Band of Gypsys

this is a review about the 2008 Capitol release on vinyl , compared with the 2012 Sony one on CD.. many reveiwers of the Capitol version talk about hearing a lot of surface noise, and i must say that I agree. i heard a lot of pops and clicks throughout both sides. this may be because it was redone from the original master tape, while the Sony CD used a copy of the original. The copy is in much better shape than the original,which had already started to deterioate. the sony cd has a much cleaner and dynamic sound as a result. however, the capitol lp sounds more like the original release (which did have a lot of surface noise), and probably feels more like actually being at the show back in 1970. i like having both formats, because they are so different. I am curious about the imported Music on Vinyl version, which was released earlier this year. I consider Band of Gypsies to be one of the greatest live rock albums ever, no matter what version or format you listen to. it is clear that jimi was headed in another direction musically, and we can only speculate on what could have come later if he had not passed away.

I was 13 when I 1st heard this album, it was the 3rd rock album I had bought at the time. Up to that time it had been mostly Motown, soul, and jazz the music I was being exposed too. When I heard this album I thought Hendrix was possessed by the devil. I could not believe what I was hearing. I did not know a guitar could sound that way and he didn't sound like anyone else. This is a classic album. It's not perfect, it's not pristine but Hendrix used his guitar to paint colors of sound to illustrate the meaning of his songs. There are lots of guitarists today who can play much faster and cleaner than Hendrix. I know this, I play guitar. However, I think Joe Satriani said it best: Paraphrasing You can play a very difficult piece of music and all that is fine, but does it move people? Shredding is great, nothing wrong with it at all. Some of it I like, some I don't. Sometimes, I think people are missing the point. The blues is the heart and soul of rock and roll, no blues, no hard rock, no hard rock, no heavy metal. Simple as that, just listen to Howlin' Wolf. Hendrix respected the tradition and then as Muddy Waters said brought the Blues into the 20th Century. (all due respect to Steve Howe) Bottom line, this is a great album and if you like/love rock and roll you should buy it. That night Hendrix made history. By the way, Mitch Mitchell was a better drummer than Buddy Miles, however, Buddy laid down that no nonsense back beat and we all know what happened after that.

The finest example of why Hendrix was Hendrix, an extra-ordinary blues guitarist with psychedelic DNA. “The Power of Love” intro meanders toward the first lyric, burning an unforgettable guitar line in your mind, one that 49 years later I hear lick for lick, over the pile driven traps of Buddy Miles while Billy Cox mindreads Jimi. Every piece has a different vibe. “Machine Gun” smells so much like ‘Nam I can taste it and I wasn’t even there.This is the Hendrix I saw, the one and only time I caught him, at 17 yrs old and sober. I knew I didn’t understand what I had just seen and heard but I knew it was important.

You could buy this just for the picture on the cover. One picture, one message......Jimi Hendrix at the point between raw renegade and over refined. But then you listen to what's inside and it all comes together in a perfectly connected trio of artists recorded on the eve before the end of an iconic decade. I went to high school in Renton, Washington. My friend Paul and I skipped school on the day of his funeral. We were not turned away when we walked up the road leading to his burial, following a long line of limousines. We stood behind the gathering that included Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Janis Joplin, Keith Richards, Stevie Wonder......they were all there. Less than a year after this recording. As amazing as it was to see all these famous, musically gifted people up close, my friend and I were enveloped in the solemn repose being exercised to the point of being completely shut off from our senses. It's this album and "Cry of Love" that give reflection of how amazing Jimi Hendrix was. Another good reason to have this album.

For an album that was just made to finish out an old contract Jimi had ,turns out to be a pretty great album. So influential to many of todays artists, and myself, this one is chock full of Great songs! One of rocks original Heavy hitters Buddy Miles,playing and singing like there was no tomorrow, Billy Cox following along on the new songs so eloquently and perfectly ,and Jimi just standing in place playing his Heart out. Who could ask for anything more? Too bad the Band of Gypsies was so short lived ,I think they could have made some more Great music together!!!

This brings back so many memories of my teenage years this in fact was my first Hendrix album I heard a couple of his songs on the radio. This was the only one in his slot at the Fed-mart store so it was either Hendrix album or the Doors live album. I eventually got the Doors album but I was and still am in aw of band Band of GypsysIt's funny how so many artist cover jimi's purple Haze and voodoo child yet no one has ever covered any songs from this one gee I wonder why

While I was alive when Jimi first came around I was just a kid and though I'd heard his name didn't realize his distinction from an average "pop star". From 1970-1975 as I became interested in playing guitar I really discovered Jimi and this was one of the first I heard in depth. I shudder to think if these performances were never recorded or released and what we would've missed. An incredible document (among so many) of why Jimi Hendrix means so much still today. Jimi had days when he wasn't into it much and had lackluster performances but when he was on was virtually untouchable. Don't miss Band of Gypsies.

