Review Summary: "Well my mind is goin' through them changes..."
Following the unfortunate break-up of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, it's leading member brought together a group of musicians consisting of Billy Cox and Buddy Miles to form a new musical project.
Band Of Gypsys is their eponymous debut composed by recorded material from one of their few live performances. The album opens with
"Who Knows". After a brief introduction, Jimi Hendrix lies his fingers upon the strings of his guitar and the amplifiers soon flourish with an alluring sound. We find Band Of Gypsys embracing a more traditional style of Blues music, rather than the exploratory voyages of psychedelia that comprised the work of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Though this effort lacks the experimental ambitions of his previous ventures, that familiar atmosphere of intensity remains well preserved.
This performance is possessed with an exuberance of energy. Whether its Buddy Miles' passionate cries in the soulful
"Changes" or the explosive release of aggression from Hendrix's guitar in
"Power To Love", every song induces a captivating experience, one that immediately seduces our attention with ease.
"Machine Gun" is perhaps the highlight of this performance. This is our first encounter with the song, and its a very interesting listening experience because we have seen this particular piece evolve through time. This is one of the most mesmerizing performances by Jimi Hendrix. His guitar work is flourishing with intensity, bombarding the listener with an eruption of solos that are almost overwhelming to the sense. The guitar work is decorated with an abundance of distorting effects to simulate a chaotic atmosphere, reflecting the turmoil in the experience of war.
Band Of Gypsys proves to be another accomplished addition in Jimi Hendrix's already illustrious repertoire, and one that should not go unexperienced by any fan.
