Axis: Bold As Love

Nice. I listened to this while insanely drunk and it enhanced my experience. I'm still not sober, so I don't even know what I'm writing right now. Man's got a lot of arms. They should call him Slimmy Jimi. I don't remember it that well, but I don't think it's exactly the album's fault.

Hot, sexy, soulful, groovy and trippy improv from the late great! No doubt other trios like Nirvana followed closely into the age of complex songs with minimalistic instrumentation. Back-to-back Little Wing & If 6 Was 9 is killer example of the diversity this record expresses. You Got Me Floatin’ & Castles Made Of Sand is another 1-2 punch of heavy lyrics and grooves. Really diggin’ in the hot tub. Thought of tipping some Hennessy into my coffee out here. Cannabis is probably too much before work. Shiiiiiit....Jimi, much obliged.

Never got Hendrix, never will. Fantastically skilled music and but just not my taste

5.0 + What a gift - one of the few records that realizes a fully psychedelic vision, in true technicolor fluorescence. Jimi is a science fiction superhero flying in swirls of brilliant pink, neon green and magenta.

it’s insane how good this music is

There are days when this is the best Jimi Hendrix record. Surely it has some of his best songs on it. The production and sound on this, for 1967, is HUGE. The stereo panning is a nice touch. It’s a succinct record that covers a lot of the sounds Hendrix was trying to make and isn’t as radio forward as his previous. This is a banger. Favorite song: all of em baby Least favorite song: none

I know this is like, blasphemous, or whatever. But I've always found Jimi Hendrix so incredibly boring. He's got skills, yes. He's got some hits, sure. But this album has nothing remotely interesting on it. This album is Hendrix at his worst, it's just so self-indulgent and obnoxious. The 39 minute runtime might as well be 39 years, it's just such a slog to get through.

It Jimi Hendrix how is it not 5 stars

To describe an album as being full of album cuts seems ungenerous (as well as illogical). But there we have it. Lots of noodles and doodling, some esoteric songwriting, but nothing of note, really.

There is not enough praise for this masterpiece. This album is responsible for my lifelong enjoyment of psychedelic rock music. Hendrix is on the Mount Rushmore of guitar greats. Everything about this album is masterful. The guitar, the drums, the bass, the vocals, the songwriting, the production, all of it. One Rainy Wish is at the apex of heavy psych guitar playing for me. Desert island album.

Trippy, groovy, fantastic. The noises hendrix squeals out of his guitar blow my mind

Pure psychedelic rock perfection from a true musical genius.

Amazing. Mind-altering. His most conventional yet most subversive.

This album features better songwriting than his debut and much more interesting arrangements. Songs like ‘little wing’ and ‘bold as love’ illustrate this well.

This guy was so far ahead of his time it's incredible. To think this album was released in 1967. Amazing. Little Wing is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.

I remember exactly where I was when I first saw the recording of Jimi Hendrix at the Monterey Pop Festival, performing and then lighting his guitar on fire. My teenage brain exploded. I love this album, Jimi Hendrix can do no wrong. The only weak track was the Noel Redding one, it was such a break from the style of the rest of this masterpiece. Rock on, my dude. Rock on.

This might be the strangest Hendrix project. It grew on me over the many listens I gave it through the years, and some songs are truly among the best of his.

Flawless. Just ask the axis

''Axis: Bold As Love'', de middelste van een trilogie die tragisch genoeg ook het enige 'officiële' naslagwerk van Jimi Hendrix zou worden. Deze wordt gek genoeg vaak door critici en muziekliefhebbers gezien als zijn zwakste studio-album, but I beg to differ. Dit vind ik het album met de meeste balans, waarin je niet tomeloos wordt bekogeld met Jimi's ruige riffs en proto-metal geweld. Op deze plaat is ook ruimte voor wat meer akoestische rust, en zweverige space rock. Nummers als 'Little Wing', 'Castles Made of Sand' en delen van 'One Rainy Wish' zorgen ervoor dat de in vlammen opgaande vingers van Jimi - en daarbij ook onze oren - even tot afkoelen komen. Die drie zitten dan ook bij m'n favoriete songs van ''Axis'', en van Hendrix' kwaliteitsdiscografie in zijn geheel. Maar de liefhebber van de andere - bekendere - kant van dit fenomeen komt ook aan z'n trekken. Nummers als 'If 6 Was 9', 'Spanish Castle Magic' en 'Bold As Love' worden gekenmerkt door zijn signature psychedelische hard rock, die nog steeds bij vlagen smeriger is dan metal van tientallen jaren later. Die eerste is mogelijk mijn lievelingsnummer van Jimi, en bevat alle elementen die hem in mijn ogen zijn legendarische status opleverde. Lang niet alle nummers kunnen tippen aan de kwaliteit van de reedsgenoemde songs, en daardoor is het album wellicht niet zo consistent als zijn eerste en derde muziekstuk. Maar de variatie op deze plaat is second to none, en iets waar Jimi niet altijd de credits voor kreeg. Hij is meer dan die vlammende gitaar. 9/10 Highlights: Little Wing If 6 Was 9 Castles Made of Sand One Rainy Wish

