Originally produced in 1997 as part of theClassic Albumsseries,The Making of Electric Ladylandis reissued here newly edited and with some 40 minutes of additional material, making it a genuine treasure trove for Jimi Hendrix fans. Recorded in fits and starts during an arduous, poorly planned tour of America and released in 1968,Electric Ladylandwas the third and final studio album the rock-guitar legend completed during his lifetime, and while it was arguably not his greatest--many would argue in favor of its more focused predecessors,Are You ExperiencedandAxis: Bold as Love--it’s his most ambitious and most experimental; it originally occupied two full vinyl discs and featured several additional musicians, songs by other writers, an extended blues jam, and one piece, "1983… A Merman I Should Turn to Be," that took up almost all of one side. A lot of the folks who took part in the recording are on hand to discuss it, including several who are no longer with us (like producer Chas Chandler, bass player Noel Redding, and drummers Buddy Miles and Mitch Mitchell, both of whom died in 2008). The musicians’ insights and recollections are cool; organist Mike Finnigan sits at his Hammond B-3 and demonstrates the deep groove the band created for "Rainy Day, Dream Away" (a session Finnigan was never paid for!), while bass player Jack Casady of the Jefferson Airplane plugs in and replicates the part he played on "Voodoo Chile." But the best moments come when engineer Eddie Kramer sits at the mixing console and isolates different tracks from various tunes, revealing touches like Hendrix’s harpsichord part on "Burning of the Midnight Lamp," his comb-kazoo playing(!) on "Crosstown Traffic," and the electric sitar he jacked through a wah-wah pedal on "1983." There are also vintage interview clips with Hendrix himself, as well as talk about his work habits, his lifestyle, and the controversial photo of nude women that originally adorned the cover. But it’s the music that matters, andThe Making of Electric Ladylandis a fascinating look at the work of one of music’s true immortals.--Sam Graham