Reviews (page 5 of 14)
It's Hendrix so you know it's good, but there were bits of it that got a bit too weird
4.5/5 Favorite Songs: Spanish Castle Magic Wait Until Tomorrow Little Wing You Got Me Floatin' Castles Made If Sand One Rainy Wish Little Miss Lover Bold As Love
4/5
Love that the first track is a psychedelic radio talk show. I listened to the Black Keys growing up, and I feel like I just listened to what they listened to growing up. Like Ain't no telling Like Castles made of sand It was a great album. The guitar was the star and it was amazing. Im not sure if I would listen to again? Musicality- 1.0 Vocals - 0.8 Vibes - 0.7 Listen to again - 0.5 Execution - 0.7 Total 3.7
Wowza The panning
86/100 Man I thought this fucking album was going to send me through the ceiling or something instead it was just some pretty good rock with great guitar playing. You look at that cover and expect some crazy level shit but idk it's not that out there I mean I guess You Got Me Floatin' has the like Revolver reversed sounds & Exp is a weird ass experimental track for the time but yeah it wasn't AS good as people have been hyping it up. Does that mean it wasn't peak though? Absolutely not. I fucked with most of this album heavy. Spanish Castle Magic, Wait Until Tomorrow, Little Wing, Castles Made of Sand, all great songs. Apparently this album was rushed a bit to try and fulfill a record contract which is really something you don't want to hear for a band that only has 3 albums. When I say the guitar on this album is great I mean it though. It's also got that weird reversed tape guitar on Castles Made of Sand alongside a lot of stereo manipulation which is always great to see especially in the 60s. Compare that to the Beatles who pretty much just threw their stereo masters together in a day and said they were good yeah it's sick to see. I can see why Jimi and Frank Zappa would be friends both were counter cultural & insane level guitar players. Massive W for the cover although now that I've noticed the big blue empty space I'm kinda questioning it now. I'm an op when they do that with certain album covers I know they had to do the arms but idk I just hate seeing big empty space. I'm also a Ween fan btw and I can see where they get some of their influence from, particularly Deaner in his guitar playing but also this album can be pretty weird so there's that too. Really sick drumming too I haven't heard that mentioned but it fits every song.
Three transcendent tracks is a remarkable achievement and the honest reason this lands at four rather than five. "Little Wing" is two minutes of the most concentrated beauty Hendrix ever committed to tape — the guitar voicings filling every frequency simultaneously while leaving room for everything to breathe, a complete emotional world in the time it takes most songs to finish their first verse. "Castles Made of Sand" is the storytelling peak, three vignettes of lives undone by fate delivered with a gentleness that the blues-rock context around it never quite prepares you for. The title track closes the record as a sweeping, orchestrated love song that shows Hendrix operating in a register pure guitar pyrotechnics never required. Everything around those three is solid without reaching the same height, which is the honest limitation and the reason five stays out of reach. A record that sustains transcendence throughout earns a different rating than one where the peaks are carrying the weight — both can be excellent, and this one is, but the distinction matters. Mitch Mitchell's jazz-influenced drumming gives Hendrix the freedom to treat the guitar as a full orchestral instrument throughout, and the variety across the record's moods and textures shows an artist expanding in real time. Released eight months after the debut, which remains one of the more remarkable creative accelerations in rock history. A four that three genuinely great songs earn completely.
He actually had a good voice
Hendrix could do wrong in music when this album came out. His personal life was another story, one which deserves a good ass kicking. But we’re talking music today! His first album was incendiary. This was starts the shift toward the psychedelic/acid rock. Please note: this critique is against his other work, so it’s still musically amazing, just different. Some of his best songs are on here, such as Little Wing (man, that’s a great song); Wait Until Tomorrow, which really shows the power of Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell; and inspired the John Mayer Trio. My surprise track was the Noel Redding sung So Fine, which I don’t know if I have ever heard before! My favorite continues to be Castles Made of Sand, which is so poignant in its message and masterful in its musicality. It’s not my favorite Jimi which is Electric Ladyland, but it will come home on vinyl when I find it.
Random thoughts: * Always appreciate listening to some more Jimi. * I'm not sure I've ever listened to this album as the opening track of "Exp" took me by surprise but it clearly showcases Jimi's obsession with aliens. * I've pretty much heard all the proper songs since I own the Jimi box set. * This has some of Jimi's best work: Little Wing, Spanish Castle Magic, Castles Made of Sand, Little Miss Lover, Bold As Love. * I didn't care for some of the filler tracks as much but it is still Hendrix man! * I prefer "Are You Experienced" over "Axis" but it is amazing that both albums were released in 1967! What a time to be alive. * Castles Made of Sand is one of my favorite Jimi Hendrix tracks, so I loved hearing that one in context of this album. * Worthy inclusion, not quite all-time classic album but all-time great artist.
Nothing totally stands out for me like the albums that come before and after it in Hendrix's discog, but still consistently good psych rock. Just wish the stereo experimentation was turned down a bit with the intro skit. 8/10.
Slightly overated but still really good. The worse of his 3 album buy It dosnt mean much their all good.
Albums like this are hard for me. I mean, Hendrix is Hendrix. Pretty good, but nothing I get very excited about listening to. Still FEELS better than a 3.
Might go to 5 if I listen enough. A touch experimental for my taste.
More than songs, a conversation between a guitar, a band, an the singer
There is no shame in being the third best Hendrix studio album. Recorded before its predecessor was released in the US, it feels like an album that hasn't been given enough time in gestation. Although there is nothing bad here, the album as a whole lacks the precision of the debut's (presumably road-tested) cavalcade of hits, but neither do the compositions have the hefty ambition of Electric Ladyland. Hendrix's trajectory was so steep and so brief that it is understandable that the middle album should catch him in something of a blur. So many of the songs disappear into a fade out that have to accept each one as a comet streaking past. It's tantalising to imagine what the guitar figure at the end of Castles Made of Sand could have become if it didn't simply tail off. A new section. A new composition. Who knows. Only Little Wing and If Six Was Nine sound like their respective ideas in final form. Romantically, one could imagine that Hendrix knew his time was limited, so he wanted to burn through every idea he had. More realistically, he had no idea, at 25, that he was mortal and that time and inspiration might ever become limited resources. Anything can be tossed off, because there will always be more. Even in the goofy intro, he explores and disposes the idea of presenting himself as an alien, which Bowie will take a whole album over five years later. 3.5 This would be a lovely album and a monument to Hendrix’s special talent, even if it didn’t have the advantage of ‚She‘s So Fine‘ reminding us to appreciate Hendrix‘s voice as well as his guitar playing. 3.5/5
177. Axis: Bold As Love - Jimi Hendrix (1967) 8.18.26 Variety: 4 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 3 = 4.4 rounded down to a 4 "And so castles made of sand/ Slips into the sea eventually" On would think I was born at the wrong time to fully appreciate Hendrix's impact on rock history, and maybe that's true, but I was also just the right age to get the full force of the wave of 60s nostalgia in the 90s when his songs were all over the damned place, in movies - "Foxy Lady" and "Fire" ( a cover, granted) in Wayne's World for example, and a bot later tv commercials galore... I was also able to benefit from the readily available hits compilations that floated around, most notably Smash Hits, which I listed to well before I listened to any of the original albums. Of the three major releases on the list, I think Electric Ladyland has been my go to favorite, but it has always bothered me, just like it did with the Beatles and other groups that came bounding out of the singles era, that some of their best songs never made it on the albums. The U.S. releases, when it was bothered with, would often cobble together a Frankensteined version that would include some of these at the very least for Are You Experienced. When it comes to it, I think I'll go off menu and review that version. But this one at least seems like they kept the same release order and tracks, so no need this time. I've never been a Hendrix fanatic, despite always being impressed by him, and his albums have never been in heavy rotation. So much ink has been spilled about how influential he is, and he long ago entered into the sort of mythical hagiography territory among critics. could not help but come at his stuff with a bit of cynicism at gushing claims that he could do no wrong. Really? His hits, and best singles are forever burned into my brain though, which makes it just slightly more difficult to appreciate the albums themselves as autonomous entities. I have not listened to this one probably since I sold off the