Jimi Hendrix
Crash Landing
The OOP Version and The Unreleased Version
February 1975

Crash Landing, the 5th posthumous relseased, was supposed to be an enduring testament to the evolving genius of Jimi Hendrix. Throw in Billy Cox and Buddy Miles and this seems like the lost Band of Gypsys studio album that we never got to hear.  This wasn't going to be another JH Experience; raher, it was closer to Cry Of Love - light, airy, breezy but w/distictive Hendrix solos.

But wait, there are actually 2 versions of Crash Landing in circulation. One is the offical release, now an OOP album. After reaching an agreement with the aritst's estate, producers Alan Douglas and Tony Bongiovi began assembling unreleased material. Eight original cuts in various stages of devleopment were completed using some musicians and singers to augment the missing parts. The effort would showcase Jimi's effortless improvisational artistry. Unfortunately, the result was Alan Douglass's  version of Crash Landing, not Jimi Hendrix's version. To Douglass's credit, he  did effectively create a seamless blend of the original and updated material. It was just a little overproduced for my taste - a very un-Hendrix like effort in spots. Back up singers? Come on Alan!

The 2nd and unoffical version of Crash Landing was the unreleased one. This is supposedly the version that Jimi originally envisioned. It's raw production but very pure. No studio production overdubs, no tricks or musical or vocal augementation. I like it! You know, I wish Eddie Kramer had reworked the Crash Landing material. Now that would have been a posthumous album worth our attention.

OOP Version
Reprise Records
  1. Message To Love (3:14)
  2. Captain Coconut (3:30)
  3. Crash Landing (4:14)
  4. Come Down Hard On Me (3:16)
  5. Peace In Mississippi (4:21)
  6. With The Power (3:28)
  7. Stone Free Again (3:25)
  8. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (4:06)
Bass - Billy Cox  (T1, 6, 8), Bob Babbitt  (T2 to 5, 6)
Drums - Alan Schwartzberg (T2 to 5, 7, 8)
Guitar - Jeff Mironov (T2 to 5, 7)
Percussion - Jimmy Maeulen (T1, 3, 5 to 8)
Producer - Alan Douglas , Tony Bongiovi
Vocals - Jimi Hendrix (All except T5, 8.)




 Unreleased Version
Watch Tower Records (WT2004118)

  1. Promo Crash Landing [7:07]
  2. Crash Landing [4:25] - (Original Mix)
  3. Somewhere [3:16] - (Alt Mix)
  4. Anything Is Possible  [5:48] - (Basic Version)
  5. New Rising Sun [8:26] - (Uncensored Version)
  6. Message To Love  [3:33] - (Alt Version)
  7. Stone Free  [3:39] - (Original Tracks)
  8. Peace In Mississippi  [5:25] (Complete Original Version)
  9. Here Comes Your Lover Man  [3:08] (Basic Version)
10. MLK-New Rising Sun  [6:21] (Original Sessions)
11. Gypsy Boy (New Rising Sun With Vocals) [3:17]
12. Capt Coconut > New Rising Sun > Cherokee Mist
        (Official test mix done by Alan Douglas) [10:21]

Jimi Hendrix-Guitar,Vocals
Buddy Miles-Drums,Backing Vocals
Billy Cox-Bass
Juma Sultan-Percussion

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