Perhaps the most irresistibly magnetic and natural performer in musical history, Jimi Hendrix was also a studio visionary who expanded rock’s horizons, then departed – leaving a tangled posthumous legacy in his wake. Owen Bailey says: ’Scuse me while I list this guy…

THE ESSENTIAL

Jimi Hendrix’s untimely death in September 1970, aged 27, left the world of music with just three off cial studio albums. Yet work was well underway on the fourth; a planned double or even triple LP. Hours, days, weeks and months of tape had rolled on by as Jimi – by turns seemingly inspired and indecisive – explored new sonic territory in his purpose-built studio and elsewhere, jamming with a revolving-door entourage of cohorts.

Not only that, but near-constant touring and the shortlived reworks display that was the Band Of Gypsys project had amassed a catalogue of off en mesmerising performances – an estimated 1,500 hours’ worth of recordings. When Jimi died, a void opened up… and some of this material was dusted off to fill it, while some was temporarily lost or squirrelled away.

For Hendrix’s fans, both then and now, what happened next was at best confusing, as legitimate and bootleg material was released to quench the thirst. Many revealed genuine insights; some infamously second-guessed the man’s creative wishes, attempting to finish off Jimi’s mythical next album by adulterating the demos and presenting them as a genuine coda to his brief career.

Ultimately, though – once the Hendrix catalogue changed hands in 1995 and was commandeered by his father and half-sister Janey – his legacy, under their watchful eyes and those of producer Eddie Kramer and researcher John McDermott, could finally flourish. Our chronology aims to cover as much ground as possible for the vinyl lover who wants to hear Hendrix’s music evolve before their ears. Hence there are no pre-Experience inclusions, though they’re a compelling piece of the jigsaw; and due to the infernally complicated nature of the many posthumous releases across different territories and labels (and in different mixes), coupled with the difficulty of stating which of the many versions of his canonical releases are definitive rarities, we’ve stuck to including albums only, and their latest UK pressings, unless otherwise stated.

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED

(1967, TRACK)

On his thrilling debut, Hendrix filtered psychedelic blues-rock, R&B and more through his Strat, Marshalls, modded effects and studio tech to expand music’s horizons – and send guitar gods Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton scurrying for cover. Though the UK version omitted the band’s first three singles, everything here, under the auspices of Chas Chandler, explodes with power and creativity – one of the great debuts.