Hendrix records I had, but I remember digging it quite a lot. THE TRACKS Side one "EXP" - Skits and interludes are usually not worth the time to comment on, but I'll at least say here it's worth a few lines if only to mention how many little middle class kids must have had their minds blown by the weirdness. "Up from the Skies" - This shuffling, shambolic, jazzy little number feels largely improvised to my ears. Like Hendrix had some lyrics he wanted to test out. Most definitely not my bag, baby. But still, there's a quality even to Hendrix's throw away tracks. This sounds rough as well, like it was recorded live. I'm not sure, but as far as I know Hendrix was pretty hardcore when it came to his mixing, so it's a little surprising how sloppy it sounds. "Spanish Castle Magic" - A certified minor classic nowadays, back then I could not have picked this one out of a lineup. At least by name. This would have been so much better of an opener. In addition to Hendrix weaving his special magic, you get Mitch Mitchell's jazzy, organic drumming, and Noel Redding ( of Fat Mattress fame - see below) providing some very chunky bass. This is the statement you want when that needle drops. Awesome. "Wait Until Tomorrow" - This was a decent, if a bit boring little bit of slice of life storytelling that happens to have a TREMENDOUS bass sound, some awful backing vocals, and some otherwise all around great playing from all involved. One of Hendrix's weakness for me is the sort of half finished sounding ideas in so many of his deep cuts. "Ain't No Telling" - This was better. Bluesier, and with more energy helps though. This is the sort of track that makes the Psych to Metal evolution make a lot of sense. Still nobody's favorite though. "Little Wing" - Another minor classic that has only grown in estimation over subsequent years. Hendrix doesn't do pretty very often, but he tends to mail it. The effects on his vocals along with the glockenspiel, and the way it fades out all give this one a cool dreamy vibe that I could have sat in for another few minutes. Great, but could have been longer. "If Six Was Nine" (US edition spelling "If 6 Was 9") The funkiest and heaviest track closes out side two on a brilliant note. This is very much the ideal of the Hendrix sound to me. Hendrix's breathy, soulful vocals which dip into some spoken word beat that exists only his head, Mitchell's sizzling, crunchy drum sound, the bass that reverbs in your molars with that slapping sound. It's no "Voodoo Chile" but it plays in that same realm. The noise freakout near the end is well earned here, where on a lesser song, by a lesser artist it would feel self-indulgent and annoying. Side two "You've Got Me Floating" (US edition spelling "You Got Me Floatin'") - We open side two with maybe the only song off the whole album I clearly recall being well familiar with before listening to the whole thing. This is psych rock is it's purest form, on par with any of the best Cream songs ( who it reminds me of a bit). The drums on this are one of THE iconic rock drum patterns in my mind. Amazing next level stuff going on here. "Castles Made of Sand" - The man proving once again he can write beautiful and mellow with the best of them. Everything about this song is truly great, from the backwards guitar lines to the top tier melodies, to the chonky bass work, to Hendrix's talk singing where it he artfully stumbles forward over his own words. This might be the one Hendrix song I would save from a burning building. That or "Voodoo Chile". \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ "She's So Fine" - Noel Redding does perfectly fine job on lead vocals, which gives Hendrix leeway to go crazy here and be part of the band rather than the main attraction, and we get some looser and poppier sounding stuff that reminds me a bit of the Who. "One Rainy Wish" - Quiet and moody, this leans harder on the atmosphere in opening, and Hendrix gets to take it easy a bit until the almost slow motion sounding solo comes in, with him seeming to stretch time out in between notes. A very underrated track. "Little Miss Lover"- Oooh how many songs have sampled the opening drum pattern of this? ( I checked it and it's north of 30 atm) The distorted vocals here make Hendrix sound like some sort of funky cyborg alien come to Earth to melt our faces off with his solo. Aggressive and crackling with energy. This was some hot shit. "Bold as Love" - Holy cow, they stuck the landing guys. The arpeggios Hendrix runs through on here and his "YEAH YEAH" are as good as anything on any of his other songs. This is god-tier stuff and crazy that it's not as well known as some of his mega-hits. Maybe imagining thigs here, but I can really see the influence of this in "Tuesday's Gone" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. One of his best ( despite what Smash Hits would have you believe). HIGHLIGHTS - "Spanish Castle Magic" - "Little Wing" - "If Six Was Nine" - "You've Got Me Floating" - "Castles Made of Sand" - "She's So Fine" - "One Rainy Wish" - "Little Miss Lover" - "Bold as Love" MIDLIGHTS - "Up from the Skies" - "Wait Until Tomorrow" - "Ain't No Telling" LOWLIGHTS - Nah FINAL THOUGHTS One of the things i love most about Hendrix is how goddamn easy and casual he makes all of this immense work seem. People like to talk about him being a once in a generation talent, and no doubt he was, but I guaran-fucking-tee you the man spent an inordinate amount of time running scales til his fingers bled. The work paid off so well that the product comes across as so natural and unforced that is becomes magical. A lot of rock guitarists from the era are overrated, but not Hendrix. He's rated just as he should be. The album itself is SO strong based on the best stuff here that it renders most complaints about middling tracks both irrelevant and a bit silly. If you really tried though, you might say something like "You can't really knock Hendrix for his playing, and his voice is iconic, if a bit lacking in range, so a lot of the times it feels like he leans on the immense talent to carry him through substandard material. Like would you listen to a song like "Up from the Skies" from anyone else?" I'm willing to bet that Electric Ladyland is still my favorite album by the man, but don't count Are You Experienced out just yet, especially if I play dirty and decide to review the U.S. release which includes some hit singles left off the UK version. As it stands, this album is a very solid 4, which comes as no surprise. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - My feelings would not be hurt if those midlights were left off FURTHER LISTENING - Disraeli Gears by Cream - Fat Mattress by Fat Mattress - Forever Changes by Love - Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane - The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus by Spirit - Truth by Jeff Beck - Mr. Fantasy by Traffic
my favorite Jimi Hendrix. it's facemelty and reveals layers at its own pace without regard for the impatient listener. the title track is a great closer. deserves to be one of the 1001? it's probably the least notable of the canonical three, and therefore the easiest candidate for cutting, but i wouldn't be able to bring myself to cut it in favor of Electric Ladyland at the end of the day
lots of jams on this one
Really enjoyed it. Bit silly but loads of Hendrix personality in it and nice to remember how good Mitch Mitchell is. 4
This album was very good. Hendrix was a genius on the guitar and his voice was almost every bit as excellent. The songs are fun to listen to, but they generally lack a bit from being truly great. As a result, the album isn't amazing, even if it is a very worthy inclusion on this list. 4 stars.
The highs are so high: Little Wing, Spanish Castle Magic, Bold As Love. The rest of the album is a little meh, but overall still well worthy of its place here
Not a perfect 10 due to some bad backing vocals and the one Noel Redding sung tune. Still a great album, though
8/10
He’s such a good artist. Dint know any of the songs but enjoyed the album b
Little Wing might be my favorite song of his. The rest of the album is fine, but that song is so good.
Imagine you play in a 60s psych rock band thinking you're the best guitar player and then Jimi comes along
Little Wing is one of my favs. This is a great album but doesn’t showcase Hendrix best. Just goes to show how otherworldly he is.
pretty good. never listened to much jimi but its good. i mean he was popular for a reason.
Hendrix has never been my cup of tea, still the man was unquestionably talented in ways that have rarely been equaled. This album sits particularly well with me though.
I love Little Wing and If 6 was 9, but this has always been a step below Are You Experienced and Electric Ladyland for me. Judging from my last.fm, I've listened to both of those 3x as much as this album.
I’m not a giant psychedelic rock fan, but this hits a lot of great spots. Little Wing and said 6 was 9 is a good back-to-back combo.
Really good. Lots of variety and the sound really hooked me
Great groove, interesting songs
Cool authentic sound. I like Jimi Hendrix he was a genius
I’m realizing all the Hendrix is a 5 for me. I believe I usually thought this was one of his weakest, but on this list, it’s still a 5. Little Wing, Castles Made of Sand are high points, but EVERYTHING is good. 5 Boolean: True
Easy to just fall into the experience Fav Track(s): Little Wing, Castles Made of Sand, One Rainy Wish, Bold as Love Least Fav Track: If 6 Was 9
More greatness from Hendrix, but not as strong as Are You Experienced or Electric Ladyland. It's a bit of a limp start with the annoying Exp and quite uninteresting Up From The Skies, but it picks up and provides more classic Hendrix Highlights: If 6 Was 9, Spanish Castle Magic, One Rainy Wish
Hendrix flexes his ability to pair groovy licks with psychedelic lyrics. Another classic.
