RETRO REVIEW 006:: Jimi Hendrix - At Last the Beginning : The Making of Electric Ladyland : The Early Takes Sampler

At Last the Beginning : The Making of Electric Ladyland : The Early Takes Sampler is a less common Hendrix compilation that I recently noticed was available on Spotify! If this wasn't licensed to Experience Hendrix L.L.C. I might have a hard time imagining this is real.

It opens with a majestic demo of 1983...(A Mermaid I Should Turn to Be) played softly by Hendrix on guitar, painting a post-apocalyptic picture similar to the orchestrated version but with more of an R&B flair to its psychedelic strum.

There is an excellent acoustic rendition of the rare but truly classic song "My Friend" (the finished orchestrated version is on the posthumous "Cry of Love")
"Sometimes its not so easy especially when your only friend walks, feels, and talks like you and you do the same just like him".

Included on this is also a different instrumental, seemingly funkier instrumental take of "Long Hot Summer Night" with much more piano and a different version of the sonic instrumental "At Last the Beginning".

All and all this might just be one for the hardcore Hendrix fans but the version of My Friend and 1983 are worth checking out and any insight into how Hendrix wrote his songs has always interested me!!

Thanks Spotify! Listen here!!

p.s. There is an unreleased Hendrix demos collection, "Black Gold"! Here is the only song available from it ::::