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Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

1968

Buy At Rough Trade
Electric Ladyland
Album Summary

Electric Ladyland is the third and final studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the final studio album released in Hendrix's lifetime before his death in 1970. Released by Reprise Records in North America on October 16, 1968, and by Track Records in the UK nine days later, the double album was the only record from the band produced by Hendrix. By mid-November, it had charted at number one in the US, where it spent two weeks at the top spot. Electric Ladyland was the Experience's most commercially successful release and their only number one album. It peaked at number six in the UK, where it spent 12 weeks on the chart. Electric Ladyland included a cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower", which became the Experience's best-selling single, peaking at number six in the UK and 20 in the US. Although the album confounded critics in 1968, it has since been viewed as Hendrix's best work and one of the greatest rock records of all time. Electric Ladyland has been featured on many greatest-album lists, including Q magazine's 2003 list of the 100 greatest albums and Rolling Stone's 2020 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, on which it was ranked 53rd.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.95

Votes

16169

Genres

  • Rock
  • Hard Rock
  • Psychedelic Rock

Reviews

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Mar 28 2021
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4

I love Jimi Hendrix on so many levels. However I do think this album suffers from being a bit unfocused due to its length. Love many individual tracks and the psychedelic effects in the production. Love the way certain tracks flow into one another. This may sound crazy but I actually prefer something like the wandering soundscapey "1983" to something like the bluesy "Voodoo Chile" - Its funny cause if they were played live I'd probably prefer it the other way around, but on record (especially on headphones) I lean towards the more experimental, and the face melters don't do as much for me. One of my first CDs was a Jimi Hendrix compilation so many of these songs run deep with me due to nostalgia.

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Jul 17 2023
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3

I thought I really liked Jimi Hendrix but it turns out I really like The Best Of Jimi Hendrix. There’s some sublime stuff here but it’s buried under endless jazzy noodling.

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Mar 11 2022
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2

Look, we all know Jimi Hendrix is a rock god and his contributions to guitar are legendary, but this album is meandering and a bore. Boy, does it end strong, though! All Along the Watchtower and Voodoo Child (Slight Return) are a monstrous one-two punch.

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Mar 17 2021
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5

It's going to be a bit difficult for me to review this record impartially. I was around when it came out and I pretty much accepted it as a masterpiece along with the rest of the world at the time, but here goes. ...And the Gods Made Love starts out the album with some primitive slowed down speech, flanging, stereo effects and the like, but even here, a high level of artistry and imagination is apparent. The first proper song, Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland) blends rock, soul, and psychedelia seamlessly, with a flowing melody and changes which are as surprising as the seem inevitable. Cross Town Traffic gives us a jolt of pure pop. The low tech and inspired use of a comb and a piece of cellophane provides the vocal effects. Hendrix and Stevie Winwood (on organ) provide a master class in electrifying the blues on Voodoo Child that hasn't been approached, much less equalled since. I'm also amazed by how the musicians, seemingly communicating telepathically, improvise much of the music, building and building the drama and intensity throughout the 15 minute run time, without a wasted second. Hendrix's phrasing and tone are phenomenal on this live in the studio track, and Winwood comes close to matching him. Finally, with Little Miss Strange, we get a tune which is merely very good. Noel Redding's lead vocals are a little wimpy here, but it's a charming tune nonetheless. With Long Hot Summer Night, Hendrix is back to combining soul and rock in his unique way. Don't let the ease with which it goes down blind you to the complexity and taste of the composition and arrangement. Come On (Let The Good Times Roll) is a straightforward blues tune, good but nothing special. Hey, they can't all be great! Gipsey Eyes and Burning of the Midnight Lamp are accessible but wholly original, a neat trick. Midnight Lamp features Hendrix's mastery of the wah-wah pedal. The next suite, which took up a whole album side in the days of vinyl, gives us a demonstration of Hendrix's studio wizardry. It's been a long time since I've listened to this album. I've forgotten how effortless and soulful Hendrix was as a singer, composer and guitarist. Rainy Day, Dream Away gives us a stoned paean to rainy days, which drifts into the groove of the lyrics on 1983...(A Mermaid I Should Turn Out To Be). It meanders with a purpose, if that makes sense. It's blissed out meditation, pure music. I could go on, but I think y'all get the point. I haven't even talked about the incredible tango psychedelic rock hybrid House Burning Down or the definitive version of Dylan's All Along the Watchtower, the album's big hit yet. I don't know what drugs Hendrix was taking, but I want some! He does more with a primitive studio, standard rock trio instrumentation, and an occasional sax or organ than almost anyone has since, and this without the benefit of anyone blazing his path for him! The studio trickery, his approach to the guitar, his arrangements, all of it is unique to him! And he reached these heights in a scant few years! Electric Ladyland is more flat out astonishing with the benefit of 50 years of hindsight than it was at the time and that is saying something. 5 out of 5.