Great album
Very different from what I remember
Cool 60s sounds. The drums (specifically the cymbals) might be mixed a little louder than I would prefer but everything else is mixed very well. There are some fairly forgettable tracks in here back to back with some really cool stuff. Guitar solos played in reverse must've been fun to cook up in the studio. Favorite(s): Wait until tomorrow If 6 was 9 Least: She's so fine 3.5/5
Fav: One Rainy Wish L: You Got Me Floatin’ 4 I’ve been giving a lot of stuff a 4, but I guess the list has some good music on it, who would have guessed
Some great singles on this one. Low 4
Going high 4, i really love all the guitar work and vibes but the songwriting isn’t always a match, title track is my favourite Hendrix tune though
Never listened to a Hendrix album before. First half of the album was FIRE
Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 🎭🌈🇮🇳 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎸💊🔮 Rating: ♾️♾️♾️♾️(♾️)/5
Good album but arguably worse than the one before and the one after it.
Jimi Hendrix is a weird experience for me. Sometimes I'll turn him on and not feel the vibe. Other times I will fall into his music, completely entranced and engaged with every note. I think this is a nice album and I will never discount his technical ability. I think I should understand Hendrix's position as the blueprint of modern rock and roll. Sometimes, it's hard to understand the hype of an album released so long ago, and after the world has had time to catch up and move onward. So, that all being said, I think ABAL establishes its sound well enough and centers itself around the great Jimi Hendrix. Like I explained at the beginning of my review, my opinion on JH could change at any given listen. Today, I will give him a higher rating.
Objectively a good album. Quite enjoy Jimi Hendrix
This was an amazing listen! Jimi Hendrix is just so cool.
Imagine listening to Hendrix as he was putting out new music. He must have seemed like a creature from some other planet, an endless improviser looking for new sounds from an electric guitar. While his output is legendary, and often brilliant, it seems like there were steps waiting to be taken and music left unexplored due to his untimely death. But we were fortunate to have what he left behind. There are some great moments on this album (Little Wing, Castles Made of Sand, If 6 Was 9, Spanish Castle Magic, Bold as Love), but also some filler.
Listened to it while working and I was just grooving all the time.Really groovy bass lines. Makes you to pick up a guitar and play.
Well good job Jimi, you broke my streak of not liking any album from the 60's! This was honestly such a fun listen with super cool and clean production that made even the more laid back moments memorable. Solid vocals too. 4/5
By the third listen I was fully into it. Not every song is my favorite but I do think they're all gems in their own way. This was my first experience with Jimi and I get it. He really was talented. It's a shame. The story for the cover is hilarious and to be honest, that's kind of on him. The Sandcastles song has great lyrics, but it's a bit too hippie and out of touch. Bold As Love is lush and gorgeous. What a way to end your album. I'm excited to check out his other stuff.
1. intro 2. 8/10 3. 8/10 4. 8,5/10 5. 6/10 6. 10/10 7. 8/10 8. jakby on to śpiewał a nie chór to byłoby lepiej 7/10 9. 8/10 10. 4/10 11. 7,5/10 12. 3/10 13. 7,5/10 Album 7,13/10
Nice stuff
Algo nuevo para mi, el ritmo de la primer canción es un poco usual, pero para ser algo fuera de mi zona de confort me gusto
657/1001 2026.07.14 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Bellissimo!
Contains the brevity of song that held back some of his other work, but the highs aren’t quite as high. Little Wing stands alone and the album closer is brilliant.
Yeah
#435 / 1089 Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I've probably listened to Electric Ladyland and Are You Experienced more than Bold As Love, but find it a very good album none the less. Maybe a bit more uneven, while I like roughness around the edge, some bits feel a bit unfinished. While saying that, it is astouding what kind of progressive and experimental things this albums has, in the year 1967 no less. The album has couple of my favourite Jimi tracks, while I like few others better the quality is so high that even Jimi's worst is better than most generic rock bands. There's no doubt I'll be returning to this again. Strong 3 that dips into 4/5
1967. Second studio album. Its album cover generated controversy for displaying Hindu religious iconography. It was designed without Hendrix's approval, and he publicly expressed his dissatisfaction. The album's release date was almost delayed when Hendrix lost the master tape of side one of the LP, leaving it in the back seat of a London taxi.
Definitely will listen again. Would be 5/5 but for a few unnecessary oddities.
Solid album, Hendrix delivers as always
The songs are cool, but this is not my style really. 3.5, if i could give it, but a 4 cause a 3 seems mean (i was also writing when it was on, so i reserve the right to change my opinion on a closer listen)
Yesssss...
It was groovy, as we’ve established i love a good guitar riff, this should be everything i like but at a certain point you kind have to balance the mastery and the music yk, and at times that was lacking
sonidos diversos , psicodélicos ricos
Buen Album, primer álbum que escucho de Hendrix
I enjoyed it. All but one song.
Hendrix is legend. This album has some highlights but it's also not his best work. Even so, his mediocre work is still better than most artists finest.
P fire
This is generally considered the weakest of the 3 Jimi Hendrix Experience albums, and while I would agree with that consensus, it's still Jimi Hendrix, and he's still one of the most compelling vocalists and guitarists of all time. Here, him and his band lean hard into the "psychedelic" part of psychedelic rock, utilizing more unconventional song structures and rhythms to create a spacey, shifting atmosphere. The band loses a little bit of the bite that their other two albums have, but the alien energy of this album more than makes up for it. Jimi, as usual, is excellent, especially his off-the-wall guitar solos. As a frontman he's incredibly flamboyant, his half-singing half-speaking cutting through the hazy instrumentation and adding even more personality to the already unique sound. Absolutely a must-listen if you love psychedelic rock of this era.
ok. Love all of the guitar parts
No sense reviewing the individual songs too much, as they say, it's pretty much "a vibe". Musically quite cool, blues roots still evident, and given the length of the songs we're not entirely into psychedelia/jam territory, but there's a good amount of experimentation.
Awesome album! Starts weird
I really enjoyed listening to this album!! Haven't listened to a ton of Hendrix so that was fun!
Loved this album! Jimi Hendrix show cases his virtuoso mastery of the guitar! The album has a bit of filler but overall is just a great experience.
This was a rainbow of beautiful guitar noises. Tempo felt a little slow, but then maybe not. I'll bet this is a real nice listen on a crisp sound system.
Iconic album with both "Little Wing" and "Castles Made of Sand". Incredible, also brings back memories of driving home from 1st grade with my dad blasting this down the rural country road in Southeast US summer heat. 9/10
I once heard that Jimi Hendrix had a complex about his own vocals.Anyone can immediately tell, even without listening to this album, how his masterly guitar playing dealt a massive shock to the guitarists of his era.Listening to tracks like "Little Wing" or "Bold as Love," you can truly appreciate his skill in controlling a song’s color gradation through songwriting and chord progressions. This evokes the image of a classical or jazz player, composer, or arranger, rather than a rock musician.The rhythm section during this period held a different charm from the later Band of Gypsys, driving Jimi forward with a rugged, improvisational playing style.The way the rhythm section responds to his guitar strumming is by no means polished, but it possesses an irresistible charm that makes it quite endearing.Even on the blues tracks, the guitar sounds spacey, and the wide variety of styles ensures you never get bored.Rather than a god-like "super guitarist," I felt a strong sense of his humanity.His guitar playing is not some superhuman, technical feat either; even with the heavy use of electric effects, it remains a raw, emotional performance driven by frequent string bending.To return to my opening point, his vocals are also deeply human and raw.While he seemed to worry about them himself, I find them incredibly charming.
Stylistically a bit all over the map. Songs range from the sublime “Little Wing” to the fairly stupid “EXP”. Playing of course great because it’s Jimi. Overall slight sophomore slump.
Me gusta por su manera de presentar la psicodelia constantemente. Te deja lo suficientemente incomodo para no despegar la oreja. Recomiendo para empezar a abrir el abanico musical
Imagine you know nothing and you look at this album cover... What a great album, I dont know if I heard it properly before.
This hits different Wait Until Tomorrow Little Wing Bold as Love (Can you tell I'm a fan of John Mayer?) Overall really entertaining by the GOAT of guitar 3.9
I loved this album. Jimi Hendrix’s guitar playing is extraordinary, but what impressed me just as much was his singing, which perfectly complements his music. My favorite tracks were Little Wing, Wait Until Tomorrow, If 6 Was 9, Little Miss Lover, and Bold as Love. I especially loved the delicate clean guitar tone on Little Wing and the incredible solo on Bold as Love.
