Rock - what are you listening to?

[cybot]

Rob,

Mitch Mitchell's comments about the crazy band of stragglers that encompassed the Woodstock troupe I found inside one of the albums but I just cannot remember which one! He was talking about looking forward to the simpler three band lineup as he felt the Woodstock band was a mess. If I find it I'll let you know :)

Are you sure Jimi mostly used a Gibson for his live renditions of Red House? I'm trying to remember but, of course, I can't! Didn't he use a Fender for his Woodstock version? Nah, it won't come to me :(

Red House before '66! That's a new one :)

I'm currently listening to the four versions plus mistakes and banter of Red House from '67 (De Lane Lea March '67 - it says here....). It's on Radioactive Records and it's called Studio Outtakes ....Vol. 1 1966 / '68 - 180 g Vinyl pressing too :)

[Rob]

Rob,

Mitch Mitchell's comments about the crazy band of stragglers that encompassed the Woodstock troupe I found inside one of the albums but I just cannot remember which one! He was talking about looking forward to the simpler three band lineup as he felt the Woodstock band was a mess. If I find it I'll let you know :)

Are you sure Jimi mostly used a Gibson for his live renditions of Red House? I'm trying to remember but, of course, I can't! Didn't he use a Fender for his Woodstock version? Nah, it won't come to me :(

Red House before '66! That's a new one :)

I'm currently listening to the four versions plus mistakes and banter of Red House from '67 (De Lane Lea March '67 - it says here....). It's on Radioactive Records and it's called Studio Outtakes ....Vol. 1 1966 / '68 - 180 g Vinyl pressing too :)

Thanks re. the Mitchell comments - the track Villanova Junction - which I think would become Beginnings - was pretty badly played at Woodstock if I recall correctly.

I'm not sure if it was mostly or just a good bit that Hendrix substituted the strat for a Gibson on Red House - I recalled reading something about it in one of the better biographies - Electric Gypsy I think but could be wrong. This link suggests he quite often used a Flying V, which is new https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_House ... Variations

The recording seems to be from before he went to London at the end of 1966 - its a bit different but fundamentally the same song, which presumably was some time in 1966. :) I can't find mention of it after a very quick Google but some sources say that he was first playing the song in the Cafe Wha? when as Jimmy James and the Blue Flames https://books.google.ie/books?id=DGJfAg ... 66&f=false - I'll try to find the disc for the title - its one of those semi-fake albums that mainly rehash old Lonnie Youngblood tracks which Hendrix sometimes played on.

Great collection of vinyl you have there Cybot - will probably never get into it in a serious way again after my collection vanished some years ago.

[cybot]

Thanks for kind comments Rob. The sloppy performance of VJ at the end of Woodstock I thought was quite poignant as it seemed to signal the end of that particular era. An epitaph of sorts.....

Thanks for the links. I have that Electric Gypsy, one of the best books writen about Jimi plus Crostown Traffic by CC Murray. Such a wealth of info on EG! I don't think I'd be fit to read it all again lol!

Very saddened to hear your collection 'vanished'. What happened? Never say never!

[Rob]

Thanks for the links. I have that Electric Gypsy, one of the best books writen about Jimi plus Crostown Traffic by CC Murray. Such a wealth of info on EG! I don't think I'd be fit to read it all again lol!

Very saddened to hear your collection 'vanished'. What happened? Never say never!

Electric Gypsy is a great book and a great detailed discography in the back. The book contrasts with the other significant book I read on Hendrix - Scuse Me While I Kiss The Sky, which took rather extended artistic licence rather too much and did indeed portray Mitchell and Redding as racists - Mitchell was right to sue IMHO so don't understand why he lost his case unless it was on a technicality.

My collection was nicked in the early 2000s - vinyl enthusiasts perhaps but they didn't discriminate too much by also nicking my CD collection! lol

[cybot]

Thanks for the links. I have that Electric Gypsy, one of the best books writen about Jimi plus Crostown Traffic by CC Murray. Such a wealth of info on EG! I don't think I'd be fit to read it all again lol!

Very saddened to hear your collection 'vanished'. What happened? Never say never!

