Northridge, CA
Quality B+
Vibratory's merge of soundboard and audience sources.
Fantastic merge of souces from this show which occurred 40 years ago. Some tenion here in the crowd, the first thing we here is some yell "fucking asshole." All of this begins to upset Jimi who admonishes the crowd at point during the show. Still, some great playing and unique passages. Great thing about Jimi, no two shows were the same!
Here is more from Chris Dixon's site with some modifications:
June 20 2009 marks 40 years since the Experience performance at the Newport Pop Festival in Northridge, California. The days of the original Experience are drawing to a close with this, the first of two final festival appearances (the last being Denver the following week). Jimi had spent the time since his last concert (Hawaii June 1st) in Beverly Hills, writing songs and working on material with Billy Cox (a short tape survives of them working on 'Izabella' and jamming on the old Link Wray song 'Rumble'). He also did some interviews and, the day before Newport, had flown to Toronto for a hearing on his drug bust (the trial being set for December). For whatever reason - musically looking beyond the Experience, pre-occupation with legal troubles, or a rowdy crowd (I think few things pissed off Jimi more than an audience not listening), Jimi seems at times in a particularly bad mood this night. Still, he manages some nice musical moments.
One source of the show is a soundboard recording. Appears to have come from the PA mix for the audience. Vocals and drums are the loudest, just what one would expect to be amplified to match the roar of Jimi and Noel's amp stacks. Still, the guitar is plainly heard, possibly due to leakage into vocal and drum mics. The bass is present as well, though sounds rather thin and distant. A multi-day festival situation would most likely mean that they used the 'house PA' rather than their own traveling sound system - good thing for us, as they never seemed to make board tapes from their own rig. And there is a surviving audience tape (with some light crackles) of about 35 minutes that helps plug some, but not all gaps.
The show starts with 'Stone Free', it's last Experience rendition. Though Jimi's voice sounds a little tired, he seems to be putting some energy into it. The solo features some apparent pickup switch manipulation around and some nice sustained legato lines around but breaks down to a drum solo soon after. Jimi re-enters with the first few notes of the 'Star Spangled Banner' then drops out again. We hear a nice '1983' type embellished-chord improv which leads, after a few moments, into 'Are You Experienced', it's first concert appearance since January 69 and the very last (documented) time Jimi would *ever* play this 'signature' song! Great solo, one of this show's highlights. After quoting a melody that sounds a bit like (of all things) Steppenwolf's 'Don't Step On The Grass', Jimi does some nice soloing alternating with the root chord. This is, to me, one of those places where Jimi manages to suggest lead, bass, rhythm and percussion all at once! We get an exploration of the 'Bolero' theme and some octave runs, leading into a descending bass line variation with more embellishments. Then suddenly back in the 'Stone Free' riff for a brief reprise to end the tune. Noel's mic is suddenly very clear in the mix, just in time to catch his very last ever interjection of "Stone Free"!
'SOYL' gets it's last full outing (save a short version in Berlin Sept 70), though Jimi would go on to quote it within other songs. Drum and bass solos follow and Jimi joins in with some rhythmic fills, he and Mitch locking in nicely on one variation in particular. Jimi explores a variation using just the first few notes of the main riff. Some unaccompanied guitar leads into to 'Fire', again so abruptly that it may be a tape cut or edit. The end of 'Fire' is Jimi's controlled guitar feedback.
We hear Jimi toy with the 'HMT' riff for a moment, but then his mood takes a turn. Presumably reacting to some crowd disturbance, Jimi says "I hope we're not playing to a bunch of animals, so don't act like it.. you're making us uptight...". He then attempts to intro the next song with "..here's what you should be thinking about while you're picking your nose and asses...". Seems the audience will not calm down, and is possibly getting violent, as Jimi says "You all just choke yourselves...once you find yourselves you've got it made but I think there's too many of us here tonight to find out" and responds to further heckling with a simple "Fuck off.". Jimi alternates his verbal comments with running commentary on the guitar...
Finally starts 'HMT', swapping a few words to further comment on the situation, for example "Lord take me the *hell* away from here" and "Too bad you don't love me no more...(and) have to act like clowns". The end section drags a bit IMO, but I actually do hear some nice playing .... then again, Jimi always did seek refuge in the blues!
'Red House' is joined in progress. Some very nice clean toned playing here, Jimi continuing his retreat into the blues. The middle solo is just two verses long, the first with a clean tone and the next with a more aggressive one. Noel begins to play the walking bass line we usually hear behind the 'percussive chord' interlude but Jimi goes straight back to the last verse.
Jimi segues immediately into the 'Foxy Lady' intro, saying "This is for all the teenie weenies..the one with the yellow pants (not underwear this time!) and the 18 inch...... Another dark lyrical variation here with "I see you, down on the scene, down on the floor...you make me wanna get up and puke"! Does manage an interesting coda, using a cleaner tone than usual...
Segues quickly to 'Like A Rolling Stone', the first since Winterland October 68 and his last known live rendition ever. He ends up cutting it short, doing the second verse instrumentally and featuring some nice chordal embellishments instead of a solo proper. Ends it with the comment "None of us in this whole world are ready right now..."
Begins 'VC(SR)' with the comment "This is a black militant song and don't never forget it". Noel tells a story of a visit by the Black Panthers backstage on this night so maybe this was on Jimi's mind. I hear the briefest 'flirt' with the 'I Feel Fine' riff. Some possible guitar trouble leads to a drum solo and we hear Mitch exploring some double bass drum 'rolls'.
Noel's vocals during 'PH' are almost too loud, probably a first (and certainly a last)! Some more extraneous guitar squeal shortens the solo and he skips some words, no doubt eager to have the gig over with... Overall a unique and interesting gig!