While some, probably most, consider ‘Are You Experienced’ to be Hendrix’s best album (I mean it is among the top rated on this site) - I often found either this release or ‘Electric Ladyland’ to be the best of the trilogy of Hendrix albums; and it can honestly change between the two on any given day. ‘Are You Experienced’ was a very heavy record; just absolute firestorm rock music with Hendrix seemingly pushing his guitars to their absolute limit. It’s one hell of a fun LP. ‘Axis: Bold As Love’, however, sees Hendrix evolve and take some other avenues. It’s not nearly as full-on as its predecessor, with more varied tempos and Hendrix diving more into the sea of funk and psychedelic. But I do hold the opinion of ‘Axis’ being the better album all the more for it. ‘Wait Until Tomorrow’, ‘Little Wing’, the lengthy ‘If 6 Was 9’, the riff heavy ‘You Got Me Floatin’’, the legendary ‘Castles Made Of Sand’, the smoky ballad ‘One Rainy Wish’, and the absolutely addictive finisher ‘Bold As Love’. Sure, these are my particular highlights. But there isn’t a bad track on here; and the tracklist just flows so damn well. It’s over before you know it, but you leave it feeling so satisfied. While the musicality is little more restrained, it leads the way for Jimi Hendrix to really showcase his vocals; and on the more down tempo tracks you are treated to his more soulful side. So not only was this man an absolute monster when playing guitar, but he could also hang with some of the best vocalists out there. Jimi Hendrix was absolutely superhuman. It’s a fantastic LP in just about every aspect. The variation in styles, tempos, and production make up an absolutely phenomenal tracklist and, arguably, a collection of Hendrix’s best work. The man was ahead of his time, and there’s very few artists before or after his era that could match him; and ‘Axis: Bold As Love’ is a perfect showcase for that statement. 5/5

Dunno if I should give this a 4 or a 5... On the one hand maybe not quite strong enough for a 5, but on the other, the stuff that's good is so good ...

You can't go wrong with Jimi Hendrix

This album is a revelation. First some background I'm 60 years old and Hendrix was the music of my older siblings...at least Are You Experienced was, and I love that album. But I never heard anything else, other than Smash Hits and Band of Gypsys. Recently I've listened to Electric Ladyland but I haven't been able to connect with it. My conclusion; Hendrix is not for me. Today was the first time I ever listened to Axis Bold as Love and I love it. I think it's a stronger album than Are You Experienced. Where AYE has some filler in my opinion, while every song on ABL is substantial. The songwriting is very strong and shows off more variety...jazzy and funkier than AYE and Electric Ladyland it seems that the production is cleaner and you can here more interplay between the instruments. A 5 🌟 album without a doubt.

One of my favorite albums of all time.

I love this album. Just banger after banger

Fantastisch album

Amazing sounds, that guy was a genius

This album was a straight classic man, I fuckin loved it.

Great, consistent experience from start to finish. Hard not to get up and jam out. Highlights: Spanish Castle Magic, Castles Made of Sand, Bold as Love, Little Wing. Really the whole album

The talent is undeniable. The style is unique and identifiable. Love the heavy interplay between percussion and guitar as well as the vocal style of Hendrix

Dull, jammy, underdeveloped

God True story my wife's uncle was a bouncy for a concert Jimi played just outside of Leeds England, he saw Jimi come out of the venue and walk down the street, didn't speak to him or get an autograph. 😭 'So fine' is a great inclusion as it highlights how far forward Jimi was compared to the average bands, with the obvious exceptions Polymath

Phsyclassic

Great album with great songs, including the "Little Wing" or "Spanish Castle Magic" hits and also some lesser known tracks as "You Got Me Floatin'" and "She's so fine". Actually, the whole album is perfect! What I like a lot about it is that, although it sounds heavy and excessive, it's at the same time subtle. While I love first Blue Cheer and Cream (two bands sounding more or less similar to Jimi), they are more like caveman blues rock to my ears. Jimi on the other side had this magical touch, which enabled him to play like a beast but sounding gentle at the same time.