Some great songs on this one, but Experience is the real penultimate Jimi album
This is an excellent album! I had heard a couple of the songs, but never the whole album. This one doesn't really have any of his more famous hits, like Hey Joe, or All Along the Watchtower, but it equally good in a mellower, more introspective sort of way, if that makes sense. Excellent album, and I'm glad it's on the list.
Hendrix is always a solid choice
Class
Are You Experienced has more hits but this album could be the dictionary definition of psychedelic rock.
Amazing
Nice tunes
Solid stuff
Not bad.
Sinewy
I may be a loony but this feels like a more consistent and consistently interesting album than Are You Experienced. Many bangers Highlights: "Wait Until Tomorrow", "If 6 Was 9", "One Rainy Wish"
Standouts Spanish Castle Magic Little Wing If 6 Was 9 You Got Me Floating Castles Made of Sand One Rainy Wish Bold As Love
Groovy stuff, a real step up from Experienced. A cool unified psychedelic experience for the most part, but She's So Fine (a good song) doesn't belong here. This is an album you feel like you should play on a loop forever.
Little Wing is fabulous, however, beyond that, most of the songs tend to blend together a bit and nothing stood out. The guitar tone is beautiful and the whole ensemble is fantastic but the songs are not the greatest vehicle to show this. I still enjoyed it though.
This isn’t his strongest work but I could listen to ‘little wing’ and ‘castles made of sand’ many times over without getting too bored of them (was surprised at such a short track length for both!). At his best when playing those little intricate runs in between chords and playing the jazzier, more melodic songs to my ear. That said, the songs here that were of lesser quality weren’t too bad either and enjoyed the album nonetheless.
Was prepared to not like this, based on the jazzy sound of the first track, but ended up really liking it. Jumps around in style, but not in a bad way.
Ha, z Jimijem gremo pa kar kronološko - po prvem, je zj drugi album na vrsti. Izdan samo 7 mesecev kasneje. Začne se kinda weird & ful distorzije ("EXP"). Drugi mi je zanimiv, ker mi je to čist zame nova verzija Jimija, taka mal jazzovska ("Up from the Skies"). Kdo poje na "She's So Fine"? Ker to ni Jimi. A, Noel Redding, basist. Fajn album. Druga polovica mi je bla bolj všeč.
I had already listened to this album, although I'm not a huge Hendrix fan (at least, not until now). I think "Spanish Castle Magic", "Castles Made of Sand" and, especially, "Little Wing" (greatest guitar intro ever?) are very good. I also enjoyed "Up From The Skies" (especially the lyrics), "Wait Until Tomorrow", "One Rainy Wish", or "Bold as Love". This is a solid 4 star album for me. Actually, 5 stars are not completely out of the conversation.
It was suprising, I thought that it would be more crazy energetic.
Love you, Jimi. Really underrated in terms of delivering a consistent and beautifully written and performed album.
Rv
Solid
Jeg kan godt li' Jimi
Not my thing but undeniably whips ass
Rock
Most of this review could be filled with what makes Jimi Hendrix rock’s most amazing guitar player, despite this album falling short compared to the other two records released in his lifetime. Are You Experienced? and Electric Ladyland belong to the highest pantheon, so if Axis: Bold As Love does not quite measure up, it is no crime. The songs lack the charge of the best of Hendrix on both of those classics, and the spacier tracks cannot possibly top Side Three of Electric Ladyland, which I consider the greatest stretch of guitar on record. However, one still listens with mouth open to many songs on the album. “Spanish Castle Magic” and “If 6 Was 9” feature slamming power chords, while many songs, such as “Up From the Skies” contain a loose jazzier style of playing. The tender and restrained guitar work of “The Wind Cries Mary” surfaced several times, most famously on “Little Wing”, and the exquisite “Castles Made of Sand.” The title track follows the same path before exploding into some of Hendrix’s best soaring guitar work. Hendrix is unique in that his songs do not fit neatly into hard rock, blues, funk, garage or heavy metal. He foreshadows many of those styles, but he possesses a control and inventiveness that escaped other guitar players. His sonic presentation, some credit has to go to engineer Eddie Kramer, sets him apart. Most importantly, while flashy, Hendrix had an undefinable tone that injected emotion into even the most spacey and power chord tracks. The album filler of “Wait Until Tomorrow”, “Little Miss Lover” and Noel Redding’s “She’s So Fine” are perfectly acceptable 1960s psychedelic pop, but similar songs on Are You Experienced? and Electric Ladyland present better versions of these deep cuts.
чилл
Se não fosse a produção bacana e o Jimi Hendrix, esse album só seria um album meio ok. Mas não é o caso, só guitarrada ! A letra é ok, Bateria é ok, Baixo é ok, Guitarra é LENDÁRIA. Dificil avaliar.
I really love this record, what surprised me so much about this was how psyche it was which I mean look at the cover and you would say duh, but my experience with Jimi before this was more in a hard rock context than psyche so it was a pleasant surprise. The album as a whole is very solid but the standout tracks for me little wing and castles made of sand really elevate this to being one of my favorites from the period. Jimi has this great voice to him that is perfect for the style he is playing and the band together just meshes so well which I feel is really evident on she's so fine. Great LP!!! Fav tracks: Spanish castle music, Little wing, Castles made of sand, She's so fine, and bold as love
Opened super strong and remained consistent the whole way through. Standout tracks were Little Wing and If 6 was 9. Despite being next to each other on the album they had totally different vibes. The shifting of the sounds around the listener in Castles Made of Sand was sick
I wish I could give this a 4.5. Thought so much about giving it a 5. The track Bold as Love deserves the 5 starts just by itself. Castles made of sand and if 6 was 9 were also favorites but by a long shot my favorite is Bold as Love.
Axis: Bold As Love is just an incredibly colorful, fully realised psychedelic trip. It feels like such a huge step up in songwriting and studio experimentation from his debut. Some people might say it gets overshadowed by his other big records or that the jams get a bit self-indulgent, but I honestly think this is his most melodic and balanced album. The versatility here is just mind-blowing. It swings effortlessly from the heavy, proto-metal riffs of "Spanish Castle Magic" and the funky chaos of "If 6 Was 9" right into the beautiful, soulful vibes of "Little Wing" and "Castles Made of Sand". Sure, some might see the weird "EXP" intro or Noel Redding’s vocal track as a bit of filler, but that barely touches the overall magic. It’s a perfect 40-minute masterclass that shows Hendrix wasn't just a guitar god, but a straight-up visionary artist.
Genre defining album, minimal filler, and at least 3 absolute classics. Pushed from 4 to 4.5 because this album was on my weekly rotation in high school, but rounding down all the same.
I revisited this album months ago and it really hit for me, and this time around it kinda didn't. Hendrix is in his own category...genius visionary and not always the most listenable or tuneful artist. I'll go 3.5 and round up because "Little Wing" is one of the best songs ever, and somehow "If 6 Was 9" is 60 years old and STILL sounds like the future
guitar good
There's not a lot I can add to the discourse on Hendrix. I've listened to this a fair few times over the years and it remains my least fave of his three albums. That's not so say that it's by any means bad, it perhaps lacks some of the stand out moments of his other two and has never grabbed me in the same way, but there remains a lot of quality here.
Agora estamos conversando. Gosto muito da energia dele, tem umas 3 músicas nesse álbum que eu curto. Little Miss Lover tem um baixo que lembra umas músicas do Bully, foi nostálgico huahuahua. Muito bom, qualidade foda, vai na alma essas músicas.
Hendrix voice for some reason is so soothing… And the guitar carries on the soothing sound with it. Amazing!
He was so effortless, how did he do it?! 4.5/5
Great
An album that drives home the point that he wasn't just a great musician, he also had a stellar band. I'm not sure we really need this many Hendrix albums here, but this is great nevertheless.
Coming into this I definitely don't know the music of Jimi Hendrix as much as I should -- just familiar with some of his big songs like Hey Joe and Purple Haze. And after listening to this I can see why he is considered a legend. In high school I went through a Led Zeppelin phase in which I got really into them and bought all of their music on CDs. The thing that made Zeppelin special to me was how Jimmy Page was able to use the guitar as a true vehicle of expression and do it in many different ways. Listening to this, Hendrix was clearly an inspiration. The way that he is able to evoke so many different sounds and express different ideas and emotions is really incredible. Speaking of Zeppelin, I noticed that the lyrics of If 6 was 9 are REALLY similar to Thank You off the Led Zeppelin 2 album that will come a few years later. The other thing that struck me is the diversity of styles Hendrix is able to create seemingly effortlessly. Almost nothing on this album sounds like the Hendrix songs that I usually think of. One Rainy Wish is one such song that I really enjoy. Little Wing is another highlight along with Spanish Castle Magic and Castles Made of Sand. This is easily a high 4 pushing 5, and I'm sure that I will be listening to this more in the future.
