113. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland

Artist: The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Album: Electric Ladyland
Year: 1968

This is the third and final installment of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and I'd have to say I've enjoyed the experience immensely. Hendrix' music is really experimental, covers a lot of ground stylistically, yet for the most part it remains wholly accessible. Sounds like The Beatles, no?

So far, I've liked Are You Experienced? for its hits, but felt it lacked cohesion as an album. Axis: Bold As Love by contrast worked extremely well as an album and I felt its songs were even stronger than the debut. Great album that is. Electric Ladyland is a sprawling double-album--16 tracks deep including two 15-minute jams. I had high hopes for this one.

For the most part, this album delivers the expected goods. Like with the other albums, you've got some poppy songs, you've got some showing off the guitar, you've got some sonic experimentation, some blues, some soul, etc. I didn't think this album was nearly as accessible as the last one though--more for Jimi fans than for noobs. Which is completely fine. Anyhow, great tunes abound here: "Crosstown Traffic," "Voodoo Chile" (a bit of an endurance test but mostly worth it), and then of course there's "All Along the Watchtower," a Bob Dylan song that Jimi completely owns. It's probably one of the most instantly identifiable songs of the 1960's and it's pretty fantastic.

Overall, I'd rate this one as the second-best of the three Jimi albums. I prefer the middle one (Axis...) for its mix of the straightforward and experimental. This one was more experimental, probably a much more fun experience in some kind of altered state. It's pretty "out there" at times.

After the three Jimi albums I can't really say I'm a "fan" of his...I don't know if I'll really listen to this stuff again. I can say that I have developed an appreciation for what he was able to accomplish; there is no doubt he is among the most singular artists of all-time and it's unfortunate he flamed out at such a young age.

Rating: Worth repeated listens