Album: People, Hell and Angels

Introduction
"People, Hell and Angels" is an album by American rock artist Jimi Hendrix, released in 2013 by Experience Hendrix LLC and Legacy Recordings. The album features twelve formerly unreleased tracks, showcasing various musical styles and instructions that the famous guitar player explore throughout the last two years of his life. It is thought about a posthumous studio album, as the recordings were engineered by Eddie Kramer, who worked closely with Hendrix throughout his career.

Background
The tracks on "People, Hell and Angels" were taped between 1968 and 1970, a duration in which Hendrix was exploring brand-new sounds and musical ideas following the dissolution of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. He formed the brief Band of Gypsys with bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles, and also worked together with a number of other artists, including Stephen Stills, Johnny Winter, and Lonnie Youngblood. These sessions were held at the Record Plant in New York City and the freshly developed Electric Lady Studios.

Hendrix initially planned for this material to be launched as part of a double album entitled "First Rays of the New Rising Sun", but his untimely death in September 1970 halted any plans for a brand-new release. In the years that followed, parts of these recordings would emerge on posthumous collections and bootlegs, typically in incomplete or overdubbed kinds.

Production and Release
Experience Hendrix LLC and Legacy Recordings obtained the rights to Hendrix's recordings in the 1990s, and a long-term plan was put in place to correctly restore and launch his unreleased tracks. Eddie Kramer, who was Hendrix's main recording engineer, worked thoroughly on this job, preserving the initial analog tapes and utilizing modern innovation to restore and mix the recordings. "People, Hell and Angels" was launched on March 5, 2013, and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart.

Track Listing and Highlights
"People, Hell and Angels" features a mix of brand-new tunes, alternative takes, and reimagined performances of familiar Hendrix tunes. The opening track, "Earth Blues", is a heavy funk-rock number, while "Somewhere" is a skyrocketing rocker including Stephen Stills on bass. "Hear My Train A Comin'" provides a raw, stripped-down version of a tune that would become a Hendrix live staple. The important "Inside Out" showcases Hendrix and bassist Mitch Mitchell trading guitar and drum solos.

Some standout tracks on the album consist of "Bleeding Heart", a bluesy number with emotional vocals by Hendrix; "Let Me Move You", a fiery RnB collaboration with saxophonist Lonnie Youngblood; and the title track, "People, Hell and Angels", a hauntingly reflective acoustic structure. The album closes with the upbeat important jam "Easy Blues", which would likely have actually been expanded with extra parts had Hendrix lived to complete the sessions.

Tradition
While "People, Hell and Angels" does not offer the type of cohesive vision that a few of Hendrix's other works do, it offers important insight into the various musical directions he was exploring prior to his death. With its broad variety of styles and instrumentation, the album shows Hendrix's desire to break devoid of the constraints of his earlier work and push the boundaries of his artistry.

In general, "People, Hell and Angels" is a fitting homage to the creative genius of Jimi Hendrix, providing fans both familiar and undiscovered gems from the last years of his extraordinary profession.