Psychedelic blues at it's best, absolutely brilliant album.

It's surprising that I've never sat down and listened to this album from start to finish in a single setting. It still sounds fresh as it does almost 60 years later. There is a reason that Hendrix is held in such high regard.

I don’t consider myself a Hendrix fan, and then I listen to a record and am blown away every time. So maybe I am.

Great album. "Little Wing", "Castles Made of Sand" and "Bold As Love" my favourite songs on the album.

A much different vibe than 'Are You Experienced' or 'Electric Ladyland', often leaning towards a far more mellow, almost experimental sound, such as the more laid back groove of songs like 'Up From the Skies', 'Wait Until Tomorrow', and 'Little Wing', or the creative dynamics and transitions in 'If 6 Was 9'. The results are nothing short of incredible, particularly with 'Little Wing' - while only about 2 and a half minutes in length, Hendrix packs more soul and feeling into his guitar playing than many other artists can in a lifetime. On the other hand, songs like 'Spanish Castle Magic' or 'You Got Me Floatin'', you see the album mirroring the more frenetic energy of 'Are You Experienced', with Jimi's bombastic guitar virtuosity is put on full display as he oscillates seamlessly between rich, full rhythm playing and his technically marvelous solos. Additionally, it bears saying that, while Jimi Hendrix is always the one who gets the (well-deserved) recognition, Mitch Mitchell's drumming is incredible throughout. It's not easy to rhythmically complement Hendrix's guitar work, but Mitchell rises to the occasion. Moreover, I'm a huge fan of 'She's So Fine', where bassist Noel Redding took on vocal duties. The song has an infectious rhythm and energy, with Mitchell's ceaseless wholloping on the drums going hand in hand with Hendrix's drive. So yeah, there's a ton to enjoy here.

I'm glad I finally listened to one of his albums, the guy definitely did a lot for music. A great album to be sure.

Wow! Loved listening to this. Recorded in 1967, this is way ahead of its time. A glorious album that is truly experimental . The guitar is the star and I can hear how his inimitable style has influenced so much music after this. Great album.

Hendrix is amazing.

I've never actual sat and listened to one of Jimi's albums from front to back. It's always been collections, best ofs, soundtracks, etc. I don't think I had heard a single one of these songs before and yet, the album was incredible front to back.

A Masterpiece.

Absolutely brilliant!

Spanish castle is a favorite.

Good stuff. I listened to this a lot in 9th grade. Feels like floating.

Just brilliant. Never sat down to listen to his albums, just the ones still in common rotation today. This is brilliant all the way through.

Phenomenal, just phenomenal.

Amazing album that beats Electric Ladyland for me. Any track could be my favourite, but Exp and Little Wing are great. 9/10, nice

Beginning is strange with a kinda random allotment of sounds but the album grows, after Little Wing most songs are great. Hendrix has great guitar as always.

Next level Creativity + craftsmanship and musicianship of these 3 is worthy of praise

Soooo gooood.

Excelente

This was pretty sweet, another legend I’ve never really listened to and definitely should have before now.

One of the greats to me. Listened to this so many times but I'm still struck by the variety in a not particularly long album. Engaged from beginning to end.

very good

Un classique!

It's Hendrix it is great

A wild, loud, jazzy romp. They threw caution to the wind with this one and did everything they could to assault your ear drums, with care-free lyricism highlighting individuality shining through. A drug and alcohol filled smoky room personified. Almost nothing exists with more abandon.

It's nearly impossible to follow up an album like Are You Experienced, but this album does an admirable job. I enjoy the expanded sonic palate and some of the songs here are absolute rippers.

Dosta zanimljiva zavrzlama oko covera, nikad nisam išla za time. Oduvijek imam mixed feelings oko Hendrixa, iako sam, naravno, svjesna kolika je legenda. Mislim bez sumnje je ovo vrhunski, samo da, nekako nismo kliknuli, nezz. Kako bi Tiho rekao, "ne vlaži mi pizdu" 😂. Mislim da mi je najveći problem što mi on nimalo nema karizmu, a ni njegova glazba. Opet kažem, kužim ja koliko je ovo kvalitetno i važno glazbeno nasljeđe, samo jbg, kad ne sjeda ne sjeda. Uzevši sve u obzir, meni će ovo biti 4/10 ili 7/10.

