One of the most stunning
debuts in rock history, and one of the definitive albums of the
psychedelic era. On Are You Experienced?, Jimi Hendrix synthesized
various elements of the cutting edge of 1967 rock into music that
sounded both futuristic and rooted in the best traditions of rock,
blues, pop, and soul. It was his mind-boggling guitar work, of course,
that got most of the ink, building upon the experiments of British
innovators like Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend to chart new sonic
territories in feedback, distortion, and sheer volume. It wouldn't
have meant much, however, without his excellent material, whether
psychedelic frenzy ("Foxey Lady," "Manic Depression," "Purple Haze"),
instrumental freak-out jams ("Third Stone From the Sun"), blues ("Red
House," "Hey Joe"), or tender, poetic compositions ("The Wind Cries
Mary") that demonstrated the breadth of his songwriting talents. Not
to be underestimated were the contributions of drummer Mitch Mitchell
and bassist Noel Redding, who gave the music a rhythmic pulse that
fused parts of rock and improvised jazz. Many of these songs are among
Hendrix's very finest; it may be true that he would continue to
develop at a rapid pace throughout the rest of his brief career, but
he would never surpass his first LP in terms of consistently high
quality. The British and American versions of the album differed
substantially when they were initially released in 1967; MCA's 17-song
CD reissue does everyone a favor by gathering all of the material from
the two records in one place, adding a few B-sides from early singles
as well.
by Billy Altman, Amazon.com
As emblematic of its time as
of its sorcerer-like creator, 1967's Are You Experienced unleashed
Jimi Hendrix onto a world in the midst of such cultural and musical
shakeups that it really didn't seem as "far out" as it actually was.
It wasn't just Hendrix's virtuosic skill as a pure player that was so
impressive; it was, even more, the range and scope of sheer sound that
he coaxed, cajoled, and ripped out of his instrument. "Purple Haze,"
"Manic Depression," and "I Don't Live Today" filled ears with
indelible sonic images, and songs like "Foxey Lady" and "Fire" pointed
the way toward a new brand of rock-charged soul music. And how about a
hand for drummer Mitch Mitchell?
by Steph Paynes, Barnes & Noble
In 1967, Jimi Hendrix offered
up Are You Experienced? (and played the guitar with his teeth),
knocking Clapton and Townshend right off their guitar-god pedestals.
This explosive debut, released just before Hendrix returned to the
U.S. from London to play the Monterey Pop Festival, established him
not only as a supersonic marvel, but as an innovative and
sophisticated composer. This cosmic classic contains many of Hendrix's
biggest hits, and their impact remains: the velvet aggression of
"Purple Haze," the moody, waltzing "Manic Depression," the worshipful
"Foxey Lady," the blues-powered "Fire," and the rueful "Hey Joe." With
his gut-wrenching guitar playing and introspective lyrics, Hendrix
casts a mystical spell; what kind of rock musician paints shimmering
six-string waterfalls ("May This Be Love") or appoints wind, sky, and
water as spiritual guides ("The Wind Cries Mary")? By the time Jimi
escorts us out of our "measly little world" with "Are You
Experienced?" -- which, with its backward-looped drums and scratch
guitar, sounds prophetically hip-hop -- we're convinced this guy is
from outer space. The 1997 reissue, part of the excellent Experience
Hendrix series created by Jimi's family, is worthwhile not only for
the crisply remastered Experienced, but for six bonus tracks: "Stone
Free," "51st Anniversary," "Highway Chile" (British single B-sides),
and "Can You See Me," "Remember," and "Red House" (from the original
British LP).
This 1997 reissue of ARE YOU
EXPERIENCED? is a remastered version that restores the original LP's
track order and album artwork. ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? was previously
reissued in 1993 (MCA 10893) with new cover art and a new 17-track
running order that included all the songs on either the U.S. or U.K.
versions of the original LP. That version is now out of print, and has
been replaced by this one, on the Experience Hendrix label, which
features remastered versions of the same 17 songs, this time in the
order they appeared on the original American LP, with the extra tracks
added to the end (a separate version was simultaneously released in
the U.K., featuring the same songs but in the original British track
order). The Experience Hendrix label is controlled by Hendrix's
family. The 1997 reissue also adds a 24-page booklet with
previously-unpublished photos, the original LP liner notes and song
lyrics.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Jimi Hendrix (vocals, electric
guitar); Noel Redding (bass, background vocals); Mitch Mitchell
(drums, background vocals). Recorded in late 1966 and early 1967 at
Olympic Studios, London, England. Originally released on Reprise.
Includes liner notes by Dave Marsh. Jimi Hendrix's debut recording was
an instant classic, and is as startling today as when it first hit the
streets in 1967. ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? is probably the most
rock-oriented of Hendrix's official studio releases, but its
influences are incredibly diverse. "Third Stone From The Sun" recalls
the supple octaves of jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery; the churning
Afro-Cuban polyrhythms of "Manic Depression" evoke John Coltrane and
Elvin Jones; "I Don't Live Today" employs ritualistic Native American
drumbeats; and the title tune borrows the Eastern airs of sitarist
Ravi Shankar. The mix, beautifully refreshed on this 1997 reissue, is
dark and churning, a dense wall of sound. Mitch Mitchell and Noel
Redding blast away with a barely controlled fury, and there's a
distorted metallic edge to Hendrix's guitar timbre that has made ARE
YOU EXPERIENCED? a particular favorite among rock and heavy-metal
guitarists. "Purple Haze" and "Foxey Lady" helped define the
power-trio format, thanks to Hendrix's full-bodied rhythm guitar and
his soaring solos. ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? also established Hendrix as a
singer-songwriter. His Dylanesque vocals and spacey imagery make each
tune a little gem, especially on gentle outings such as the ballad
"The Wind Cries Mary."
Rolling Stone,
Issue 164, January 21, 1997
Jimi Hendrix was arguably the
greatest rock instrumentalist of the Sixties. His blunt attack
contrasted sharply with the meticulous virtuosity of an Eric Clapton;
Hendrix preferred and angry metal whine, molten steel to Clapton's
polished chrome. His rough edges conveyed far more than his awesome
dexterity. In a genre where computerized pyrotechnics seem the rule,
Hendrix played with a rawness transcending idiomatic formalities.
Additional text to the Rolling Stone Album 500 (#15)
This is what Britain sounded like in late 1966 and early 1967: ablaze
with rainbow blues, orchestral guitar feedback and the highly personal
cosmic vision of black American emigre Jimi Hendrix. Rescued from
dead-end gigs in New York by ex-Animal Chas Chandler, Hendrix arrived
in London in September 1966, quickly formed the Experience with
bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell and, in a matter of
weeks -- when he wasn't touring the country or jamming in clubs -- was
recording the songs that comprised the original, differing U.K. and
U.S. editions of his epochal debut. The incendiary poetry of Hendrix's
guitar was historic in itself, the luminescent sum of his chitlin-circuit
labors with Little Richard and the Isley Brothers and his melodic
exploitation of amp howl. But it was the pictorial heat of his
composing and the raw fire in his voice in "Manic Depression," "The
Wind Cries Mary" and "I Don't Live Today" that established the
transcendent promise of psychedelia. Hendrix made soul music for inner
space. "It's a collection of free feeling and imagination," he said of
the album. "Imagination is very important." Drugs were not. Widely
assumed to be about an acid trip, "Purple Haze," the opening track on
the '67 U.S. LP, had "nothing to do with drugs," Hendrix insisted. "
'Purple Haze' was all about a dream I had that I was walking under the
sea."
Foxy Lady
