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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Jan 25 2025
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5
There's a classic game theory experiment where you agree to meet someone tomorrow in NYC but you don't discuss a specific time or location. The experiment has been repeated many times + overwhelming majority of participants end up successfully meeting (spoiler alert: they meet at the clock inside Grand Central at noon). My wife knows about this project and asked me what the album of the day was and I told her it was the greatest album ever made. She thought about it for a minute and said Ziggy Stardust. I told her this album is older than that. She thought about it for another minute and correctly guessed Electric Ladyland. She's not even that much of a Hendrix fan, too.
On the first Experience album Jimi asked Have You Ever Been Experienced? And here on the last Experience album he asks Have You Ever Been To Electric Ladyland? He really wants to know if have you ever been this or that! Electric Ladyland was a studio that Jimi built with his own money and then used to record this album. This whole album has a feel has a feel of a musical playground. It is unusually sequenced - very few albums would have a 10 minute jam on side one. Meanwhile, The pacing of sides 3 and 4 keep building and building and building. It's really quite incredible. If you've only listened to this record all the way through, suggest you give it a shot from the middle to the end sometime. It's really spectacular, not just the pacing of the tunes but how they all fit together and themes come back and forth, culminating in a performance of all along the watchtower that I dare say even its songwriter Bob Dylan would probably admit is far beyond and more compelling than anything Dylan himself could do. I have to also mention that the guitar playing on this record is outrageous. There are things he's doing on this that still no one has been able to reproduce. Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, Jaco Pastorius...these are the rare stylists on their chosen instruments that are unique to the point that they practically create their own genres. It's a level of artistry I find incredibly inspiring.
Back at the beginning of the album, Jimi sings "Make love, make love, make love"...he means this literally and universally in a way very few people do. Did you ever hear about the Plaster Caster Girls? Groupie/Artists who made dozens of plaster replicas of male rock stars' penises. Legend has it that when Hendrix was given the mold he "made love" to it until, errr, completion.
Also, in concert he would describe his song "Manic Depression" as a story about a guy who wished he could make love to his guitar - given that he was known to sleep alongside his guitar fairly frequently, I am pretty sure it's straight autobiography. May sound strange but it's of a piece with the story of when his dad Al knew he should buy Jimi his first guitar - he asked child Jimi to sweep up their apartment while Al was at work and when he got back, the floor was covered in loose broomsticks because Jimi went wild playing the broom like a guitar. After he finished whipping Jimi, he went to the guitar store. Thank you, Al!
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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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Feb 01 2025
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5
13/1001 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience is definitely the Ocarina of Time of psychedelic rock. Both revolutionized the landscapes they were a part of and also Jimi and Link are both left-handed.
Great improvisations, catchy melodies.
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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
LOVE
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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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Jan 20 2021
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5
Excellent
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Feb 26 2025
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3
This is strange collection of so songs. Little Miss Strange could have been a Beatles show by. Burning of the Midnight Lamp pulls out some mid 60s British invasion psychedelia. There's jazz, there's blues rock. And there are the stone cold classics everyone loves. Hendrix as a guitarist and vocalist is amazing. Especially in his most focused moments. But a lot of this feels unfocused. What the fuck is 1983? For as long as the track is, almost nothing happens until the very end. This is a tough one. That final three song run is really good. And All Along the Watchtower still stands as one of the greatest songs of all time. But the album as a whole is kind of a mess with glimpses of genius.
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Feb 23 2025
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5
Holy Crap Jimi is an insane guitarist. There is no other like him. I really can't express enough how sad it is that someone with his skills passed away so young. The world of guitar would be so much more advanced had he lived longer. As for this album specifically, I liked the shorter songs on sides one and four particularly, but I also quite enjoyed the two longer tracks and hearing all of the technical stuff that Jimi does with his guitar. I didn't dislike a single song on this album, it isn't too long, and the songs are creative and varied enough that its length is justified. I love this album so much it's just incredible.
Favorite Song: Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Least Favorite Song: Moon, Turn the Tides...Gently Gently Away
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Jan 31 2025
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5
Do you want to listen to some music that has a bit of rock and a bit of guitar? Well in all along the watch tower you can!!! I rate the song ⭐⭐⭐⭐! I recommend this song.
Do you want to listen to some music that has a lot of guitar? well in voodoo child you can! I rate this song ⭐⭐⭐⭐! I recommend this!
Do you want to listen to some music that has a lot of electric guitar? well in long hot summer night you can! I rate it ⭐⭐⭐⭐! I recommend this song!
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Jan 25 2025
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5
Feels almost autobiographical in its incorporation of classic 1950s rock (Little Miss Strange, Let The Good Times Roll) with experimental / psychedelic wanderings, though not all the tracks shine. Still, like the pie in the movie "Hitman," all Hendrix is good Hendrix, and I've already listened to this album three times since it was served up in this project.
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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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Mar 06 2021
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5
5*...how can you not
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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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Jul 19 2021
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5
Class album. Play it loud!
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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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Oct 15 2020
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5
"You cant hear jimmy...!"
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Feb 22 2025
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4
I’m obviously familiar with a lot of Hendrix’s songs, but have never listened to a full album of his. Goes without saying, but the guy had some chops. There are some outright bangers on this thing and some surprisingly long winding jams. Unlike most other double albums, this one didn’t feel like it overstayed its welcome.
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Jan 22 2025
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4
Chas Chandler, the producer of this album, quit half way through the recording, and it really shows. There is a great album here, possibly one of the greatest rock albums of all time, but there is a lot of meandering before you get to the killer ending of All Along the Watchtower and Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). In some ways, I wish we could have a Get Back style documentary of the recording process to appreciate the work that went into this.
