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Johnny Riddle's Collection

Jimi Hendrix   01/09/1969

Konserthuset (Early & Late Shows), Stockholm, Sweden
Source Master reels > DAT > CDR > Soundstudio > Shorten > shtn (Soundboard recordings)
Media SHN   2 discs
Notes
These two shows have been very well documented and they also fall in to the category of having been bootlegged to death. Probably the best of all the bootleg versions is the double Swinging Pig release "On The Killing Floor" (1989) which is now very hard to locate. The versions of the shows here are from the master reels and provide the best sound quality available.

The first show is uninspired while the second is probably one of the best that the band played that year with Mitch and Noel providing an excellent platform for Jim's playing which is nothing short of extraordinary. I suppose what you have here are the two contrasting sides of the Experience. The group by now were exhausted from their never ending touring, playing to large arenas they had almost lost contact with their audience. Hendrix, especially felt this alienation with an audience who he felt demanded he 'put on a show' rather than listen to the music. His aside comments at the start of the first show and the sloppy manner of playing that follows would bear this out. On the other hand The Experience were also by now a finely honed unit that could deliver the goods with astounding brilliance as the second show proves.

But why such a difference between the sets. This was answered by Noel in his 1990 book "Are You Experienced?"

"Sweden. Always the same problem - no drugs. We were forced to drink the killer Schnapps, and it brought on Jimi's mood for the first set. In desperation I went out between shows and with much persistence managed to score a leaper. We huddled anxiously over the dressing room table, crushed the pill into a powder, shared it out, and snorted it. The second show was much more together and enthusiastic."

Trades Allowed Yes
Ratings Show: A    Sound: A
Owned by Johnny Riddle · Last Updated May 23, 2023