Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix Experience, ‘Are You Experienced?’, 1967. The Summer of Love, Sgt Pepper’s, and this debut album. It’s hard for us now to realise just how big an impact Hendrix made back then. Beyond the myth and legend, which doesn’t need telling here, there’s the music. Hendrix had the chops but loved what the studio could do. This album is a Sixties classic that still holds up.
I’ve gone for the US release of this album as it includes singles that flopped in the US first time around: ‘Purple Haze’, ‘Hey Joe’, ‘The Wind Cries Mary’. Flops? Can you imagine? Stone cold classics each. ‘Wind Cries Mary’ is a lovely ballad, demonstrating Jimi wasn’t all sturm und drang guitar attack. ‘Manic Depression’ blasts away in waltz time. ‘May This Be Love’ is gentle and fluid. ‘Third Stone From the Sun’ is rippling and jazzy and atmospheric with a great riff and guitar break. It’s about planet Earth, man. ‘Foxy Lady’ is just a great dirty riff and electricity. ‘Fire’ is a solid, funky, fast danceable blaze of a tune. ‘I Don’t Live Today’ another riff. ‘Are You Experienced’ sounds like Vietnam with chiming piano, backwards guitar, trippy lyrics and guitar.
For a trio, the Experience made a big sound. Mitch Mitchell’s drumming swings from jazzy to straight balls-out rockin’. Noel on bass keeps things locked. Hendrix never liked the sound of his own voice, but I’ve always liked it. It’s Hendrix on guitar that makes it all special though, obvs. It’s an extension of him, notes and chords tumbling out as easy as breathing. He looked cool too. Legend.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix Experience, ‘Are You Experienced?’, 1967. The Summer of Love, Sgt Pepper’s, and this debut album. It’s hard for us now to realise just how big an impact Hendrix made back then. Beyond the myth and legend, which doesn’t need telling here, there’s the music. Hendrix had the chops but loved what the studio could do. This album is a Sixties classic that still holds up.
I’ve gone for the US release of this album as it includes singles that flopped in the US first time around: ‘Purple Haze’, ‘Hey Joe’, ‘The Wind Cries Mary’. Flops? Can you imagine? Stone cold classics each. ‘Wind Cries Mary’ is a lovely ballad, demonstrating Jimi wasn’t all sturm und drang guitar attack. ‘Manic Depression’ blasts away in waltz time. ‘May This Be Love’ is gentle and fluid. ‘Third Stone From the Sun’ is rippling and jazzy and atmospheric with a great riff and guitar break. It’s about planet Earth, man. ‘Foxy Lady’ is just a great dirty riff and electricity. ‘Fire’ is a solid, funky, fast danceable blaze of a tune. ‘I Don’t Live Today’ another riff. ‘Are You Experienced’ sounds like Vietnam with chiming piano, backwards guitar, trippy lyrics and guitar.
For a trio, the Experience made a big sound. Mitch Mitchell’s drumming swings from jazzy to straight balls-out rockin’. Noel on bass keeps things locked. Hendrix never liked the sound of his own voice, but I’ve always liked it. It’s Hendrix on guitar that makes it all special though, obvs. It’s an extension of him, notes and chords tumbling out as easy as breathing. He looked cool too. Legend.