You've got to admit, "Machine Gun" was pretty awesome.
The engineers, producers and promo-oids didn't have, or take, the opportunity to gussy things up with 10 more guitar tracks, reverb, echo, fuzz, and other junk. Just real solid playing, great time, and pitch discipline.
I can't listen to the Purple Haze era stuff and enjoy it much; his acoustic double album was forgettable. And his live stuff drives me nuts...I wanna just get in there and tune up his freakin' guitar. And Mitch's early drumming was IMHO, garage-band sloppy, distracting, and annoyingly unsteady, rhythmically.
I understand that Jimi said that the Rainbow Bridge project was his best playing and singing ever. I agree.
I have friends who think I'm a dufuss cuz I don't like early Jimi. Sorry.