Less than three-and-a-half years passed between the release of Jimi Hendrix's debut album Are You Experienced in May 1967 and his death at that infamous age of 27 in September 1970.
The arrival of that first record was the result of Animals bass player Chas Chandler's "discovery" of Jimi inNew York, and then bringing Jimi to London and creating the Jimi Hendrix Experience with Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums.
So Earth Blues matches Jimi with bassist Billy Cox and powerhouse drummer Buddy Miles, while Somewhere, with its Hey Joe-ish feel, sees Stephen Stills replacing Cox and Jimi giving his wah-wah pedal a good work-out. Easy Blues is an instrumental while Inside Out, with Mitch Mitchell on drums, was a bit of an experiment, with Jimi adding bass overdubs, as his relationship with Noel Redding had imploded and he wasn't prepared to use him in the studio.
All in all, People, Hell and Angels may not be classic Jimi Hendrix, but it's a very interesting set nonetheless,
demonstrating his desire to push the boundaries and find new ways to express himself musically. Jimi Hendrix still has many fans, young and old, and they will want to add this album to their collection.
