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The four CDs and one DVD in West Coast Seattle Boy seek to dispel the shadows cast over the late guitarist’s legacy by the spate of questionable releases that flooded the marketplace in the wake of his untimely death in 1970. Containing more than a few extended and/or complete recordings that previously appeared in truncated form, this box set also compiles, in rough chronological order, a plethora of song sketches and unfinished master takes that presents what is perhaps the most accurate portrait to date of Jimi Hendrix’ working methods in the recording studio.
Buttressing early versions of latter-day compositions such as “In From the Storm,” a clutch of concert performances recorded in the last year of the renowned guitarist’s life reaffirms his reputation as a master of the live stage. “Foxy Lady” confirms what influence Hendrix had on the development of heavy metal, while this version of “Red House” is brutally cathartic. Then there are those select rarities here such as the semi-acoustic rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Tears of Rage” which no doubt will instill in fans both casual and obsessionist, the hope for deeper exploration of specific phases of the late rock icon’s career, such as the Band of Gypsys.
The DVD included in the hard-cover bound package is a ninety minute documentary title “Voodoo Chile,” directed by Bob Smeaton, overseer of The Beatles Anthology, and while it may be a major selling point to the nascent Hendrix fan and curiosity seeker, it only scratches the surface of the rock icon’s life and times. Still, the abundance of footage featuring Hendrix in concert is worth repeated viewing, if only to watch the evolution of his stage presence over the years: the flash of his early period, as at the Monterey Pop Festival, derives directly from the pleasure and excitement he’s taking from performing, while the utter concentration of his latter days only reinforces the more personal aspect of the songs he wrote during that period like “Room Full of Mirrors.”
“Testify,” by the Isley Brothers is the very first track on West Coast Seattle Boy, one of a disc full of recordings from the icon’s days as a sideman. In its frenzied paean to the power of music, it might well have been written about Jimi Hendrix and his own devotion to this greatest of all art forms. It is such small but telling details that distinguish The Jimi Hendrix Anthology.
