Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 04/22/1997
Run Time: 60:22
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.
~Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
;)
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