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Feb 27 2021
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4

Day 40 of Albums You Must Hear Before You Die!! Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. In the last week or so, I’ve been able to discuss so many iconic artists in music. Some I know more about than others before hearing their records, but the ones that really leave a lasting impression on the culture are the ones that follow their own intuition, the ones that fight to take their deserved spot at the top of the hill, and the ones that are self made and aren’t willing to negotiate one single bit when it comes to their vision. Jimi Hendrix paid his dues by making other amazing artists sound even better. Before he was Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy James played for legendary acts such as, The Isley Brothers, Ike and Tina, Sam Cooke and Little Richard. His flashy and flamboyant ways would sometimes infuriate the stars of these acts (Little Richard), and it became more and more evident that Jimmy James was meant to become Jimi Hendrix and blaze his own trail, like a shooting comet in the sky. Jimi Hendrix is as pure of a blues guitarist as you can get. He made a reputation for himself by playing his Stratocaster electric guitar unlike anyone else, as if he was possessed by his instrument and was just a mere medium used to convey messages from another realm. Before Hendrix, amplifier feedback, fuzz and distortion was unwanted and frowned upon, he would however, use these sounds to convey even more emotion into his instrumentation. He also played his guitar upside down (he was left handed), he would play with his teeth and behind his back. When Jimi would go off on a long solo, he would close his eyes and seem to drift away into the music. This may be because he couldn’t read music, and instead of identifying musical notes on a sheet of paper, he saw the notes as colors in his head. I love that. Electric Ladyland would be Hendrix’s final album before his premature death in 1970. It’s a double LP and would be his most successful album of his very short career, and would reach the number one spot. Have You Ever Been To Electric Ladyland is an R&B introduction into his final experience. Crosstown traffic is one of my favorites on this album, with its upbeat tempo and unique riff. There are two completely different versions of Voodoo Chile, the second of which is much more known and a little bit better, but they are both great. Long Hot Summer Night is smooth and cooler than a polar bears toenails. House Burning Down is a great example of Jimi’s guitar being its own member of the band, it’s as if the instrument is singing its own lyrics. All Along the Watchtower is probably the most well known of all tracks on the record, and is another example of a Bob Dylan song being made better by someone else. Watchtower is one of the most iconic 60’s songs ever, and if there is a film or show about the war in Vietnam, you can bet your ass that this song is in there somewhere. Now, to be honest and fair, I do feel that this album is a little bloated in places and there a few songs that I didn’t particularly fall in love with. With that said, this is a must hear for sure, and a classic without doubt. I have to admit, I did not go into this album knowing a ton about Jimi Hendrix or his life. I found for myself a deeper appreciation for him, because he made his own way, and had fate not intervened, the possibilities of his potential were endless. I’m sure there were no shortage of people who attempted to discourage his desire of being his own man and fronting his own band. Some of the best artists to ever create, spend their lives being the back up to another person’s act, and live out their lives relatively unknown. If that’s what they want, that’s totally okay, but I tip my hat to those that break the chains that bound their creativity and forge their own path. Please share your thoughts, memories and opinions!!

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Feb 08 2022
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2

I have little patience for 75 minutes of just pointless jamming but this has All Along the Watchtower so it gets two stars.

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Mar 23 2022
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4

Jimi Hendrix on his worst day is still an unchallenged musical legend. That said, "Electric Ladyland" is not his best work. It's a bit of a disconnected mess. At times, the songs seem to lose track of their own melody and wander off into unplanned directions. Despite having some of Hendrix's biggest hits ("Voodoo Child" and "All Along the Watchtower") the overall impression is ... addled. Confused. Unfocused on the music. I suppose this is to be somewhat expected given Hendrix's mental state at the time but it's still a damn shame given his sheer, unbridled talent. It hurts to give this album 4 stars. While "Electric Ladyland" lacks the intensity and fire of "Are You Experienced" it still delivers the goods and absolutely deserves its place on this list. But it's not Hendrix's best work by a long shot and, sadly, it's not quite 5-star material.

