For Week Ending:
10 August 2024

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hollywood Bowl (August 18, 1967) (2023)

[Classic Rock]

There is always a point with archival releases from an artist long gone that it moves from being a moving experience to the release of a commercial product driven by profit. Although many of the recent releases by the Experience Hendrix company have contained some questionable content, this album leaves the listener wondering why from the moment the music begins. The problem here is not the performance, but the sound quality. It is from a radio broadcast, and the instruments were not captured correctly, leaving everything distorted and dull - including Jimi's vocals. That is not to say it is a bad concert - on the contrary, it is a great energetic show - and there are actually precious few complete performances from 1967 available. It should also be noted this is recording even unknown to underground collectors, so it is unearthed treasure. Opening with a shambolic performance of The Beatles 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' the band then moves into a great version of Howlin' Wolf's 'Killing Floor'. 'The Wind Cries Mary' is next, but mic dropouts leave some unfortunate vocal holes. Other highlights include Robert Petway's 'Catfish Blues' played loud, and a feedback driven version of The Troggs 'Wild Thing' closing the show. A couple of decades ago the Hendrix estate created the Dagger Records label for 'official bootlegs' and had this been on that label, it would have been a perfect addiction. Unfortunately they are now in business with Sony, who demand a new general public release every year. Who knows what may come next?

Arist Information
James Marshall 'Jimi' Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 - September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, songwriter and singer. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as the greatest and one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music."

Men At Work - Business As Usual (1981)

[Rock]

A lost classic, yet a number of songs still get air time on local radio. I was a young'un when this came out and of course was due to the 'Down Under' single that will live in eternity in the fabric of Australiana. However if you have the time to absorb the album itself, it reveals the magic of Colin Hay as a song writer. He has gone on to be a successful solo musician, but his roots lie here. It have been a very long time between listens to the whole album, however listening now, it seems like last week. Something you don't easily forget. Unlike many bands releases these days. Picking highlights from the album include the lead track 'Who Can It Be Now' - a classic simplistic verse/chorus/verse song, but it just works, not just as a song, but the story itself (albeit a little quirky) again kudos to Hay and of course 'Be Good Johnny' which is a great story in itself and Hay portrays the story perfectly. ''Well you sure are a funny kid Jonny, but I like you''. Finally 'Down Under' - my mind frizzles at the amount of royalties they must continue to recent each time this song is played these days - from the America's Cup win in the 80's to the recent Australian Olympics campaign, but it is just deserved for this song and the band. I encourage you to listen to more than these 3 songs as I am sure you will enjoy.

Arist Information
Men At Work are an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1978 and best known for breakthrough hits such as "Down Under", "Who Can It Be Now?", "Be Good Johnny", "Overkill", and "It's A Mistake". Its founding member and frontman is Colin Hay, who performs on lead vocals and guitar.

Release Information
'Business As Usual' is the debut studio album by Men At Work. It was released in November 1981 in Australia and April 1982 in the United States. It spent nine weeks at the top of the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart from December 1981 through to March 1982. It was one of the most successful albums internationally by an Australian group, and spent an unprecedented 15 weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 from late 1982 to early 1983; and five weeks at No. 1 in the United Kingdom Albums Chart in early 1983. Business as Usual was also one of the highest selling Australian albums in the early 1980s, with 6 million copies shipped in the U.S.