Jimi Hendrix - South Saturn Delta

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• HENDRIX JIMI SOUTH SATURN DELTA

Music reviews of South Saturn Delta

Music Review: Still worthy of 5 stars, but not the best Jimi out there...
Rating: 5 Stars

What we have now with "South Saturn Delta" is probably the best we'll get as far as unreleased material in the Hendrix catalogue goes (besides live performances that they are currently holding back from us Jimi-philes). Although some of it was derived from the '70s post-humous releases War Heroes, Ranbow Bridge, and Cry Of Love, the album is vastly made up of unreleased alternate takes, and songs that Jimi was never able to complete.

Although this is probably the weakest entry in the Experience Hendrix catalogue, that's not saying much, and SSD is still an excellent, if somewhat fuzzy, underproduced, and incomplete, record. The frustrating part isn't the unfinished mixes, it's the way you see what Jimi was trying to get at, but wasn't able to quite explain fully before his 1970 death. You wonder, without answer what last effect he would have dubbed overtop of the mix, or what lyrics he would have changed, or even if the song itself isn't just a jam that Jimi hoped wouldn't be released.

Unfortunately, there's no one there to answer the questions that race around in the back of our heads, and so it becomes difficult to take this album for what it really is. It's for the die-hards who just want a glimpse into Jimi's beautiful emotion and songwriting process. For anyone else, this album might just prove to be a cluttered mess, which it actually can be at some points. But those of us who are desperate for Jimi are just clinging onto what we can, and we appreciate the unfinished work in all it's raw glory.

The tracks nearing completion are fantastic, and the first takes of other songs can be just as good. Hearing what material sounded like for the first time played is an awe-inspiring experience. Take for example, "Little Wing." One of the first takes of the song is on this disc, but it sounds nothing like the final track itself! It's very melodic and beautiful in it's own right, but when you consider the possibilities of alternate takes, it boggles the mind.

The album is a great listening experience throughout, but there are moments when you have to wonder about EHs motives behind releasing certain tracks. the alternate take of "Angel" is missing about a minute because of damage to the master, and the alternate take of "All Along The Watchtower," sounds extremely similar to the original.

Still deserving of five stars, if only because of the raw fury of the record, SSD is a must have for any of the hundreds of thousands of Jimi-philes out there. If you are new to the world of Hendrix, stay away from this collection until you've heard Jimi's original studio albums and live performances...

Description of South Saturn Delta

Classic Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Hard Rock & Metal
• Pop
• R&B
• Rock