Are You Experienced

Essential music for fans of psychedelic rock
I bought this CD awhile ago and recently started listening to it, and its become one of my favorites. I love Jimi Hendrix's style of playing, its really raw energy and he performs spectacularly. "The Wind Cries Mary" and "Purple Haze" are well known songs of his, but its the stuff that comes later on in the CD like "Highway Chile" and "Stone Free" that I really enjoy also. "Are You Experienced" is packed with songs, and I don't think any of them are filler or bad in any way. As a guitarist Jimi was truly one of a kind, making strides forward and playing in a very soulful way that has earned him a reputation as the greatest rock guitarist there ever was. The songs are stellar, showcasing his band at their height musically and giving a glimpse of what was to come in his short career, cut back by his tragic death at an early age. This is obviously a classic rock album, and any decent fan of rock music should have it. I would recommend this, and also check out his version of the National Anthem for a glimpse of the raw talent this guy had.

jimi,s amazing 1st album !!!
jimi hendrix,s first album ;are you experienced was released in 1967!!which was a very cool year for rock music not to mention that same year the psychedelic era was in full bloom.there isn,t a bad song on this album.not one!!!from purple haze to red house this album just smokes!!!!it is so sad that a few short years after this album,s release jimi hendrix died in september of 1970.the same year of this album,s release jimi played the monterey pop festival and gave an amazing performance!!this is a definate must have for any hendrix fan!!this is one of the all time classic rock albums!! jimi hendrix,s albums were remastered very carefully and the sound results are amazing!!

Are You Experienced
Along with Electric Ladyland, Are You Experienced is an all-time great. Something rarely mentioned is how incredibly diverse this album is. At the time of it's original release it impacted the world of music as a most astonishing gift.

great intro
I think that this Hendrix collection of songs is a good intro-- lots of rockers. some would argue that Band of Gypsys was better, but would agree that this is a good starting point. true, some of the songs may be a little played out at this point. but, that's part of what's great about "Are You Experienced," too. it has a lot of the staples. Hey Joe... Purple Haze... Fire. this and "Axis: Bold as Love" are good Hendrix intros. they really show the range and the feeling.

Doing it his way...85/100
Recently I've been exploring acts which are credited with giving rise to heavy metal, so I've looked into Cream and Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Jimi Hendrix comes into that grouping in my exploration of this form of music. Do have to confess though that I reluctantly explored all these groups and wasn't expecting to find a lot to like them. That's because for most of them, you either hear very little of their music-or none at all-on mainstream Australian FM commercial music stations. So, the logic is, if they don't play them, they can't be that good, right? Wrong. First up, I have to point out that the version of this album that I bought in Australia seems to be modelled on the original American release, plus it also has the tracks which featured on the original British version, plus some bonus tracks. The British version was first off the rank, and the American version was more like a "Best of". All this makes it hard judging how good this album is, as I'm not sure which version critics are alluding to when they nominate this as one of the all time great albums. In any case, this version does stick quite closely to the track listings of both the American and British versions, with some differences. Must mention that I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the stereo field in this album. Was expecting the faux stereo treatment that you often get with albums of this era. It's superior to the stereo effect you often get with Beatles' music of this time. And I'm also wondering if some of the good studio effects generated on this album predated anything The Beatles were doing in this regard. Jimi Hendrix wasn't really an artist I was expecting to get a lot out of, but I must say that I found the album to be listenable in its entirety...no bad songs as such. Mitch Mitchell's drumming is satisfying (other drummers who I find satisfying to listen to are Stewart Copeland of The Police and Dave Grohl of Nirvana). Hendrix has own style of bluesy and heavy rock in this album, and the sonic experimentation in it is a revealation. His vocal style is also unique - he's not a great 'pure' singer, but he compensates with his charisma. Anyway, here's my rundown of the best tracks from this album- The best song is, in my opinion: Hey Joe - has a bluesy lead guitar intro and very nice backing vocals. Travails dark themes, lyrically, and has some spanking drumwork too. This song was added to the original American release of the album-so, it made the US version stronger. Next best songs: Are you experienced? - has a catchy vocal melody and utilises studio effects-backwards guitar sounds and the like, by the sounds of it. Not sure if this predated The Beatles' studio experimentation, but if it did, it must have influenced them. This song has some simply but catchy piano playing (notes), noticeable bass guitar and what sound like some of the effects the deejays of the hip-hop era produced with their turntables. Foxey lady - features a heavy rock rhythm Purple haze - a very heavy, bluesy song, with the vocals biased towards the right hand side of the speakers (the faux stereo effect I alluded to earlier), but which compensates with some better stereo effects elsewhere. Found this to be heavier than anything in Cream's debut. Another new addition to the original US release. Love or confusion - features distorted, country style guitars. Some of the distortion may just be bad remastering or the source not being the best. Catchy song in any case. May this be love - dreamy sounding in parts. Laid back vocals and style. Drums sound like tin-lids or something...interesting effect in any case. Third stone from the sun - has a familiar melody, which I just can't place (suggestions on this would be appreciated!). Heavily reliant on studio effects, the song features distorted vocals and poetic lyrics, in a Jim Morrison kind of way (the lead singer of Jimi's contemporary band The Doors). Has noticeable bass guitar. Can you see me? - has proper stereo sound as far as the vocals go. Catchy rhythm with tinny sounding drums. The track has some crackling sounds, so maybe the source wasn't perfect. Originally on the British release, but not the later US version. Other songs of interest: The wind cries Mary - has an iconic, laid back guitar groove. The guitar has a rich, velvety texture to it. Maybe this song deserves to be in my list above. Not on the original British version of this album. Manic depression - bluesy rock song, with a heavy metaly lead guitar. The drumming in this song is interesting...it comes in waves. I don't live today - bluesy garage rock. Has tinny drums that are nonetheless interesting. Features studio effects. Fire - the first song with noticeable bass guitar. Satisfying and interesting sounding drum sound. Stone free - sounds like it utilises a cow bell for percussion. 51st anniversary - I think that this song is about Jimi not wanting to get married or something! Features the bass. Highway chile - has a sort of country blues feel to it. There is a nice little guitar bit before the lyrics kick in. Features bass. Red house - has a bluesy, laid back groove to it. Lots of bluesy lead guitar too. On the original British release, but not the American release. Remember - didn't make any notes on this song. I think I've mentioned every song on this release now. The next Hendrix Experience album to rival this one was "Electric Ladyland", which I think marginally shades this one, though the comparison is unfair, in that the version reviewed here has so many bonus tracks. "Axis: Bold as love" is interesting, and may grow on me, but I don't think it reaches the heights of his debut or 3rd album. Other acts from this era who have albums I endorse include: Cream: "Wheels of fire" is an essential purchase. If you like the 2nd cd which sometimes gets lumped with it, you may want to check out their debut album. If not, go for "Disraeli Gears", which is desirable, but I don't think it deserves this critical acclaim that it enjoys. Led Zeppelin: "IV" or "ZOZO" as it is sometimes know, is an essential purchase. "III" is desirable and may appeal to Hendrix fans. "Houses of the holy" is in the same boat as "Axis" in my view...doesn't seem as good as their best work, but may have potential to grow on you. Black Sabbath: "Paranoid" is an essential album. Pretty much everything after that, until "Sabotage" is consistent in quality, though I do prefer "Sabotage" and "Master of reality" the most. Their debut is unlike anything they did afterwards-I'm not a big fan of it, but others are, so you may want to check that out.