( 4 reviews )
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( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Apr 22 2004
I'm stretchiiingg here to make it to 4 stars. 3 to 3.5 is probably more accurate. I found the 2 stars of the previous review to be excessively harsh, so I poured on a little bit of extra love for the authors. I simply don't find this book to be all that bad - it's a decent resource. Had it been combined with Steven Roby's Black Gold, it would have become a bonafide winner. Alas, instead I fear that much of the intimate details the previous reviewer yearns for has been lost into the purple haze of time - and perhaps that aspect should have been captured more clearly. I remember reading elsewhere (Guitar Player? Guitar?) an interview with a player on Electric Ladyland, maybe Jack Cassady. Anyway, he mentioned that during an all-night session, the engineer fell asleep twice at the console and of the tape reel ran out while the band played on. Apparently Jimi gave him a real chewing out the second time. It would be nice to have more of that history, but as mobile as Jimi was on tour, he was equally mobile as a recording artist. For the shortness of his career, he certainly recorded at a huge assortment of studios. When you think of that, it makes it all the more reasonable to dredge up the history, with so many people involved, many of them transient and some now passed on.So the bottom line is that I find this to be a pretty good book. Not necessarly the be-all and end-all tome it might have been, but considering the time period and the circumstances, really, a decent quality, well written book.
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( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jan 16 2002
Most fans of Hendrix will be aware of John McDermott, and his involvement in recent years with 'Experience Hendrix', the company created to direct Hendrix's releases following the legal battle with Alan Douglas. Whilst McDermott has contributed liner notes to the re-released Hendrix albums, his major work on Hendrix (Hendrix: 'Setting the Record Straight') is an excellent examination of the man's life - although heavy on legal details and the contractual binds Hendrix suffered throughout his career. Along with 'Crosstown Traffic' by Charles Murray, it's the best book available on the man ('Electric Gypsy' has its moments, but stands as the 'No-One Here Gets Out Alive' take on Hendrix). 'The Complete Studio Recording Sessions' should be a monumental work - and the supreme testimonial - to Hendrix, but it is not. Unlike the similar, yet incomparably superior Mark Lewison book on 'The Beatles' recording sessions, which is packed with information, photographs and exceptional anecdotes, McDermott's book has little information other than what song Hendrix recorded - when, where and with whom. There is very little information on studio techniques, recording equipment, gear setups, Hendrix techniques or style, songwriting, etc. The book labours to account for every Hendrix recording session (a difficult task, given Hendrix's love of jamming and recording with other artists), but does not provide any in-depth information on the sessions themselves (and most of what is supplied was published in 'Setting the Record Straight' - disgraceful). For these reasons the book is a totally disappointing purchase. With the wealth of information (and speculation) on Hendrix out there, McDermott owed it to the man (and to the fans) to provide the definitive examination of Hendrix in the studio. He failed pretty spectacularly. If you want to hear about Hendrix in the studio, find the 'Classic Albums' episode on 'Electric Ladyland'. Whilst far too short and simple, it is a much more enjoyable look at one of the greatest, and still misunderstood, American artists of the 20th century than this book.
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( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jul 20 1998
I was excited about getting this book, because I'd read Lewisohn's similar book on the Beatles. I love chronological order, and I tried to put a date to each song on Hendrix's first three albums. But what was disappointing was that McDermott seemed to forget to mention several song and their recording dates. But the text is otherwise great reading, and the photos are wonderful. I just wish it truly was "Complete" as the Lewisohn book seems to be.