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Feb 05 2022
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2

He was obviously extraordinarily talented, but god this album felt like it would never end.

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Jan 31 2021
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5

Fantastic album full of classic Hendrix

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Mar 05 2021
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5

Just. Great. A magnificent example of the breadth of Hendrix's styles and interests. And one of the longer albums on the list so far as well. Worth every minute!

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Sep 24 2024
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5

Normally, I’d give a double album like this one the business for being self-indulgent, overly long and unnecessary….and I won’t lie, it is a bit of those things. Electric Ladyland, for me, is buoyed out of that category because of the relatively small amount of material we got from Jimi Hendrix during his lifetime. Sure, we’ve gotten countless compilations of the material he was working on at the time of his death and plenty of live shows, etc. over the years since his passing, but the fact of the matter is there were only 4 records of original music that he officially released as “Jimi Hendrix” during his lifetime: The three Jimi Hendrix Experience records and the Band of Gypsies live record. So I’ll take as much as I can get, because he is without a doubt the most influential guitarist of all time. Electric Ladyland is bursting at the seams with ideas and sounds that were unlike anything that had been committed to tape at the time. Hendrix was trying to bridge the music in his head with what the technology of 1968 could accommodate and we’re lucky to have this vibrant, electrifying and expansive document of it to take a glimpse into his mind and wonder what else he could have possibly come up with. Electric Ladyland can be scattershot, experimental, overly long and, as I said earlier, a little self indulgent, but isn’t that kind of what you’d expect “genius” to look like?

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Aug 06 2024
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5

Electric Landlady Big Durham vibes. I listened to this a lot back then, and probably over listened to it, as I haven’t felt the urge to revisit it that frequently since then. Which is a shame as it is an absolutely fantastic record. Dense, meandering, abrupt, spooky, exciting, throwaway, melodic, weird, this has everything, all tied together not only by the guitar, but also by Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, and Jimi’s fantastic, laconic, laid back voice. It is definitely unfocused though and you can’t help but think what an amazing record a 12 track single album would be, but I think in the end, rather like the White Album, it’s length and weird corners are what give it its charm, and as an immersive psychedelic rock experience I don’t think it can be bettered. In anyone else’s hands this could be unlistenable, but Jimi manages to tread that line and keep you engaged. Also in modern terms 73 minutes isn't actually that far off many far inferior single albums. The sounds on…And the Gods Made Love have always given me a slight sense of vestibular hyperacusis, but I love how it leads into the laid back charm of Have You Ever Been (to Electric Ladyland). Crosstown traffic is a classic and then I love the astral hippy woo woo bollocks lyrics on Voodoo Chile, as well as, of course, the song itself. Imagine being off your tits in 1968 and putting this psychedelic space blues on the turntable. Little Miss Strange, Long Hot Summer Night and Come On is a great little trio, Long Hot Summer Night’s loping groove is great. Gypsy Eyes has that effortless sounding rhythm and lead playing and great bass playing. And then Burning of the Midnight Lamp is so good, one of my favourite Hendrix songs, absolutely superb with the harpsichord and the choral backing. The jazzy organ and piano on Rainy Day Dream Away gives it a nice feel, a bit of a break from the guitar pyrotechnics and a bit of a breather before 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be), which is also one of my favourite Hendrix songs, an amazing spaced out 60s psychedelic jam. I love the sound effects, backward guitar, shifting times signatures, jazzy bits, flutes and the bass and drums. Great vocal too. It may be 13 minutes long but it is a monumental banger. House Burning Down sounds like it could be on their first album, really great bass and drums. All Along the Watchtower and Voodoo Child get played so much it's easy to tune them out, but they really are superb and rightfully endure. I’ve always loved how the drum pattern matches the opening riff on Voodoo Child and All Along the Watchtower is, obviously superb, really amplifying the old time spookiness of the original. It’s an easy 5, it may be long and slightly unfocused but I love it’s swampy, soupy, hippy vibes and I happily listened through 5 times today, frequently picking up things I’d missed amongst its density. 🧜‍♂️🧜‍♂️🧜‍♂️🧜‍♂️🧜‍♂️ Playlist submission; Voodoo Child (Slight Return) and All Along the Watchtower are the obvious ones, I really love Burning of the Midnight Lamp, but I’ll go 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be).

