The Guitar Hero

In the 1970s, there was an endless supply of Jimi Hendrix bootlegs to choose from. Hendrix died in 1970, but long after his death, bootleggers continued to thrill collectors by unearthing all kinds of live recordings, rehearsals, demos, and broadcasts. Unfortunately, many of those 1970s bootlegs weren't exactly known for their great sound quality -- some of them sounded terrible. But poor sound isn't a problem on Guitar Hero, one of the 1970s bootlegs that focuses on Hendrix's performances for the BBC's Top Gear program in 1967. The sound quality is excellent, as are the performances. Fronting the trailblazing Jimi Hendrix Experience -- Hendrix on lead vocals and guitar, Noel Redding on bass, and Mitch Mitchell on drums -- Hendrix is in superb form on original songs (which include "Foxy Lady," "Spanish Castle Magic," "Little Miss Lover," "Wait Until Tomorrow," and "Stone Free") as well as inspired covers of the Beatles' "Day Tripper," Bob Dylan's "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window," Leiber & Stoller's "Hound Dog," and Willie Dixon's "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man." If you're going to do a cover, it's important to bring something fresh and original to the song -- otherwise, what's the point? And Hendrix puts his own spin on all of the rock and blues songs that he embraces, making them harder and heavier. Hendrix's guitar playing is quite metallic for 1967 -- he was arguably the first heavy metal artist, and his innovations helped pave the way for everyone from Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Judas Priest to Metallica, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead. Guitar Hero is a first-rate bootleg that collectors were thrilled to get their hands on in the late '70s. ~ Alex Henderson