If Tupac Shakur seemed to have a never ending life after death with release after release after release of first rate stuff straight from the vaults, what the hell has Jimi Hendrix had? 42 years after his death and Hendrix has released one of his post-humous release ever, People, Hell And Angels survives its terrible name to exist as a sign post, an early sketch, of what might have been his latest album if he had lived to see it happen.
Recorded in 1968, 1969, with a list of star turns including Stephen Stills and two other Gypsies, this is not the sound of Hendrix jamming that have filled albums for years and years, these are real, maybe somewhat embryonic but real, songs.
Tupac has had a similar but shorter afterlife. While nobody would claim his best work was after his death (if you see see what I mean) still… starting with The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, and continuing for five more solo albums, these stand up in ways that Hendrix stuff doesn’t. They feel more real and less patchwork cash ins, or, maybe that’s too harsh but still… there is a caveat emptor about Hendrix life after death that there isn’t in Tupacs.
But then again the numbers are ridiculous. According to wikipedia, after hendrix death there have been released: 9 studio albums, 19 live albums, 28 compilations, 20 EPs, 17 singles and 23 Official Bootlegs. Although the compilations don’t seem so much, Louis Armstrong has 100s, remember that there are only three official albums. Improv folks can always release a lot of stuff, it is one reason Prince is so prolific and don’t even mention Miles Davis, who (poshumous of course) once released a seven CD box set of a five night sand. But even so…
What makes People, Hell And Angels so remarkable is that arrives so late. No, it doesn’t feel finished but then neither does Lennon’s Milk and Honey and that was his very first solo release. It feels like a trip not taken.