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May 13 2024
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5

Not my favorite Hendrix album, but still genius. I’ve been listening to this for 30+ years and it’s still incredible. Five stars.

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May 08 2024
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5

Damn. Never listened to one of his album before and I was blown away. I wonder which guitarist can say they haven't been influenced by Jimi Hendrix...

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Apr 23 2024
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5

This is one of the best albums thus far on 1001 albums. It hits hard, beginning to end, though All Along the Watchtower is obviously the most famous one on here (for good reason.) Truly a great album.

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Jul 27 2024
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5

Brilliant. It's a sonic journey and an assault on your ears.

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May 12 2024
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5

Its Jimi Time. Electric Ladyland, by Jimi Hendrix, is fucking fire. Oh my god the guitar could not sound any better. I love the beginning riff on Voodoo Child (Slight Return), it gets me so hype for the outro of the album. In its whole, this album has very little to no flaws. I consider most of these tracks perfect. Talking about perfect, Crosstown Traffic is a top 5 rock song that I have ever heard. Just like Voodoo Child, it features some insane riffs. Along with those tracks, my I also loved Gypsy Eyes. All in all, Electric Ladyland is a perfect album. Best Song: Crosstown Traffic Worst Song: Rainy Day, Dream Away

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Apr 03 2024
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5

Probably the Hendrix album I've listened to the least in full, although clearly chock full of classics and a fair argument for being his absolute best. Hendrix is generally an odd mix - witness the epic, early prog behemoth version of Voodoo Chile dissolve into the relatively straightforward 60s Beatles-esque beat group jangle of Little Miss Strange. He also makes odd decisions sometimes, 1983 could be way more epic but they just stop as it's really taking off on that marching beat. But again, it's 1968. It's REALLY early for this sort of music. And then there's noodling for 6 minutes or something haha. Honestly, it's great. Burning of the Midnight Lamp is just incredible, I've always wished the production was better on the somewhat muddy middle section. I generally consume Jimi via the mixtape my friend made me in the 90s, but if I was going to stick a full album of his on it would be this, nowadays.

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Sep 28 2023
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5

Kind of a pivot from the psych-pop of the Jimi Hendrix Experience to the psych funk of the Band of Gypsies, this album is Hendrix in transition and captures the full range of his powers. Voodoo Chile is an extended jam over a deep base groove with a virtuoso guitar performance while Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) tames the wild exploratory song into a straight-forward rock single, a successor to Purple Haze. The fuzzed out guitar sounds so damn good, even on cheesy tracks like Noel Redding's Little Miss Strange, which has the unfortunate job of following Voodoo Chile. His playing-style -extended pentatonic blues with constant embellishment - remains distinctive despite being universally copied. The solo on Come On is fast and chaotic blues rock guitar taken to its logical conclusion and the wah-pedal wild panning and multi-tracked parts on Rainy Day and Still Raining show how he was incorporating emerging tools into his playing. There's also some late 60s studio experimentation with reverse tape effects, delays, overdubs, and stereo effects features JH as a creative song-writer and recording artist not just an exhilarating performer. The songs don't reach the heights of the Axis album's gems or the perfect pop singles of Are You Experienced, but even so songs like Long Hot Summer Night, Crosstown Traffic, and House Burning Down show his ability to craft a radio-friendly hits. And Watchtower obviously rules. I prefer both the looser live BoG albums that would follow this and the tighter psychedelia and pop songs of the preceding studio albums, but this is far more experimental and has so many unexpected ideas throughout it that it is still an exciting listen.

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Feb 09 2021
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5

There's an easy narrative to identify linking all his previous albums as steps towards this, the realization of all his creative faculties that were previously held back by producers and bad backing musicians. I don't know if it's all that serious. I think he's just having fun with pedals in a way that happens to sound fucking awesome

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Feb 09 2021
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5

Incredible. The two longest songs are exceptional and deserve to be every second as long as they are, not a single track feels like a miss, and Hendrix's cover of "All Along the Watchtower" is phenomenal. 10/10.

