Jimi Hendrix – A Bluffer’s Guide to the live albums

What’s to like?

An informal guide to Jimi Hendrix’s live albums, from the perspective of a newcomer just discovering them. (Each album listed includes a hyperlink to details of song lists and sources.)

The low down

Jimi Hendrix, live performance – four words which are indelibly linked when you gaze across the impressive catalogue of live albums released after his passing. He may have grown tired of the endless touring, but the tapes kept a rollin’, and the sheer number of official live albums now available can seem daunting to the newcomer.

As one of those newcomers, I had previously been content to start with the studio material he recorded, and there’s no shortage of that either. (If you’re looking for an alternative introduction to Hendrix’s music beyond the standard compilations, then you might want to try out this box set reviewed here.)

However, the “burning desire” to explore every facet of this musician eventually led me to his live albums, and as I worked my way through them, I realised that on stage he was a different animal. Never sticking to the songs’ original arrangements, he was always keen to get a jamming scene going, and often improvised and extended each song way beyond the confines imposed in the studio when his label was demanding hits.

And that’s the exciting thing about Hendrix live, each show feels like new territory, unexplored and on the edge, where a song might go off in any direction he chooses. His fellow band members had to be on the top of their game to keep up with Hendrix’s whimsy, and when you really dig into some of the extended live versions, you realise how gifted Mitch Mitchell (drums), Noel Redding (bass guitar), Billy Cox (bass guitar) and Buddy Miles (drums) were.

Not only do they hold down the basic parts of each song to allow Hendrix the freedom to improvise over them, but they also find their own spaces within the songs to do their own thing too. And yet it never feels like three musicians pulling in three different directions – they’re all on the same telepathic wavelength, knowing instinctively how long to stretch out a song or when to cut and run because an idea isn’t working out.

Add to that the fact that Hendrix rarely played the same set-list two nights in a row, and you can see why audiences flocked to his gigs. Back then, it was customary for the band to perform an early show and a later show on the same day, usually with two different sets of songs, and if they played a residency over several days, and you had the tickets, you were treated to an amazing variety of songs.

Even more impressive, when you think that on those early tours the band only had two albums to pull songs from, so they would also throw in works in progress or electrifying cover versions of other artists’ songs. (The Beatles had barely released their Sgt Pepper album, and within days, Hendrix was serenading them onstage with his own version of the title track, as a measure of respect for them.)

So, where should the newcomer begin? Well, you could try what I call “the sampler albums” – albums which are made up of selected tracks taken from several performances and tours. Not quite the full concert experience, but a worthwhile introduction to Hendrix’s sound onstage.

Perhaps the most widely available of these is Hendrix In The West, which has been expanded to a full cd’s worth of material, from its original vinyl release in 1971. At the time, some of the chosen tracks were considered relatively rare, but have since resurfaced on complete shows restored by the Experience Hendrix team.

Another very popular sampler is The Jimi Hendrix Concerts, released in the early 80s, with some outstanding versions and excellent sound quality – unfortunately this one’s a little harder to track down, and my previously owned copy had to be binned because it was a poor pressing. A third option would be to track down the double cd compilation Voodoo Child, as the second disc is made up of excellent live recordings, again sourced from different shows.

But what if, like me, you want to go deeper? Then the first choice should probably be Live At Monterey from 18 June 1967. This was the original Experience’s first gig on US soil and they had everything to play for to make an impression. Needless to say, they went down a storm, with a tight forty minute set, focussed and fiery (literally, as Hendrix set fire to his guitar at the show’s climax.) The audio is a little bit raw around the edges, but you get songs not included in later live albums, and Monterey is an essential part of the Hendrix legacy.

Alas, Hollywood Bowl (18 August 1967) is less essential. This set, released in 2023, is an interesting contrast to Monterey. Here, the band are the support act, and not the headliners, and the Mamas And Papas audience are clearly not interested in experiencing the Experience. This becomes quickly apparent as Hendrix addresses the crowd, trying to charm them but as the set wears on, his mood becomes detached and offhand and this relatively short show feels played “by the numbers.” It’s not helped either by sound problems on stage and audio problems with this cd. The show is sourced from a tape made by chance on the night by a radio technician, and suffers from dropouts and an unbalanced mix that has the vocals overwhelming the guitars. One for collectors, but not a show I’d use to introduce newcomers to.