Much has already been said about the musical content of this album so I'll just mention a bit about the bonus tracks which appear on this 1991 CD release (Polydor 847 2372). This was the second European issue of Band Of Gypsys on CD, the first being released in the mid-1980s. The pair can easily be differentiated from later remasters by the "Band Of Gypsys" text appearing on the front cover (which the remasters lack), and from each other by the earlier release featuring a Polydor logo on the front cover which is absent from the 1991 issue.Now, whilst the 1980s CD followed the album's original 6 track running order from 1970, this 1991 release featured 3 bonus tracks tagged to the end, Hear My Train, Foxy Lady and Stop, all taken from the same run of Fillmore shows as the main album. Hear My Train is an absolutely blistering rendition, arguably a better performance than most of what you'll find on the rest of the album. It also sounds better than the rest of the album, having a lovely full bass, very alive. This track was taken from safety tapes which had been mixed down during the album sessions in 1970. Due to a continued lack of access to the masters MCA also found themselves being forced to rely on the same copy tapes for their Band of Gypsys "Live At The Fillmore" release in 1999. Unfortunately they seriously crushed the dynamics of that CD with digital compression, so at least this one track gives a tantalising glimpse at just how good the "Fillmore" album COULD have sounded had the mastering engineers taken a more hands-off approach. But I digress.The remaining two tracks, Foxy Lady and Stop, take a very distinct step backwards sonically. We're talking bootleg quality, and that's not an exaggeration. Again, due to lack of access to original tapes an alternate source was required, so this pair were taken from the audio feed of a video recording of the show. It's a real shame they couldn't find a source matching the quality of Hear My Train, because the Fillmore performance of Foxy Lady remains unreleased on CD to this day.So to give a rating based just on these bonus tracks....Hear My Train is a solid gold 5 stars...but Foxy Lady and Stop are maybe 1 or 2 at very best. Which averages out the final total to a 3 star rating.PS; I mention this on all my Hendrix reviews, so apologies if I've bored you with it previously. If you're a Hendrix fan and visiting London be sure to check out the Handel and Hendrix house. It's the home of 17th century composer Handel with Jimi's 1969 apartment on the top floor, accurately recreated by his ex-girlfriend Kathy Etchingham and with various items on display including Hendrix's record collection. The place doesn't get nearly enough advertising, but it's a must-see for any Hendrix fan.

Well folks, I am probably going to throw the cat among the pigeons here. For me personally, The Band of Gypsies is far superior than Jimi's touring band. I will go one step further and say that Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell were only in it for the money. When it comes to Billy Cox and Buddy Miles they were there for the music. I truly believe that had the great man lived,The Band of Gypsies would have become his touring band.When you listen to Billy on bass,he is head and shoulders above Noel Redding. Billy also has a marvellous ability of improvisation. That suited Jimis guitar playing, as we all know how Jimi loved improvisation. Billy could also turn his hand to play some funky riffs,but in an instant he could play the blues. If that was not enough, Billy could then play some full on rock. When it comes to Billy, he is a legend.When it comes to Buddy Miles, again we have another legend. I first came across Buddy for his playing jazz. His drumming completely floored me. It was like watching a hurricane playing the drums. There have been a number of modern day drummers that have cited Buddy Miles as one of the very best.When you put Billy and Buddy together with Jimi, you have the perfect band. Yes,I did say perfect. There have been a couple of releases of this live concert. Some,like this release have been single CD releases. There is a 2 CD release, which is really good.What makes this particular release different from others is that it has not been "sanitised ". By that I mean it is raw with warts and all. Yes there are parts where Billy's bass does not quite come through. Yes, some of Buddy's vocals may sound a bit naff. It could also be said that the fade out of some tracks could have been better. All of this adds a different dimension to the band's playing. So I am going another step further with my next bit.When you put all of this together, you have Jimi, Billy and Buddy, playing what they love to do,playing live. I always say that when I listen to Jimi playing live, it is always different. This is no expectation as again we hear the genius that is Jimi.My final point is regarding the sound reproduction. To my ears it is pretty good.

I bought this to replace my old scratched and cracked vinyl LP, with the puppet cover, purchased in the first week of its release back in 1970. For me, it's still the best live Hendrix recording out there and alongside all his official studio releases is an essential part of any Hendrix collection.Probably under pressure from certain quarters to put together an all black group of musicians, the music doesn't feel pressurised or stilted but is free-flowing and loose, Hendrix reveals, once again, his formidable arsenal of guitar weapons.Obviously, the Band of Gypsys line-up invites comparisons with the Experience, but as the material, unveiled for the first time here, is certainly not Experience type material, it's not really an issue. Although, ex-army mate Billy Cox on bass is arguably an upgrade on Noel Redding, the same can't be claimed for Buddy Miles for Mitch Mitchell on drums, but it's down to horses for courses and Buddy Miles 'fits' this material.'Machine Gun' stands head and shoulders above all the other songs with its powerful anti-war message and some stunning and evocative guitar passages. It's almost unbelievable that this is a live recording and leads one to wonder what Hendrix would have produced in the studio with this song - forget about the Midnight Lightning abortion - could it have been better?'Who Knows?'

For me, this album is about a 4.5, but i've rounded up. This album is great. Hendrix playing with his final band at one of the great rock venues, the Fillmore east delivers one of the great live albums of that era. His guitar work blows me away. I've never listened to his other albums, only seen his performances, yet for me, even without listening to the other stuff, this album shows why he was, and remains, the greatest guitarist ever. At the core is a quite a soulful group, quite funky. Great selection of songs although the standout track is 'machine gun'...exhilirating....breathtaking...and impossible!! Impossible how one man could create sounds like that from his instrument!! The sound is loud, just how rock albums should be heard!! 'Changes' is another one of my favourites....very catchy. Great musicians, great songs, great album. Enough said.

I bought this album when it was issued with the figures of John peel and Brien Jones of the rolling stones . Great live recording that captures the the atmosphere on new years Eve. Bought the cd because of the scratches and how i have worn out the album over time JimI Hedrix still had a lot to give with this new line up moving towards funk blues type of style cox's bass lines are very funky and would of loved to see how this new band would of developed over time