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Jan 19 2021
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5

Absolute classic! Love this album so damned much and shmoke to it very often

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Feb 06 2021
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5

A true musical experience. Just all around great album from one of the greatest guitar players ever.

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Mar 31 2021
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5

Easy 5 here. Jimi absolutely must be heard before you die. Great, great album

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May 07 2024
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3

i think i judge single instrument noodley virtuosos on a 2 axis matrix. they're all really good at their thing by definition, so from there it's: are they cool, and are they just technically skilled and making masturbatory music or is there artistry involved so for instance: yngwie malmsteen... one of the least cool people you've ever seen in your life (and also a dickhead), and he's just up there noodling for noodling's sake to prove that he can. your enjoyment and even your presence is irrelevant to him. jimi hendrix, one of the coolest people you've ever seen in your life, and he's pouring himself into it. 0 stars for yngwie malmsteen on principle if he ever pops up on this list, 3 stars for this particular jimi album

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Oct 11 2023
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3

An enjoyable, if unfocused, electric blues dream but very much the average Hendrix fare. Carrying a lot of weight at the end of the album are Voodoo Child (Slight Return) and Hendrix’s cover of All Along The Watchtower - one of only a few covers to become the definitive version. Hearing Watchtower again was quite incredible, it really is a beast of a cover although it’s quality does stand in stark contrast to the rest of the album. I don’t think I’d listen to this again but I’m glad I’ve heard it.

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Jul 10 2023
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3

Yeah yeah i'm the guy who shits in the punchbowl. Mr. iconoclast. Hendrix (Experience) kind of bored me. Bores me. I don't think any of it is bad at all, and it/he is definitely historic for how different it was to most/all rock before it. But I just sat through this album again for the first time in maybe a decade and it was cool but I don't really remember a lot of it. Yeah yeah the big singles <yawn> I mean it's all fine and like what you want and sure Hendrix was a genius but .... ? Do we say this just reflexively? Overall the songs here were/are not.that.good. Aside: I remember discovering Band of Gypsys many years ago and THAT was mind-blowing. So much better. This is a long and meandering album; it's very welcomed in the context of me closing up a long dry spell of borderline-unlistenable albums, but I'm still not walking away from this with chills - many songs start out interesting then don't go anywhere amidst a sea of blues-based wanking. Turning it positive - there's obviously excellent musicianship here and as a guitarist, I appreciate and enjoy Jimi's (still) unique playing. He was the first of his kind, I don't need to go into it you know you know. A+ and I love listening to him play. I just want a few songs that became all time favorites and nothing has ever come close. maybe that's not the point, maybe I'm holding him to a higher standard. Possibly. 3 stars for definite talent that was to that point unfulfilled. It's just too long and without many great or even good songs to latch onto. Notable exception/s are the last 2 songs which are the best tracks on the album; of course one not even being his own ("...Watchtower" then the better/kickass version of "Voodoo Child..."). Double albums have to have some purpose to them, other than throwing everything against the wall and letting it stick. Probably could/should have filtered this down to ~7/8 songs. And maybe some jazzy instrumentals to round it out. Ehhh Band of Gypsys filled that need. 6/10 3 stars.

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May 25 2021
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3

Monsieur se permet de mettre ses plus gros tubes à la toute fin de l'album, comme pour nous signifier de bien aller nous faire foutre. Rien que pour l'attente j'enlève une étoile. Et t'as de la chance d'avoir été un ami de Cat Stevens car dans le cas contraire j'aurais mis 2.

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May 25 2021
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3

Une première mi-temps cataclysmique, néammoins Jimi est revenu des vestiaires avec de bien meilleures intentions. Délaissant sa voix de merde pour se reconcentrer sur ses fondamentaux, à savoir le maniement de la denommée "gratte" comme aime à l'appeler mon compère Robwurt pour se donner un air de guitariste de feu de camp, Jimi enchainera les dribbles chaloupées entre les cordes pour venir arracher la victoire dans le temps additionnel

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Jan 07 2025
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5

9.5/10. Quite simply one of the greatest albums of all time! The Jimi Hendrix Experience lives up to their name; they're an experience!!! :)