The album between the ones which I expected to be my introduction to Jimi, but I can’t complain about this one. So much talent oozing out of every aspect, from the guitar, of course, but also the voice, diverisity of sounds, and lyrics. So well done all-around, so many enjoyable, groovy tracks, great stuff. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: Little Wing, Spanish Castle Magic
After listening: -> What a talented musician and iconic voice. Some of that guitar is so so good. I have my favorites songs but this is solid from top to bottom. Won't likely reach for this album but I'd never complain if somebody had this playing. Bumped this up from 3 to 4 by midday and secured that with one final Friday night run through. Did not expect to enjoy this so much. Track ranking: Bold Wish Wait Sand Spanish Little 6-9 Floatin Telling Fine Wing Skies Exp
This isn't quite peak Jimi for me but still really good
I'm not a big fan of Jimi Hendrix. I hear the enormous talent, but I don't love how music usually. This album really threw me for a loop. It was a really good listen. I really enjoyed the presentation. The songs are short, so the album doesn't feel like a slog to get through. And I enjoyed the studio effects of hard panning Jimi's vocals to one side on a few tracks.
Fuck yeahh
funkyyyy jimi hendrix s wel echt goed
Classic shredding.
This would benefit from being remastered!
Has my favorite 2 Jimi songs on it and really not much weak stuff. 4.5/5
Det va helt ok, men æ blir nok aldri Jimi Hendrix’ største fan.
Funny that I get 2 out of 3 Hendrix albums in this project so close together. Wonder if I’ll get the third one within the next week or so. Strangely, I think I liked the overall vibe of this one more than Are You Experienced
Not Jimi's best album, but still outstanding all around. 4/5.
See Jimi, immediately get excited. Listen to EPX and wonder what people must have thought when they first got the album in 1967. Rock out to the rest. Great album.
a little unkempt but banger alert
Complex but not inaccessible. A fun time.
It was pretty fun I enjoyed it
really good, but 'are you experienced?' is miiiiles better, sorry. luv jimi hendrix tho
Excellent album with some lesser known but still great songs. His guitar work is outstanding of course but his vocals are also very good on this album. It's amazing and very innovative for the time it came out. Interesting to compare to other works from this year, It clearly stands out as unique and brilliant.
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-jimi-hendrix-experience/axis-bold-as-love/ The guitar playing is obviously amazing, but most of the songs themselves are not super interesting to me. Not bad at all, just not as cool as I expected.
Great Songs: Wait Until Tomorrow, Ain't No Telling, Little Wing, Castles Made of Sand Good Songs: EXP, Up from the Skies, If 6 Was 9, YOu Got Me Floatin', She's So Fine, One Rainy Wish, Bold As Love Mid Songs: Spanish Castle Magic, Little Miss Lover Bad Songs:
My first Jimi Hendrix! Clearly made with a lot of love and undeniable talent, Axis was a strong album with bit hits, but also a few songs that dragged. Still- great album overall.
My POP had all the Hendrix vinyl an ex-hippie rocker could buy throughout the 1960s and 1970s as well as many CD versions in the 80s and 90s, but he slowed down as the re-issues and "new discoveries" got more niche. All of that is to say that when I started picking through his record collection for things to try, I had my choice of Jimi albums. The records on the 1001 are the standard — Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold As Love, and Electric Ladyland. And, maybe this is all that we need on a list like this, but my favorite album is still Band of Gypsys. Maybe that name hasn't aged so well, but the infusion of more funk and R&B rhythms Jimi's guitar wails over suits me better. Not that I don't like the jazzy pitter-pat that is Mitchell's tendency. But I used to play that first side of POP's Band of Gypsys record repeatedly — the politically crisp, D-tuned Machine Gun slays. And, what does that say about Axis: Bold as Love? It's my least favorite Hendrix record and that's okay. It's a heap of psychedelic guitar wizardry and songcraft that's both earthy and spacey, with Jimi's casual baritone guiding you on your journey through the album. Little Wing, If 6 Was 9, Castles Made of Sand and more are classics for a reason.
I mean, he's incredible. I'm really surprised it took almost 200 days to get a Hendrix album. This has a few iconic songs, a few I hadn't heard but really love, and a few where it's clear he's just noodling. Love it
It’s Jimi.
Jimi Hendrix yhtyeineen ehti julkaista toisen albuminsa vielä samana vuonna kuin debyyttinsä. Axis: Bold as Love on erittäin onnistunut seuraaja, ja vieläkin psykedeelisempi. Kuitenkaan ihan kaikki biisit eivät ole ikimuistoisia, mutta monta hienoa klassikkoa tältäkin levyltä löytyy. Myös basisti Noel Redding pääsee laulamaan yhden kappaleen.
Essential Hendrix! Such a cool trippy vibe seemingly effortlessly cool even without any really big hits.
Alternations in rhythm and overall song.
Panning is sick Spanish castle magic rocks Every songs fading is kinda lame Better listening to songs individually rather than all through at once
I greatly enjoy this album but I always forget about it until a random thought pops it back into my head. The guitar playing skills are on display and make Hendrix sound amazing.
A pretty good album, a few song were just not my type of sound that's it. Rst of the songs total bangers
Muy bueno!
Hendrix is the GOAT and this album is great. Just knocking it a star because it's not Hendrix's best album and it's a little quirky not perfectly consistent....also like are these songs? Or maybe just guitar noises/jams. Idk. Still loved it. Album art is incredible too
stærkt album lyttede til det første gang da det blev anbefalet af SEb. Synes bare jimi hendrix er en af de kunstnere hvor man ikke kan gå galt i byen.
This shit good as hell. Not sure how to rank albums like this, because there are two albums that have done this sound better than this album, but they're the ones that overlap it in the artist's discography. If I didn't have Experienced or Ladyland to listen to, I would be spinning this shit constantly. Honestly, over the course of this review, I have talked myself into giving it a 4. Finished it and went, that shit good as hell. When I finished Exodus and Paranoid the past two days, I immediately had to relisten to them both. Standout Tracks: Wait Until Tomorrow, Little Wing, whatever the drums are doing in She's So Fine 4
Trippy and fun. Hendrix is a fiend on that guitar and wholly deserves that reputation as one of the greatest. Never been a huge fan of his singing, but he definitely belongs on this list.
Funky upbeat and cool typical classic Hendrix
NOooooooo I just wrote all my notes in the last box and it didn't save
re bacano, parchado el álbum. me gustó pero no me encantó
Awesome album. Gotta listen to more of Jimi Hendrix, didnt realise the impact he had in such a short time
Jimi's sophomore album is arguably his weirdest album of the 3 it has some of these noise interludes and some pretty eclectic songs. In general I would have to say this is probably my least favourite Hendrix album but it's still really good and definitely fits into his discography. 8/10 Favourite: Spanish Castle Magic Least Favourite: If 6 Was 9
I had Pink Floyd the day before yesterday. Both 1967. Both classified as 'Psychadelic Rock' on the 'must pigeonhole everything' chart. Absolute fucking chalk and cheese. No - not chalk and cheese, more like shit and gold. This album is everything the Pink Floyd offering is not. It's a masterpiece of the genre. Of course the guitar speaks for itself. But a word about the drumming. Fabulous. A guy called Mitch Mitchell. Reminded me a little of Keith Moon. That good. Am I so green that I'd never heard of him? Wow. As an album It's not perfect (a couple of tracks I found a little lazy and boring You Got Me Floating. If 6 were 9) But it's pretty damn good.
Standard Hendrix stuff. Loses a star for the opening track
Really thought I wasn’t going to enjoy this much after the first two songs. Pleased to say things improved a lot after that and I ended up having a good time. Hearing this was a rushed release as well lmao nobody was doing it like this guy.
I’ve only recently listened to Jimi Hendrix, starting with his Are You Experienced? album, one that I quite enjoyed. Unfortunately, the panning on Exp was headache-inducing, and I overall prefer Are You Experienced? It’s still a very solid listen, still psychedelic and electrifying. My favorite tracks were Spanish Castle Magic, Little Wing, and She’s So Fine.
