South Saturn Delta
South Saturn Delta is a posthumous compilation album by American rock musician Jimi Hendrix. Released in 1997 by Experience Hendrix (operated by his estate), it consists of material such as demo tapes, unfinished takes and alternate mixes, and previously released material, most of which Hendrix had been working on prior to his death in 1970. Background. Released prior to "South Saturn Delta", "First Rays of the New Rising Sun" was Experience Hendrix's attempt at presenting Hendrix's planned fourth studio album. The album consists of songs previously released on his first posthumous albums "The Cry of  Love" (1971), "Rainbow Bridge" (1971), and "War Heroes" (1972). "South Saturn Delta" collects five songs from the latter two then out-of-print albums that were not selected for "First Rays". Other tracks include "The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam's Dice", an early Jimi Hendrix Experience B-side single that saw release on the UK compilations "Smash Hits" (1968) and "Loose Ends" (1974), but never officially released in the US. Alternate takes and mixes of previously released songs and demos for new songs that Hendrix may or may not have completed for release flesh out the album. Critical  reception. In a review for "Rolling Stone", David Fricke viewed "South Saturn Delta" as an inconsistent compilation that is "less of a mess" than the albums that preceded it but does not explore deep enough into Hendrix's recordings. Robert Christgau wrote in "Blender", "it establishes the listenability of Hendrix's dribs and drabs", despite being "discographically presumptuous". AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine said the album serves as an attempt to "capture the full range of Hendrix's music through an alternate history ... an intelligently sequenced, listenable collection of some of the very best outtakes and rarities from Hendrix . James P. Wisdom from Pitchfork" found the songs full of Hendrix's growing embrace of fusing rock, blues, and jazz sounds "in ways that had never been considered". Personnel. Additional Personnel