People, Hell and Angels explained

People, Hell and Angels
Type:	compilation
Artist:	Jimi Hendrix
Cover:	PeopleHellAngels.jpg
Recorded:	March 1968 – August 1970
Studio:	Record Plant, Hit Factory, Sound Centre, Electric Lady; New York City Fame, Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Genre:	Blues rock^[1]
Label:	Legacy
Producer:	Jimi Hendrix Eddie Kramer Janie Hendrix John McDermott
Prev Title:	Winterland
Prev Year:	2011
Next Title:	Miami Pop Festival
Next Year:	2013

People, Hell and Angels is a posthumous compilation album^[2] by the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix. The fourth release under the Experience Hendrix deal with Legacy Recordings, it contains twelve previously unreleased recordings of tracks he was working on for the planned follow-up to Electric Ladyland. It was released on March 5, 2013.

Background

The tracks featured on People, Hell and Angels are previously unreleased recordings of songs that Jimi Hendrix and fellow band members (mainly the Band of Gypsys lineup featuring Billy Cox and Buddy Miles) were working on as the follow-up to Electric Ladyland, tentatively titled First Rays of the New Rising Sun.^[3] The majority of the recordings are drawn from sessions in 1968 and 1969 at the Record Plant Studios in New York, with a few inclusions from Hendrix's brief residencies at Sound Centre, the Hit Factory, and his own Electric Lady Studios.^[4]

Critical reception

People, Hell and Angels received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, it received an average score of 74, based on 18 reviews.^[5] In Rolling Stone, David Fricke said Hendrix "plays at an elevated level in every setting" on the album, while The Wire called the recordings "among the best of Hendrix's late work".^[6] Patrick Humphries from BBC Music wrote that it "offers a tantalising glimpse of how Hendrix's genius might have progressed".^[7] AllMusic's Sean Westergaard was less enthusiastic and said the album "certainly isn't the place to start your Hendrix collection, but collectors will surely want to hear this". Writing for MSN Music, Robert Christgau called it a quality collection of leftovers highlighted by the songs "Somewhere" and "Let Me Move You", in which Hendrix comps behind saxophonist Lonnie Youngblood.^[8]

Recording details

Recording details for People, Hell and Angels:^{[4] [9]}

• Track 1 recorded on December 19, 1969, at Record Plant Studios
• Track 2 recorded on March 13, 1968, at the Sound Centre
• Tracks 3, 4 and 12 recorded on May 21, 1969, at Record Plant Studios
• Tracks 5 and 10 recorded on March 18, 1969, at Record Plant Studios
• Tracks 6 and 7 recorded on August 28, 1969, at the Hit Factory
• Track 8 recorded on April 24, 1969, at Record Plant Studios
• Track 9 recorded on June 11, 1968, at Record Plant Studios
• Track 11 recorded in June 1969, at Fame Studios, Muscle Shoals, Alabama; overdubs in August 1970 at Electric Lady Studios
• Track 13 recorded on January 23, 1970, at Record Plant Studios

Personnel

Primary musicians

• Jimi Hendrix – guitars, vocals, (bass guitar on track 9)
• Billy Cox – bass guitar (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6–8, 13)
• Buddy Miles – drums (tracks 1–4, 10, 12, 13)
• Mitch Mitchell – drums (tracks 6, 7, 9)
• Juma Sultan – congas (tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 12)

Additional musicians

• Larry Lee – rhythm guitar (tracks 6, 7)
• Jerry Velez – congas (tracks 6, 7)
• Stephen Stills – bass guitar (track 2)
• Lonnie Youngblood – vocal & saxophone (track 5)
• Rocky Isaac – drums (track 8)
• Al Marks – percussion (track 8)
• Albert Allen – vocal (track 11)
• James Booker – piano (track 11)
• Gerry Sacktriangle & mime vocal (track 6)

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2013)	Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[11]	152
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[12]	200
US Billboard 200^[13]	160
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)^[14]	41

Notes and References

1. News: McKinley Jr.. James C.. James C. McKinley Jr.. March 6, 2010. Exhuming the Last of Hendrix's Studio Sessions. The New York Times. August 11, 2015.
2. American Songwriter. Beviglia. Jim. February 27, 2013. Jimi Hendrix: People, Hell And Angels. August 11, 2015.
3. Lost Jimi Hendrix album will be released in 2013 . . November 21, 2012 . November 26, 2012.
4. News: Jimi Hendrix's People, Hell & Angels Coming March 5, 2013! . jimihendrix.com (official website). November 26, 2012 . November 26, 2012.
5. Web site: Reviews for People, Hell and Angels by Jimi Hendrix. Metacritic. August 11, 2015.
6. The Wire. none. April 2013. 50.
7. Web site: Humphries. Patrick. Jimi Hendrix People, Hell and Angels Review. www.bbc.co.uk. October 11, 2013.
8. Web site: Christgau. Robert. Robert Christgau. May 7, 2013. Odds and Ends 028. MSN Music. August 11, 2015.
9. Book: Geldeart . Gary . Rodham . Steve . Jimi Hendrix: The Studio Log . 2008 . Jimpress . 978-0-9527686-4-7.
10. Web site: Top 100 Artist Album, Week Ending 7 March 2013 . . August 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161006131907/http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240002&arch=t&lyr=2013&year=2013&week=10 . dead . October 6, 2016.
11. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2013. Ultratop. December 31, 2020.
12. Web site: Rapports Annuels 2013. Ultratop. December 31, 2020.
13. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2013. Billboard. December 31, 2020.
14. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2013. Billboard. December 31, 2020.