A strong sophomore effort by The Experience. Some really good rhythm and blues numbers. A space song opener. Great playing and engineering by all.
4.75
Solid. Low slung bluesy rock from the master.
Fuck yes Jimi this is so in its own world in the best way possible and has so much versatility to offer with such cool themes and sounds through every song. It’s not exactly my style but some of these songs hit so hard and are truly gas. The ones that I enjoy less are still objectively very well made and the artistic journey is so evident. It is a beautiful thing to listen through.
Raw, exciting, different.
Funky Gives you the same sensations as being on hallucinogenics
I found myself in a bit of a Jimi Hendrix dive these past few days, after only having heard Are You Experienced a couple years ago, and this might be a hot take, but I'm taking Axis: Bold as Love over the debut. Are You Experienced is an achievement and a masterclass in guitar work, with the highlights to back it up. However, I feel like Jimi and the band took their craft and novelty even further with Axis: Bold as Love, making it more concise, structured, and mature. Despite not having the same immediate impact, the tracklist is incredibly consistent, with highs that easily match its predecessor curiously, before listening to the full thing, I recently discovered and have been bumping Little Wing, which is easily one of Jimi's greatest songs. It's one of his shortest tracks, but also arguably the most human moment in his entire discography, as he moves away from the bravado of the debut into something much more fragile. I love the band’s soulful take on psychedelia here and on Castles Made of Sand, but I also dig their exploration of harder rock. The progressions on Spanish Castle Magic almost feel like a precursor to heavy metal. Then there's the title track, which ends the record on a gorgeous climax, with Jimi Hendrix simply giving one of the best guitar solos I've ever heard while I often say this early psychedelic rock/funk has a "ceiling" for me, where the songs can sometimes blend together a little too much, Axis: Bold as Love is an album I see myself returning to often. The tracklist just flows incredibly well, and there's rarely a section where I find myself wandering or getting lost in its psychedelic layers. Considering this record was famously rushed to capitalize on the success of the debut, the fact that it came out arguably better just goes to show the raw talent these men possessed
4/5. This is probably the most overlooked of the three Jimi Hendrix Experience albums. Which is no fault of its own, it’s sandwiched in-between “are you experienced” and “electric ladyland” which are two monumental albums. But this one is still extremely good as well. Some of the best psych rock you could ask for in the ‘60s.
Jimalaya Jim
A master at his craft.
HA what is this intro. Sir! Thrilled for a second Jimi album after he kicked off the project for me. Did I know Jimi existed before across the universe? I hope so. Spanish Castle Magic! Traveling by his dragonfly! WAIT WHAT THE FUCK it’s about a club in DesMoines?! Where he played in high school. Wait wtf is he from Seattle?? How. Did I not know this. Little Wing! If 6 was 9… badass behavior. I wish I understood more to really grasp his impact on guitar. Loved overall. Will never get over how tragically short his career was fuck.
Listened to on my 2.1 channel stereo set up. I was very familiar with Little Wing, one of my fav songs which appears on this album, but I've only ever gave this album a shake one time, years ago. Upon relisten, it really cements what a great piece of work this is. Not to discredit the rhythm section here, especially with Mitch Mitchell on drums, but Jimi's playing and singing really carries this album to soaring heights. Although I didn't find myself attaching to much of the lyrical content, he has such a smooth voice that pairs excellently with his playing, which is just endlessly inventive. Beyond just his knack to rip into licks and solos like second nature, the riffs that carry these tracks are unique and fun, like one of my favorites from this listen "Wait Until Tomorrow". There are some tracks on here that I didn't really grip me, like "She's So Fine" and "Little Miss Lover", but there is an overflowing amount of goodness laid in these tracks, and it's snappy as hell too, most tracks lasting at or just under 3 minutes. Great stuff! Oh yeah, and one of my favorite album covers ever.
Nice
i feel like im in a movie with low stakes but the music makes it more intimadating than it actually is.
some guy on here said slimmy jimi lol
8/10
Este me gustó más que el anterior. Qué álbum. Qué buenos temas, qué bien suena y lo que transmite Jimi. Buenísimo. 8/10
I really like this, it's good some really chill groves and great songwriting. It's a pretty easy going trip into the world of Jimi that is still being replicated today.
Two types of songs- melodic and cacophonic. Listened in the car with goon!
Not really my thing but its hard to deny this is an objectively good album.
Góð, passandi psykadelisk
Three member band of bass, electric guitar and drums. Little Wing and Castles made of Sand stand out. Mitch Mitchell ranked 8 out of 100 best drummers, no doubt. Noel Redding on bass, impressive. Hendrix, well, Hendrix had a style like no other, though I liked Are You Experienced way better. Still remember the day he died, driving around on a Sunday, so high, so sad.
The Little Wing riff may be my favourite guitar riff of all time
second jimi album and he is going up in my vocalist rankings everything i can say feel really redundant, great drums that give a racing track for the supercar that is jimis guitar sound, tape reversed guitar tracks > every other sound the whole album felt like a blink of an eye
classic. growth. experiment. rock.
Nice
gotta love Hendrix’s guitar solos, wish this album included more of those
As I was saying in the review for Electric Ladyland, I am a fan of Hendrix, I am also a guitar player and also born on 27th of November like him. I like this album more than Electric Ladyland. I like that this one is bluesy, groovy, fun and not too long like Electric. Very good songs and great album experience. However, I don't like it as much as Are You Experienced. That one is the best. So this is a 4 for me.
What could he have achieved if he hadn't had to fit all this into 4 short years? Some great songwriting that's surprisingly funky and tender by turns. Before it's time - you can hear how it influenced bands well into the early 70s. Only docked a star for the EXP nonsense. 4*
I like it but not as much as either of his other albums
Just one of the best guitarists ever and one of the best songwriters of his time. Very good. 4/5
Some of psych-rocks first and best right here, and he just didn’t miss. Close to a 5 but not quite, i’d probably give a 5 to electric ladyland though. My standouts are little wing, one rainy wish and bold as love.
Toyed between 4 and a 5. Some great songs but other parts of the album didn't bowl me over
A good listen on the commute. So big hits in terms of Little Wing and Spanish Castle Magic. The rest of the album was good but only for a 4.
With ballad soulful songs like "little wing" to energetic guitar solos in "bold as love" this album has an interesting concept, production ahead of its time and an outstanding vocal performance.
You can never go wrong with a Hendrix Album on your auditory experiences to have before you die and this album does not disappoint on all expected levels. So while this is not the best Hendrix album nor the one I might select it still has much classic Hendrix work like if 6 was 9 and castles made of sand. As with many of the true geniuses you have to wonder did he die leaving everything he had (avoiding the old age tour for money racket) or would there have been so much more Hendrix for all to enjoy? Don't miss this one and listen to the entire collection if you are somehow not familiar with Mr. Jimi Hendrix.
Fantastic album from the master
A lot of great songs
The Experience were always better as a legendary live act than as an album band, but this might have the best hit rate of their short career. Jimi has infused his songwriting with more funk and soul, Mitch Mitchell is let off the leash to power away, and Noel Redding writes a perfect psych pop song for his band mates to groove to. Some of Jimi's most beautiful work is here as well, including "Little Wing", "Castles Made of Sand" and "One Rainy Day". It's not the best picture of Jimi's ferocity but it's the best total picture of his talent he ever put together.
Great album, I think it might actually be better than electric ladyland due its conciseness. Also little wing is a contender for greatest song ever.
Lacks the hits that Jimi is known for but Jimi still melts your face off nonetheless. Bow down 4
Very groovey
Not as many big hits but a cracking selection of tracks on Axis with JH experimenting a bit more with the production. This album is a real grower too.
Best hendrix album probably
Stabilt
Love this album plain and simple
medio psicodélico. Bastante cool. El final de la última canción cine.
Peripherals in Exp go crazy Up From the Skies - Groovy baby Spanish Castle Magic - Guitar, the winds just righttt
Album to get ready to go out on a Friday night to, as well as album to spend a nice Saturday morning to. FUN
Great album, great guitarwork by the legend, sometimes I miss a bit of simple softer melodies on some songs. Overall fantastic. 1. Little Wing 2. Castles Made of Sand 3. Bold as Love
Muy buenas guitarras, ahora entiendo la grandeza de Jimi Hendrix
Me encantó el disco, es una experiencia con todas las letras, me sentí en una viaje de larga distancia. Siempre me fascinó la esencia de Hendrix, y este disco la tiene, los solos son fabulosos y la producción es única.
funky balls
Really good album. All 3 of his albums are very good. I think Electric Ladyland is my favorite though.
