Album: Voodoo Soup

Introduction
" Voodoo Soup" is a posthumous compilation album by the iconic guitar player Jimi Hendrix, launched on April 11, 1995. The album includes recordings from different durations in Hendrix's career with The Jimi Hendrix Experience and the Gypsy Suns and Rainbows, together with some previously unreleased tracks. "Voodoo Soup" was assembled and produced by Alan Douglas, who had previously worked on other posthumous Hendrix releases. The album's cover artwork was created by the famous Marvel Comics artist Joe Kubert.

Background and Production
After Jimi Hendrix's unfortunate death at the age of 27 in 1970, a myriad of posthumous albums including his work began to surface area. Producer Alan Douglas took control of the responsibility of handling Hendrix's musical legacy from the early 1990s, working closely with the Hendrix household and Experience Hendrix, the company developed to supervise Jimi's estate.

" Voodoo Soup" was developed as an attempt to provide an approximation of what Hendrix's unfinished fourth studio album may have sounded like, had he lived to complete it. The album was also implied to change the 1971 album "The Cry of Love", which had been gotten of print due to legal problems surrounding royalties and publishing rights.

Track Listing and Music
" Voodoo Soup" features a mix of well-known recordings, alternate takes, and previously unreleased tracks that display Hendrix's virtuosity and variety as a musician and songwriter. The album includes an overall of 14 tracks, with most of the tunes being re-edited or remixed versions of previously-released product. Some of the standout tracks consist of:

1. "The New Rising Sun" - An edit of the formerly unreleased introduction to "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)".
2. "Belly Button Window" - A previously-released track, it is Hendrix's bluesy, autobiographical account of his own birth experience.
3. "Stepping Stone" - A heavy rock number that was at first released as a single in 1970 however failed to chart.
4. "Freedom" - A funk-influenced track, among the very first songs recorded for Hendrix's incomplete fourth album.
5. "Angel" - A mild ballad motivated by a dream Hendrix had about his mom.
6. "Room Full of Mirrors" - A psychedelic rock track, including heavy use of the wah-wah pedal.
7. "Midnight" - A previously unreleased critical jam showcasing Hendrix's mastery of rhythm and blues guitar playing.

Critical Reception
"Voodoo Soup" got combined reviews from critics, with numerous applauding the album's sound quality and the addition of previously unreleased product, while others felt that the remixed and edited tracks interfered with the spirit of Jimi Hendrix's initial recordings. Fans of Hendrix's work have likewise been divided in their viewpoints of the album, with some welcoming the new variations of their preferred songs and others regreting the changes made to the original recordings.

Despite the combined reception, "Voodoo Soup" peaked at number 52 on the Billboard 200 chart after its release and went on to sell over 300,000 copies worldwide.

Legacy
"Voodoo Soup" stays a somewhat questionable release in Jimi Hendrix's discography, raising questions about the ethics of posthumously modifying an artist's work. It has also added to the ongoing debate surrounding the management and conservation of Hendrix's legacy. Nevertheless, the album supplies an interesting snapshot of the unbelievable talent and potential that defined Hendrix's brief however impactful profession, and works as a testimony to his long-lasting influence on generations of musicians to come.