Jim Hendrix: "First Rays Of The New Rising Sun" (Experience Hendrix/MCA)

Dial-a-track code: 1201

It's hard to believe Hendrix only made three studio albums and one live album before popping his psychedelic clogs in 1970.

First Rays was intended to be the follow-up to Hendrix's double-album masterpiece, Electric Ladyland, and the 17 tracks featured here were written and recorded during Hendrix's final, prolific period on Earth. Alas, before he could fulfil his ever-expanding musical vision, Jimi was called up to the great jam session in the sky, and the songs were scattered among a number of posthumous releases, losing much of their impact in the process.

In recent years, however, Hendrix's family has regained control of his material and rather than simply add to the abundance of anthologies, they asked Hendrix archivist John McDermott and producer Ed Kramer to track down the original mastertapes and try to piece together the album Hendrix had planned to make. The remastered result comes nowhere close to the tripped-out brilliance of Electric Lady land, but it has some shining moments, most notably Room Full Of Mirrors, Dolly Dagger, Ezy Ryder and Many of the tracks have been unavailable for a long time, so First Rays is a historical treasure trove.

Incidentally, Hendrix's four original albums, Are You Experienced?. Axis: Bold As Love, Electric Lady land and Band Of Gypsys have also been remastered and re-released, some with Jimi's own hand-written notes and song drafts.