It would be easy to become cynical about the continual waves of reissues, deluxe editions and career-retrospective boxsets that have played a huge part in the vinyl revival over the past few years. Money for old rope? Exploitative? That’s a matter of opinion, but not in the case of the catalogue of James Marshall Hendrix. Tragically, Hendrix released only three studio albums before his death in September 1970, climaxing with his career masterpiece, Electric Ladyland – which turns 50 this year. His astonishingly bright, psychedelic flame may have burned briefly, but since Jimi’s passing his legacy has increased to totemic proportions, furthered rather than tarnished by a series of posthumous releases overseen by his family and friends. When Eddie Kramer, John McDermott and the Hendrix Estate gained control of the huge vault of unreleased material in the mid 90s, it sparked the beginning of a series of ‘new’ Hendrix albums that finally do justice to his extreme, visionary talent.
Jimi’s legacy of posthumous releases has been overseen by his family and friends