The first CD has the more polished recordings and is a great example of Jimi's singularly pure, unworldly music. With such superb takes of the gamut of his repertoire, it's like having Electric-Ladyland-quality on every song. The second CD has a lot of sloppy takes and frankly bad lyrics, singing and playing (no wonder they weren't released!) As a musician, though, I found it inspiring to hear that it didn't always work perfectly, to hear him and the others working it out. There are more of the BBC voice-overs on the second CD to make up for the bad takes though. It's a great slice of history, and it's remarkable they were willing to release it. I recommend this to anyone who loves that time in music, who loves Hendrix, who plays in any kind of band, or who just loves the guitar.


Get this instead of 'Radio One'   August 23, 2005
Danno (NY, NY)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful

'BBC Sessions' is an expanded 2-disc version of an out-of-print Rykodisc CD called 'Radio One.' If you've already got 'Radio One,' you've already got most of the good stuff here and will probably want to pass on this. If you haven't, you're in for a treat, although you might end up wishing for a slightly shorter-running time if you aren't an absolute Hendrix fanatic.

In virtually every way, this is an improvement over the Rykodisc version. There's a better cover photo, for starters (the Ryko featured a hideous hand-tinted Jimi photo). There are better liner notes - Ryko should be downright ashamed of themselves for implying that John Lennon sang backup on Jimi's version of 'Day Tripper.' (The rumor, as anyone with ears will tell you, simply isn't true). There's also a more careful sequencing of songs, and some of the patter between the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the program hosts have been restored.

As I have several other live Hendrix CDs, my favorite parts of the BBC Sessions are the songs that Jimi simply didn't perform elsewhere. "Killing Floor," "Driving South," "Catfish Blues," and "Hoochie Koochie Man" all give Jimi lots of space to play around with the blues, which was something his first two studio LPs didn't allow him to do. We also get two off-the-cuff rock covers, one of "Day Tripper" and one of "Hound Dog." Yes, Hendrix' solo in "Day Tripper" isn't one of his best, but at least it shows that he wasn't going to copy George Harrison note-for-note either. There's also the fun "Radio One" jingle goof, and I'll note that other rock bands such as the Beatles and the Who also did their own jingle spoofs when they appeared on the Beeb. There's also the only known live version of "Burning the Midnight Lamp" and an early version of "Hear My Train A'Comin" which would eventually evolve into a real showstopping blues tune during the Woodstock era. For what it's worth, I always thought that "Hear My Train A'Comin"'s evolution was far more interesting than "Voodoo Child"'s, even though the latter is one of Hendrix' best loved songs.

The sound quality of these discs, as with almost all BBC recordings, is almost unnaturally crisp and clean. Most likely this is due to the BBC engineers insisting that the volume levels in the studio be kept to a certain level. (It seems of all the classic rockers, only Jimmy Page was able to break these rules with Led Zeppelin). While this isn't typical of Jimi Hendrix' signature sound, the crisp clear and relatively undistorted Strat playing proves that Hendrix never used distortion effects like a crutch. Hendrix could really play, and I enjoyed being able to hear his songs in non-distorted versions.

Despite my generally positive review, I would also suggest that you start your Hendrix collection with his three studio albums (Are You Experienced, Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland) and then start exploring his live output. "BBC Sessions" is a fine place to begin your journey into the world of live Hendrix.


An Absolute Hendrix Gem-- Thanks BBC!   April 28, 2000
16 out of 18 found this review helpful

If you're a Hendrix fan, you NEED this two-CD set! What could be better than the JHE in its prime, recorded meticulously in a "live-studio" format, in Swinging London, where it all "began" for him? These BBC recordings are remarkably crisp, and you'll hear a happy Hendrix absolutely soaring in his "first blush" of fame. This is possibly the most consistently excellent "live" stuff you'll hear. Be warned, these BBC mono recordings sound quite different from the usual classic live stuff-- Star-Spangled Banner" at Woodstock; "Machine Gun" at the Fillmore East; "Johnny B. Goode" at Winterland; "Like A Roling Stone" at Monterey; and "Little Wing" at the Royal Albert Hall. But in this BBC set, Hendrix' performances are consistent, conscientious, and his virtuosity is absolutely unquestioned. He mostly stays within the lines-- which can be a good thing, because I for one enjoy the exquisite tension borne when his infinity of ideas are balanced and honed within a psychedelic "pop" sensibility. And interestingly, I enjoy the tight, trebly mono sound because it provides another angle from which to enjoy Jimi's playing. There's also an intimate, conversational, "in the studio with Jimi" feel; his playing is red hot, and it cuts through like a thin laser here. I particularly love "Love or Confusion," "Wait Until Tomorrow," "Burning of the Midnight Lamp," "Hound Dog," and of course "Day Tripper" (in this CD version, unlike the earlier "Radio One" release, you can hear Hendrix doodling with Harrison's "I Want To Tell You" guitar intro before lurching into the famous "Day Tripper" riff). For those of you intensely involved with Hendrix' music, you'll dig the exquisite rhythm guitar he lays out throughout these cuts. For me, his soloing is almost of secondary interest compared to his unparalleled rhythmic ability. Let's face it-- with Hendrix, rhythm and lead often become meaningless categories, so integrated and complete is his playing. Hendrix is indeed the supreme rock instrumentalist of all time.


A great addition to your Hendrix collection.   December 23, 2002
Hiroshi Yokohama (Osaka, Japan)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is an interesting view into the archives of Experience Hendrix and/or the BBC. I doubt that when the BBC instigated "needle time" that they would end up with a plethora of live recordings by some of the greatest musicians to adjust the volume on an amp. The set goes through small sets on different shows. My personal favorite being the Christmas Eve broadcast of "Hear My Train A Comin'","Raidio One","Wait Until Tomorrow","Day Tripper"
and"Spanish Castle Magic". This set has so many high points that the whole set is good, the most amusing being Jimi's crazed preformance on the show "A Happening For Lulu"(tracks 15-19 on
disc one). Some highlights of this set are: "Can You Pleas Come Crawl Out Your Window?" a Dylan tune, Lennon/McCartney's "Day Tripper" a version of "Wait Until Tommorrow" that I prefer to the
original. Jimi's blues jam "Driving South", powerful electrical renditions of "Hey Joe", and a quick and very powerful tour de force in Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love". Also interesting are the short interviews and comments by hosts between songs.
An overall score by Experience Hendrix.


One of my favourite Hendrix albums. Stellar quality. A must have.   February 8, 2007
S. Naimpally (Dallas, TX USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Jimi Hendrix first became a hit in Europe before he was noticed in the U.S. The BBC radio in England had a policy of airing a specific amount of live music broadcasts. This gave Jimi, along with Noel Reading and Mitch Mitchell, an opportunity to perform live in the BBC studios. Thus, this recording combines the best of a studio recording and a live recording by having the band perform live in the studio. The result is an amazing recording.

First of all, the quality of the recording is fantastic, especially considering the technology back then. The sound is crisp and clean. Second, the band is having a lot of fun playing and it comes through in the performances. Third, because they performed live to tape, there are no overdubs, studio effects etc. so you get to hear the band in its purest form. I own many Hendrix albums, but this is the one I listen to most often because the performance are so fresh sounding. Highly reccomended!

Before the Hendrix family got the rights to Jimi's recordings, select songs from the BBC studio recordings were previously released on a single CD, called Radio One. However, this recording contains the complete sessions, including all songs and the DJ chatter, and so is a better, more complete recording than Radio One. The BBC Sessions also contains a very informative booklet. Get it, its worth it.