Electric Gypsy is a great book and a great detailed discography in the back. The book contrasts with the other significant book I read on Hendrix - Scuse Me While I Kiss The Sky, which took rather extended artistic licence rather too much and did indeed portray Mitchell and Redding as racists - Mitchell was right to sue IMHO so don't understand why he lost his case unless it was on a technicality.

My collection was nicked in the early 2000s - vinyl enthusiasts perhaps but they didn't discriminate too much by also nicking my CD collection! lol

Just found out that Eddie Kramer was very critical of Electric Gypsy on some interviews he did which can be found on YouTube. No, I haven't looked for them yet :) Actually I don't need to find out why. There's another book I picked up in HMV last time they were in town which has a fantastic opening chapter about the author finding Jimi's mother's grave. I can't remember the title :(

Didn't know about the racists story!

Again sad to hear that your collection was 'nicked'. Here's to the continued expansion of your collection. Just make sure there's a lot of Jimi's stuff in there. Preferably vinyl :)

[mcq]

Ah I missed out on the original Cream at the RAH and balked at the exorbitant money being charged for second hand copies. It must have been awesome as the MOV version is not that bad......surely? The DVD is great too. Like you I had the single Lp version of FTC. There was also a terrific documentary about the making of the album. Did you ever see it? Wonder if it's on YouTube?


Edit: I've just come across an old review of yours where you describe your dislike of Stan Ricker's original half speed mastering of Cream's RAH gig. Then I find out that they released it again on RSD. I believe this version is 'awesome'. Can you clarify?

I picked up the original Cream when it came out, all of €40! Actually the MOV version isn't bad at all, I just had to choose between the two and seeing what the prices of the boxset are, it was a no-brainer.

In the 70s I bought a lot of Mobile Fidelity LPs but was never really gone on the sound of them. The more I read about half-speed mastering I could see why I didn't like them. I have compared about a dozen originals to the MoFi equivalents and it is night and day, some of them are really bad. If you play an original copy of Little Feat's Waiting for Columbus (mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab) to the MoFi version (which is supposed to be the holy grail), I think your jaw would drop. Half-speed mastering just does something odd to the bass, you know when your speakers aren't in phase and the bass disappears, that is what it is like.

Miles Showell (Abbey Road Mastering) is doing a lot of half-speed mastering lately and he 'claims' that half-speed mastering works betters when high-res files are used rather than tape and he goes on about how it just doesn't sound right with tape but that he can correct the anomalies using high-res files.

Believe it or not of all the MoFi half-speed LPs I have Gordon Lightfoot's sounds the best, maybe that is because it is a more acoustic album.

So is the original Cream RAH a half-speed job? I'd wager no.....
Great price too, you lucky sod! Well at least I have THE holy grail of Cream gigs. On luxurious double vinyl too ;)

Have you heard any of the Peter Gabriel half-speed mastering vinyl?

I get you about the out of phase and the missing bass. Good call :)

Speaking of half-speed vinyl masterings, I have resisted the urge up to now, but this might be the one thing to tempt me back to vinyl.  Judee Sill's first two albums are being re-released September 29th on Intervention Records.  Half-speed mastered at 45 RPM and transferred direct from the analogue master tapes with no digital intervention in the mastering chain.  These two albums are already available on heavyweight vinyl from 4 Men With Beards but the new issues appear to be the definitive sounding versions of the original masterpieces.  The Donor is one of the greatest, most chillingly intense songs I have ever heard and, to date, I have only heard it on the "inferior" CD medium.  I can only imagine just how much better it will sound on the new vinyl issue of Heart Food. (Here's hoping that this will bring me ever closer to Judee's music.)

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/12379 ... nyl_Record

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/12380 ... nyl_Record

[tweber]

Rob,

Mitch Mitchell's comments about the crazy band of stragglers that encompassed the Woodstock troupe I found inside one of the albums but I just cannot remember which one! He was talking about looking forward to the simpler three band lineup as he felt the Woodstock band was a mess. If I find it I'll let you know :)

Are you sure Jimi mostly used a Gibson for his live renditions of Red House? I'm trying to remember but, of course, I can't! Didn't he use a Fender for his Woodstock version? Nah, it won't come to me :(

Red House before '66! That's a new one :)

