Jimi Hendrix Music:

Crash Landing Track Listing:
1. Message to Love
2. Over the Rainbow
3. Crash Landing
4. Come Down Hard on Me
5. Peace in Mississippi
6. With the Power
7. Stone Free Again
8. Captain Coconut

Crash Landing Reviews:
Super fast and excellent transaction!
2009-10-24 - Super fast and excellent transaction! I am gonna buy another item, if I have a chance. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!

Crash Landing
2009-06-20 - Just thought I would write a quick review for the folks.
Crash Landing is SOLID.
Very enjoyable, and a must have.
A view into the style and aggressive tone that Jimmy was
heading to if he hadn't passed away.
The recording is a little flat on the bass end, so you
might need a little loudness switch. This isn't a bad
thing, as a lot of the recordings of this era were a
little weak in this area.
Happy listening, Ray.

Crash Landing
2009-03-08 - Although Alan Douglas made this album controversial with his additional studio musicians and claim to co-writing songs with Jimi (I guess that his musicians work must have done that), this is an excellent album of 70s funk done by Jimi. Good work Mr. Douglas in keeping Jimi with the mood-swing (funk) for Jimi. I liked the studio versions of the 3 previously-released songs, especially "Stone Free" (Again) ...

Peace in Mississippi
2009-01-31 - Although many of the reviews express valid criticism, much of Hendrix' essence permeates. In absolute agreement with an earlier review... just listen to "Peace in Mississippi".......absolutely wonderful!

The Alan Douglas Chronicles: 8 out of 10
2008-10-02 - Crash Landing was my first exposure to Jimi Hendrix when I was around 8 years old (in 1978). After my father mentioned how amazing Jimi was I perused my father's record collection and discovered this album. In total innocence, I put on side two that opened with a devastating track entitled "Peace In Mississippi". Of course, my dad's stereo was already cranked up when the needle dropped and Jimi's completely fuzzed-out guitar just blew my head off. I could not believe a guitar could be THAT FRIGGIN' LOUD!! Crash Landing is a great introduction to the Hendrix legacy as far as I'm concerned, as I had no idea about the "session musicians" that Douglas dubbed onto these tracks and as an 8 year old I didn't care. Frequently I listened to this album for years and still own this ancient LP to this day.

Now in 2008, the question is raised whether Alan Douglas diminished the value of these recordings by using Jeff Minirov for rhythm guitar and adding Bob Bobbit on bass duties with Alan Schwartzberg behind the drum kit. My answer is: NO. In fact, I believe that by 1975 Hendrix would've been working with loads of session musicians (perhaps even the ones who grace this album) at his juncture. When Douglas claims that this was the direction Jimi was heading before his death, I am inclined to believe him. Hendrix used a rhythm guitarist at the Woodstock Festival in his Gypsies, Suns & Rainbows outfit as well as an elaborate rhythm section with percussion. As I listen to my new CD version now, I am struck by how the tight & funky Bobbit/Schwartzberg rhythm section brings these Hendrix tracks right to the mid-70's. The bass & drums are recorded in a way that could only come from the mid-70's: tight, punchy and full of compression. In these regards, the Douglas mixes succeed in updating Hendrix to the soul, funk & fusion of 1975.

While I prefer the live Band Of Gypsies versions of Message To Love & With The Power, these are nice beefy versions Douglas has conjured from the archives. The title track has a deeply underground street soul-funk vibe to it that has some affinity with Superfly-era Curtis Mayfield in subject matter. There is a sort dark tragic vibe that permeates through this album, whether intentional or not. Hendrix's voice sounds deeper than usual and even pessimistic in its tone. It's as if Jimi wasn't feeling too upbeat during these sessions and sings like he's kind of pissed off. His guitar playing is EXTREMELY pissed off in sections, but very funky and soulful throughout.

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" is a great psychadelic blues with haunting (pessimistic) lyrics and great delay drenched guitar leads. "Come Down Hard On Me" is another funky blues thang that brings Jimi back to the basics with clean and compressed guitar tones. Jimi's lead playing is just so tasteful on this track and you can really hear Albert King's influence. The aforementioned "Peace In Mississippi" is just as lethal as when I first heard it as a kid. Listen for the screaming feedback attack during the track's closing guitar solo and tell me that doesn't blow your head clean off. "Stone Free Again" is a nice mid-70's take on the classic with Jimi's processed vocals adding a nice touch. "Captain Coconut" comes from the flamenco head of an earlier jam called "Villanova Junction" performed at the Woodstock Festival. Douglas imaginatively juxtaposes the Bobbit/Schwartzberg unit with various Hendrix guitar-solo tracks until culminating in a wonderful psychadelic swirl of backwards guitar-tracks and other madness before fading out. As a kid I used to love "Captain Coconut", and as a middle aged man I still do.

All in all, I think what Alan Douglas did with these tracks was brave and very imaginatively done. Every track is expertly & expressively mixed, arranged and mastered. Bobbit's bass and Schwartzberg's kick/snare drum have a particularly nice punch together, making for quite a ballsy rhythm section that could only be a product of the mid-70's (as I've said before). At the end of the day, I think that Hendrix would've applauded Douglas' efforts too. On these merits, I rate Crash Landing an 8 out of 10 in comparison with Hendrix's greatest works.