:Valleys of Neptune

The majority of the tracks on Valleys of Neptune were recorded in early 1969, while Hendrix was experimenting with songs for his unfinished fourth album, following the successful release of Electric Ladyland in September 1968. Numerous versions have been released, both officially and otherwise, and the majority of the "previously unreleased" recordings present on the 2010 album had been released in one form or another before, albeit sometimes in inferior quality or different versions.

The album artwork is based on a painting by Hendrix himself in 1957. "He went through a phase doing watercolors at school and this was one of the 110 drawings of his that our father kept. When I saw this one he did in 1957, it screamed 'Valleys of Neptune' to me so we knew we'd use it for this project," said his step-sister, Janie. The album artwork is a mix of his painting and a Linda McCartney photograph of him with a blue tint.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/01/29/hendrixs-valleys-of-neptune-off-lp-of-last-recordings-hits-the-web/ |title=Hendrix's Valleys of Neptune off LP of last recordings hits the web |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=September 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201015938/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/01/29/hendrixs-valleys-of-neptune-off-lp-of-last-recordings-hits-the-web/ |archive-date=February 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |first=Sean |last=Westergaard |title=Review: Valleys of Neptune |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1716710|pure_url=yes}} |work=AllMusic |access-date=March 12, 2010}}

| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2Score = B−{{cite web|last=Phipps|first=Keith|date=March 9, 2010|url=http://www.avclub.com/review/jimi-hendrix-ivalleys-of-neptunei-38948|title=Jimi Hendrix: Valleys Of Neptune|work=The A.V. Club|access-date=August 11, 2015}}

| rev3 = Chicago Tribune

| rev3Score = {{Rating|3|4}}

| rev4 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev4Score = B−{{cite magazine|last=Sinclair|first=Tom|date=March 3, 2010|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2010/03/03/valleys-neptune|title=Valleys of Neptune|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=August 11, 2015}}

| rev5 = Filter

| rev5Score = 93/100{{cite journal|last=Elder|first=Matt|date=March 18, 2010|url=http://filtermagazine.com/index.php/reviews/entry/jimi_hendrix|title=Reviews - Jimi Hendrix|journal=Filter|access-date=August 11, 2015}}

| rev6 = Los Angeles Times

| rev6Score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}

| rev7 = PopMatters

| rev7Score = 7/10{{cite web|last=Murphy |first=Sean |date=March 11, 2010 |url=http://www.popmatters.com/feature/121898-jimi-hendrix-reissues/ |title=God Is Not Dead: The Jimi Hendrix Re-Issues |publisher=PopMatters |access-date=August 9, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921214137/http://www.popmatters.com/feature/121898-jimi-hendrix-reissues/ |archive-date=September 21, 2013 }}

| rev8 = Q

| rev8Score = {{Rating|3|5}}

| rev9 = Rolling Stone

| rev9Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}

| rev10 = Spin

| rev10Score = 7/10{{cite journal|last=Young|first=Jon|page=89|date=April 2010|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=en6jizvGCTgC&pg=PA89|title=Historic Heavyosity|journal=Spin|access-date=August 11, 2015}}

}}

Valleys of Neptune 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 68, based on 15 reviews.{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/valleys-of-neptune/jimi-hendrix|title=Reviews for Valleys Of Neptune by Jimi Hendrix|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=August 11, 2015}} In Rolling Stone, critic Will Hermes found the music beautiful and exciting, while writing, "Are these tracks 'finished' as Hendrix would've intended? Probably not. But as a glimpse of the guitarist extending his reach beyond the Experience trio, it's thrilling.".{{cite magazine|last=Hermes|first=Will|author-link=Will Hermes|date=March 18, 2010|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/valleys-of-neptune-20100323|title=Valleys of Neptune|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=August 11, 2015}} Greg Kot, writing for the Chicago Tribune, called it "a sharp snapshot of a musical genius in the studio during a period of transition".{{cite web|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-03-12/news/ct-ott-0312-guitar-fill-20100312_1_experience-hendrix-guitar-players-kenny-wayne-shepherd|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508031935/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-03-12/news/ct-ott-0312-guitar-fill-20100312_1_experience-hendrix-guitar-players-kenny-wayne-shepherd|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 8, 2014|access-date=August 11, 2015|title=Excerpts from Greg Kot's review of the latest Jimi Hendrix release|work=Chicago Tribune|date=March 12, 2010}} Ludovic Hunter-Tilney from the Financial Times called the album "a cut above the many posthumous cash-ins released in [Hendrix's] name."{{cite web |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8b4b8d82-2676-11df-aff3-00144feabdc0,s01=1.html?nclick_check=1 |title=Jimi Hendrix: Valleys of Neptune |work=Financial Times |last=Hunter-Tilney |first=Ludovic |date=March 5, 2010 |access-date=March 8, 2010 }}