I'm currently listening to the four versions plus mistakes and banter of Red House from '67 (De Lane Lea March '67 - it says here....). It's on Radioactive Records and it's called Studio Outtakes ....Vol. 1 1966 / '68 - 180 g Vinyl pressing too :)

Red House on an SG
Crosstown Traffic - another great Jimi book alright

[cybot]

Rob,

Mitch Mitchell's comments about the crazy band of stragglers that encompassed the Woodstock troupe I found inside one of the albums but I just cannot remember which one! He was talking about looking forward to the simpler three band lineup as he felt the Woodstock band was a mess. If I find it I'll let you know :)

Are you sure Jimi mostly used a Gibson for his live renditions of Red House? I'm trying to remember but, of course, I can't! Didn't he use a Fender for his Woodstock version? Nah, it won't come to me :(

Red House before '66! That's a new one :)

I'm currently listening to the four versions plus mistakes and banter of Red House from '67 (De Lane Lea March '67 - it says here....). It's on Radioactive Records and it's called Studio Outtakes ....Vol. 1 1966 / '68 - 180 g Vinyl pressing too :)

Red House on an SG
Crosstown Traffic - another great Jimi book alright

Nice find Shane. I remember that one. Jimi seems to be in the worst :)

The great thing about CT is that it's actually a biography on just Jimi but the actual scene around him. I love the bit about CCM's mother and her comments about Jimi's performance at Woodstock.

[cybot]

Speaking of half-speed vinyl masterings, I have resisted the urge up to now, but this might be the one thing to tempt me back to vinyl.  Judee Sill's first two albums are being re-released September 29th on Intervention Records.  Half-speed mastered at 45 RPM and transferred direct from the analogue master tapes with no digital intervention in the mastering chain.  These two albums are already available on heavyweight vinyl from 4 Men With Beards but the new issues appear to be the definitive sounding versions of the original masterpieces.  The Donor is one of the greatest, most chillingly intense songs I have ever heard and, to date, I have only heard it on the "inferior" CD medium.  I can only imagine just how much better it will sound on the new vinyl issue of Heart Food. (Here's hoping that this will bring me ever closer to Judee's music.)

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/12379 ... nyl_Record

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/12380 ... nyl_Record

I'd say you're excited! I take it you haven't got a turntable? Which set up have you got your eye on?

I have both the 4MWB editions and I think they sound really, really good even though sound aficionados don't really rate the label. I have a few albums from them and they all sound fine to me particularly the John Fahey albums which sound stunning.....I laughed at some wag calling them 4MWE :)

[Rob]

Thanks for the links. I have that Electric Gypsy, one of the best books writen about Jimi plus Crostown Traffic by CC Murray. Such a wealth of info on EG! I don't think I'd be fit to read it all again lol!

Very saddened to hear your collection 'vanished'. What happened? Never say never!

Electric Gypsy is a great book and a great detailed discography in the back. The book contrasts with the other significant book I read on Hendrix - Scuse Me While I Kiss The Sky, which took rather extended artistic licence rather too much and did indeed portray Mitchell and Redding as racists - Mitchell was right to sue IMHO so don't understand why he lost his case unless it was on a technicality.

My collection was nicked in the early 2000s - vinyl enthusiasts perhaps but they didn't discriminate too much by also nicking my CD collection! lol

Just found out that Eddie Kramer was very critical of Electric Gypsy on some interviews he did which can be found on YouTube. No, I haven't looked for them yet :) Actually I don't need to find out why. There's another book I picked up in HMV last time they were in town which has a fantastic opening chapter about the author finding Jimi's mother's grave. I can't remember the title :(

Didn't know about the racists story!

Again sad to hear that your collection was 'nicked'. Here's to the continued expansion of your collection. Just make sure there's a lot of Jimi's stuff in there. Preferably vinyl :)

Yeah, the author of the Kiss the Sky book suggested Mitchell and Redding played their racist white asses off (paraphrasing as this is just from memory) in the Experience because they didn't like to be outshone by a black dude. I'll see if I can find the book - be happy to send it to you if it can be found.

Surprised to hear that Kramer didn't like Electric Gypsy - I liked it because it didn't stray into a lot of speculation as the facts are interesting enough. I think Kramer wrote his own book at some point.

Thanks Cybot, yup there would have to be plenty of Jimi in any respectable vinyl collection! :)