It has been 40 years since Jimi Hendrix died, but—thanks to a controversial move by his half-sister, Janie Hendrix—he's still "putting out" music. Some critics are greeting Valleys of Neptune, a remastering of unreleased bootlegs and demos Hendrix made with his band during his final days, as a new album. Only the "savviest of bootleg aficionados," says The Washington Post, would recognize these rare tracks. But is the album any good? (Listen to the title track from Jimi Hendrix's new album.)
Welcome back, Jimi: Hendrix "never shied from studio trickery," says Chris Richards in The Washington Post, so it's unlikely he'd have any problem with the "touched up" tunes in this "splendid collection." The guitarist may no longer be around to "shock us" with onstage bravado, but his music has a "subtlety that feels like magic."
"Music review of Valleys of Neptune, a posthumous album by Jimi Hendrix"
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Hendrix would never have okayed this release: The "perfectionist" guitarist was in a "period of transition" when he recorded the "odds-and-sods" compiled here, says Brad Wheeler in the Toronto Globe and Mail, and the results are "sketchy," to say the least.
"A track-by-track preview of the new Hendrix collection"
Forget the controversy and hear the quality: "Hendrix heads" have a right to protest, says Jonathan Zwickel in The Seattle Times. But though the family's "profit motive" is clear, this "reminder" of the "diamond-bright" core of Hendrix's genius should satisfy "faded/jaded devotees," not to mention attract new fans.
"Newly released Jimi Hendrix album, Valleys of Neptune, sparkles"
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