Jimi Hendrix. Both Sides of the Sky.
★★★★★
This is supposedly the final compilation of archived Hendrix material from the period 1968 through 1970.
Hendrix's affinity with the blues is represented by Muddy Waters' classic Mannish Boy and Guitar Slim's The Things That I Used to Do, along with his own stunning blues tune, Hear My Train Acomin'.
On Georgia Blues, a song recorded in the 1920s by Ethel Waters, Hendrix is joined by saxophonist Johnny Youngblood.
Elsewhere among the 13 tracks there are fascinating alternate takes, including Stepping Stone, and collaborations with Stephen Stills and Johnny Winter. Then there's the album's finale, Cherokee Mist, with Jimi switching between sitar and guitar. It all has a feeling of freshness rather than a cobbling together of out takes. In fact, it is seriously good.
- Tony Nielsen