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Jan 04 2025
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5

when i first discovered jimi hendrix for myself in middle school, this was the album that really drew me in. i wasn't a fan of the long jams but was really fond of the wailing acid rock guitars. not only is jimi's guitar playing here incredible (of course), the songwriting is great too. songs like 'crosstown traffic,' 'little miss strange,' and 'house burning down' have incredible hooks and get stuck in your head. of course, the bass and drums here are incredible too. as i've gotten older, i've developed a greater appreciation for the longer jammier stuff on here (particularly '1983...'). and of course the big songs - his cover of bob dylan's 'all along the watchtower' is a classic, as well as the ever-present 'voodoo child (slight return)' are heavy hitters that get repeated ad nauseum for a good reason. not only is it one of the best albums of its era, it's just a blast to listen to from front to back.

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Jan 02 2025
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5

The biggest jump in sounds a guitar can make ever. I rocks hard the whole ride.

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Dec 31 2024
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5

Own it. Solid but I prefer are you experienced

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Dec 24 2024
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5

a work of sprawling genius, captivating from start to end, covering soul, rock, and outer space along the way

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Dec 24 2024
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5

All-timer. Favorites: Midnight Lamp, Voodoo Child, All Along the Watchtower, and Electric Ladyland. New Fav: 1983

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Dec 19 2024
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5

Hendrix was truly a master of the guitar. Forgot how long Voodoo Child was (15 minutes!) Never knew that "All Along the Watchtower" was a cover of Bob Dylan's song.

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Dec 16 2024
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5

Un bon 4,5 pour ce classique ! J'arrondis au dessus.

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Dec 16 2024
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5

A bit meandering at times. But overall - just wow.

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Dec 16 2024
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5

Powerful. Rainy Day, Dream Away was a good one I didn't know that well.

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Dec 10 2024
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5

I've heard a lot of Jimi Hendrix my whole life, but I've heard maybe 5% of this album. Thank you 1001 album generator! It's a psychedelic explosion of blues-based rock, and it's so good! All Along The Watchtower has to be the greatest Dylan cover in history. Liked Songs Added: Crosstown Traffic Voodoo Chile Come On (Let The Good Times Roll) Still Raining, Still Dreaming All Along The Watchtower Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

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Dec 09 2024
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5

My first generated album and it's a classic. How do you not groove to this masterpiece? There are some stretches in this album that didn't hold my attention, but none of it was offensive or unbearable, just kind of background filler.

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Nov 29 2024
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5

besides the obvious songs, 1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be) is an absolute banger as well

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Nov 29 2024
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5

This was my first time listening to this in full. But I already knew it was gonna be 5/5. I mean. C’mon.

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Nov 25 2024
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5

Fuck man Jimi is the best guitarist of all time. And this is him just at the top of his powers (almost, personally Are You Experienced is a tad bit better) he just makes sounds only he can make I don't need to tell anyone that though. 9/10

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Nov 25 2024
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5

Oh to be 20 tripping out to this at Woodstock 66. Hendrix is one of my all time favourite musicians and this album is one of his best.

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Nov 25 2024
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5

Over time, Band Of Gypsys has become my favorite Hendrix album but this one is a close second. Lots of studio experimentation here and of course great performances from the band. This album showcases Jimi pushing the boundaries of guitar and rock music while giving the world some of the most iconic songs in his catalog. Easy 5 for me.

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Nov 25 2024
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5

Well, this has a bunch of my favorite Hendrix songs, so this will be an easy 5. There's no need to explain, because Hendrix is basically a legend. Crosstown Traffic and Burning of the Midnight Lamp are my top 2 on this album.

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Nov 25 2024
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5

Another review that was lost somehow . . . Generally, I try to listen to the albums in this project outside of persona or time. Don't know Bowie sang this one wearing a dress? Fine; a good song holds up anyway. With Hendrix--like Prince--the whole of their being is tied into the music they make. Lyrically, instrumentally, even fashionably, Jimi (and Prince) exudes his musical mastery in his very essence. His walk, talk, and life is authentically him; there is no stage persona. There is no man behind the curtain; there is no curtain, and no man. He is powerful, relaxed, intense, calm, all at once, all of the time. And his playing comes through him, so in tune with his instrument that you get a direct connection from his muse to your ears; so embedded is he in his musical expression that you'd almost think he wasn't even there, if not for the fact that his very body is further emanating and resonating with the sound too. Lyrically, he is also descending from the gods to the Earth to give us a glimpse of the cosmos. Not every song is a hit, but every song is him, and they each offer a glimpse of his greatness. You get the feeling that if no one was listening, it would still be as great. This is not for an audience, this is for an expression of self, for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. We're just lucky enough to look in.

