THE ESSENTIAL JIMI HENDRIX (VOL. 1)

This review is written using the original vinyl LP, the CD re-issue may vary in content. One thing that needs to be pointed out right off the bat is that this collection is not an overview of Jimi's entire career, rather it is a collection of songs from his studio work with The Experience only. Having said that, I guess the big qualifier with collections is did they get the right songs on here. The answer is yes, The Essential Jimi Hendrix is an excellent sampler of the first three Experience albums plus a healthy dose of tunes from the infamous unfinished fourth album.

Although most of the expected hits are here, I really like the way they sacrificed overplayed pop tunes such as Hey Joe in favor of more experimental numbers such as Third Stone and if 6 was 9. Likewise the more artfully developed creations of the third and fourth albums are favored over the more developmental tunes of the first two albums. There are also enough interesting under-exposed songs on here that despite the over-exposed saturation that Jimi's music is given on mainstream radio, I can actually enjoy this album as a fresh listening experience.

Although most fans enjoy Jimi's sonic guitar workouts, I've always preferred his introspective artsy folk/jazz tunes. That softer style is well represented with melancholic masterpieces such as Drifting, Midnight Oil and Castles Made of Sand. The only way this collection could have been better is if they could have figured out a way to fit Jimi's prog-rock gem 1983 on this big slab of plastic.