Reissues Showcase Creativity, Talents Of Paul Simon, Jimi Hendrix

By Tom Wilk
Contributing Writer
     Several new reissues highlight the work of a pair of American musicians over the past half century.
     Paul Simon turned 70 in October and his contributions to popular music are spotlighted on “Songwriter,” a two-CD collection from Legacy Recordings that largely focuses on his solo work.
      The anthology showcases Simon as a musical explorer, from the reggae-inspired “Mother and Child Reunion” to the South African-influenced “Graceland” and the Brazilian-accented “The Obvious Child.”
      Simon selected the songs for this anthology and passed over some of his biggest hits (“Gone at Last” and “You Can Call Me Al”) in favor of lesser-known tracks, such as the doo-wop flavored “Quality” and the Oscar-nominated “Father and Daughter,” a celebration of paternal love.
      The compilation has no Simon & Garfunkel performances, but the duo’s songs are represented by live versions of “The Boxer” and “The Sound of Silence,” the latter taken from his 2011 solo tour. In the one song not performed by Simon, Aretha Franklin delivers a gospel version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
      South Jersey based-musician and music writer Tom Moon contributes an illuminating essay on Simon’s music in the liner notes.
      Legacy also is continuing its reissue of Simon’s solo catalog with expanded versions of “One Trick Pony,” “Hearts and Bones,” “Graceland” and “The Rhythm of the Saints,” originally released between 1980 and 1990.
      Jimi Hendrix was born a year after Simon and a new series of CD and DVD releases focuses on his work as a live performer.
      “Winterland” (Experience Hendrix/Legacy), credited to the Jimi Hendrix Experience, is available as a 4-CD box set or a single CD and is drawn from three nights of shows at the famed San Francisco venue in October 1968.
     Hendrix is in fiery form on such classics as “Purple Haze” and “Fire” and features his versions of hits by other artists, including Bob Dylan (“Like a Rolling Stone”) and Cream (“Sunshine of Your Love”). Hendrix altered his set each evening to keep his performances fresh with lively versions of “Manic Depression” and “The Star Spangled Banner.”
     “Hendrix in the West,” a single CD, is a collection of 11 songs recorded in concert between 1968 and 1970. The album spotlights his versatility, ranging from his own “Little Wing” and “Red House” to spirited versions of hits by ‘50s artists Chuck Berry (“Johnny B. Goode”) and Carl Perkins (“Blue Suede Shoes”).
     On the DVD side, “Blue Wild Angel: Jimi Hendrix Live at the Isle of Wight” is a full-length concert filmed on Aug. 31, 1970, just 18 days before his death. Hendrix was clicking on all cylinders, connecting with the audience on Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” and “Message to Love.”
      “Jimi Hendrix: The Dick Cavett Show” features the guitarist in conversation with the talk-show host and shows his humor and intelligence in discussing his life and work. 
     The DVD also features performances of “Hear My Train A-Comin’” and “Machine Gun.”