First Rays Of The New Rising Sun Review

Release Date: Apr 22, 1997
Label: MCA
Genres: Album Rock, Rock & Roll, Blues-Rock, Hard Rock, Psychedelic, Boogie Rock
Number Of Tracks: 17
This record is an attractive assortment of "spiritual, very earthy" late recordings that surfaced in the '70s via The Cry of Love, Crash Landing, Rainbow Bridge, and War Heroes.

Sound:	10
Lyrics:	9
Impression:	10
Overall rating:	9.7
Users rating:	9.2
Comments:	14

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: EC_AL_JH_GH, on may 08, 2008

Sound: Released in 1997, this album is a collection of seventeen Hendrix songs that were originally recorded for his proposed double album sequel to Electric Ladyland. However it was during the recording of the songs that he suffered his untimely death. The album itself shows what direction his music was heading, a fusion of Rock, Blues and R&B. It is also around this time his sound changed dramatically, caused from his use of a Gibson Flying V, and his Custom three pickup SG. He was joined by Band of Gypsy's bass player Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell from the JHE. The album still holds up well, considering that the tunes were not "technically" finished. It even contains a ballad to his mother, titled Angel. Many of the songs were showing his continuing maturity and writing techniques. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: Many of the songs lyrics were beginning to show Hendrix's maturity, with the political overtones of Freedom, to the love for his mother on Angel, to the anti-violence lyrics of Izabella. Other songs you may have to dig into a bit to figure out what they mean. // 9

Impression: Comparing it to Hendrix's earlier albums you can see what a difference in sound he was achieving. Possibly the strongest songs on the album are Freedom, Dolly Dagger, Angel, and Ezy Ryder, but that's just my personal opinion. I would suggest this to a serious Hendrix fan but maybe not to beginning listeners. If it were stolen or lost, I would be incredibly annoyed as it is a great album, so I would probably go buy it again (that is, if I could find it. It is really difficult to find). // 10

Comments

[KenMasters]

I'm glad to be the first to comment cause its a great album. imagine what it could have been if The God was able to finish it before he died...

[sambargun]

Yes, Its a sober and mature work, more focused and planned. Pardon me for this but Electric Ladyland was a drugged out mess and after all these years I still dont like it as much as the first two albums. This is much better. Good to see people doing reviews of the original rock classics.....

[Tyler Durden]

KenMasters wrote:

I'm glad to be the first to comment cause its a great album. imagine what it could have been if The God was able to finish it before he died...

what's with you people and the "first post" get over yourselves

[3l3phant]

idk if it's just me, but i can't listen to it. the fact that it's not The Experience and just Jimi turns me off from it

[NewRisingSun]

Mwa, the album is not that great. The songs are just demos collected on a cd (or vinyl in the 70s). A nice album, songs like Hey Baby, Freedom, Izabella and Angel are fantastic songs but still feel undone. Is the microphone on?

[Shuk]

They are undone because he died before he finished. They had to mix together the scraps of work they had to work with. If Jimi Hendrix had lived, I think he would be shaping the scene of modern music even today. The man was way ahead of his time.

[Phrentis]

the abulm ia a complete shift in direction. If Jimi had lived he could have changed the face of music.

[hippyguitardude]

i really don't like how they put this album together. there are such better versions of almost all of these songs floating around and i've heard hendrix also had plans for a double album release w/ songs like machine gun and the band of gypsies stuff included too but idk about that. but listen to all the versions of these songs w/out the engineer's mixing after jimi died. they sound so much better to me.

[THE BULGE]

Phrentis wrote:

the abulm ia a complete shift in direction. If Jimi had lived he could have changed the face of music.

and he didnt do that????

[nym2000]

THE BULGE wrote:

Phrentis wrote:

the abulm ia a complete shift in direction. If Jimi had lived he could have changed the face of music. and he didnt do that????

i think he meant jimi would have changed things even furhter

[angusjr127]

r.i.p. jimi
i wish i was alive in the 60s to see him live
that would be the shit
all of his songs are amzing and sound good. so all you guys who say they dont sound good should get your hearing checked

[hybridrocker147]

rest in peace. Jimi Hendrix
my inspiration. my hero.
in my opinion, he changed the face of music before this new crap music destroyed the true meaning of good music

[Nikita, Righ?]

sambargun wrote:

Yes, Its a sober and mature work, more focused and planned. Pardon me for this but Electric Ladyland was a drugged out mess and after all these years I still dont like it as much as the first two albums. This is much better. Good to see people doing reviews of the original rock classics.....

Sorry but if you think that drugs absolutely corrupt musicians then that's ignorant. I am personally a fan of Electric Ladyland, and it's cool if you don't like it, but that doesn't mean the blame is on hendrix's drug use.

[NewRisingSun]

Shuk wrote:

They are undone because he died before he finished. They had to mix together the scraps of work they had to work with. If Jimi Hendrix had lived, I think he would be shaping the scene of modern music even today. The man was way ahead of his time.

Correct. This guy was just getting started!