Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix
Greatest hits album by
Jimi Hendrix
Released1997 (1997)
RecordedOctober 1966 – October 1970
GenreRock
Length73:32
LabelMCA - Legacy (2010 reissue)
Compiler
  • Janie Hendrix
  • John McDermott
Jimi Hendrix chronology
First Rays of the New Rising Sun
(1997) 		Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix
(1997) 		South Saturn Delta
(1997)

Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix is a compilation album of songs by American rock musician Jimi Hendrix, released in 1997 by MCA and reissued in 2010 by Legacy Recordings. The single compact disc collects 20 songs spanning his career, from his first recordings with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1966 to his last with Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell in 1970.

Experience Hendrix is the first comprehensive collection of Hendrix's songs overseen by Experience Hendrix, a family company that took over management of his recording legacy in 1997. Fifteen songs with the Experience band are included, as well as five with Hendrix's later backing musicians. No songs from the Band of Gypsys lineup with Buddy Miles are included.[1] Experience Hendrix replaces the best-selling 1992 compilation The Ultimate Experience, which features a similar track list but contains fewer songs from posthumous releases.

Reception and charts

In a review for AllMusic, Bruce Eder gave the compilation four out of five stars.[2] He felt that the collection "just misses being the perfect single-CD Jimi Hendrix anthology": while the compilation includes some of Hendrix's noteworthy later work, it lacks several songs from his earlier Smash Hits compilation.[2]

The album reached number 18 on the UK Albums Chart,[3] number 133 on the US Billboard 200,[4] and number 34 on the Canadian RPM chart.[5] It was ranked number 187 on Nielsen Soundscan's Canadian Top 200 Albums of 2002.[6] In 2006, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it as "2× platinum" for shipping two million copies.[7]

Track listing

The titles and running times are taken from the original Experience Hendrix CD US release.[8] Other releases may show different information. Entries under "Original release" are for both the US and UK, unless otherwise indicated.

All tracks are written by Jimi Hendrix, except where otherwise noted

Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Purple Haze"Single A-side2:51
2."Fire"Are You Experienced2:43
3."The Wind Cries Mary"Single A-side (UK), B-side (US)3:20
4."Hey Joe" (Billy Roberts)Single A-side3:29
5."All Along the Watchtower" (Bob Dylan)Single A-side3:58
6."Stone Free"Single B-side of "Hey Joe" (UK)3:35
7."Crosstown Traffic"Electric Ladyland2:19
8."Manic Depression"Are You Experienced3:42
9."Little Wing"Axis: Bold as Love2:25
10."If 6 Was 9"Axis: Bold as Love5:34
11."Foxey Lady"Are You Experienced3:18
12."Bold as Love"Axis: Bold as Love4:11
13."Castles Made of Sand"Axis: Bold as Love2:47
14."Red House"Are You Experienced (UK edition)3:50
15."Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"Electric Ladyland5:12
16."Freedom"The Cry of Love3:25
17."Night Bird Flying"The Cry of Love3:50
18."Angel"The Cry of Love4:22
19."Dolly Dagger"Rainbow Bridge4:45
20."Star Spangled Banner" (adapted by Hendrix[9])Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More (1970)3:46

Bonus disc

The album was also released in a two-CD limited edition. The bonus disc contains eight tracks, taken from The Jimi Hendrix Experience box set (2000).[10]

All tracks are written by Jimi Hendrix, except where otherwise noted

Experience Hendrix bonus disc
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Highway Chile" (alternate recording)The Jimi Hendrix Experience3:41
2."Gloria" (Van Morrison)bonus single with The Essential Jimi Hendrix (UK)8:54
3."It's Too Bad" (jam recording)The Jimi Hendrix Experience8:53
4."Spanish Castle Magic" (rehearsal recording)The Jimi Hendrix Experience5:50
5."Hear My Train A Comin'" (rehearsal recording)The Jimi Hendrix Experience6:58
6."Lover Man" (demo recording)The Jimi Hendrix Experience2:58
7."I Don't Live Today" (live)Lifelines: The Jimi Hendrix Story bonus disc6:34
8."Purple Haze" (live)Stages disc three4:03

Personnel

Personnel information is taken from the original Experience Hendrix CD US release;[8] other releases may show different information.

Musicians

Cover image

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[11] Gold 30,000^
Australia (ARIA)[12] Gold 35,000^
Italy (FIMI)[13] Gold 25,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[14] Gold 25,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Platinum 300,000‡
United States (RIAA)[16] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "It's Too Bad" was recorded with Buddy Miles and Larry Young without Billy Cox.
  2. ^ a b Eder, Bruce. "Jimi Hendrix: Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  3. ^ "Jimi Hendrix – Albums". Official Charts. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  4. ^ "Jimi Hendrix – Chart History Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  5. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums - April 19, 1999" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Top 200 Albums of 2002 (based on sales)". Jam!. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  7. ^ "Gold & Platinum Search – Jimi Hendrix". RIAA. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  8. ^ a b McDermott, John (1997). Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix (CD booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Universal City, California: MCA Records. MCAD-11671.
  9. ^ Experience Hendrix credits Hendrix, although John Stafford Smith composed the music (no lyrics are used).
  10. ^ Experience Hendrix – Bonus 8 Track CD (Album notes). Jimi Hendrix. EU: MCA Records. 2000. Back cover. MCD 116671.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  12. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  13. ^ "Italian album certifications – Jimi Hendrix – Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved February 23, 2019. Select "2016" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
  14. ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  15. ^ "British album certifications – Jimi Hendrix – Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  16. ^ "American album certifications – Jimi Hendrix – Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
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