Every several years I rediscover this version of Red House, which features some of the best guitar soloing I’ve ever heard in my friggin’ life. It starts with Hendrix saying, “Fuck off man, let me talk…”, and then he and his guitar have a serious conversation about the birth and death of the universe. Eric, Jeff, Doug and I sat together many-a-time in our living room on that fifteen-seater couch spinning vinyl, getting ready to hit the town, or coming back from a night on the town looking to take the party to a new level, and we’d drop this Hendrix compilation on the turntable:
Then came the “Fuck off man, let me talk…”, then the respectful, reverential shifting of attention into full focus, then this:
The only version that rivals this one is from Fillmore East, May 10th, 1968, late show, that clocks in at approx. 16 minutes.
This one here, Golem? Wow, that’s some pretty experimental (and awesome!) shit.
Hands down the best version of Red House ever! His playing was out of this world on this performance.
Wow. I was at his Red House concert on Randells Island when I was 16.
This was the greatest and most memorable concert in my life. His guitar came to life and had a soul of its own. Playing behind his back or with his teeth made no difference.
Wow! How fortunate you are to have witnessed this incredible performance! I’m just grateful someone recorded it!
I was at the Randall’s Island concert which sadly had day two severely curtailed. But day one was awesome! John Sebastian, Steppenwolf! Jethro Tull, and at long last and deep into the night, Hendrix! He was amazing
This is my favorite version of Redhouse too.
Although to be picky, I would say that the introduction of the “In the West” version is superior to the intro to this version.
Hendrix is playing Gibson (Flying V ?), not the usual Strat.
I have a boot of the whole show, and the rest of
the show was poor- hard to believe.
The swearing at the start might
have been recorded at another show, and added in here
by Alan Douglas for effect- it is not on my boot,
but the words that follow it are.
There is film of this show on the official DVD “Hear my train a comin'”,
but unfortunately the film starts at the
song that immediately follows Redhouse (Message to love), AARRGGHH!
I’ll have to check out that 16 min version from May 10, 1968.