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Rainbow Bridge (1971) - Jimi Hendrix - All About the Album

In many ways, "Rainbow Bridge" is one of Hendrix's best albums!

The story of the posthumous Rainbow Bridge (Jimi Hendrix album)

"Rainbow Bridge" is a compilation of studio and live recordings by rock musician Jimi Hendrix, his second posthumous release. The album primarily includes tracks recorded by Hendrix in 1969 and 1970 following the breakup of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Despite sharing the same title as the Chuck Wayne film, the album does not contain the songs recorded by the musician during his live performance in the 1972 film Rainbow Bridge. As if a continuation of "The Cry of Love" (Hendrix's first posthumous release), "Rainbow Bridge" explores new guitar styles and textures... All tracks (with the exception of "The Star Spangled Banner") were written by Jimi himself and performed primarily with Mitch Mitchell on drums and Billy Cox on bass.

Table of Contents, Issue...

Jimi Hendrix.
Jimi Hendrix.

Despite the title, "Rainbow Bridge" did not include the tracks heard in the 1971 film of the same name. Rather, it is a posthumous compilation of live and studio recordings made by Hendrix in 1969 and 1970. Some tracks were to be included on the planned 4th album "First Rays of the New Rising Sun", which Hendrix never managed to release... Rainbow Bridge was later declared a "soundtrack album". It's no secret that most soundtrack albums seem to be created as media souvenirs, relying on deja vu and flashes of memory to recreate inner emotions in the privacy of your mind... Such an album serves as a psychic tap, rediscovering the emotions generated by the original cinematic experience. Well, when listening to "Rainbow Bridge" you can truly experience all of this....

A review appeared on AllMusic after the release of "Rainbow Bridge":

"In fact, 'Rainbow Bridge' has become one of the best posthumous releases... The album is a mixture of competently completed studio tracks and top-notch live tracks. And while 'Cry of Love' emphasised Hendrix's songwriting abilities, 'Rainbow Bridge' showcased his superb guitar playing... The rich material consists not only of notes but also of undifferentiated sound, a sound that Hendrix shaped with a virtuosity never achieved by anyone on an electric instrument!"

Track list

Let's familiarise ourselves with the tracks from the album...

"Dolly Dagger"

The album opens with the track "Dolly Dagger", which was announced as Hendrix's next single at the time of his death (now it is indeed a single). It is based on a typical Hendrix rhythm riff and an uptempo chorus:

"Here comes Dolly Dagger!
Her love is so heavy,
Which will make you stagger.
Dolly Dagger, she drinks blood from the jagged edge..."

"Earth Blues"

"Well, I see hands and witnessing faces,
Rising up, but not quite touching the Promised Land.
Well, I feel tears and many wasted years,
Saying, 'God, please give us a helping hand'..."

https://youtu.be/x5e_4I2JQv0

"Pali Gap."

"Pali Gap" is the studio version, an instrumental reflecting the jazz explorations Hendrix did for a while while at Woodstock.

The track seems to flow in waves, rippling like wine slowly flowing over dusk-drenched marble stones ...

"Room Full Of Mirrors"

The next track, "Room Full Of Mirrors", was written around the time Hendrix was in Toronto, and features Buddy Miles on drums. Overlaid guitars sweep through the glass-edged area as Hendrix sings:

"I used to live in a room full of mirrors, but now the whole world is here for me to see..."

"Star Spangled Banner"

The first side of the album ends with a truly majestic version of "Star Spangled Banner". At the concert it became a vehicle for commentary as Hendrix's guitar made the sounds of sirens, bombs and guns (in the Berkeley film his performance is interspersed with footage of the Berkeley riots). This is an early version, using only guitars overlaid on three or four layers of...

https://youtu.be/TKAwPA14Ni4

"Look Over Yonder."

Side two starts with "Look Over Yonder", the oldest track included on the album. It's almost in the style of the first album in feel and execution. Hendrix lays down a few screeching chunks of solid rhythm before the ending growls and nears its conclusion...

"Hear My Train A Comin' '"

The following track is the only live track from the Memorial Day concert in Berkeley. It's "Hear My Train A Comin'," a number that Hendrix used frequently in his last series of concerts. The chord structure is similar to the old blues, but Hendrix is true Chilean voodoo, and his demons are more electric and schizophrenic than those of Robert Johnson, the great delta bluesman who in many ways can be considered Hendrix's spiritual father.

"Hey Baby."

"Hey Baby" is the final track. It's a riff that Hendrix explored a lot in his live shows: simple but evocative, filled with pure longing and introspection that was often displaced in favour of things with more flash. Hendrix plays a few choruses, then asks: "Is the microphone on?" Receiving an affirmative answer, he improvises lyrics ...

About the film "Rainbow Bridge"

The film "Rainbow Bridge" is a separate topic for discussion. Filmed with non-professional actors and without a script, it features improvised scenes with a variety of characters. To support the film, producer Michael Jeffrey invited Hendrix to film an outdoor concert. The edited performance appears near the end of the film. Although it lasts less than 20 minutes, the film still attracts attention as the penultimate American concert and the guitarist's last live performance on film....

It's worth saying that Rainbow Bridge was a failure... In England, the film was only shown once. As many critics have noted, "the best thing that can be said about Rainbow Bridge is that after 71 minutes, the film ends..." (Meaning the condensed version. The original runs 125 minutes). That said, Hendrix's terrific performance to end the film was noted. Hendrix's producer, John McDermott, would later say:

"It's just a catastrophic collapse... Jeffrey's attempt to save his financial situation with Jimi's help was disgraceful..."

Conclusion...

In many ways, "Rainbow Bridge" is one of Hendrix's best albums! It's diverse, yet it doesn't feel like a hodgepodge, as it often does. His last official album, Cry Of Love, seemed somehow empty, populated by skeletons of ideas - not quite concretised structures oscillating in focus and unfocussed on the third plane. Here, however, they are full of spirit. Of course, there are technical flaws here that might have prevented the release had Hendrix been alive (tattered endings, frustrated choruses and the like). But they certainly don't change the point. "Rainbow Bridge" is really gorgeous... Hendrix was a perfectionist, and there are rumours that there are enough tracks in store for at least a few more albums, but they probably won't be released because Hendrix wasn't happy with them. There is an element of greed in all of us, and of course Hendrix fans would like to hear more! But let's respect his wishes... Especially as there's plenty to enjoy as it is! For example, "Rainbow Bridge"!

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