Peak Hendrix. Really good listen all the way through
Really enjoyed this all the way through since I didn’t know most of it but it was all enjoyable.
I prefer Are You Experienced but this does have some classic songs on it.
The classic rock continues with an early Jimi Hendrix album. This one is more experimental than his others; lots of noise rock and reverb, and he even lets someone else handle the vocals on a song! Little Wing is the only hit on here, if you could call it that, but every song is solid outside of the intro track. Is this album as good as Are You Experienced? Not at all, but it's still good, and you know the guitar is going to be world-class because c'mon, it's fucking Hendrix. 4/5
Discazo, aunque tampoco para un 5, pero casi
Very awesome guy
4/5 damn this shit is crazy
After having visited the castle made of sand that Hendrix was supposedly referring to, it's fitting that I listened to this album. It is groovy, funky with some great melodies and lyrics. Hendrix has got it all. Favourites: Spanish Castle Magic Wait Until Tomorrow If 6 Was 9 Castles Made of Sand
I always thought that Jimi Hendrix might be too hippie or the sound would be too distorted, but I think it’s a really well balanced and implemented distortion. It’s enough to give you that spacey feeling but not so much you can’t even connect to it. All the instrumental elements come together well with some quality soulful vocals. Not really a bad song on here (I’m not counting Exp), maybe some do sound a bit samey but think still good enough on their own, particular songs that did stand out to me were ‘Spanish castle magic’, ‘Little Wing’ and ‘Bold as love’. Overall, I just found the album to be a pretty enjoyable listen and made me want to check out more of Hendrix’s stuff. I feel as though Hendrix’s influence is something of notability and having an album of his on the list is very deserving.
the drums are the best fucking part
Man, it's pretty amazing how full of a sound Jimi was getting back during a time when a lot of psychedelic music was thin and tinny as hell. I normally rail against psychedelic rock, but here it works because of the great production and the general energy he has going here. Also helps the song writing is top notch and Mitch Mitchell's amazing drumming. Entire album of great songs. Spanish Castle Magic, Little Wing, If 6 Was 9, Castles Made of Sand, Bold as Love, etc. etc. etc. Classic.
The good stuff Best Song: Wings Rating: 8.5/10 Stars: 4
Some absolutely great song here, and a fun and varied album start to finish. Maybe a little over rated to me, but solid none the less.
Jimi, indeed. Wave your freak flag high!
Good…not the best.
Very good once it gets going. Unpolished.
Hendrix was unavoidable for me as a subscriber of multiple guitar magazines in the early 90s - which I must say those magazines were huge in developing my guitar playing. I had a dubbed cassette of Are You Experienced from the public library which I listened to a ton, and which also sort of doubles as a Jimi Greatest Hits album. Never listened to this, but it's great even if it doesn't have the hits of the first album.
Not sure if it's just my imagination, but I feel like people don't really talk about Jimi Hendrix very much these days. I used to listen to him a fair amount in my teen years, but I probably haven't done so for a few decades. He still sounds great...amazing voice, amazing sound. I don't expect a sudden renewed interest in listening to Jimi, but I enjoyed this.
Yup
A part le premier son excellent
d e ju Hendrix föfan
Stop romanticizing people who squander otherworldly talent on drugs!
чувственная качественная музыка с приятным инструменталом, немного не мое, но сомнений нет, что это хорошо.
This was excellent! Groovy and psychedelic. The hard panning was a little obnoxious in headphones, but I’m not docking any stars for that. 8/10 Most Excellent
Goooood grooves! Interesting sounds, I liked the album a whole lot. I like the weird interview thing at the beginning. I’d totally listen to this again I really liked it
I really liked this album. There’s a reason Jimi Hendrix is a classic
Electric Ladyland is the better album, but this is still great
Great guitar skills and music
When radio stations play classic rock, why cant they play actually interesting stuff like this
Bold as Love, Bold as Ever I've always been a big fan of Hendrix, and this wasn't my first time listening to this album, with some of my favourites on this one in particular. The production sounds great, especially considering when it came out. The drums are clean, the band sounds tight, and nothing feels messy. It’s psychedelic, but it never turns into a jam that loses you halfway through. It’s colourful without being chaotic. It’s just a really solid psychedelic rock album. One I’ve gone back to before, and one I’ll keep going back to. That probably says more than anything else. 4.35/5
Axis: Bold As Love (1967) is the second studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Last week I reviewed their third album, Electric Ladyland. I’m rating both four out of five stars, but I enjoyed Axis: Bold As Love more as I thought it was more consistent with less extended noodling, but also without the standout five star tracks like ‘All Along the Watchtower’. Apparently they began recording Axis in May 1967, the same month as they released their debut album. They followed up with Electric Ladyland the next year. Jimi was still only 25 at that point and had he not sadly passed away a couple of short years later, these albums would have been considered his early career offerings instead of his legacy. When I think of myself at that age, struggling to cope with the basics of life, it seems meaningless for me to put a star rating on these albums at all, but there you go, that’s what I’ve signed up to. I’d happily listen to this album again and again, and maybe over time the four star will become the five it probably deserves. Side A: 1. EXP - -/5 2. Up From the Skies - 3/5 3. Spanish Castle Magic - 4/5; 4. Wait Until Tomorrow - 3/5 5. Ain’t No Telling - 4/5; 6. Little Wing - 4/5 7. If Six Was Nine - 3/5 Side B: 1. You’ve Got Me Floating - 4/5 2. Castles Made of Sand - 5/5 3. She’s So Fine- 3/5; 4. One Rainy Wish - 4/5; 5. Little Miss Lover - 3/5 6. Bold As Love - 4/5
Tasty nuggets of psychedelia baked to sonic perfection. The shredding is vintage Hendrix, of course, but I was especially knocked out by the drums which are very Keith Moon-like and fit the songs perfectly. The first song, "EXP," was fairly annoying with its in and out, left and right thing but, after that, I loved it. These guys were tight and may have been the best band of the psychedelic era.
Super loose and breezy psych fun. While Hendrix absolutely shreds like always, the star of the show for me has to be Mitch Mitchell on drums on this one. Almost Ringo-like fills, but plays like Ringo with zero inhibitions and inevitably way more talent. A fun dip into some chaotic 60s rock
Interesting!!!
Had to listen to it a second time. Was better for some reason. Jimi was a shredder.
A lungo il mio album preferito tra tutti, ha ancora parte del suo gran fascino <3
4 - One of the greatest of all time and I do adore Jimi and love him as a person (from what I know) almost more than his music. Fav songs: Up From The Skies // Little Wing // Castles Made of Sand // One Rainy Wish
Faves: . Wait Until Tomorrow (love) . Little Wing (love) . If 6 Was 9 . You Got Me Floatin' (love) . Castles Made of Sand (love) . She's So Fine (using different vocals changed everything) . One Rainy Wish . Bold As Love 8/10
Not bad, but not as iconic as "Are You Experienced". Still... Hendricks.
Not his best album but still really good. 8/10
Она трется об моего джимми
Listened to in half in the am. Mimi was a freak. Amazing that he was able to become a pop artist with such a shocking new sound. Amazing he was able to find musicians to keep up. Worst voice and phrasing.
