#28: Jimi Hendrix - Valleys Of Neptune

Stone Free
Valleys Of Neptune
Bleeding Heart
Hear My Train a Comin'
Mr. Bad Luck
Sunshine Of Your Love
Lover Man
Ships Passing Through The Night
Fire
Red House
Lullaby For The Summer
Crying Blue Rain

All tracks written by Jimi Hendrix, except 'Bleeding Heart', by Elmore James and 'Sunshine Of Your Love', by Brown, Bruce and Clapton

Jimi Hendrix - vocals, guitar
Noel Redding - bass (except 'Stone Free', 'Valleys Of Neptune', and 'Bleeding Heart'), backing vocals on 'Fire'
Mitch Mitchell - drums (except 'Bleeding Heart')
Billy Cox - bass on 'Stone Free', 'Valleys Of Neptune', and 'Bleeding Heart'
Rocky Dzidzornu - percussion on 'Sunshine Of Your Love', and 'Crying Blue Rain'
Roger Chapman - backing vocals on 'Stone Free'
Andy Fairweather Low - backing vocals on 'Stone Free'
Juma Sultan - percussion on 'Valleys Of Neptune'
Rocky Isaac - drums on 'Bleeding Heart'
Chris Grimes - tambourine on 'Bleeding Heart'
Al Marks - maracas on 'Bleeding Heart'
Produced by Jimi Hendrix, Chas Chandler, Janie Hendrix, Eddie Kramer and John McDermott

Label: Legacy

Mainly recorded in 1969, 'Valleys Of Neptune' is the other posthumous release that I spoke of in the entry about 'Michael'. Unlike that album, these recordings were actually intended to be used on the unfinished follow-up to the final Jimi Hendrix Experience album 'Electric Ladyland', rather than a collection of outtakes from previous records.

Looking through the tracklist, there are a number of tracks that you'll think that you've heard before. They aren't as you remember them, however, but rather alternative versions of tracks from previous albums. The versions on here of 'Stone Free', 'Fire', and 'Red House' don't replace the original versions in any way, but it's nice to hear another interpretation of the tracks, even if they are pretty unnecessary. The real gem of this album is the title track, that had remained unavailable for the 40 years following Jimi's death - I wasn't born at the time, and even I can't believe that it's been 40 years.

There's enough here to keep any Hendrix fan without the patience to sift through the numerous bootlegs available (like myself) happy.

Listen Here: Jimi Hendrix Experience – Valleys Of Neptune