and was originally issued as the B-side of Track Records’ 1967 “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” U.K. single.

Of course with any posthumous Hendrix release, one always ponders what might have been!  The title song offers one intriguing insight.  “South Saturn Delta” has a pronounced jazz underpinning and a great horn arrangement by Larry Fallon whose credits ranged from Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks to Cy Coleman’s Broadway musical Seesaw.  Listening to this track it’s not hard to see why Hendrix took a liking to Terry Kath, the unmistakable guitarist of the band then known as Chicago Transit Authority.  1967’s “Sweet Angel” is unconventional only for its mellow quality, though Hendrix did record his share of beautiful ballads.  It’s straightforward, melodic and a wonderful find.  There’s more after the jump.

Caught in the Spotlight: Three More Thin Lizzy Reissues Due in U.K.

Now that the Thin Lizzy catalogue has begun being properly serviced by Universal in the U.K., it’s exciting to report on three more deluxe reissues of some of the band’s albums in June.

The band’s Bad Reputation (1977), Black Rose: A Rock Legend (1979) and Chinatown (1980) will be expanded as two-disc sets with rare and unreleased B-sides, demos, BBC sessions and more.

Each set has a U.K. release date of June 27. Check out order links and track lists after the jump. Thanks to super reader George for reminding us about these and Brave Words for the annotated track lists!