Innocence… Lost… Imam… Policeman’s wife beheaded in Iraq attacks… We can see now, with the calm vision of those who have no part in their superstition, that their hope was never built on the understanding and wisdom of creation, but upon weak, human desires and narrow personal expectation. It can easily be seen that, under the great Law Eternal, it was not possible that there could be a return, a king of any sort, or that there could follow the perfecting of the race in any such a narrow, limited, personal way. When Truth has become revealed to the minds of men, they at once see that laws remain, and that the human race is bound to fit itself to them. And looking back over the centuries, and on into the future, we find that Jimi Hendrix was trying to teach us when he said, “I come not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it.”
Appropriately, The Law of Reissues commands Hendrix (and his estate) to release West Coast Seattle Boy — The Jimi Hendrix Anthology, a deluxe box set composed of four CDs and a 90-minute documentary, Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child, all due on November 16 through Legacy Recordings. The set has a bunch (45, to be exact) of otherwise-throwaways-but-because-he-is-dead-they-might-appeal-to-completists tracks from his Experience days. It also has a Dylan cover (“Tears of Rage”), live Band of Gypsys material, and music from singles with The Isley Brothers, Little Richard, and Don Covay & The Goodtimers.
And because the Christmas bells will be ringing soon after, Legacy will also reissue, on the same day, Jimi Hendrix Experience: BBC Sessions, Jimi Hendrix: Blues (a Mango Starr favorite!), Live at Woodstock, and a stunningly titled Christmas EP, Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year.
West Coast Seattle Boy — The Jimi Hendrix Anthology tracklisting:
Disc One (covers):
01. The Isley Brothers - Testify
02. Don Covay & The Goodtimers - Mercy, Mercy
03. Don Covay & The Goodtimers - Cant Stay Away
04. Rosa Lee Brooks - My Diary
05. Rosa Lee Brooks - Utee
06. Little Richard - I Dont Know What You Got But Its Got Me
07. Little Richard - Dancing All Around The World
08. Frank Howard & The Commanders - Im So Glad
09. The Isley Brothers - Move Over And Let Me Dance
10. The Isley Brothers - Have You Ever Been Disappointed
11. Ray Sharpe - Help Me (Get The Feeling) (Part I)
12. The Icemen - (My Girl) Shes A Fox
13. Jimmy Norman - That Little Old Groovemaker
14. Billy Lamont - Sweet Thang
15. King Curtis - Instant Groove
Disc Two:
01. Fire
02. Are You Experienced
03. May This Be Love
04. Can You See Me
05. Love or Confusion
06. Little One
07. Mr. Bad Luck
08. Cat Talking to Me
09. Castles Made of Sand
10. Tears of Rage
11. Hear My Train a Comin
12. 1983 (A Merman I Shall Turn to Be)
13. Long Hot Summer Night
14. My Friend
15. Angel
16. Calling All the Devils Children
17. New Rising Sun
Disc Three:
01. Hear My Freedom
02. Room Full of Mirrors
03. Shame, Shame, Shame
04. Messenger
05. Hound Dog Blues
06. Untitled Basic Track
07. Star Spangled Banner
08. Purple Haze
09. Young/Hendrix
10. Mastermind
11. Message to Love
12. Fire
13. Foxey Lady
Disc Four:
01. Stone Free
02. Burning Desire
03. Lonely Avenue
04. Everlasting First
05. Freedom
06. Peter Gunn/Catastrophe
07. In from the Storm
08. All Gods Children
09. Red House
10. Play That Riff [Thank You]
11. Bolero
12. Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)
13. Suddenly November Morning
• Jimi Hendrix: http://www.jimihendrix.com
• Legacy: http://www.legacyrecordings.com