In The Beginning... by The Isley Brothers and Jimi Hendrix

Best Tracks: Move Over and Let Me Dance, Pt. 1
Genre: Funk, Psychedelia
Year: 1971

Released in 1971, In the Beginning… was definitely designed to capitalise on Hendrix’s death. The record comprises of 26 minutes of old recordings from The Isley Brothers with Jimi Hendrix. It’s a shame Hendrix and the Isley Brothers never did a full album together, because this sounds incredible! This short-lived band featured the greatest guitarist ever with some of the greatest singers ever. Even a cash-grab release like this is going to sound really good.

I don’t have any information on who mixed this, but it was definitely redone in 1971. The stereo panning and subtle delays put these archival recordings in an updated context after Hendrix had perfected psychedelic rock. The song title “Move Over and Let Me Dance” reflects this intention. The horns are forced into the background, turning a traditional funk song into a showcase of Hendrix’s intricate guitar work. They also felt the need to make a part 2 that uses the exact same source recordings, and contributes nothing to the album. With the added delay to the Isley Brothers’ vocals, this release also makes clear how influential they were on Hendrix’s vocal style. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean you no harm” sounds exactly like a line from Foxy Lady. While this is likely an exaggerated Hendrix impression and not vocal recordings from the mid ’60s, they still sound cool.

Unfortunately though, this release is short and still has some filler. “The Last Girl” and “Looking for a Love” are a little too by-the-book, but there are some cool production moves that keep the songs interesting. “Wild Little Tiger” is a good song as well, with a cool effect at the beginning and a tight guitar solo. “Simon Says” is the worst of the bunch, definitely a scrapped demo and not something the world was meant to hear.

In the Beginning… is basically only worth listening to for its historical importance. The high points are really good. The lows, while not up to the standards of other Isley Brothers songs, aren’t that bad at the end of the day. This compilation is proof against the notion that Hendrix was just another R&B guitarist until he went to London. If the Isley Brothers had recorded a proper album with Jimi Hendrix, it would have gone down as a turning point for American music. No doubt!