Jimi Hendrix is the best guitarist of all time. I was going to write “arguably the best guitarist of all time” but Jimi has no true rival. Bringing jazz, the blues, soul, and funk (before it officially existed) into contact with the electric guitar, Jimi did what no one since has been able to do and inspired a generation of rockers, hip-hoppers and r&b players.

Recently a new Jimi album with unreleased tracks has been released.  There are some favorites that have been done like never before (Stone Free, Hear My Train A Comin’) which are stellar, there are new songs too.  Crying Blue Rain and Valley of Neptune (the title track) are no shots in the dark. They are tracks featuring Jimi at his best – soloing madly, evolving riffs and his reassuring voice in the background singing the hook.

You don’t have to like rock and roll to appreciate Jimi’s style — just  look at the ‘i’ at the end of his name for crying out loud. Legend has it that Jimi used to insert tabs of acid under his headband while performing so that when he started to sweat, his pores would accept the chemicals and his guitar playing would reflect his state of mind. This collection of new songs makes me believe it.  No matter how you buy them, mp3, iTunes, CD, vinyl, or even if you just listen to them on youtube, these new hits are a great deal.