Vol 1 and Vol 2
Vol 1
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
Homage and honor to Jimi Hendrix via various artist compilations has become more than a cottage industry, from the Rubber Band's Hendrix Songbook released back in the 1960s, to Pat Boone doing a hideous cover of "The Wind Cries Mary." Jimi has certainly made his mark beyond influence in a world where his music is absolutely adored. In From the Storm and Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix were the most commercial of the lot until 2004's Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix landed on the market. Released almost simultaneously with the Experience Hendrix company's official tribute comes the first of at least two collections from the Lion Music group out of Finland. Regi Hendrix, a cousin of Jimi's, writes the CD booklet essay on The Spirit Lives On, Vol. 1: The Music of Jimi Hendrix Revisited. Regi also performs on "Bold as Love" along with Jason "JMR" Richardson and Greg Howe. Like the majority of the tracks on this disc, the playing is competent, though it doesn't break any new ground. Hearing Cyril Archard reconstruct the great "Highway Chile" is fun, as is Eric Sands on "Stone Free." The song selection is what is most intriguing. Carl Roa does an interesting "3rd Stone From the Sun," while Arabesque try their hand at "Crosstown Traffic." Sun Caged's "Freedom" is faithful, but the question is, does it add to Jimi's legacy, or perform as a platform for this group? Either way is OK, but inevitably people are going to go back to the superb original. "Gypsy Eyes" by Mistheria and Andrea Rivera could be the album's most creative moment, sounding like a jazzy "Room Full of Mirrors"-influenced rendition, it has some elements of Deep Purple's "Highway Star," which make it a standout here. Randy Coven gives us his rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," although working a Hendrix original would have been preferable for this artist. Covering music that Jimi covered and made his own is not only redundant, but pointless. How can anyone hope to compare to the master? And if they could do a better job it might go from tribute to showing off. Still, The Spirit Lives On, Vol.1 has some fine moments, and is a decent addition for fans who collect such things.
Vol 2
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
Ten more songs that Jimi Hendrix once played grace the second volume of Lion Music's The Spirit Lives On: The Music of Jimi Hendrix series, to go along with the 13 cuts on volume one. Where Regi Hendrix wrote the liners to the first collection, it is metal guitarist Lars Eric Mattson who does the honors here, and who opens the disc with an exciting "Room Full of Mirrors" aided by Megadeth's Chris Poland and vocalist Alf Wemmenlind of the band Mister Kite. It's hard and driving -- as is Winterlong's look at "Purple Haze." This is a far cry from Buddy Miles semi-orchestrated dance version on the In From the Storm tribute, and at some point do we stop rating this music in terms of how much it adds to the Hendrix legacy and start comparing it to all the covers finding their way to the marketplace? This allows the instrumental of Buddy Miles' "Them Changes" by Tommy Denander to emerge as one of the album's shining moments -- a terrific reinvention of Miles' songwriting contribution to the Band of Gypsys album. It is followed by another non-vocal gem, Condition Red's lovely and moody instrumental reading of "Villanova Junction" -- an interesting track Hendrix performed on Jimi Hendrix: Woodstock -- covered by Arlen Roth on the 2003 Horizon compilation Voodoo Crossing: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix -- proving that even the master's obscure titles are starting to get extra play.
Condition Red at least put a new breath into this lilting approach, though it is the Hendrix delivery at Woodstock which carries something special. Torben Enevoldsen takes on "Who Knows?," another slice from the Band of Gypsys outing, and in this context it works very well, though Jeff Richman does a jazzy rendition on Horizon's second volume of covers released in 2005 -- Gypsy Blood: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix Volume 2 -- with Robert Trout and Popa Chubby also covering the tune on the Blue Haze: Songs of Jimi Hendrix title issued in 2000. You need a scorecard to keep track of Hendrix's own versions as well as the amazing amount of covers that just keep proliferating. So perhaps it comes down to personal taste -- in which case one may find Dave Martone's transcendent instrumental of "Angel" on this compilation to truly be in "the spirit" of Jimi Hendrix -- spacey, other-worldly, and a delight for the ears. The song drifts away from Hendrix's original concept and takes on a life of its own, evolving with stunning moments despite the fact that everyone from Rod Stewart to Jeff Healey and Gil Evans have walked down this path. Heck, the song shows up on If 69 Was 96 by Pinguin Moschner and on Roy Mette's A New Experience: An Acoustic Tribute to Jimi Hendrix, two more nods to Hendrix's seemingly endless influence. And perhaps because so many have jumped on the bandwagon these releases tend to become a blur. That's a pity because The Spirit Lives On: The Music of Jimi Hendrix Vol. 2 is a fun listening experience with some innovation and substance that gives it the thumbs up.
