Number 29: Band of Gypsies by Jimi Hendrix
Release: March 25th, 1970
Genre: Rock
Favorite Tracks: Machine Gun, Power to Love, Who Knows
Where I heard it:
As a kid with a developing taste in classic rock, it was quickly understood that nobody in the business ever strummed the strings with as much raw emotion and remarkable innovation in the genre than Jimi Hendrix. There was a long portion of time where I completely idolized this man and the legacy he left behind in his short time here on Earth. The sheer mystique behind Jimi's legendary presence was well intriguing enough for me to completely get behind the ideology of his music as a budding teenager. Starting with his trilogy of albums released by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, I regularly consumed just about as much Hendrix content as I could throughout high school and beyond. It was a new revelation every time I heard a lesser known Jimi track, like his interpretation of Catfish Blues from his Blues EP or the live recording of Hear My Train A Comin' released as a B-Side on Valleys of Neptune that I only uncovered a couple years ago. Jimi Hendrix is truly the musical gift that keeps on giving long after his passing. One of my personal favorite projects of his came in the form of his spinoff group Band of Gypsys, Jimi's first album release following his departure from the Experience. One of my best friends in high school was an absolute savant at guitar, spanning multiple genres that included folk and metal. During the summer between my junior and senior year, this friend introduced me to a song by Hendrix he was currently jamming to with his band, an all-out rock banger called Power to Love. Even as an avid Hendrix fan, Power to Love blew me away with its powerful riffs and overall thrilling performance. It didn't take me long to order a vinyl record of Band of Gypsys only record which documented their historic multi-night performance at the prestigious Fillmore East theater in New York City. If you're not familiar with this record, it's easily one of the greatest works among the Hendrix catalog.
Evil man make you kill me
Evil man make me kill you
Even though we're only families apart
I pick up my axe and fight like a farmer
And your bullets keep knocking me down
But you still blast me down to the ground
The same way you shoot me down
You'll be going just the same
Three times the pain
And your own self to blame
~ Machine Gun
What to expect:
Especially during the early days of recording technology, live albums often force its listening audience to embrace the inherently flawed nature of real-time performances. Live shows can tend to be unpredictable between lackluster crowd reaction and production mistakes. However, there do exist rare examples of live recordings that manage to harness the atmosphere of an immersive, once-in-a-lifetime experience replicated right at home. Band of Gypsys provides all of this and more over its 45 minute runtime, capturing every bit of resonance and expression that Jimi is notorious for providing during his time on stage. Jimi delivers some of his most iconic work within this album, including the twelve minute epic Machine Gun that addresses the senseless violence of the Vietnam War, complete with guitar effects that mimic automatic gunfire and screaming creaming carpet bombs. The recording quality is brilliant for equipment that is over half a century old, extracting the purest tones out of Hendirx's fabled fretwork. Not to be overshadowed by their illustrious compatriot, Band of Gypsys is rounded out by two additional decorated musicians in their own right: Billy Cox on bass, and Buddy Miles on drums and shared vocals. Famous for their stand-in roles in Jimi's storied Woodstock performance in 1969, Cox and Miles would continue to hold jam sessions with Hendrix until they had enough material to take on the road. For Jimi, Band of Gypsys was an opportunity to spread his wings a bit more creatively, composing more thoughtful and down-to-Earth songs in comparison to the psychedelic musings of his time in the Experience. These tracks also explore different musical stylings such as funk, blues, and R&B that open the door for some impressive improvised jams right in the middle of a song. Clearly, the enthusiasm of the crowd reflects the successful execution of Band of Gypsys' intimate yet electric showcase. The trio actively inspires crowd participation with clapping sections and prefacing dialog to introduce each song, further empowering the performance of the band. It's incredible as a listener acting as a proverbial fly on the wall to feel the music reach out to you in such a direct manner, but Band of Gypsys brandishes the immense talent necessary to recreate that feeling with relative ease.
You ain't supposed to be
Now don't rely on no man
Try to argue instead
Find yourself first
And then your talent
Work hard in your mind
Go come alive
And prove to the man
You're as strong as him
In the eyes of God
~ Message To Love
Why it's my favorite:
What more is there to say about Jimi Hendrix that hasn't already been reinforced throughout decades of history? This man single handedly reinvented guitar music by relentlessly abusing his frets night after night, pushing the boundaries of the instrument to reach capabilities that artists are still attempting to emulate to this day. There's no hyperbole to the rhetoric of Hendrix's gravitational influence of music as a whole, he was just that dude. Jimi accomplished staggering levels of output given his highly concentrated period of activity before turning in at the young age of 27. Frankly, it's baffling that this record is considered a hidden gem among the Hendrix discography, because it deserves just as much recognition as his first three studio albums with the experience. Even for his monolithic track record, Band of Gypsys displays an aura of poise and maturity in Hendrix's playing style that wouldn't be seen again, as this album marks his last release before his death in 1970. Like many others, I'm left only with my imagination of the heights that Jimi could have reached had he continued his storied career past his twenties. Instead, Band of Gypsys serves as one last hurrah to celebrate the extraordinary life of one of music's greatest acts. This particular entry is close to my heart for the memories of summertime on the back deck, smoking the night away while jamming to some Jimi with good company. Life is just better with a little Jimi Hendrix mixed in.
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