So I was quite familiar with Jimi’s work while in middle school and high school via the great FM station in Cleveland at the time, WMMS 100.7 – but never owned a Hendrix album until I got to college in 1981… That was when I really dove in, and vividly remember listening debut album “Are You Experienced” all the way through the first time – and it absolutely blew my mind… I then worked through the next 2, and while there are amazing tracks on both “Axis: Bold As Love” & “Electric Ladyland”, neither could touch the start-to finish magic of “Are You Experienced” … Really enjoyed the album, and you could hear the progression in Jimi’s song-writing and musical compositions… As for me, the best tracks are listed below, along with my usual 7-star ratings scale – because you know that 5 isn’t quite enough, and 9 would just be silly… : ) “Spanish Castle Magic” – 5-stars out of 7… “Ain’t No Telling” – 5-stars out of 7… “Little Wing” – 7-stars out of 7… “If 6 Was 9” – 6-stars out of 7… “Castles Made Of Sand” – 5-stars out of 7… I will say that the album loses stream after “Castles Made Of Sand”, as those are several of the weaker tracks on the album – also have no idea why Noel the bass player sang “She’s So Fine” – probably his song, but would have been better if Jimi had sung it – but still the most forgettable track on the album… Since “Are You Experienced” is going to be a 5 for me, I’d probably have “Axis: Bold As Love” clock in at a 4.25, so will round it down to an “exceptional” 4 in my book…

Nr. 141/1001 Exp NR Up From The Skies 3/5 Spanish Castle Magic 3/5 Wait Until Tomorrow 4/5 Ain't No Telling 3/5 Little Wing 5/5 If 6 Was 9 2/5 You Got Me Floatin' 4/5 Castles Made of Sand 4/5 She's So Fine 4/5 One Rainy Wish 4/5 Little Miss Lover 3/5 Bold As Love 3/5 Average: 3,5 Unquestionably a incredibly talented guitar player. Still I sometimes struggle with his songwriting. Like A Bird is a classics though.

Actually very good. It’s the first Jimi Hendrix album I’ve ever listened to

I know, he's a genius. I even like some of his songs, like "Up From The Skies" for example. But I don't enjoy listening to Jimi Hendrix.

Incredible. When I listen to this, I hear his influence everywhere. That fuzzy, bluesy, psychedelic guitar. I think what really stood out to me this time around is actually his voice and singing style. He's really kind of doing a blues / soul / almost funk kind of thing, where he's talking through the lyrics or adding little phrases here and there. It really makes me wonder what would have Hendrix sounded like if he made it to the 80s? And how would that have changed the landscape for music? Would he have leaned heavier into funk and collaborated with artists like Sly Stone or George Clinton? Would he have collaborated more with The Grateful Dead or Eric Clapton or The Beatles? His style is so nuanced and diverse but also expansive. I can hear it everywhere. I can hear Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Childish Gambino, Grateful Dead, Phish, Sly and the Family Stone, Funkadelic, Parliament, Prince all within this record. Its so so good. What a treasure.

Such an enjoyable album to listen to, there wasn't a single weak track, and it sounded so ahead of its time. As expected, vocals, guitars, and drums were all exceptional, and I loved hearing the use of the (then) groundbreaking techniques e.g., the "wah wah" effect on the electric guitar in "Little Miss Lover". The intro was trippy as hell, and I loved the sounds swirling around my head throughout the album. "Spanish Castle Magic", "If 6 Was Nine" and "One Rainy Wish" were the standout tracks to me, but they are all outstanding. I also really enjoyed the personal lyrics in "Castles Made of Sand", and the space-like guitar solo at the end of "Bold as Love".

in between mentioning him in the electric prunes album and now I've actually listened to the other two Jimi Hendrix Albums. From that I've learn that Mr. Hendrix does not miss! This is probably the weakest of his three core albums and it's still insane. 95/100

Fire

Listening to this I was like is it a 4* or 5*? And then my brain was like STFU and let the guitar licks wash over you. And I did and it was glorious. First two tracks had me thinking "rut roh" but it dramatically improved from there. Greatness. 4.25.5

There's a huge reason Jimi Hendrix is widely considered the best. Just listen to the first song on this album, it's Jimi making traffic noises on guitar! Mitch Mitchell is a beast on drums as well. It's a shame we only got 3 albums during Hendrix's lifetime.

