From the Vault...

08/09/2009
#1163

info
Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Are You Experienced"


© MCA Records

Year of Release: 1967
Rating:

track listing
  • Hey Joe
  • Stone Free
  • Purple Haze
  • 51st Anniversary
  • The Wind Cries Mary
  • Highway Chile
  • Foxy Lady
  • Manic Depression
  • Red House
  • Can You See Me
  • Love Or Confusion
  • I Don't Live Today
  • May This Be Love
  • Fire
  • Third Stone
    From The Sun
  • Remember
  • Are You Experienced?

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    Jimi Hendrix Experience
    "Are You Experienced"



    On the 40th anniversary of Woodstock this week, it is quite obvious to feature one of the performers (and truly one of the greatest) who appeared there. Jimi Hendrix, and his debut release as the Jimi Hendrix Experience -- Are You Experienced.


    This particular version was released on CD in 1993 on MCA. Having a different album cover, as there were two before this one, reading some reviews, it was (arguably) stated as a terrible picture. Not in my opinion, it shows the Experience in a psychedelic atmosphere. The reason for purchasing this release were the tracks that didn't originally appear on the 1967 release: Most notably "Stone Free" and "Red House." Jimi Hendrix's family would later secure the rights to all of Jimi's music, and would reissue Are You Experience with the original tracks order, and the extra tracks found on this 1993 release as well.


    No doubt, the Expeience's releases were exceptional. Tracks such as "Hey Joe" (which was a remake by the Leaves), "Purple Haze," "The Wind Cries Mary," "Foxy Lady," "Fire" are all Classics in their own rights. The other original tracks from the 1967 release are just as exceptional. Everyone had their definitions of Hendrix asking the musical question "Are You Experienced?" "Highway Chile," "Manic Depression," "I Don't Live Today," "Third Stone From The Sun" are all classic album tracks. The extra/bonus tracks all equal the excellence of psychedelic rock for the Hendrix Experience, as they all easily fit the rest of the album. The ironic (and sad) coincidence of "51st Anniversary" is that Jimi Hendrix would not live to his 51st birthday, and learning of how he died on the way to the hospital, he could have survived, and hopefully cleaned himself up of his drug use. (The story was he wanted to vomit while being taken to the hospital, and the paramedics kept pushing his head back, for whatever reasons.) The other sad mention is that the surviving members of the Jimi Hendrix Experience have passed on: bass player David "Noel" Redding was 57 years old when he passed away in 2003, of liver complications. Drummer Mitch Mitchell died of natural causes in 2008 at age 62 in his sleep. He was touring at the time of his death, on the 2008 Experience Hendrix Experience Tour.


    Although the Experience themselves did not play at Woodstock (Hendrix had formed his Band of Gypsys for the performance), somewhere in Rock & Roll Heaven, the original Jimi Hendrix Experience is playing there somewhere. Hopefully this is true, because at the time of Noel Redding's death, he was trying to acclaim his fair share of royalties from the Jimi Hendrix Experience recordings.


    The "Fire" is still burning for Hendrix's music long after his death. He would have been 66 years old if he had lived today, and we could only imagine what his music would be, and continuing his legacy alive. He has been an influence to many after him, to musicians and music fans. His legacy will still keep going, entertaining more fans in future generations.


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    Previous Review: #1162
    Justin Guarini--Justin Guarini
    Next Review: #1164
    Pat Metheny Group--Pat Metheny Group