Way trippier than I expected somehow, but still coherent. Had a few skippable tracks, but the album was absolutely made as a whole piece, instead of smashing in a few tracks around the radio singles
It's a little difficult to give this album a fair shake. Are You Experienced, its predecessor, is one of the greatest albums of all time. Axis is by no means bad, but... really, how can you possibly follow that debut? Even if you make something really good, the distinction will seem huge. And this album is actually really good. All of the songs showcase Jimi's talent in different ways, plus there's one written by another of the band's members (and I do love a collaborative effort). Little Wing is somehow beautiful and tragic sounding, yet I wish it were longer each time I hear it. I wasn't as familiar with many of the other tracks, except Bold As Love. What a way to end it, going on an interesting (introspective?) journey of emotions. Really, Jimi, you are the rainbow. I also like that they changed things up a bit from Experienced. It had an alien-contact intro, it had funky moments, it had some deep themes all in it. It still had the bluesy rock sound and guitar-driven feel from the band, but it took them to different places and used them in different ways. While I didn't love them all, each track had a lot to like. Unfortunately, Axis really just isn't as good as AYE to me. As much as I enjoyed this one, it still felt like a step down. I think I need to listen to it again and separate the two better in order to be more objective. As it stands now, I appreciate it for being a really good album even if it's not up to the level of greatness as their debut. Overall: 4.1/5
I often forget how much I appreciate Jimi Hendrix's work. I always refer to Axis: Bold As Love with fondness but over the years I've overlooked how solid of an album it is. Castles Made Of Sand has long been a personal Hendrix favorite, and I've always loved Little Wing and Sand Castle Magic. I expected these would have been singles as they are a couple of the tracks that I've heard outside of the album but was surprised this wasn't the case. The rest of the album features some really pleasant deeper cuts that hold up far better than I remembered. I feel like the other albums get more attention but I think Axis: Bold As Love might be when Jimi was at his peak as it featured a more balanced attack where he was still exploring different areas but not getting too far down experimental hole. The songwriting is tight, clean and effective pretty much from start to finish. I love some of the long-form Jimi Hendrix jams that are missing on this album, but I know they aren't for everyone, and Axis really just brings 40 minutes of solid tracks in a nice package. I've said it before but Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding are slept on as backing musicians. Jimi has always been lauded for his guitar work and gets all the attention but the other 2 are no slouches being carried. Despite some of the shorter track lengths Jimi's signature guitar work is sprinkled throughout the songs. The tone on his guitar is really clean on this one and cuts so nicely when he decides to ramp it up at times. To echo prior reviews, something about Jimi's vocals are so endearing. They have a softness to the melody that almost act as another instrument intertwined with the band. Jimi's vocals really elevate the music which is most clearly evident on She's So Fine featuring Redding on vocals. It's not a bad song on its own merit, but pales compared to the rest of the album due to its lack of Jimi on the mic. He's a gypsy poet and his signature/style has always resonated with me. Even as a known Hendrix fan, I was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed this listen to Axis: Bold As Love. 3.58 stars
I’m sure this was revolutionary when it came out.
7/10
There's just so much raw talent in these songs. Not only in the guitar playing (which, of course, is amazing), but in the other instruments, the production, the lyrics, the melodies... Everything just complements one another so well. I love the effect of the reversed guitar solos on songs like "Castles Made Of Sand" and the crazy panning and bass lines on "If 6 Was 9" too. Anyways, what a great record! I have to listen to more Hendrix now. Favorites: Spanish Castle Magic, Little Wing, If 6 Was 9, You Got Me Floatin', One Rainy Wish, Bold As Love
Uneven, probably because they were pumping out jams literally 6 months after their last release, but man, Jimi's playing is inimitable and still sounds so fresh. Probably their weakest release, but still a nice, groovy listen.
This has been one of the hardest albums for me to give a rating the highes in this album in more way than one are the story of this album. The first track is a travesty to music and the second is only a little better, but man Spanish castle magic, wait until tomorrow, little wing, you got me floating, castles made of sand and one rainy wish are ineradicable. You can see what this transition is and that it helps change music, but I still come away feeling its just slightly short of 5 stars.
I hadn't listened to this one before - it's exactly what I thought it would be (in a good way). Loads of creative playing and some trippy studio trickery too. Good fun. None of JH's most recognisable tracks and nothing to surpass them but sounds great nonetheless.
sounds way ahead of its time. Clearly influential record. I hear some Jack Johnson in 'Castles made of sand'
Jimi Hendrix is obviously a GOAT. this album is chocked full of great songs too, if 6 was 9, little wing, castles made of sand, bold as love, spanish castle magic. stellar album all around.
Damn! Jimi Hendrix Rocks! Never really listened to him before, but I get the hype now.
4/5 Expoente de uma era e altamente influente.
3.92 Castles Made Of Sand & Spanish Castle Magic
I mean, it's Jimi. Love.
Produced with a lot of depth to the sound. Definitely enjoyable but somehow didn't knock my socks off like I expected from such a vaunted album.
Jimi my shaylah why tf would they recommend your worst album for the first day (I may be traumatised from trying to learn Little Wing)
While not quite as innovative as some of Hendrix's other material, Axis is a stellar example of boundary-breaking guitar. It's easy to hear the seeds that were planted for so many guitarists and songwriters in the decades to come. Favorite tracks: "Little Wing", "If 6 Was 9", "Castles Made of Sand"
Intriguing second effort from Hendrix. Features him moving more into the psychedelic realm with some of his efforts and embracing a little more funk, but not quite ready to give up the all-out rock that first gave him success. The album has to grow on you, but it's worth the effort.
The intro was a bit pretentious, but after that it’s just lovely psychedelic wavey guitars, fantastic drumming and laid back melodies. Lovely to listen to after a few beers, I imagine. Please, give me another good one tomorrow as a birthday treat… 8.5/10
I've never been the biggest fan of Hendrix' work, but this album is stunning, I really enjoyed it. 'Castles Made Of Glass' and 'Little Wing' are stunning!
EXP - A very brash opening track, immediately captures the listeners attention with very strange voices and heavy distortion and panning. Up From The Skies - Heavy wah-wah emphasized on a funky, grooving beat, early frontrunner for best song? Spanish Castle Magic - A harsh switch from the funk of the previous track, this track blasts you with the hard rock blues one would expect from one of the most iconic guitarists of all time. Wait Until Tomorrow - This track brings the album back to the funk side of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, with an infectious guitar riff and a beat absolutely carried along by Mitch Mitchell's drumming ability. Ain't No Telling - Just before you can settle back into the more relaxed grooves, this quick track hits with pure electricity. Very fun lyrics going along with a snappy instrumental. Little Wing - From the use of the glockenspiel, to Hendrix's singing, this rock ballad manages to both fly by and keep listeners hooked onto every last note. If 6 Was 9 - The final track of Side One, longest track of the album and one of the most iconic tracks from the Jimi Hendrix experience. This powerful, politically charged track is a perfect product of its time with its references to the "hippies" and "white-collared conservatives" of the 60s. In the wake of Hendrix's unfortunate passing in 1970, the line "I'm the one that's gonna have to die when it's time for me to die, So let me live my life the way I want to" is both ominous and freeing, a perfect final line before the brilliant instrumental ending to cap off the first side of the album. You Got Me Floatin' - This track is unfortunately sandwiched between the powerful If 6 Was 9 and the fantastic Castles Made of Sand. As a result, it's possibly one of the more forgotten and skippable tracks of the album. Castles Made of Sand - One of the best songs of the album from a lyrical standpoint, Hendrix takes the audience on a journey through a remarkable and at times dark story with an underlying message about nothing lasting forever, life being just one big castle made of sand that eventually gets washed away. She's So Fine - Possible frontrunner for best guitar solo of the album. Carries an otherwise so-so song in its lyrical writing. One Rainy Wish - Absolute beauty in the form of music. A song that starts slow, soulful and dreamlike before hitting with the exact hard rock contrast that this album has provided alongside it's soft grooves. The song ends up having a surprisingly experimental breakdown during its ending, which benefits the overall dreamlike wonderment presented from the beginning. Little Miss Lover - Another by the numbers Jimi Hendrix Experience track, but one that manages to fit in better than You Got Me Floatin' could. Overall enjoyable, but not one to write much on. Bold as Love - The final track and part title track, it emphasizes all the strengths previously heard in the entire album. Rocking riffs and powerful drums contrasted with slow, methodical spaces to let each note hang and breathe, before a hard switch into a beautiful psychedelic solo sees the album out in a way that mirrors the opening track. Overall thoughts - This album is without a doubt a must listen to and a quick one as well. Listeners will get lost in the masterful grooves and lyrical whimsy of one of the greatest musicians taken from us way too soon. Of course, this album would not be complete without the contributions of Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell who helped fill in instrumentally where Hendrix may not have been able to lyrically, helping complete the album to be the psychedelic wonder it has no doubt been recognized as. Fly high, James.
Un classique
B+
Such a timeless sound, really great listen :)
so much fun!!! i loved it a lot. something like a 4.5. groovy
really liked this
7.5/10 - A really strong psych rock record. He is one of the earliest in the genre and there is a good reason he is still the poster child for it.
It's not my favorite Jimi Hendrix album, but it's still one of the strongest in the genre. 8/10
Sloppy, sweet, varied, unique.