Description

The authentic PPX studio recordings features material from two studio sessions in 1965 and 1967, plus a live set at Georges Club in Hackensack, New Jersey where Jimi Hendrix recorded tracks with Curtis Knight. Under contract to, and under the direction of producer Ed Chalpin, these studio sessions at PPX Studios in New York became infamous. Not only for being one of the earliest known studio sessions featuring Hendrix as a lead performer, but for the legal embattlement the sessions created. Ed Chaplin has continuously licenses these recordings to record companies throughout the world, but when Chaplin licensed teh tapes to CBH records in Germany it would be the most comprehensive recording to date. Engineers Kalle Trapp and Rainer Hansel went in and re-cut, re-edited and remastered the material into a six volume set. Some songs have been remixed, some mixed down to only include Jimis guitar and vocals. Others have been completely re-edited, cut and spliced in such a way that choruses are repeated, verses are re-arranged, and guitar parts are extended. Butchered, say some; creative argue others. Either way, we do get some new material. We get plenty of old material that's been cleaned up and made more presentable and listenable. And, we get the doctored tracks, which will always get challenged in the Hendrix circles. However the hopes that we this time would get some detailed liner notes with new information regarding these Hendrix/Knight sessions that could shed some more light on these sessions didnt happen. The liner notes here are written by Gitti Gulden and it may as well have been written by Chalpin himself as yet again we have a very rose-tinted version of events where he appears to be the innocent part who has been badly done to over the years. The most interested part is the line-up details which lists: Drums: Johnny Star. All other instruments played by Jimi Hendrix. Lead Vocals: Curtis Knight. Additional Vocals: Jimi Hendrix. Johnny Star's name has only appeared in historical references previously as a suggested engineer. Noted session drummer Bernard Purdie has made claim he was involved with some of these sessions. And, as far as Jimi playing all instruments on all the tracks, there's enough historical evidence to discount this statement as total rubbish. Even the photos included in some of the booklets show additional musicians in the studio. In the original releases, released by CBH/SPV in Germany, each disc comes with an eight page booklet. Graphic continuity brings this six volume set into a unified perspective. The six covers feature different photos from the Gered Mankowitz photo archives. Each inside cover features two different rare (some never before published) photos of Hendrix during the Curtis Knight period and sessions. Most of the material has been previously released on numerous titles, the German Astan and Babylon labels providing in vinyl versions the prominent portion of the material presented here. Some of theese Curtis Knight recordings has also been released in a manner clearly intended to trick the consumer into thinking it was new Jimi Hendrix material, and many fans bought the music and were thus disappointed. So don't make the mistake of buying this collection and think it is on the level of Are You Experienced or Electric Ladyland. But if you are a serious Hendrix fan these recordings you will love these recordings as they feature the unmistakable guitar of Jimi Hendrix before the Experience. Track listing: 1. Get That Feeling 2. How Would You Feel 3. Hush Now 4. No Business 5. Gotta Have A New Dress 6. Welcome Home 7. Love, Love 8. Fool For Your Baby 9. Don't Accuse Me 10. Better Times Ahead 11. Wah Wah-instrumental 12. The Ballad Of Jimi 13. Drivin South-instrumental 14. Aint That Peculiar 15. Ive Got A Sweet Little Angel 16. Bright Light, Big City 17. California Night-live 18. Left Alone-live 19. Im A Man-live 20. On The Killing Floor-live 21. Nobody Loves Me-live 22. Torture Me Honey-instrumental 23. Sleepy Fate-instrumental 24. Satisfaction-live