On the other hand, Miami Pop Festival  (18 May 1968) is a far more enjoyable affair. It’s a short and tight set, and the audio quality is fine, but it feels a little less urgent compared to the previous year at Monterey. It’s certainly worth getting hold of, but perhaps only after you’ve listened to some of the other albums.

Similarly with Live at The Hollywood Bowl (14 Sept 1968), which is only available in the Electric Ladyland 50^th Anniversary Box Set. In spite of being an official release, the audio quality of this amateur sourced recording is poor, and while the actual show might have been exhilarating to witness, this disappointing recording might have been better left on the shelf.

A much safer bet is the Winterland collection, recorded over six performances in San Francisco between 10-12 October 1968. By now the trio had really evolved into something special, able to play off each other’s strengths and really stretch the possibilities of each song. Hendrix had also grown in confidence as a front man engaging with the audience between songs, with his relaxed banter and his ability to handle the rowdier elements in the audience. That confidence also ebbs into the set-lists, with the ballsy move of opening with an unfamiliar fifteen minute version of Tax Free, a song not present on the studio albums at that point.

The Winterland set is spread across four cds, with the first three representing interpretations of complete shows, and the fourth cd including alternative takes and a lengthy interview. And if you ever wondered what the Experience might have sounded like if they’d added a keyboard player, then check out disc 2 which includes Herbie Rich playing organs on several of the songs!

There is also a single disc edition which includes highlights selected from these performances, which I found helpful as an introduction before deciding to buy the full set.

From there, it’s on to Los Angeles Forum (26 April 1969), which has just recently had an official release. This is a cracking live set, described by the promotional blurb as “incendiary”, and that’s a pretty good summation of the Experience’s performance on this evening. It feels like a team effort from all three players, especially Redding who would shortly be side-lined in favour of a new bass player, Billy Cox. It’s a grower too, and has become one of my go-to cds for a live blast of the original trio.

So far, each of these shows has been comfortably accommodated within the limits of an 80 minute single cd, but when we come to the larger outdoor festivals, the live sets become longer, and have to be pressed over two cds. Case in point, the Live at Woodstock show (18 August 1969).

This is probably the show that Hendrix is most associated with, thanks to the movie, and over the years it’s had a bad rap as one of Hendrix’s poorest performances, as he struggled to find a new direction and expanded the band to include additional percussion and guitar. But if you’re willing to accept this show as a transitional moment, there’s actually a lot to like, especially if you’re already into Hendrix’s free-form approach to exploring where he can take a song in that exact point in time. It’s also a showcase for drummer Mitchell, who has the unenviable task of trying to hold the whole thing together.

It’s not Hendrix’s finest show, as it does ramble in places, but it’s not an embarrassment either, and is worth checking out, especially as a bridge towards Hendrix’s next musical project, the Band Of Gypsys. Hendrix recruited bassist Billy Cox, and drummer Buddy Miles to form a new band and explore a more soul-influenced sound. The songs, all new at the time, were collated from four performances at New York’s Fillmore East (on 31 December 1969 and 1 January 1970), and represent the best versions, at least from my point of view, having heard all four complete shows. While this album is in essence also a sampler, it’s a fine live album in its own right, and the audio quality is excellent.

For those of you wanting a complete show, the album Machine Gun offers up the entire first set performed on 31 December, and provides a fascinating alternative perspective to the Band of Gypsys release which uses performances from the third and fourth shows.

However, if you have the cash, the time and the desire to dig even deeper, then I’d recommend the box set Songs For Groovy Children, which contains all four shows, and offers an opportunity to compare and contrast each set. The audio mix on these cds differs from the audio on the original Band Of Gypsys album, with a slight drop in volume and a different placing of the instruments in the mix, which gives the sound a more authentic live feel.

A couple of months later, Miles was out and Mitchell was back behind the drum kit, and the music subtly morphed into something new, mixing the driving rock of the first trio and the soul sounds of the second, and sprinkling in newer material that Hendrix was working up during all too brief interludes in the studio.

A fine example of this new sound can be found  on Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival (4 July 1970). The set-list has a nice mix of the old and the new, and for the most part the songs are kept relatively short, allowing the band to pack in an impressive sixteen numbers into eighty minutes. You get a rare outing for Room Full Of Mirrors, and the version of Red House is particularly good, with a beautiful solo from Hendrix that winds its way through the song and allows the listener to savour every note. The audio is excellent, to the point where you can hear the guitar veering out of tune on a couple of occasions, but Hendrix swiftly pulls it all together. It always amazes me how he was able to do this mid-performance, relying only on instinct, given that he didn’t have the tuning technology that is available today.

