Midnight Lightning
{{For|the bouldering problem|Midnight Lightning (bouldering)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Midnight Lightning
| type = compilation
| artist = Jimi Hendrix
| cover = JHMidniteLite.JPG
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1975|11}}
| recorded = 1968–1970; 1975 (overdubs)
| genre = Rock
| length = 35:58
| label = Polydor (UK)
Reprise (US)
| producer = Alan Douglas, Tony Bongiovi
| prev_title = Crash Landing
| prev_year = 1975
| next_title = The Essential Jimi Hendrix
| next_year = 1978
}}
Midnight Lightning is a posthumous compilation album by American rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix.{{cite book|last=Moskowitz|first=David|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dzUlWk-RvfgC&pg=PA99|title=The Words and Music of Jimi Hendrix|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010|access-date=July 1, 2014|pages=102, 165|isbn=978-0313375927}} It was released in November 1975 by Reprise Records in the US and Polydor Records in the UK. It was the second to be produced by Alan Douglas and Tony Bongiovi and contains demo-type recordings that were overdubbed with musicians who had never played with Hendrix. Despite including reworkings of the popular live songs "Hear My Train" and "Machine Gun", the album was not as well received as its predecessor, peaking at numbers 43 in the US{{cite web| url = https://www.billboard.com/artist/jimi-hendrix/chart-history/tlp/| title = Jimi Hendrix: Chart history| website = Billboard.com| access-date = January 19, 2021}} and 46 in the UK.{{cite web| url =https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/12774/jimi-hendrix/| title = Jimi Hendrix| website = Official Charts| access-date = September 10, 2020}}
Background
Douglas continued the controversial methods he had adopted on Crash Landing and brought in many of the same session musicians to overdub parts of songs. The only original recording (apart from those by Hendrix) was Mitchell's drumming on "Hear My Train". In response to the previous outcry from fans and critics, Douglas did not claim co-writer credit for any songs on Midnight Lightning. After Experience Hendrix secured the rights to Hendrix's recordings in 1997, original versions of the tracks have been released on further albums and boxsets.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|last=Viglione|first=Joe|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/midnight-lightning-mw0000691149|title=Jimi Hendrix: Midnight Lightning - Review|work=AllMusic|access-date=July 1, 2014}}
|rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide
|rev2Score = B+{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: H|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=H&bk=70|access-date=February 26, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}
}}
In Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau regarded Midnight Lightning as an improvement by Douglas over Crash Landing because of highlight instrumentals such as "Trash Man", overdubbed guitar from Jeff Mironov and Lance Quinn, and "the blues playing — as opposed to singing or writing". AllMusic's Joe Viglione later said the enduring quality of Hendrix's music was retained in spite of Douglas's "doctoring and musicians jamming with his art after the fact."
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Jimi Hendrix, except where noted
| headline = Side one
| extra_column = Post-Douglas release(s)
| title1 = Trash Man
| extra1 = Hear My Music
Valleys of Neptune (Target edition)
| length1 = 3:15
| title2 = Midnight Lightning
| extra2 =
| length2 = 3:49
| title3 = Hear My Train
| extra3 = Valleys of NeptuneValleys of Neptune uses the title "Hear My Train A Comin'".
| length3 = 5:43
| title4 = Gypsy Boy (New Rising Sun)
| extra4 = People, Hell and AngelsPeople Hell and Angels uses the title "Hey Gypsy Boy".
| length4 = 3:45
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| extra_column = Post-Douglas release(s)
| title1 = Blue Suede Shoes
| extra1 =
| note1 = Carl Perkins
| length1 = 3:29
| title2 = Machine Gun
| extra2 =
| length2 = 7:36
| title3 = Once I Had a Woman
| extra3 = Blues
| length3 = 5:20
| title4 = Beginnings
| note4 = Mitch Mitchell
| length4 = 3:02
}}
Personnel
- Jimi Hendrix{{snd}}guitars, vocals
- Mitch Mitchell{{snd}}drums on "Hear My Train"
=Added in 1975=
- Jeff Mironov – guitar on tracks 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8
- Lance Quinn – guitar on tracks 2, 4, 6 and 7
- Allan Schwartzberg – drums on tracks 1, 2, 4–8, percussion on tracks 3 and 4
- Bob Babbitt – bass guitar
- Jimmy Maelen – percussion on tracks 2 and 8
- Maeretha Stewart – backing vocals on tracks 2, 4 and 7
- Barbara Massey – backing vocals on tracks 2, 4 and 7
- Vivian Cherry – backing vocals on tracks 2, 4 and 7
- Buddy Lucas – harmonica on track 7
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|type=album|57495}}
{{Jimi Hendrix}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Albums produced by Alan Douglas (record producer)