The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Are You Experienced? (Reprise Records) 

The late Jimi Hendrix’s psychedelic debut Are You Experienced? intertwines verses of poignant lyrics about love, war, and drugs with stinging experimental guitar solos to create his iconic sound. The ex-army man captures the countercultural movement of the 60s through rhythmic tambourines (May This Be Love), warbling guitars (Purple Haze), and bongo-like drumming (May This Be Love). Individuality is at the heart of each song from the left-handed guitarist, including one about an alien invasion (Third Stone From The Sun) and another about his unstable mental health (I Don’t Live Today). Influences of blues and jazz seep through the album, inspired by years of playing backing guitar for Little Richard, Jackie Wilson, and Wilson Pickett. The Seattle musician’s legacy transcends time, and this debut was the first glimpse into his lasting affect on rock history. 

Rating: 8/10

Axis: Bold As Love (Reprise Records)

“A thousand smiles she gives to me free,” gushes an airy voice on “Little Wing,” a slow, bluesy ballad admiring an idealized woman rhythmically inspired by a simple Native American style. The Jimi Hendrix Experience drops their second album only six months after their debut, diverging from the upbeat Are You Experienced for a softer, laid-back sound. Axis: Bold As Love opens with the breezy “Exp,” an interview about the existence of UFOs followed by a shrill guitar mimicking radio feedback. The trio’s sophomore LP dives into science fiction further with “Up From The Skies,” a soft jazzy high hat track from the perspective of aliens visiting Earth. While thematically similar to their first album, with the lead belting about love (“You Got Me Floatin”) and the hippie movement (“If 6 Was 9”), musically, the group diverges, blending more experimental sounds. Mixing high energy, cymbal-driven tracks (“Spanish Castle Magic”) and slower, jazzy songs (“One Rainy Wish”), the group tried to recreate the individuality of their debut by making each song sound different. However, the 13-track follow-up lives in the shadow of their debut with cliche lyrics “I’m going to wave my freak flag high” (“If 6 Was 9”) and an attempted comedic intro (“Exp”). Yet, the album does shine in instrumentation with unique, stretching guitar solos, impressive drum grooves, and playful meters. 

Rating: 7/10

Electric Ladyland (Reprise Records)

"I walk down this road searching for your love and my soul too," divulges an earnest tone on "Gypsy Eyes," a dynamic funk track capturing the main themes of the album: love and introspection. Rising from the sophomore slump of Axis: Bold As Love, the hypnotic trio revives the magic of 1967 debut Are You Experienced with its final studio album Electric Ladyland. The 1968 LP opens with a slow submersion into the world of Hendrix's female interests or "electric ladies" through the eery instrumental "...And The Gods Made Love" that parallels falling down the rabbit hole. Promiscuity continues with the airy "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)." The creative innovator brought his handyman skills to "Crosstown Traffic" by fashioning a homemade kazoo with a comb and tissue paper to mimic the beeping of horns. Worship of women is a common thread throughout the ladies' man's writing, occupying the first part of this double album. This theme is interrupted with the 15-minute long jam session "Voodoo Chile," which features Jefferson Airplane's Jack Casady on bass and Traffic's Steve Winwood on the organ. Melancholic motifs resume in "1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)" with heavy influences from the Indian raga style. This apocalyptic 14-minute track has the bandleader and now producer desperately crying, "The machine that we built would never save us," with backward guitar riffs creating the sounds of a dying Earth. The then 25-year-old Stratocaster fiend added a cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," which became the evocative band's biggest hit with dramatically changed instrumentation. The final installment of The Jimi Hendrix Experience feels like a prophetic glance into the rising star's death two years later. Still, it celebrates the artistry of his legacy with a final goodbye to the world.

Rating: 9/10

By Olivia Abercrombie