00-otis_redding_and_jimi_hendrix-historic_performance-lp-1970-gcp.nfo
p r o u d l y p r e s e n t s ..::
Title | Historic Performance
Genre | Rock
Source | Vinyl
Format | Album
Label | Reprise Records
Catalog | MS 2029
Released | 1970
Ripped | 2014
In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, JIMI HENDRIX expanded
the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before
or since. Hendrix was a master at coaxing all manner of unforeseen
sonics from his instrument, often with innovative amplification
experiments that produced astral-quality feedback and roaring
distortion. His frequent hurricane blasts of noise and dazzling
showmanship - he could and would play behind his back and with his
teeth and set his guitar on fire - has sometimes obscured his
considerable gifts as a songwriter, singer, and master of a gamut of
blues, R&B, and rock styles...
One of the most influential soul singers of the 1960s, OTIS REDDING
exemplified to many listeners the power of Southern deep soul -
hoarse, gritty vocals, brassy arrangements, and an emotional way
with both party tunes and aching ballads. He was also the most
consistent exponent of the Stax sound, cutting his records at the
Memphis label/studios that did much to update R&B into modern soul.
His death at the age of 26 was tragic not just because he seemed on
the verge of breaking through to a wide pop audience (which he would
indeed do with his posthumous number one single 'Sittin On The Dock
Of The Bay'). It was also unfortunate because, as the song
demonstrated, he was also at a point of artistic breakthrough in
terms of the expression and sophistication of his songwriting and
singing...
The time was, back in the late 1960s, that no one knew what to do
with live rock performances. Record labels (especially the majors)
were so wedded to studio perfection that even when they had
important and marketable concert recordings on hand, they were
usually overlooked when it came time to consider them for release.
And in a way, who could blame them - if an executive were to concede
that a musician could cut a perfectly viable release in front of an
audience, then what good were all of these record labels and the
people who worked for them (executives, producers, engineers)? This
odd LP was one of three releases from the 1967 Monterey
International Pop Festival that actually made it out to the public
within a few years of the actual event (the others were the Mamas &
the Papas live album, and Ravi Shankar's material). At the time, it
made a lot of sense, in that both Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix had
passed on, consequently any concert recordings by either were that
much more valuable - but as Otis had not done a long enough set to
fill up an LP, he ended up sharing this post-humous release with
Hendrix.
Both sets have been remastered in superior sound in the decades
since, and released as full videos, on VHS tape, laser disc, and
DVD, so this album is purely of historic interest as an artifact of
the time. But at the time it was a major release for both artists,
offering Redding's transcendent performance in front of the largest
single audience of his career, and a portion of one of the two best
official live recordings of Hendrix's career. It's also interesting,
when one finds them, that used copies often reveal the taste of the
earlier owners, thanks to the diverging musical orientations of the
two performers. There wasn't much overlap between fans of Redding
and Hendrix, most listeners of the time confined themselves to one
side or the other of the album in terms of going back for multiple
plays; Hendrix was probably more widely listened to, and was better
known among the college students who bought most rock LPs. But in
terms of musical importance, the Otis Redding side now seems far and
away the greater moment, as he was gone barely six months after this
performance, whereas Hendrix had three years of life and
performances ahead of him.
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01. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Like A Rolling Stone 6:49
02. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Rock Me, Baby 4:08
03. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Can You See Me 3:47
04. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Wild Thing 7:58
05. Otis Redding - Shake 2:59
06. Otis Redding - Respect 2:56
07. Otis Redding - I've Been Loving You Too Long 4:07
08. Otis Redding - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 3:32
09. Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness 5:08
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41:24
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