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Nov 25 2024
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5

Hard to go wrong with Jimi. He's a top 5 guitarist for me. Innovation, originality, it's all there. This album is not my favorite from him but it is still incredible. He is one of those artists that just hooked me on the first listen. I'm pretty sure I'm actually writing this on his birthday. Nothing sounds like Jimi to me, singing or playing wise. The big standouts on this album are All Along the Watchtower and Voodoo Chile Slight Return. Particularly on Voodoo Chile he sounds like he landed from another planet.

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Nov 23 2024
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5

I didn't enjoy "Are you Experienced" as much as I'd expected. So I started listening to this with some hesitations. And here we are: 5/5.

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Nov 18 2024
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5

Mostly excellent. One of the big names of the sixties that seem consistently good.

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Nov 14 2024
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5

Definitively brilliant. How can so much be packed into one collection? Only the gods know. Hendrix is a genre unto himself. What can an electric guitar do? Jimi knows. He contains multitudes (thanks Walt).

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Nov 14 2024
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5

One of my all-time favorites, so this is an easy 5 for me. I adore every damn second of this thing: the songwriting, the soulfulness, the musicianship, how playful and cool it is. My favorite song is the 15-minute-long gem Voodoo Chile. Four dudes completely mind-melded with each other. The way the tension rises and falls. The interplay between Steve Winwood and Jimi. Mitch's far-out jazz drumming. And it's all held together by Jack Casady's gorgeous bass playing. I wish these guys had formed a band. The suite on side 3 is similarly gorgeous. Such a beautiful, spacey groove. And then it all caps off with All Along the Watchtower and the immortal Voodoo Child (Slight Return). A supreme achievement.

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Nov 14 2024
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5

Jimi has and always will rock me. I love how this album shows so off much of what he loved and how he put his signature twist on those things---the blues (Voodoo Chile), Bob Dylan All Along the Watchtower by Jimi is cataloged as the best cover of all time in my book. SIDENOTE: I will also always see the scene in Whitnail and I when the lads are leaving London for the weekend and this is playing in the background. Worth every licensing pound paid!

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Nov 12 2024
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5

Psychedelic, funky, and bluesy, this album has some of it all. The Dylan cover of "All Along the Watchtower" is a classic and another example of a Dylan tune that sounds better when performed by someone else. "Voodoo Chile (A Slight Return)", has been covered by numerous gutairists. 5 stars easy.

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Nov 04 2024
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5

Solo había escuchado All Along The Watchtower, obviamente, pero el resto del disco la verdad es que es muy bueno. Tan bueno que dura casi 80 minutos y no me he sentido aburrido en ningún momento. Las canciones fluyen bien entre ellas y los elementos psicodélicos hacen que todo el álbum se sienta muy único. Y pensar que todo esto tiene casi 60 pues obviamente tiene más merito aún. 5 estrellas.

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Nov 02 2024
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5

This is an album that should be heard before you die.

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Nov 02 2024
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5

First of all — this is amazing, and proves why we still talk about Hendrix! That being said, double albums are weird. As a marketable product that somebody is paying money for it makes sense. But as a listening experience in the day of streaming they often don't hold up. This album has very few week points, but even someone as brilliant as Hendrix gets tiresome after a while. Still going to give it a 5 — just wanted to philosiphize about music economy on this grey monday morning.

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Oct 25 2024
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5

This album has everything. A double LP that doesn't overstay its welcome. There are memorable songs and riffs for days. Tons of guitar solos as expected too. Memorable hits like Crosstown Traffic, All Along The Watchtower and House Burning Down. Along with that some epic jams that delve into long ass solo's like on 1983 and the Voodoo Child/e's. Only nitpick is that I'm not really a fan of Little Miss Strange, it sounds a bit out of place and doesn't live up to how amazing other songs are. One of the best 60's albums still.

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Oct 24 2024
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5

Maybe a bit long, but so many great tracks on this. Love the variety compared with previous work.

