Number 16: Electric Ladyland by the Jimi Hendrix Experience
Release: October 16th, 1968
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Favorite Tracks: 1983...(A Merman I Should Turn to Be), Voodoo Chile, All Along the Watchtower
Where I heard it:
Ever heard of this guy Jimi Hendrix? Plays guitar in a band? Of course you have; Hendrix is almost unanimously considered one of the greatest and affluential guitar players of all time. More of a cultural icon at this point, I'd be shocked to come across anybody who isn't at least slightly aware of his monumental mythos. His reserved and articulate composure came through in every soundbite, especially with his criticism of the Vietnam War. He's recorded notable mega-hits like Purple Haze and All Along the Watchtower. His live performances included unbelievable antics such as playing solos with his teeth and behind his back, as well as casually setting his guitar ablaze on-stage, all of which occurred during the same legendary set at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Speaking of legendary sets, he also played one of the most famous instrumental renditions of the Star Spangled Banner during his early morning slot at one Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. If you don't know Jimi, you don't know history. My formal introduction to this immortal figure of rock and roll began in late 2008 upon the release of the fourth installment of the Guitar Hero franchise, World Tour. During the late 2000's, my music taste exclusively gravitated around whatever songs were available on the latest Guitar Hero soundtrack. Along with being a playable character in World Tour, the track listing also included two songs from the Jimi Hendrix Experience: Purple Haze and The Wind Cries Mary. I was enamored by the furious licks and shredding frets that made me feel as if the spirit of Jimi flowed through my fingers. Even without prior knowledge, it was obvious to me that Jimi was a cut above any other guitar player I'd ever heard. While Jimi was immediately picked up on my musical radar, my outright obsession didn't begin until midway through high school. This also happens to line up chronologically with my origins in the devil's lettuce. Coincidence? I think not. I'll never forget it: it was mid-2012, my house would be unoccupied for the weekend, and I had just acquired a couple grams of green to partake in at my leisure. I set up shop with my glass piece, lighter, grinder, and bluetooth speaker out on my backyard deck in the cloudy, lukewarm afternoon air, excited for the journey I was about to embark on. The only question on my mind was what would play in the background as I slipped away into sweet sedation. I decided upon the most psychedelic and uplifting material I knew of at the time: Electric Ladyland. I remember sitting in my chair after the deed was done, laying back and closing my eyes for what felt like hours before my vision reemerged to behold the golden clouds lit by the sun's vibrant rays. I was listening to 1983...(A Merman I Should Turn to Be), and I could literally feel myself levitating gently over my seat into the hypnotic skies. Say what you want about cannabis...but that's an irreplaceable memory I'll treasure as long as I live. In many ways, I received the most authentic experience from Electric Ladyland that I possibly could. Even as I listen to the album currently, I'm still floating away from Earth just as I was that day more than a decade ago.