amazing

love jimi. one of his best albums fs. guitar solos had me orgasming

The problem with most psychedelic music is that it’s not as good as this so pales in comparison

really good, and to think that this was only 7 months after their debut, just shows how much of a songwriting machine Hendrix was (and maybe the rest of the band too). So much of this is so revolutionary, guitar tone wise especially, the feedback noise in the first song mimicking and alien or something is straight up some 90s noise rock/shoegaze shit, as well as some of the 'heavy-pshych' bits. Many of these songs sound a lot like 90s and 2000s Red Hot Chili peppers, and I know the guitarist was heavily influenced, but this was like 30-40 years ahead. obviously the modulation effects and wah stuff is so good, especially when combined with fuzz/gain. I also really like the one song by the bassist, sounds like some Syd Barret era Pink Floyd stuff. There's also one song where he's kind of rapping, which makes you wonder what crazy music would have been made if rapping existed and was popular in the late 60s. I can't really pick holes in this, as I think that parts of this guitar style (blues stuff) haven't aged very well, but that's becuase of other people doing it to death later on, and I think that Hendrix's playing style is just so unique and captivating, to this day. I think I maybe like this a little less than Are you experienced? and a similar amount to Electric Ladyland. Favourite songs: all Overall around 9/10

This album shows a lot of diverse tunes. Absolutely killed it, super tight. What a trio

Spanish castle magic,you go me floatin, castles made of sand and his best song little wing. one of the most influential guitarist with a tight album.

This album is a bit overlooked, coming just seven months after Hendrix’s debut Are You Experienced. It’s probably the weirdest and most experimental of his albums too, with a very strange intro and lots of strange audio phasing effects in the production mix. Lots to appreciate here, and it points the way to Electric Ladyland.

Not his best album but still crazy good

Great album. Little Wing is my favorite song.

Listened via YouTube music on iPhone headphones and the truck. This is about as classic as they get and never gets or feels old. Only shredder like him now is Mdou Moctar. Getting to see him again at Shaky Knees in a few months.

Not as good as Are You Experienced but I can’t justify not giving it a 5

Hadn't listened to this one in a while, but it was always my favourite Hendrix album. Forgot just how great it was! So many groundbreaking riffs, and an improvement over their first album, which had some fat to trim, IMO.

while ive yet to have a proper jimi Period where he becomes my favorite dude or whatever, my many years of inexplicably apathy/distance towards his music Were snapped out of by this very album, last year i believe? its technically the most songwritey hendrix record but i tend not to think of the songwriting itself necessarily on its own...more the way it provides a springboard for jimi's various timbrel ideas, a greater intimacy with the base elements of the electric guitar than could ever be Taught. every song is a relatively simple approachable base meant to be Complimented from the various colors of candy-coated fire that jimi launches off into. and that tonal balance between flower power and atomic explosion is rly only something that can be done this brightly on this specific configuration of the experience,,,not an ascended blues rock record like are you experienced, or a big exploratory spread like electric ladyland, but a relatively economic poppy psychy thing. prob still my fave! tho i owe EL a lot more time probably. obviously jimi influenced everybody and their mom, but i feel like dean ween in particular has gotta love this specific record.

Probably my favorite Jimi Hendrix album. Little Wing and Castles Made of Sand are masterpieces.

An all-time classic rock album. Jimi is the man, obviously. Not sure if it’s my absolute favorite of his, but it’s definitely up there. Castles made of Sand, Little Wing, If 6 was 9… what an album

One of my favourite album covers of all time, and Jimmy Hendrix is great in general

This came out about 6 months after Are You Experienced. Insane.

Classic

The thing that gets me the most with Hendrix is how consistently fantastic every song is. There's nothing that's boring, or unimaginative, or lackluster. Everything on this album is crisp and magical. Excellent psychedelic rock

It's JIMI - I have to laugh - who gives this LESS than a 5 - This should be a 10.

Genius. Several of his greatest songs are on this one.

I can't believe I've never listened to this album in its entirety. I understand why Jimi's considered one of the greatest. The chord progressions, the syncopation, the rhythmic delivery of his lyrics in addition to the lyrical content. The compliments and studio firsts continue. Perhaps subconsciously I knew of this, but Bold As Love being originally sung and written by Hendrix kind of blew my mind.

I really like how laid back it feels while still being relatively experimental. I enjoyed my experience, and everyone featured is just so talented.

life changing

Little Wing If 6 Was 9

Hard to get more influential than this master. Little Wing gets me every time.

I mean it's Hendrix how could it not be five stars. I knew a lot more songs on this album than I realized because I had never listened to it before in its entirety. It was a nice little gem.

Beautiful album, full of classic Hendrix blended with experimental psychedelic blues. One of the greatest albums of all time