Jimi Hendrix has been deceased 40 years, yet he still remains one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most fascinating figures.
To commemorate the anniversary of his death, Experience Hendrix, the company overseeing his musical estate, and Legacy Records, Sony Music Group’s catalog division, are gearing up to make 2010 a landmark year for the Hendrix legacy. They will be releasing a new studio album, a tribute tour, a version of the popular game Rock Band dedicated to him, and a freshening of his classic titles.
The new album, Valleys of Neptune, set to be released March 9, will be the first album of previously unreleased material in over a decade. Pulling largely from his 1969 recordings at the Record Plant in New York and Olympic studios in London, Valleys of Neptune will pay homage to a period of musical transition in Hendrix’s career before he created his legendary recording, Electric Ladyland.
Having become increasingly bored with the typical rock sounds he and his power trio, The Experience, had previously created, Hendrix became captivated by studio technology and continued experimenting with other artists and sounds, as he had on Electric Ladyland.
More than just an artist, he was a man who preferred to proudly wave his beloved “Freak Flag” instead of a black power salute. For some, his musical presence transcended race and for others it seemed to aid in stratifying the races. “He was the Movement, his very existence, without his having to put his fist in the air,” explained Vernon Reid, a guitarist from Living Colour who will be participating in the Experience Hendrix Tribute tour.
Black critics chastised Hendrix for his love of white artists like Bob Dylan and The Beatles as well as for pandering to white audiences with a stereotypical black stud persona. Ironically, white critics berated him for his larger-than-life stage antics and over-the-top style, seen as accceptable coming from white artists but crude and silly coming from a black rocker.
Hendrix’s genius and fame coupled with his personal demons left him a vulnerable and isolated figure. Sadly, it all came to an end when he died at the age of 27 after consuming copious amounts of alcohol and sleeping pills.
With a slew of new projects slated to be released in the coming years, Hendrix’s music will get a proper introduction to a new generation of fans.
–nicholas robinson
