 | Djahuti (53)
03/21/2006 |  One of my very favorite live albums.Hendrix had wanted Mitch Mitchell for the line-up rather than Buddy Miles-who was a solid if heavy handed drummer but insisted on singing more than Hendrix felt was necessary.I prefer Mitchells deft,jazzier style myself,but on the other hand Billy Cox has it all over Noel Redding as a Bass man to complement Hendrix & Miles playing.This album was recorded live on New Years Eve (and the night before or after,can't recall which) at the Fillmore East in NYC.WHAT A SHOW!!!I was too young to be there but a buddy of mine was and he testifies that it was light years ahead of any other performance he has seen to this day.Opening with "Who Knows",we know right away that Billy has the groove all sown up and Hendrix can FLY with such a fat,dependable anchor.On to "Machine Gun",where Hendrix alchemically transforms the horror and grief of war into sonic sorcery-almost a musical exorcism."Changes" is a great cut,with a generous helping of R&B flavoring and "Power of Soul" is phenomenal.This live version outshines all of the studio cuts I've heard.At the end of the album,one can hear just why Hendrix was planning to part with Buddy Miles.His drum pounding and screaming do no justice at all to the last cut "We gotta live together",and that's about the only thing wrong with this otherwise nearly flawless live recording.
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 | oscargamblesfro (75)
03/20/2006 | Rated this one before, but an excellent album with drummer Buddy Miles and bassist Billy Cox, that doesn't get enough credit sometimes, and is overshadowed by his earlier trio of masterpieces. This one delved more into heavy soul, blues, and proto-funk than psychedelia. "Machine Gun" is probably the best known track, but "Power Of Soul," " Who Knows" and "Them Changes," a solo hit later that year for drummer Buddy Miles, among others, are outstanding too.
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