Music Review: Jimi Hendrix – Rainbow Bridge and Hendrix In The West

Rainbow Bridge was released in October of 1971 and was the second album of left over studio tracks to be issued following Jimi Hendrix’ death. The tracks contained on this album, when combined with those on his previously released The Cry Of Love, completed the finished songs that were to be released on Hendrix’ planned, but ultimately unfinished, double album.

These songs were played with his last group of musicians: bassist Billy Cox and drummer Mitch Mitchell. While Mitchell and Cox had only been playing together for a few months, they seemed a good fit and Hendrix appeared comfortable with this combination.

Mitch Mitchell and Eddie Kramer produced the album, as they had done with The Cry Of Love, and reached a little a little deeper into the Hendrix catalogue of unreleased material.

“Dolly Dagger” leads off the album and is a strong track. It is a thundering and literally overwhelming rock song. Hendrix produced a guitar sound that just comes at the listener in waves and assaults the senses. I have to say, I prefer the Woodstock live version of the “Star Spangled Banner” to the one contained here. “Earth Blues,” “Hey Baby” and the creative “Room Full Of Mirrors” all show Hendrix exploring new musical directions.

There were only six new studio tracks available so Mitchell and Kramer added a rousing live version of “Hear My Train A Comin’” which was performed at a Berkeley concert on May 30, 1970 and “Look Over Yonder” which was recorded in 1968.

Rainbow Bridge was an album of very good individual parts that did not really hang together as a whole. The album was another big seller reaching gold record status. While it is now out of print, all the tracks can be found on the CD release, First Rays Of The New Rising Sun.  

Hendrix In The West was released February 12, 1972. The eight tracks contained on this live album were taken from concerts recorded in 1969 and 1970. Three songs featured the original Jimi Hendrix Experience and the other five the Mitchell/Cox combination.

“Red House” at thirteen minutes and “Voodoo Chile” at close to eight minutes gave Hendrix room to stretch and improvise. “Red House,” in particular, shows Hendrix’ brilliance of exploring a songs structure without completely leaving it. Interestingly these are two of the tracks that feature the original Experience.

I have always liked Hendrix’ presentation of the two rock classics “Johnny B. Goode” and “Blue Suede Shoes.” Move over Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins. Hendrix is true to the structure of the songs but his guitar sound and improvisation add layers and new textures to these familiar tunes.

Hendrix In The West is another album of excellent parts. The songs are pieced together from four different performances and so tend to be mini concerts in themselves. Each song should be appreciated as they present Jimi Hendrix at his best.