Search - Jimi Hendrix Experience :: 3 Nights At Winterland (6-CD) BOX

Jimi Hits Yet Another Peak And Distills The Insanity of 1968

Jason Lynn | Corona del Mar, CA United States | 02/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unless you've heard Jimi Hendrix in concert you have never really heard him.



This box set documents one of the starkest and darkest forces of music, the Jimi Hendrix Experience Tour of 1968. Having toured for nearly a solid year without rest, and despite amp trouble due to a botched combination of Sunn and Marshalls slammed on him by greedy management, Jimi Hendrix pulls out of himself some of his greatest performances for three nights in a row.



"Like A Rolling Stone" gets some of its most involved and deep-felt treatments, and anyone loving that song must hear the three versions presented on this box set, which spans three nights at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. As well, there are sublime versions of Jimi's favorite band Cream's hit, "Sunshine of Your Love." Jimi tired of playing his own hits like "Fire," and his genius for true improvisation and growth are shown in his deeper and more philosophical songs like "Are You Experienced," and "Tax Free" which appear on this box set too. "Hear My Train A-Comin" is especially intense and melancholic.



The recording quality does vary, from excellent to good, in part perhaps due to engineer stonedness, with three songs taken from audience sources because the tape ran out, but the rest being mostly well-done professional recording. Yet these concerts are precious both for Jimi's intensity and for his portrayal of a vexed era: he talks of the "lost souls" of America, and hints at the desperation posioning the air and winds into a version of the national anthem, these concerts happening after Robert Kennedy's murder, and Martin King's, and after the piggery and violence of the Democratic and Republican coventions nullifying any hope for a better America. While that hope may be sickeningly long dead, these recordings live.



One great hope is that the Jimi Hendrix Estate loosen its prigishness and start issuing far more concert recordings on their Dagger label (this box set being put out by Jimi's manager's Estate, Mike Jefferies, and Mr. Jefferies was nothing but a user). However, the JH Estate has issued some

superb live recordings and anyone interested in this box set should also get: Live at Berkeley, 2nd Show; Live at the Fillmore East; Live at Woodstock; Isle of Wight (Wild Blue Angel and Polydor 1971 version), and if possible, Stages (1967-70)and Rainbow Bridge Complete show.



"Everyone says Americans don't like the Blues," says Hendrix. Well here's a reason to have less---or more if you consider that this material is a "limited edition." Try other sources like Ebay if the Amazonie-hucksters

too much juice desire.

"

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jordan J. Erickson | 10/28/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this off ebay for $80.00 and it was still to much for this.



If you want winterland buy the re-release of Live at winterland (dubbed Winterland Nights) Although these are out of print they are much better versions of his sets at winterland.



The original live at winterland is basically a compilation of the best songs he played at winterland over Oct. 10,11,12.



In these 6 shows you hear everything (not that you really want to)

example: On Tax Free off live at Winterland is 9min, because it is edited down from 21min. During the performance they have to replace his amplifirers and such. These shows are long drawn out jams of mostly the same thing. Don't buy this unless you are a seriously hardcore fan, buy the original Live at winterland for excellent playing at sound quallity overall.



If you want excellent playing this show, woodstock and Rainbow bridge.

are the best hendrix shows to own.



(The Rainbow Bridge shows haven't been 'officially' released but you can find them on ebay and such.)



"

Unwashed Jimi Hendrix Experience

Jonathan | bristol, ri United States | 06/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These are a precious collection not so much because the cuts are especially good versions of his songs and not because they were remastered particularly well. This is a precious set of CDs because that's how he sounded in concert. I had the wonderful privilege of seeing him live three times back then and was beautifully reminded of the energy and excitement of those concerts. It's the introductions, tune-ups and renditions of The Star Spangled Banner that make this set worth having. The high-energy creative genius of the "racket" he'd make with feedback and distortion are still rich and wonderful. Sadly this is the stuff that has been largely edited out of most of the live material we hear today. I highly recommend this collection cause one gets to have as much of the real experience;) as one can."