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AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
Along with it being a ridiculous concept to begin with, the other tragedy of this tribute album to Jimi Hendrix created by producer Michael Lloyd (and probably record exec Mike Curb, as a Curb/Fitzpatrick team is listed as "production" ) is that none of the vaunted musicians are listed here. Imagine the fun if someone of substance had actually put his/her name to this? The Rubber Band previously released The Cream Songbook, a tribute to the Eric Clapton/Ginger Baker/Jack Bruce ensemble, and maybe there was a market back in the day for knock-offs of six Hendrix tunes, including "Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," "Manic Depression," "The Wind Cries Mary," and "Fire," all from the Are You Experienced? album, as well as "Little Miss Lover" from Axis: Bold As Love; a wedding band cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower"; and a Michael Lloyd original, "Rubber Jam." How "Rubber Jam" pertains to Hendrix's genius is the mystery as there is nothing vaguely resembling Robin Trower or April Lawton, let alone Hendrix, on this particular track. It's clear from the Joe X. Price liner notes that concern for the music is not the primary focus on The Hendrix Songbook. With 24 minutes of mostly instrumental music, the one "vocal" on "Foxy Lady," they were clearly out for the quick buck -- but decades later it survives as a bizarre collectors item. Imagine the group on the fake Little Richard/Jimi Hendrix release Friends From the Beginning performing one-take Experience covers with electric organ, violins, cellos, viola, oboes, and horns. Price claims that they are "blending Mike Lloyd's arranging talents with the creative genius that is Hendrix." Well, with a production resumé that includes Debby Boone, Pat Boone, the Mike Curb Congregation, and Shaun Cassidy, one wonders if this is the Bellamy Brothers performing Hendrix's works, and that Lloyd got the idea when the Experience opened for the Monkees. Not as galling as Pat Boone performing "The Wind Cries Mary" on his 1997 release In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, of course, by Michael Lloyd. Too bad he just didn't have Pat Boone sing on these old tracks....
performing Hendrix's works, and that Lloyd got the idea when the Experience opened for the Monkees. Not as galling as Pat Boone performing "The Wind Cries Mary" on his 1997 release In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, of course, by Michael Lloyd. Too bad he just didn't have Pat Boone sing on these old tracks....
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]
Along with it being a ridiculous concept to begin with, the other tragedy of this tribute album to Jimi Hendrix created by producer Michael Lloyd (and probably record exec Mike Curb, as a Curb/Fitzpatrick team is listed as "production" ) is that none of the vaunted musicians are listed here. Imagine the fun if someone of substance had actually put his/her name to this? The Rubber Band previously released The Cream Songbook, a tribute to the Eric Clapton/Ginger Baker/Jack Bruce ensemble, and maybe there was a market back in the day for knock-offs of six Hendrix tunes, including "Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," "Manic Depression," "The Wind Cries Mary," and "Fire," all from the Are You Experienced? album, as well as "Little Miss Lover" from Axis: Bold As Love; a wedding band cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower"; and a Michael Lloyd original, "Rubber Jam." How "Rubber Jam" pertains to Hendrix's genius is the mystery as there is nothing vaguely resembling Robin Trower or April Lawton, let alone Hendrix, on this particular track. It's clear from the Joe X. Price liner notes that concern for the music is not the primary focus on The Hendrix Songbook. With 24 minutes of mostly instrumental music, the one "vocal" on "Foxy Lady," they were clearly out for the quick buck -- but decades later it survives as a bizarre collectors item. Imagine the group on the fake Little Richard/Jimi Hendrix release Friends From the Beginning performing one-take Experience covers with electric organ, violins, cellos, viola, oboes, and horns. Price claims that they are "blending Mike Lloyd's arranging talents with the creative genius that is Hendrix." Well, with a production resumé that includes Debby Boone, Pat Boone, the Mike Curb Congregation, and Shaun Cassidy, one wonders if this is the Bellamy Brothers performing Hendrix's works, and that Lloyd got the idea when the Experience opened for the Monkees. Not as galling as Pat Boone performing "The Wind Cries Mary" on his 1997 release In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, of course, by Michael Lloyd. Too bad he just didn't have Pat Boone sing on these old tracks....
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