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Oct 23 2024
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5

Just an excuse to listen to my favourite album again. Loved it

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Oct 22 2024
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5

The culmination of a four year streak that is unrivaled. A true guitar god doing his thing.

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Oct 22 2024
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5

I wanted to be Jimi Hendrix when I was young, still do some times. Great great great album! I love Burning of the Midnight Lamp and 1983... and all of them really. I could and I am listening to so many of the releases of takes he did. There is so much. I love it! He's another of my heart songs.

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Oct 18 2024
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5

Great album. Hendrix the magician.

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Oct 15 2024
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5

Must have been insane to hear this back in the 60s, this was the heaviest music in existence until Black Sabbath came along.

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Oct 13 2024
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5

Bloody brilliant. That man really knew how to play a guitar. All Along The Watchtower still slaps

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Oct 11 2024
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5

Favorite guitarist by far and one of my favorite artists. I will never not enjoy listening to Hendrix.

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Oct 11 2024
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5

The first time I heard Hendrix, at maybe 12, I knew I wanted to become an artist of some sort. A mixed blessing in many ways but wouldn’t trade that for anything. Now back to writing my erotic novel in progress.

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Oct 11 2024
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5

Yes, across the board, this was a fantastic listen. Its a classic with so many hits Voodoo Chile is fantastic and maybe better than Voodoo Chile Slight Return. Didnt know about the band experimenting with different producers and how drugged out Brian Jones played on All Along The Watchtower

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Oct 11 2024
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5

I’ll admit that despite playing a lot of guitar growing up, I was for whatever reason just not that into Hendrix. Maybe it’s my first guitar teacher who said Hendrix is overrated (I think he was super into Steely Dan). This album is not really what I expected, and took a lot of listens to really figure out if I liked it or not. I thought it would be more of a blues rocker, and had it on during a run. Got a couple of miles in and Mermaid came on - not exactly a pump up song. At first listen, I found the whole thing kind of chaotic and disjointed, and there are a lot of spots where Jimmy is playing sloppy/free that I found tough to get past. After reading about how chaotic the production process was (more of an acid field party than a structured session) the vibe made more sense. It help to break it up into the four sides - side 1 is bluesy, side 2 is the most accessible, side 3 is weird and awesome, and side 4 brings it home. Also helped for me to realize that Jimmy attacked the guitar in such a unique way, especially for the time. Its not always technically insane or perfectly executed, but so expressive in phrasing and pushed tone of amp and rig to new places. Also realized from Mermaid and Lamp that he’s just a really cool songwriter. I have a lot more respect for him after rabbit holing on this album this weekend - jumping from a 3 to maybe a 4.5. Giving it a 5 more as a bookmark of an album and artist I know I need to hear more.

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Oct 08 2024
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5

I can almost understand why people downrate this with its jazzy noodling bits. Almost.

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Oct 07 2024
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5

Amazing album, maybe not as good when I first listened to it, but still incredible.

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Oct 06 2024
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5

I simply love Jimi Hendrix ❤️

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Oct 02 2024
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5

The brevity of Henrdix's life and finite number of recordings makes every note that much more impactful. Arguably the most influential record by the most influential guitarist ever. Twenty-seven and one-half stars.

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Oct 01 2024
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5

I listened to this on my morning walk and was shocked when my walking app announced that I had walked 2 miles. I thought I had another lap around the pond to hit that mark. I was so caught up in the music that it made me forget walking about half a mile! That's saying something. This album is a bit uneven and maybe a bit bloated but Hendrix's undeniable talent is on full display and I like blues based rock so I enjoyed it. I'm feeling a 4.5 and more inclined to round up than down.

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Sep 30 2024
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5

Would’ve loved to have seen him live

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Sep 28 2024
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5

As a guitarist, I'm really, incredibly biased towards this album. Jimi Hendrix was a visionary, an innovator, truly a master of the craft of guitar. Plus, this album has some massive hits on it. I'm going to give it a 5, but it's really a 4.5 for me, and here's why. This album has beautiful chord progressions on it, wonderful guitar playing, great composing. But not back to back. Not every single song was memorable. None of them were actually BAD, but some are just forgettable, more filler than killer. Still, it's Jimi. I can't bring myself to round down.

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