To salute the last moment ever on dry land
Our machine has done its work
Played its parts well
Without a scratch on our bodies
And we bid it farewell
Starfish and giant foams greet us with a smile
Before our heads go under, we take a last look
At the killing noise of the out of style
~ 1983...(A Merman I Should Turn to Be)
What to expect:
With the abundance of Hendrix tales to choose from, it's flabbergasting that his most prominent period of activity only occurred over the course of two to three years. Jimi had established a background in R&B during the early 60's, but his most highly renowned work took place when bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell united to form the Jimi Hendrix Experience, a band that would revolutionize the landscape of music in the latter part of the 60's. While this decade was dominated by the success of more popular acts like Bob Dylan and the Beatles, the Jimi Hendrix Experience concurrently paved the way for more innovative and psychedelic exploration in rock and roll. The group's debut record Are You Experienced completely shattered the conventions of guitar music, embracing the natural wails of the amp while simultaneously producing abnormal conjurations that no instrument should be allowed to make. The band's follow-up Axis: Bold As Love would elect for a more contemporary approach reminiscent of traditional blues rock, although there did exist echoes of their abstract arrangements in select songs like Exp and If 6 Was 9. Their third and final release, Electric Ladyland, managed to find a happy medium between these two styles, reincorporating the kaleidoscopic ambiance of their debut with the sophisticated fretwork of their sophomore effort. Electric Ladyland is the culmination of the Jimi Hendrix Experience's genius coming to roost, combining groundbreaking guitar suites with state-of-the-art production techniques to assemble the group's finest recordings in their entire repertoire. As the first album of the band's to be recorded in stereo sound, songs like Voodoo Chile and 1983... feature audio oscillation which creates a disorienting spinning effect that heightens the feelings of psychedelia. Before we highlight the clear star of the show, I'd be remised not to acknowledge the body of work that Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell contribute to the record. These two are the perfect accompaniment to the improvisational wizardry of Jimi Hendrix, maintaining laser focus throughout prolonged jams while throwing in their own spontaneous licks and fills as appropriate. Redding and Mitchell even share lead vocals on Little Miss Strange, an original song written solely by Redding. However, complications between he and Hendrix would lead Jimi to record bass on nearly half of Electric Ladyland. With this perspective, the album certainly possesses a larger bias toward the creative vision of Jimi rather than the Experience as a whole. This is in no way a hinderance upon the album, as Jimi is the heart and soul of the band's moxie (it is the Jimi Hendrix Experience, after all). Electric Ladyland is a playground for Jimi's prolific picking to wreak havoc upon, absolutely abusing his instrument in the solos for House Burning Down and Voodoo Child (Slight Return). He offers his own interpretation of songs like Earl King's Come On and Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower, the latter of which since championing the original as the most highly regarded version of the song. Jimi is like King Midas: everything he touches turns to gold. Electric Ladyland set the precedent for guitar players around the world, and people are still attempting to eclipse that sound to this day.
He was nineteen miles high
He shouts, "We're tired and disgusted
So we paint red through the sky!"
I say, "The truth is straight ahead
So don't burn yourself, instead
Try to learn instead of burn."
~ House Burning Down
Why it's my favorite:
I'm not entirely sure how to express my admiration for Jimi Hendrix. Honestly, I think the last two sections are proof enough that Jimi is one of my favorite groups in classic rock, a genre that I have explored nearly every nook and cranny of. Simply put, you won't find any other musician like Jimi. However, you'd be hard pressed to find an act that don't cite Hendrix as an influence regardless of the genre. Bands like Prince & the Revolution, The Cure, A Tribe Called Quest, Black Sabbath, and even Miles Davis owe credit to the inspiration Jimi's trailblazing legacy paved the way for. Beyond rock & roll, albums like Electric Ladyland introduced an ambition toward songwriting that challenged others to think outside the box and make something that has never been heard before. As a novice musician and purveyor of the arts, this mentality transcends the realm of music and extends towards the principles of life, daring me to go out on a limb in the interest of discovery and innovation. If Jimi were still here, he'd very likely deny his status as one of the greatest guitar players of all time. He's too humble to draw attention to himself as a cultural focal point so brazenly like that. Instead, Jimi lets his instrumental expertise do the talking for him, leaving it up to the listener to determine its place among the greats. Unequivocally, time has been kind to the material left in Jimi's early absence, finding a place to rest in the hearts of millions that have consumed his discography. To me, Electric Ladyland is the crowned jewel of an already decorated group, encapsulating a pivotal moment in America's timeline where the Jimi Hendrix Experience spoke for the underrepresented and disenfranchised. He's the bastion of a generation that has the staying power to remain relevant through the decades despite a lacking discography and over half a century of dormancy. While Jimi Hendrix remains one of the largest 'what-ifs' in music, his backlog of B-sides and unreleased songs continue to breathe life into an entity that has resided among the annals of music history. My unyielding love for Electric Ladyland makes this album the definition of what Jimi Hendrix was all about. We don't know how lucky we are to live on the same planet as this guy did.
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