So, Jimi Hendrix came out with a new album. What? He’s dead. Well, Legacy Recordings found some previously unreleased Hendrix tracks and decided to put them onto an album. They decided to name it “People, Hell, and Angels.” Unfortunately, this is the last album of previously unreleased tracks by Hendrix.
The first song on the album is “Earth Blues.” This great opening track has more of adds more of a jazzy sound that we’re are not too used to hearing on Hendrix’s records, but boy does it open this album well. Although the lyrics are, in a way, basically yelling at you to be a better person, the slightly distorted Strat has a certain calming affect that immerses you into the music.
The second song on the album is “Somewhere.” The intro has a great Hendrix solo filled with the Wah pedal. He uses this throughout the rest of the song as well. This song is also about problems in the world, how people seem to need help from a greater being. Although this seems to be written in a major key, the lyrics are a bit depressing. However, the guitar solos don’t seem to be bluesy, which would enhance the lyrics, but with the Wah pedal, more of a confused sound. I would say that this makes you think differently about what your hearing in the lyrics of the song.
“Hear My Train A Comin’” is the third track on this album. It’s a very typical blues song filled with some crazy guitar solos. It’s a good song to listen to if you just want to chill. I even kind of tuned out while listening to this track, but it was very good background music. However, at the very end of the track just explodes. The whole band seems to have a massive crescendo written in their music to perk up the listener to get ready for the next track.
“Bleeding Heart” Just the name of this makes me want to listen to it after being shaken up from the end of the last track. It starts off quite calm and bluesy, but it slightly picks up. The solos on this track are the best so far from this album. They’re just awesome. No other way to describe it.
A saxophone on a Jimi Hendrix song? Wait a minute… Whoa. This is by far the longest track on the album, and with a saxophone. No, a saxophone solo right in the beginning with Hendrix’s slide guitar layered directly under. This rocking track is called “Let Me Move You.” I guess the title is proper since the song will make you want to move.
“Izabella” rounds out the first half of the album and to be completely honest, I did not enjoy this track in particular. It didn’t connect with me like the other ones. Hard-core Jimi Hendrix fans will like every song on this album. Hendrix is one of the greatest guitarist that ever lived, but I haven’t been able to connect with all of his music.
“Easy Blues” opens up the second half of the album. This is a great guitar track, Hendrix does some very nice work with this tune. Not much more to say than I like it.
“Crash Landing” starts off with a calming guitar intro, which seems to be a trend on this album, but picks up and let’s Hendrix have at it with his guitar. This is another very chill song to listen to. I definitely like this track as well.
“Inside Out” is the ninth track on this album and starts out in the intro with harmonizing guitars. If this came out back in the 60s, this would have been a hit. This is an instrumental track, but Hendrix does some amazing guitar work on this tune. The organ, bass, and drums and dialed in as well and you can feel the excitement the musicians were feeling while they were recording.
“Hey Gypsy Boy” is the third to last tune on this album. It’s a very calming song to prepare you for what’s coming at the end. A lot of albums tend to do this a lot. Sometimes it doesn’t fit in well, but this one does. The previous track is probably the most exciting track out of the whole album (so far) and you need time to catch your breath, per say. This one does that for you.
The 11th song on this album is “Mojo Man,” which like I said will become an existing finish to the album and this track is beginning to do justice. Though not all albums end on a fully excited track, this song calms down at the end. I did not see that coming. This is yet another track on this album with wind instruments, more specifically a full brass section. Sometimes, with a brass section, you can take away from a song, but this one adds to it.
Finally, the last song on this album. This one is called “Villanova Junction Blues.” To start, what a great title. That’s just awesome. The song starts off very calm and soothing. The intro is very articulated and smooth. So is the rest of the song. I’m surprised the last track of the album is like this. I was expecting something big, but that doesn’t matter if the song’s good. This one is.
Like I said earlier, I am not a hard-core Jimi Hendrix fan. I like some of his music, but not a ton of it because it doesn’t always register with me. I think this album helped me realize there is a lot more to the guitarist than just what we knew of him in the 60s. All of the music that is on this album is new to the public and even in 2013, this is a pretty popular album. Although Jimi Hendrix is gone, his music will live on and future people who aspire to be a guitar god will look to Hendrix as a musical role model.
