New Jimi Hendrix album reveals unreleased tracks
March 9, 2018
It looks like Jimi Hendrix's musical heritage is an inexhaustible source of material. Since his death in September 1970, a total of 25 live albums, 27 compilations, 23 official bootlegs, 12 studio albums and several singles, EPs and collaborations have been released — and those numbers are bound to keep growing.
It however wasn't easy to get the material published. Jimi Hendrix, who died aged 27, did not leave a will. It was difficult to determine who owns the rights to the estate. Jimi Hendrix's legacy fell victim to numerous lawsuits and family quarrels. Meanwhile, a part of the family has established a company dealing with the legendary guitarist's legacy.
Now yet another posthumous Jimi Hendrix album, titled "Both Sides of The Sky," hits the stores on Friday. It contains 13 songs, including 10 previously unreleased tracks and three previously anthologized outtakes. It is the last part of the trilogy featuring significant studio recordings from the guitarist's archives, and just like the two earlier records, the release is highly anticipated by Hendrix's fans.
Read more: Jimi Hendrix's London home turned into museum
Topping the charts half a century after his death
The songs on "Both Sides of the Sky" come from the period after Hendrix's final album, "Electric Ladyland," which came out in 1968. It was a productive era, even though most songs the American guitarist composed at the time were left unfinished.
The first batch of the abandoned material surfaced in 2010 on "Valleys Of Neptune," which topped charts in 15 countries. The second title of the series, "People, Hell And Angels" from 2013, even surpassed its predecessor in sales and placed second on the Billboard 200 charts, making it the second most successful Hendrix album after "Electric Ladyland," and the 2013 album's first single, "Somewhere," became the most successful Hendrix single to date.
Old recordings remastered
The final volume of the trilogy was produced by Eddie Kramer, John McDermott and co-produced by Janie Hendrix, the late musician's step-sister, who were also responsible for the preceding two posthumous records. Their objective was to provide to the fans the musician's recordings in the best possible quality.
"Both Sides of the Sky" is now available on CD, 180 gram double vinyl or as a digital download.