HIGH FREQUENCIES: ‘Electric Lady Studios’ proves to be the best of the posthumously-released Hendrix albums

From the opening chords of the alternate mix of “Ezy Rider,” it’s obvious this latest offering of Hendrix material is something special. Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision captures the guitarist at his creative peak, at home in the studio he built to capture his musical dreams and turn them into reality.

A three CD and one blu-ray set — or, five LP and one blu-ray, if you prefer — the collection brings together 39 tracks, 38 of which have never been unreleased, documenting Hendrix, bassist Billy Cox, and drummer Mitch Mitchell laying down tracks at his new studio between June and August of 1970. Working on what was to be the follow-up to Electric Ladyland, instead the tracks became the foundation for the many posthumous albums released after the guitarist died in London September 18, just weeks after this material was recorded.

Unencumbered by the usual studio concerns — running into overtime, running out of time having not blocked out enough hours, recording costs (Hendrix owned the studio and financed its construction by going on tour to pay the bills) — the tracks here provide an aural document of Hendrix’s genius at work, songs evolving from bits and jams, and ideas kept in favor of those discarded. “Drifting [Takes 1 & 2] exemplify this, while “Night Bird Flying [Take 25]” shows Hendrix’s resolve in “getting it right,” even though after 25 takes he still has a ways to go.

While many of the tracks focus on compositional development, the many alternate mixes and alternate versions included exhibit that even with the recording process complete, the sounds Hendrix wanted realized were varied, and he gave himself variations to choose from before a master take was decided. While Hendrix was unable to make the final choices himself, the variations prove his creative process extended into the production and final mix as well. If you’re a Hendrix purist, you’ll be A-B’ing these tracks against those on the first three Hendrix posthumous albums, The Cry of Love, Rainbow Bridge, and War Heroes, rush-released in the years immediately following the guitarist’s death.

“The Long Medley,” encompassing “Astro Man / Beginnings / Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) / Midnight Lightning (Keep On Groovin’) / Freedom” show just how far a musician can stretch in their own studio. The short “Farther On Up the Road” brings Hendrix’s usual space blues back to earth, just as “Messing Around” is just that. The cherry on top in this set is the demo,“Heaven Has No Sorrow,” recorded on a four-track tape machine. A previously unheard composition, with it’s celestial guitar intro and the plaintive vocals, proves even his demos were better than some artists’ finished tracks.

The blu-ray disc offers an hour-plus documentary that chronicles the origin of Electric Lady Studios as described by Eddie Kramer, and the engineers and staff who worked there. The story of the one-time nightclub at 52 West 8th Street being turned into Hendrix’s recording studio might seem dry, but is a quite interesting, offering a glimpse into the trials and tribulations of one of the highest-paid performers of the era. While the documentary offers film and still photos of Electric Lady’s creation, there’s no footage of Hendrix actually recording in Studio A, his room, as it is emphasized throughout the story. Also missing are any shots of the completed studio and its magnificent intergalactic art work that adorned the walls while Hendrix recorded there and is still present today as Electric Lady Studios continues to record musicians and artists into its fifth decade.

In addition to the documentary, the blu-ray disc includes a 5.1 surround sound remix of the album First Rays of the New Rising, the Experience Hendrix album first released in 1997, that brought together the tracks Hendrix originally envisioned releasing as a double album, but, which were released piecemeal on those aforementioned posthumously-released Reprise albums. There are also three other tracks given the 5.1 surround sound treatment, “Valleys of Neptune,” “Lover Man,” and “Pali Gap.”

It’s amazing the creativity and the energy Hendrix packed into the three months he recorded in Electric Lady Studios. It’s remarkable, that after Experience Hendrix releasing the albums First Rays of the New Rising Sun, South Saturn Delta, Valleys of Neptune, People, Hell and Angels, and Both Sides of the Sky that there was any material in the vaults that remained unreleased. But here they are, what is said to be the last of the Jimi Hendrix studio recordings. Yet Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision is not a cash grab, Experience Hendrix scraping of the bottom of the barrel. Far from it! Indeed, Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision offers a unique perspective on the guitarist and his creative process, producing a far more cohesive and interesting set of songs than some of it’s predecessors. In fact, it could be the best batch yet — and is certainly the high note on which the Hendrix legacy will continue to flourish. —CL—

The 2025 Experience Hendrix Tour, this year featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Zakk Wylde (Pantera, Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne) and Eric Johnson, as well as Devon Allman (Allman Betts Family Revival), Samantha Fish, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, and many others will play Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308, Saturday, April 12, 2025. Visit www.experiencehendrixtour.com for artist lineups by date and ticket information.