Hendrix's "Valleys of Neptune" Off LP of Last Recordings Hits the Web

Jimi Hendrix's "Valleys of Neptune," one of the guitar great's final recordings before his death in 1970 and the lead single off a compilation of the same name out March 9th, is streaming now on Spinner. While the track has never been officially released, as Rolling Stone previously reported, it did appear on 1990 four-disc set Lifelines: The Jimi Hendrix Story. The "Valleys" single is due out February 2nd. In addition to compiling 12 unearthed recordings, Valleys of Neptune's artwork will also feature paintings that Hendrix created in high school.

"Before he became a musician, Jimi wanted to be an artist," said Jimi's sister and Experience Hendrix CEO Janie Hendrix of Valleys's album and single art. "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." The final cover art on the disc blends Hendrix's painting with a photo taken by Linda Eastman, or Linda McCartney as she was later known.

The art of music: paintings and photos by Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Patti Smith.

Experience Hendrix catalog director John McDermott tells Spinner that the recordings on Valleys of Neptunes bridge the gap between Hendrix's classic Electric Ladyland and his legendary Woodstock performance. Valleys will also contain re-recorded versions of "Fire," "Red House" and "Stone Free," as well as unreleased tracks like "Lullaby for the Summer," "Crying Blue Rain" and Ships Passing Through the Night." In addition to Valleys, on March 9th all three of the Jimi Hendrix Experience's albums plus the 1997 comp First Rays of the Rising Sun will be reissued as CD/DVDs.

Dive into Rolling Stone's essential guitar coverage.

Related Stories:
• Hendrix's Final Recordings Set to Arrive on "Valleys of Neptune"
• Greatest Guitarists: Jimi Hendrix by Pete Townshend
• Cover Story: The Legend of Jimi Hendrix

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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