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06/21/2003 Archived Entry: "Rainy Day, Dream Away..."
Rainy Day, Dream Away...
I'm still kinda woozy from last night's trip to the city and I have a song to mix waiting downstairs, so posts will be light today. But I'm involved in a thread at BartCop Forum about legendary guitarists, and talk has swung to Jimi Hendrix, my personal be-all and end-all as far as guitar is concerned. Someone asked for what would be considered the Ultimate Hendrix Album, and my vote is for 'Axis: Bold As Love':
I am a devoted Jimi-phile, and I always look to the second Experience LP as the culmination, and here's why.After 'Are You Experienced?' Jimi had already altered the landscape considerably. All the tricks he became known for - the feedback, the back masking, the insane chord comping behind his vocals - were already in place and accepted as the Way Things Were. Where 'AYE' was deficient was in the actual recording - it was as though the technology of the times couldn't keep up with the speed of Jimi's ideas.
It caught up on 'Axis.' The album exists as a catalog of Jimi's vision, from the pitched-down voice track of 'Paul Caruso' in 'EXP' (followed by that noise-painting that even Jimi never bested), to the cool wah-jazz of 'Up From The Skies.' The trademark Hendrix rockers such as 'Spanish Castle Magic' and 'Ain't No Telling' and 'You Got Me Floatin' are there. There's a nod to his R&B roots with 'Wait Till Tomorrow,' and Jimi's greatest ballad, 'Little Wing' is there as well. That is a guitar moment that many have tried to duplicate - and not even the gifted SRV could come close.
'If 6 Was 9' summed up the times perfectly, and the title track/album closer is one of the most majestic songs Jimi ever wrote - the key change coda still give me chills, years down the road. Hell, even the terminally-dissatisfied Noel Redding got a song on 'Axis' ('She's So Fine') - and Jimi gave a slight song some real muscle with that guitar.
Jimi got even better on 'Electric Ladyland,' but 'Axis' was a smaller, tighter prototype. A watershed. With a 35 minute running time, it almost seemed as though all those ideas and all that fine guitar playing couldn't possibly have fit into such a short time frame, but somehow it did.
Don't mind me rambling. 'Axis' is, as they say, the shit, IMO.
Replies: 5 people speak up
Two Words: Django Reinhardt
Posted by Spade Hammer @ 06/21/2003 04:18 PM NY
I hear ya, spade. I'm just talking about Hendrix records here.
That thread on BartCop veered off into Roy Buchanan territory - two more words for ya.
Posted by editor @ 06/21/2003 05:19 PM NY
I composed an epic commentary for the bartcop forum, but it appears to have been vaporized by some internet gremlin. Is there a lag time before things post there?
Posted by Spade @ 06/21/2003 06:01 PM NY
My post went up over there while I was over here blaming the internet gremlins... Have fun chewing on it.
Posted by Spade @ 06/21/2003 06:10 PM NY
yeah.... axis .... I think I've had 4 copies (3 vinyl, one cd) They just kept being borrowed and never returned. Plenty o' other guitar gods and the Bartcop thread is cruisin' through 'em all.... my personal favorite - zappa.
But back to jimi - other personal fave albums - Rainbow Bridge ( Pali Gap and Hey Baby) and an import called Loose Ends....
jesus....who knows what he might have done.
Posted by johnny @ 06/21/2003 10:46 PM NY
