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.

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

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.

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

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.

It Jimi Hendrix how is it not 5 stars

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.

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.

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 ...

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

"Fall, mountains Just don't fall on me"

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.

You can't go wrong with Jimi Hendrix

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

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

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

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

Fantastisch 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

Dull, jammy, underdeveloped

This is an album that should be listened to. I think a lot of guitar players from the 70's were trying to sound like Hendrix. 5 stars or A-.

December 9, 2024 (but also October 17, I peeked inside the present after getting Electric Ladyland🎁) The first listen was pretty absent-minded, as I knew I'd get a day down the line to focus on this album more. Today, I'm more impressed. Maybe it's bc I have headphones in, so I can better appreciate the wacky shit they were accomplishing with stereo panning and phasing The weird "If 6 Was 9", the poppy "She's So Fine" and "Wait Till Tomorrow", and the beautiful "Little Wing" and "One Rainy Wish" contribute to this rating. Perhaps my favourite Hendrix of the 3, although I certainly didn't feel that way two months ago... HL: "One Rainy Wish", "Little Wing", "Wait Till Tomorrow", "If 6 Was 9", "Castles Made of Sand", "Bold As Love"

a experience.

Little Wing is such a fantastic song, it’s almost a tease running at only 2 and a half minutes long. It got me thinking, this has to be up there as one of the best tracks at under 2 and a half minutes. White Stripes- Fell in Love With a Girl, The Smiths-Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want, Van Halen-Eruption. Anyways, this album is fantastic. The production of this album is excellent. Jimi is obviously magnificent, serving us up fuzzy, hazy riffs throughout. The band tight throughout. Castles Made of Sand is another classic and they finish strong with such a great closer with the title track. Great stuff 5 stars

A classic for a reason, Jimi Hendrix is a national treasure.

i loved this, such technical guitar skills, amazing

Amazing. So fa ahead of its time

I think this album is stunning. As a follow up to Are You Experienced, this album is both more experimental, but features more immediacy in the songwriting. The result is an album that sounds very contemporary and very beautiful.

Pure psychedelic rock perfection from a true musical genius.

Is this where we get the phrase, "Freak Flag"?

Fantastic

Axis: Bold as Love is the Jimi Hendrix Experience's second studio album. Their first album made him into an international star, and this follow-up only added to his renown as a brilliant guitar player, singer, and song-writer. Axis ranks highly on many "greatest albums of all time" lists. However, Hendrix's two other studio albums typically rank higher; making this stellar album in some way the weakest of his work - but there's nothing weak about this album. These songs have Hendrix's incredibly expressive guitar, like in "Little Wing" and "If 6 was 9," backed by his soulful, blues inspired rock. Jimi's technical mastery and his raw, open vocals helped shape the sound of psychedelic rock.

There really isn't a bad track on this album, I always wonder what Jimi would have gone on to do if he didn't pass away so young. Such a good record. Stand out tracks: - Spanish castle magic - Wait until tomorrow - Little wing - If 6 was 9 - Castles made of sand -She's so fine - One rainy wish - Bold as love

So good. Somewhere between the hit song / pop of “Are You Experience” and the far-outness of “Electric Ladyland”. I wish I could give it 10 out of 5!

Lovely stuff. Solid 5.

Flawless. Just ask the axis

Almost every song is a pleasantly groovy experience. There might not be anything iconic on here, but it's still that amazing Jimi sound. I was put on a great trip that was tragically cut short after 38 minutes.

Super fun listen

Doesn’t make any sense that this came out in 67. Also, 3 5s in a row

Two of my alll time favorites in Little Wing and Bold as Love. Spanish Castle Magic, Castles made of Sand. Easy 5

4.6 2x

Ma klasik, ne znam koliko puta sam preslušao ovaj album. Iako je ovdje kao naglasak na svetom Jimi Hendrixu, ritam sekcija apsolutno kida Mislim da sam prvi put ovaj album poslušao sa 17 godina i od tad mi je Jimi pod kožom Kad sam bio klinac u srednjoj, svaki dan sam prolazio kraj zida na kojem je bio loše napisan grafit "jimmi hendriks", uvijek me nasmijalo jer kao seljaci smo i ne znamo spelovati, ali znamo da Jimi kida 10/10

Jimi was a unique talent and the studio albums he made are some of the most innovative rock and roll ever devised.

Una tremenda "experiencia", si es que me entienden. Guitarras y composiciones impresionantes fluyen a través de este LP liderado por quien es (y será), el guitarrista más legendario de todos los tiempos. Para haberse lanzado en 1967, las técnicas implementadas por Hendrix en la guitarra son impresionantes, demostrando por qué es una de las figuras más influyentes del rock y el verdadero "padre de los solos". Escúchelo por favor. Pistas destacadas (en mi opinión) One Rainy Wish y Bold as Love.

''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

Jimi Hendrix is a legend.

Jimi Hendrix’s music is definitely the complete package. Every element stands strong on its own but also works together perfectly. I love the raw, dirty, and gritty feel that runs through his music. The drumming brings a lot of complexity with its clear jazz influences. The bass stays steadily in motion, holding everything together as Hendrix’s reverb-heavy, fuzzy, feedback-laden guitar tears it up. The blues influences in his riffs really add that extra layer of grit.

The song As Bold as Love is just one of the best.

I mean, It's Hendrix.

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

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 man. This is a great Hendrix album. Thanks for this app! 5/5

Not as good as the debut, but still perfect. 5/5

Is there a better Hendrix album than this? I think not. Even 60 years later, it's just as revelatory as ever and continues to prove that Jimi was not only the best guitarist of his generation, but probably any generation.

Perfect album for a pizza party

Amazing album. Slightly weak opening couple of tracks but it picks up and doesn’t stop from Spanish Castle Magic onwards. 9/10

Awesome

Good songs, great players and not just the guitarist. Try listening to the version that comes with an interview attached - very interesting.

Yeah, this is the good stuff.

I'll never understand how this is universaly ranked ad Jimis 3rd best studio effort out of three. Experience was merely a collection of wannabe singles and hard rockin hits, which we all enjoy. While Ladyland was a tripped out psychedelic blues fest, bloated and meandering at times. Axis is the true masterpiece, front to back, a balanced effort, maximizing Jimis songwriting, riff execution, and a huge psychedelic soundscape.

Good this

One of my favorite album covers of all time. Crazy that this was put out in the same calendar year as Are You Experienced? Exp intro sets the stage for a full-on psychedelic experience. Stereo effects to make your head feel like its spinning and a pitched up interview about aliens. Dumps that energy completely and segues directly into a blues-psych jam in Up From the Skies. A wandering reverberation effect on the guitar keeps the psych theme alive with some dusty drum shuffling. Spanish Castle Magic is an all time Hendrix jam. Propulsive energy with everyone firing on all cylinders. Back to back fire with Little Wing and If 6 Was 9. The latter is in my top 3 Hendrix songs along with Castles Made of Sand.

5 stars baby. Amazing album.

Been awhile since I've listened to this one but it has some of my favorite songs by Hendrix ever. This is probably my favorite album by him and an easy 5.