Talk:Jimi Hendrix posthumous discography

RfC: Should the first section of albums be categorized as "studio" or "compilation albums"?

The topic of this discussion originated from a content dispute at one of these album articles, so it seems best to solicit outside opinion. How should the first section be categorized? (Feel free to come up with a different idea that has been mentioned so far, by the way) RfC relisted by Cunard (talk) at 09:38, 14 July 2019 (UTC). RfC relisted by Cunard (talk) at 04:35, 2 June 2019 (UTC). Dan56 (talk) 20:52, 27 April 2019 (UTC)

Votes

• Rarities compilation or Studio-recording compilations - Compilation album says "generally the tracks were not originally intended for release together as a single work" (with an accompanying citation to verify this definition in that article), and nearly all the first section's album articles have a source cited verifying the claim that they are compilation albums. For the sake of generalizing these releases (which is the idea to begin with by having them grouped all under one section heading), "compilation" suits them better than "studio". Third-party source evidence - Ritchie Unterberger, speaking on The Cry of Love, Rainbow Bridge and similar LPs in his Rough Guide to Jimi Hendrix, said "The Cry of Love [was] the first page of a new and increasingly scrambled [book] ... [Rainbow Bridge made] the prospect of a series of such LPs (which in truth were compilations) viable." [1] Dan56 (talk) 21:19, 28 April 2019 (UTC)

• Studio recordings – Nobody can dispute that these are "recordings" that were done in a "studio". The problem with "Compilation" is that the term usually refers to "best of"- or anthology-type albums. WP FL discographies are normally divided into three album types:[2] Studio albums, Live albums, and Compilation albums, as is the Template:Infobox artist discography. However, Hendrix's posthumous discography is more difficult to categorize.

In an attempt to compromise, the designations "Studio recordings", "Live albums", and "Anthologies and retrospective albums" were used. However, with no discussion, Dan56 changed "Studio recordings" to "Rarities compilations". When this was reverted, he decided to lump together all the albums that were under the "Studio recordings" and "Anthologies and retrospective albums" into a single "Compilation albums" heading. This is confusing to the reader because leaves them unclear as to whether album is a collection of well-known Hendrix songs (such as Kiss the Sky) or previously unreleased songs (such as The Cry of Love).

I think this RfC is premature and Dan56's invitation to "Feel free to come up with a different idea that has been mentioned so far, by the way" should be explored without the pressure of having to immediately take a side and vote.

—Ojorojo (talk) 15:11, 28 April 2019 (UTC)

• Comment - A rarities compilation is a compilation that features previously unreleased and otherwise rare songs; "rare" is distinguished from "well-known" (as you said). But you rejected that proposal. In fact, strike the above: my vote is for rarities compilation or studio-recording compilations. And this RfC does not necessarily have to lead to a determination; it is just the surest way of encouraging outside opinion here. Dan56 (talk) 20:10, 28 April 2019 (UTC)

• Rarities compilation. It is, previously stated, it is an album of songs that were previously unintended to be released. The fact that it is a collection of unreleased songs gives reason to believe it is a compilation because the songs were not intended to be released together.173.167.211.241 (talk) 17:24, 1 May 2019 (UTC)

Discussion

As of now, this article categorizes the first section of albums as "studio recordings" (and the accompanying infobox lists 12 studio albums, although this does not add up and appears incorrect whichever way you see it). Each of the first section's articles, however, have them filed as "compilation" (with an accompanying citation verifying so). To complicate matters further, there is a section further down here that has theme-specific compilations (anthologies and retrospectives). To cite my own view of them, the albums in the first section all have either previously unreleased recordings from different sources (not intended for a single album release, or assembled with new mixes and overdubbed musical parts, with a stray track here and there), which would qualify them as "compilations". I do not like the idea of trying to categorize this messy discography, but I don't like the current "studio recordings" concept either; other sections of albums here have studio recordings, too, and the second one--Rainbow Bridge--of these supposed "studio recordings" albums has a concert/live recording on it. Dan56 (talk) 20:52, 27 April 2019 (UTC)

This might be against the convention of these discography articles, but maybe sectioning the albums by decade of release would be simpler and avoid the overlap and question of category-definition. Dan56 (talk) 21:04, 27 April 2019 (UTC)

It is unclear want Dan56 wants to do here: is renaming "Studio recordings" as "Compliations" just a first step to again mix all the "Anthologies and retrospective albums" together in a larger "Compilation albums"? One source used to show "Compilation albums" appears to be from a vanity/self-published source[3] (another comments the author "John Faralaco cribs 'relentlessly from Carlyle's work'"[4]) and the suitability of another is currently being disputed. —Ojorojo (talk) 15:11, 28 April 2019 (UTC)

You are mischaracterizing the relationship between the articles and the sources supporting them as "compilations". Multiple reliable sources support the categorization, many to Hendrix expert John McDermott; multiple in even one instance, where you say they are "currently being disputed" (by you, only, with opinion-based claims, rather than reliable sources contradicting the sources you are trying to discredit). "Appears to be..." (Is it self-published?? Or are you just throwing that out there carelessly to paint a negative picture?) Even Rolling Stone verifies Valleys of Neptune (whose source you claim is self-published) is a "compilation". Same case with People, Hell and Angels and American Songwriter verifying it is a comp. The Hendrix "expert" John McDermott verifies War Heroes is also a comp (Ultimate Hendrix) These are not exceptional claims. And so far, no evidence of third-party sources has been presented saying these are studio albums. Dan56 (talk) 20:06, 28 April 2019 (UTC)

Self-published apparently, yet still discussed in an expert source, which says Faralaco "cribbed relentlessly from" another writer and expert's work, which helped him reach the conclusion the album is a compilation. Unless, you were trying to make another point... Dan56 (talk) 20:26, 28 April 2019 (UTC)

Notes

 Comment: I've declined a request to close this RfC. The RfC was explicitly created for the purpose of soliciting "outside opinion" from uninvolved editors, and the RfC statement was open-ended ("Feel free to come up with a different idea"). Unfortunately, there was relatively low participation and no consensus, despite having been relisted twice. It would be more beneficial to allow the discussion to continue at its own pace than to close it in its current state. Please let me know on my talk page if you would prefer a "no consensus" closure. — Newslinger talk 16:59, 9 September 2019 (UTC)

Singles Section: Album Column

In some cases, the incorrect album has been cited as the source of the single. This applies particularly regarding singles released in the UK. For example, the Album citation for "Voodoo Chile" (the sic refers to the fact it is misnamed on the record, it is "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)") / "Hey Joe" and "All Along the Watchtower" is Electric Ladyland and Are You Experienced. But "Hey Joe" was not released on Are You Experienced in the UK, it was the first single and was released in December 1966, five months before the release of the UK version of Are You Experienced, and eight months before the US release of the album, which, importantly in regard to my comment, removed three songs from the UK listing and added the three UK singles that did not appear on the UK album.

Basically, it boils down to there being two different versions of Are You Experienced and the Album column should take that into account when referring to UK and US single releases. Mickraus (talk) 16:00, 8 January 2023 (UTC)

The approach taken on Jimi Hendrix discography is to identify which edition of the album the single/song appears on. For example, in the Album column for his first few singles, it shows "Are You Experienced (expanded CD editions with both UK and US tracks)" and "Smash Hits (UK)" for the appropriate singles. Using this approach here would provide the clarification and be consistent with his lifetime discography. —Ojorojo (talk) 14:02, 9 January 2023 (UTC)

Wyatt '68

Hendrix plays on one track of '68, an archival release by Robert Wyatt: see here. Bondegezou (talk) 13:37, 27 October 2023 (UTC)