Straight Ahead Audio Stuff… (20 cd-r)
Straight Ahead was a Jimi Hendrix fanzine produced by Steven Roby. It was a subscriber only Fanzine, published in two formats, primarily as a printed magazine, and occasionally as ‘Audio Editions’ (in cassette form) in lieu of the printed format. A thin issue #1 was sent out to subscribees in April 1989, and the magazine was prematurely terminated with a fat/bulbous double issue, 89/90, in September 1996. (The heavy (and paranoid) hand of Experience Hendrix was responsible for its premature demise). The ‘Audio Editions’ are listed below as Discs 1 to 5. Discs 6-20 (also listed below) were bought by subscribees, as they saw fit, as SR offered them up. All were issued in audio (cassette) and video (vhs/ntsc) formats.
The radio shows are particularly interesting…
We have gathered together all the tapes that could be located, and are assembled here for posterity. Of the remainder that are missing, ONLY the videos may be of any real import to the serious Hendrix collector; even so they contain no Jimi. Keep On Groovin’, V1, (here) V2, (missing) are readers covers of Hendrix material… mmmmm wella wella….
The AUDIO tapes were transferred from cassette (remember those?), to MD to HD (AIFF 16 Bit 44.1 KHz) to CDR. Considering they must have been massed produced there are precious few tape glitches, ROXIO Toast was used to do what few edits that were required), but the sonics are pretty damned good.
NO DIGITAL CORRECTION WAS CARRIED OUT AT ALL. WYHIWYG!! Period!
As for the ‘Zine itself.. Whilst not carrying the credence and gravitas of Jimpress (& its siblings) or Univibes, Straight Ahead holds an important place in the recorded history of Jimi. Outside Experience Hendrix (and they have got zilch/zip to crow about in these terms), ONLY four people have put their lives to one side to bring Jimi to us, at this level; Steve Rodham (Jimpress), Caesar Glebbeek (Univibes), Steven Roby, (Straight Ahead). Last, but by no means least, are the Herculean efforts of one Doug Bell, although at a different level.
SA…. It’s a little bit raw; a bit rude, but its down-home honest!
Not so much Cordon Bleu, more Mothers Home Cooking, and is entirely better for it.
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