#92 The Jimi Hendrix Experience, 'Axis: Bold as Love' (1967)
Previously #83
The fact that Jimi Hendrix’s first entry in the list is within the Top 100 goes to show how important an artist he was. Hendrix was particularly prolific, with the three albums he released in his lifetime all coming within 17 months. This, his second, came just 7 months after ‘Are You Experienced.’ Hendrix frantically wrote songs as he was promoting ‘Are You Experienced,’ and they were recorded with his band during their downtime from touring and TV appearances. Its release was almost delayed when Hendrix left the master tape of side A in the back of a taxi. To meet the deadline, Hendrix, producer, Chas Chandler, and engineer Eddie Kramer remixed it in one night. They couldn’t match the quality of the original mix of ‘If 6 Was 9,’ but luckily bassist, Noel Redding has a recording on tape of that mix. The tape was quite wrinkled and had to be ironed out. Hendrix wasn’t happy with the new mix, but then Hendrix was a notorious perfectionist, a quality that led to major conflict with Chandler in studio (hence his next record was self-produced).
This album is a masterpiece and it features some of my favourite Hendrix songs; ‘Wait Until Tomorrow,’ ‘If 6 Was 9,’ ‘’Castles Made Of Sand’ (his backwards guitar solo on this song has been blowing my mind since I was 16) and ‘Bold As Love,’ a perfect song. But nonesuch as perfect as ‘Little Wing,’ arguably the greatest guitar song of all time. The song was influenced by Hendrix’s time touring with Curtis Mayfield, whom Hendrix rate as a “really good guitarist” (what a compliment!). Hendrix got the idea for the song at Monterey Pop Festival, the same performance at which he famously burnt his guitar. He likened the festival to a girl named Little Wing. Also included on the record is ‘She’s So Fine,’ a Redding composition on which he sings lead vocals. Graham Nash, who always seemed to be around provided backing vocals on ‘You Got Me Floatin’ and foot stomps on ‘If 6 Were 9’ (why wouldn’t you get one of the greatest vocalists on the ‘60s to stomp his feet on your song?)
#rs500albums