Elaborate box sets for many rock and roll legends boil down to repackaging the same music you already own. West Coast Seattle Boy ($55) doesn’t suffer from the same shortcomings, since it isn’t a collection of existing albums at all. Instead, fans of Jimi will discover 45 previously unreleased live studio recordings that include demo tracks and alternate versions of songs from some of his best albums including “Electric Ladyland” and “Are You Experienced”. There’s also never before heard live performances from Berkeley, and the 1969 Fillmore East concert on New Year’s Eve, as well as completely new songs such as “Hear My Freedom”, “Hound Dog Blues”, and “Lonely Avenue”. A 90 minute DVD documentary entitled Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child is added into the set’s multimedia mix, as are first time ever examples of the star’s personal drawings, postcards, and lyrics. So think of it as the best way to get to know the legend you’ll never meet, outside of combing out your hair, grabbing a mike, and belting out “All Along the Watch Tower” to a crowd of supportive Karaoke goers.
Disclosure: Promotional consideration was provided by Hyundai via Brash Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Hyundai.