30 years almost to the week of the death of legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix, MCA & Experience Hendrix release the first 4 disc box set "The Jimi Hendrix Experience". Almost immediately after removing the set from it's wrappings and feeling the velvet textured purple box cover you can tell that this set was done with an exacting attention to detail. All of the four disc's jewel cases are loaded with rare photo's of Jimi and the band. The 79 page book that is provided with the set is filled once again with rare photo's and unique perspectives into the magic that was Jimi performing. The 56 songs included in the set are all either previously unreleased studio versions or unreleased live versions all have been lovingly remastered by long-time Hendrix studio engineer Eddie Kramer. The sound was like these recordings had just been made, not 25 to 30 years ago! There is a great deal of Jimi's playful spirit in the studio shown throughout the disc's as he jokes with band members and studio crew and all of this is captured in the set. If you currently have none of Jimi's recordings in your collection, I strongly recommend that you start with this set! Musical highlights of the set are the Hendrix "modified" version of "Purple Haze", the live 1967 version of Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone", Jimi's cover of the Beatles "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and the amazing unreleased version of the classic "Little Wing". My hat is off to Jimi, MCA and Experience Hendrix, 30 years later he is still the best!

'South Saturn Delta' was the first disk of Hendrix rarities released by his sister and Eddie Kramer in their effort to restore the Hendrix catalog. Here are four more disks in a similar vein. While critics often scorned posthumous Hendrix releases after 'Cry of Love', most Hendrix fans could name tracks on those releases that were big favorites. I would consider "Like a Rolling Stone", "Star-Spangled Banner", and "Message of Love" essential Hendrix recordings. Tracks I hadn't heard that really knocked me out include an early version of "Little Wing", an instrumental early version of "Bold as Love" and a long blues improvisation "Country Blues". Nearly all the live tracks included in the set are of high quality, from the late 1966 show in Paris to 1970 Isle of Wight and Maui.

Hendrix dabblers should stick to the "Experience Hendrix" set and serious listeners should have the three studio disks released while Jimi was alive plus the "First Rays" set. But for those like me who think he may have dropped in from outer space this set is a must. I'm docking it one star for including too many inferior soundalike alternate takes. I don't mean to include several alternate early versions on the final disk, such as "Astro Man" and "Freedom", which are very different from the eventual releases.

Of course the guitar playing is astonishing. The man thought with his fingers and he's the most harmonically interesting guitar player I've ever heard in any genre.

I'm a big Hendrix fan, and when I first heard of this box set, my expectations were huge. I waited months for it to come out, the anticipation growing so high it seemed impossible for anything to fullfill it. Then it finally was released and I bought it.

On just the first look at the outside of the box, you already know it's gonna be great. It's covered in some kind of rich, purple velvet that looks and feels fantastic. Inside is an 80 page booklet with an essay by Dave Marsh, tons of photos, handwritten lyrics, and at least a paragraph about every song. Each of the four CD's come in it's own CD case.

The music on this set is a treasure trove for any Hendrix fan. Lots of great live tracks, but what steals the show are the amazing alternate takes and never before heard songs. The tracklisting goes pretty much in order from 1967 to Jimi's last recorded song, "Slow Blues", in 1970. Which only reminds you of how much Jimi did in so little time.

Highlights:

Disc One. Outtake of "Third Stone from the Sun". You can hear Jimi and Chas Chandler coming up with the spoken intro, as well as the rest of the song. First ever recording of "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" with Jimi working out the harpsichord part. Live covers of "Rock Me Baby" and "Like a Rolling Stone" are also fantastic.

Disc Two. Instrumental live in the studio "Little Wing". Live cover of "Gloria". Long never before heard blues song "It's Too Bad". And the live in-studio instrumental "Bold as Love", which to me is the best I've ever heard Jimi play. This track alone is worth the price of the set. I can listen to it on repeat all day. Disc two is the one you'll come back to the most along with...

Disc Three. This disc is all live. It feature the best live recordings of "I Don't Live Today", "Roomful of Mirrors", and "Spanish Castle Magic" ever. As well as a "Red House" that is up there too.

Disc Four is where the nonstop greatness falters a little...a VERY little. Highlights are a live "Hey Baby/In from the Storm" medley, some live covers, and all the extremely rarely heard studio recordings of Jimi trying to work out songs for his fourth album.

Overall this box set is nothing short of revelatory to any Hendrix buff. It not only groups together great rare live performances, but shows Jimi's inner working of songs in studio and offers a few original songs never before heard. All thrown into a great box which really isn't expensive as box sets go. You'll be delving through this stuff for a long time. Here's hoping Experience Hendrix continue with their line of quality releases. Now if only Pink Floyd were to give us something like this...

I have been blown away. Outtakes, alternate versions of Jimi's most beloved songs, and unrelease live material makes this box one of the best collections I have ever seen. The packaging is beautiful, from the outside casing to the liner notes, which contain dozens of beautiful pictures, flavorful novelties like posters and the recording invoices, and some of Jimi's lyric sheets.

There is a strong collection of Jimi's best known material, such as "Purple Haze," "Foxey Lady," "Hey Joe," "The Wind Cries Mary," and so on, all in alternate mixes, live takes and some outtakes. The intro to "Third Stone," and the Outtake version of "Hey Joe" are both funny and definitely worth a listen.

And it's not just the songs a casual listener would know. There is a strong collection from Jimi Hendrix's blues, hard rock, and pre-metal styles, which die hard fans will mostly know, though not as they are released here.

Experience Hendrix is a wonderful set which does a great job at portraying one of the best guitarists to have walked the face of the earth. In the face of his tragic death, at least we have a lot to remember him by.

Some of songs on this boxset are the best versions you'll ever find. Put all 4 discs in a CD changer, let em play, and get your mind blown. Some instrumental only songs are absolutely mesmerizing. My personal favorite is Cherokee Mist, a song that shows the true mastery of Jimi's guitar playing. He is one with his guitar, allowing the soulful, powerfully moving music in his head to come through beautifully to those blessed enough to hear him play.

With that said, I would recommend this to someone just getting into Hendrix, or even someone who had never listened to him before (shame on you). I purchased a best of Hendrix when I first started listening to him, but this boxset really had me hooked. I bought every single studio release by Hendrix shortly after, and later added any rarity i could find. You'd do the same if you heard the incredible range and intensity displayed on this boxset.

Highly Recommended.