There are two other double albums worth checking out – Live in Maui (30 July 1970) and Blue Wild Angel: Live at The Isle of Wight (31 August 1970).

For my in-depth review of Live In Maui, follow the link here. While I enjoyed this set on the first couple of listens, I now think it comes up a little short compared to the wider choice of albums I’ve heard since then, mainly down to the muffled vocals and lack of atmosphere from a substantially smaller audience.

The Isle of Wight album is another performance which some feel is below par for Hendrix, and he certainly had a few setbacks that night, not least interference in his sound. But it still packs a hefty punch, and at almost two hours, you get your moneys’ worth over eighteen songs. My introduction to this show was a used copy of the double-disc edition which covers the whole set, but it seems that only an edited single disc version is the one currently being stocked by record stores. I’ve since been lucky enough to track down a used copy of the box set which includes both cds and a dvd of the show, which enhances the overall experience.

Listening to the complete show can be a long haul in places, as Hendrix is not as focussed as on earlier shows; one example being a twenty two minute version of Machine Gun, which lacks the more dramatic impact of the shorter original version on Band of Gypsys. The radio interference that seeps into the band’s sound can be irritating at times, although it does add to the live vibe, and even if Hendrix’s banter with the audience is perfunctory, their roars of approval get each song over the finishing line. Again, this set is of historical value, rather than one of the best performances, but it also represents the last officially recorded gig Hendrix performed before his passing.

For those of you wishing to keep digging deeper, there are always the “grey area” live recordings sourced from radio broadcasts. They’re technically legal releases, but aren’t authorised by the Hendrix estate. As a result, the audio quality can be variable, but I found them perfectly listenable. So you might want to check out East & West (4 February 1968 at the Fillmore West, San Francisco, and 10 May 1968 at the Fillmore East, New York). There’s also Live In Sweden (Stockholm, 9 January 1969), and California’s Berkeley Community Theatre on 30 May 1970, released as The Early Show (Berkeley Community Centre 1970). There’s plenty to enjoy with these raw recordings, and given that they’re quite cheap to buy, they’re worth a punt for the curious.

Another alternative option might be the two disc set BBC Sessions, that Hendrix recorded for Radio One in the UK during 1967. Although not strictly live in the sense of playing to an audience, nevertheless these performances are often live, with minimal rehearsal beforehand and limited dubbing afterwards. The benefit for the artist is nationwide exposure for their music on the airwaves, not to mention the use of a recording studio with facilities superior to those found in the cheaper independent studios that would be used by their record label to quickly lay down singles.

And this collection of thirty eight tracks includes some very interesting covers of songs such as Dylan’s Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window, The Beatles’ Day Tripper, and excellent versions of Curtis Knight’s Driving South. And arguably, some of those BBC recordings sound better than the versions that ended up on the official albums.

However, if you’re just starting out, I’d guide you towards the official releases first, as their audio mastering has been carefully overseen by Eddie Kramer, who was Hendrix’s sound engineer back in the day. Kramer was the one guy Hendrix trusted in the studio, and he has continued to this day to oversee every new release sanctioned by the Experience Hendrix team. If Kramer has been involved, then what you’re hearing is the best audio mix possible of these live tapes.

That just leaves my own personal choice of live album, and for that I’d point you towards Live at Berkeley – this is an official release of the later performance recorded on 30 May 1970. As the political battles were raging outside the venue, inside Jimi was tearing it up with a barnstorming set. The cd runs for just under seventy minutes, but the pace never lets up and by then end, I’m always exhilarated by what I’ve just heard. It’s one of his best sounding live albums, with the bass and drums sounding full and fat, and the man himself is on fire. I’d go so far as to say that the version of Machine Gun here is the definitive one for me, personally speaking; and throw in sucker-punch versions of I Don’t Live Today and Voodoo Child, and you have a killer album.

If you’ve made it to the end of this piece, then you’ll realise what a wealth of live material there is to explore, but hopefully this informal introduction will help guide you to the concerts of most interest to you. I had a great time researching every one of these albums, and each time I revisit them I hear something new. Hopefully you will too. 

[This article has been written as a companion piece to an article reviewing Hendrix’s posthumously released studio albums, which you can read here.]