In the Los Angeles Times, Ann Powers was less enthusiastic and felt "fans will be fascinated by these bluesy riffs with the Experience, but this album of unreleased material from the archives doesn't convey much that was unknown."{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/03/album-review-jimi-hendrixs-valleys-of-neptune.html |title=Album review: Jimi Hendrix's 'Valleys of Neptune' |last=Powers |first=Ann |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 5, 2010 |access-date=March 8, 2010 }} Q found it "lighter sonically" than Hendrix's better known work and ultimately of "limited appeal".{{cite journal|journal=Q|page=127|title=none|date=April 2010}}

{{track listing

| all_writing = Jimi Hendrix, except where noted

| total_length = 62:11

|extra_column = Recording date and studio

| title1 = Stone Free

| length1 = 3:48

|extra1 = April 7, 9, 14 and May 17, 1969, at Record Plant Studios

| title2 = Valleys of Neptune

| length2 = 4:05

|extra2 = September 23, 1969, and May 15, 1970, at Record Plant

| title3 = Bleeding Heart

| note3 = Elmore James

| length3 = 6:23

|extra3 = April 24, 1969, at Record Plant

| title4 = Hear My Train A Comin'

| length4 = 7:32

|extra4 = April 7, 1969, at Record Plant

| title5 = Mr. Bad Luck

| length5 = 2:58

|extra5 = May 5, 1967, at Olympic Studios
June 5, 1987, at AIR Studios

| title6 = Sunshine of Your Love

| note6 = Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton, Pete Brown

| length6 = 6:48

|extra6 = February 16, 1969, at Olympic

| title7 = Lover Man

| length7 = 4:17

|extra7 = February 16, 1969, at Olympic
June 5, 1987, at AIR

| title8 = Ships Passing Through the Night

| length8 = 5:54

|extra8 = April 14, 1969, at Record Plant

| title9 = Fire

| length9 = 3:14

|extra9 = February 17, 1969, at Olympic

| title10 = Red House

| length10 = 8:22

|extra10 = February 17, 1969, at Olympic

| title11 = Lullaby for the Summer

| length11 = 3:51

|extra11 = April 7, 1969, at Record Plant

| title12 = Crying Blue Rain

| length12 = 4:59

|extra12 = February 16, 1969, at Olympic
June 5, 1987, at AIR

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Target bonus tracks

| total_length = 74:36

|extra_column = Recording date and studio

| title13 = Slow Version

| length13 = 4:58

|extra13 = April 3, 1969, at Olmstead Studios

| title14 = Trash Man

| length14 = 7:27

|extra14 = February 14, 1969, at Olympic

}}

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{{col-3}}

Primary musicians

• Jimi Hendrix – vocals, guitars, production on all tracks except 5, front cover painting
• Mitch Mitchell – drums on all tracks except 3
• Noel Redding – bass guitar on all tracks except 1, 2 and 3, backing vocals on track 9
• Billy Cox – bass guitar on tracks 1, 2 and 3

Additional musicians

• Rocky Dzidzornu – percussion on tracks 6 and 12
• Roger Chapman – backing vocals on track 1
• Andy Fairweather Low – backing vocals on track 1
• Juma Sultan – percussion on track 2
• Rocky Isaac – drums on track 3
• Chris Grimes – tambourine on track 3
• Al Marks – maracas on track 3

{{col-3}}

Original production personnel

• Eddie Kramer – posthumous production, mixing, engineering on tracks 1, 2, 5 and 14
• Chas Chandler – production on track 5
• George Chkiantz – engineering on tracks 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 13
• Gary Kellgren – engineering on tracks 1, 3 and 8
• Jack Adams – engineering on track 2

Posthumous production personnel

• Janie Hendrix – production
• John McDermott – production, essay
• Chandler Harrod – engineering assistance
• Rick Kwan – additional engineering
• Derik Lee – additional engineering
• Charlie Stavish – additional engineering
• Aaron Walk – additional engineering
• George Marino – mastering

{{col-3}}

Graphic personnel

• Phil Yarnall – graphic design
• Linda McCartney – front cover photography
• James Davenport – back cover photography, booklet photography
• Jerry Schatzberg – booklet photography
• Jonathan Stathakis – booklet photography
• Graham F. Page – booklet photography
• John Sullivan – booklet photography
• Ulvis Alberts – booklet photography
• Willis Hogan Jr. – booklet photography
• Peter Riches – booklet photography

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{{certification Table Top}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Netherlands|artist=Jimi Hendrix|title=Valleys of Neptune|award=Platinum|certyear=2013|relyear=2010|access-date=October 21, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Jimi Hendrix}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Jimi Hendrix compilation albums

Category:2010 compilation albums

Category:Compilation albums published posthumously

Category:Albums produced by Eddie Kramer

Category:Albums produced by Chas Chandler

Category:Albums produced by Jimi Hendrix

Category:Legacy Recordings compilation albums