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Jul 21 2024
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4
Jimi hendrix is a cool guy
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Mar 13 2025
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3
This is a masterpiece of electric guitar and creative freedom. However that’s all it is. The lack of lyrics and track dynamism made me feel bored despite the incredible guitar.
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Feb 28 2025
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3
This album has a lot of elements to it. Sometimes Al Green sometimes the Beatles (“Little Miss Strange” was a shock). The classic Hendrix tunes shine among the others, “all along the watch tower” and “voodoo chile”, but I struggled to bond with much of the rest. Hendrix’s signature wailing guitar, virtuosic to be sure, just wafted over me. Perhaps I’ve been over-exposed through years?
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Feb 26 2025
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3
This was definitely an interesting one. I like the song "1983...(A Merman I Should Turn to Be). I didn't realize this is the album "All Along the Watchtower" is from. IT IS ABSOLUTELY NEWS TO ME THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A COVER OF A BOB DYLAN SONG! I THOUGHT THE SONG ~WAS~ HENDRIX! OH MY GOODNESS. wow. I see why everyone was on drugs. You had to be to listen to Voodoo Chile. I do love that the song is like 15 minutes long haha.
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Feb 21 2025
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3
I can't argue that Jimi Hendrix is an icon, a virtuoso guitar player and all around peace seeking good guy. This was the first time I put this album on in full and enjoyed it. Cross Town Traffic sounded like a guy who's lived in New York City too long and has to get some lyrics down on paper before the recording session (my one hot take, even though the tune is great).
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Feb 18 2025
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3
The god of guitar. There's some impressive musicianship here, and I was happily suprised that there are also proper songs in the mix of the guitar solos. I had only listened to a greatest hits album before. This is the first time I hear a Hendrix proper album. Not bad at all. Just not my style, specially since I don't play guitar. A guitar player would probably appreciate more this 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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May 05 2025
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5
Love the production on this album - sometimes I feel like I'm in the room with them, sometimes super trippy use of the stereo space. First 5 star album of this list.
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May 02 2025
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5
I was complaining about psychedelic noodling yesterday and today I get Jimi. At least he knows how to do the noodling right.
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May 02 2025
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5
Frickin’ A. There was not a second of this that I didn’t enjoy in head-nodding bliss. I have nothing to say about Hendrix’s guitar playing that hasn’t already been said; just that it’s all true. The chops, the tone. The tone! He uses pretty typical effects but how does he sound like that? Ugh, anyway. And of course his band rules; I wish people these days could get drum fills to sound like they did on late 60s psychedelic records. Anyway, it’s an incredible, 5-star, must-listen record all the way through. ML #128.
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Apr 30 2025
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5
Не easy-listening, но все равно прекрасно
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Apr 29 2025
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5
Trippy space rock typa shii
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Apr 28 2025
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5
Jimi Hendrix was arguably the world's best guitarist. Certainly for his time, he was a trailblazer in more ways than one. But I have to confess that he's an artist I love in small doses. Of course he's impressive and innovative, daring and expertly skilled. But unless your studying guitar yourself, how much of that do you really need to listen to. Not that his albums are fantastic but if I'm honest, I probably prefer his greatest hits to the entire discography. So with that all said, the prospect of a double album didn't excite me, even if it did end with two of his best tracks.
Multiple listens have really helped this one to come alive for me. On "Electric Ladyland", Hendrix proves himself to be more than a virtuoso of the guitar. There's a lot happening here and he pulls in a variety of different genres and collaborators. "Crosstown Traffic" evokes images of busy urban landscapes. "Voodoo Chile" is a sprawling and impressive jam complete with contribution from Steve Winwood. "Little Miss Strange" recalls the early 60s rock that Hendrix was leaving in the dust. Other tracks incorporate elements of jazz, blues and soul on top of the dominate guitar performances. The undisputed highlight however is Hendrix's take on Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower", one of those rare covers that equals (or perhaps surpasses?) the original.
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Apr 28 2025
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5
Excellent!
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Apr 28 2025
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5
Amazing, loved it
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Apr 27 2025
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5
Jimi was obviously great, but the real hero of this one is Mitch Mitchell. This is, without hyperbole, some of the best drumming I have ever heard.
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Apr 22 2025
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5
Electric!!
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Apr 21 2025
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5
Exceptional (although I think Dylan's All Along The Watchtower is better).
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Apr 19 2025
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5
En av de bästa gitarrskivorna någonsin. Revolutionerande ljuddesign och spel.
10/10
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Apr 19 2025
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5
I was never into Hendrix but I’m a big fan of Jack White, and I can hear the influence. I will definitely listen to more Hendrix now.
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Apr 19 2025
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5
I already knew Hendrix was great, but listening to this has made me a fan
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Apr 17 2025
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5
great album with some chill-vibey guitar
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Apr 16 2025
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5
# Album Name: Electric Ladyland
# Artist: Jimi Hendrix
# Rating: 5/5
# Comments:
Wow, voodoo chile, 15 mins is long. But when Jimi is ripping up that guitar like he is then he can do what the F he wants.
This is a great album. The band are so fucking tight its unreal. The quality of each musician is top tier.
Theres plenty of great songs on this album. I do think the length of the album detracts from the overall quality. Some of the tracks are more like jam sessions. Theres two songs about 15 mins in length. Thats nearly half the album duration!
Overall a great listen by the man himself.
# Top Tunes:
Crosstown traffic / voodoo chile / LMS / Come on / Midnight lamp / Rainy day / 1983 / AATW / Voodoo Child
# Would I listen to it again?
oh yes
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Apr 16 2025
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5
Excellent
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Apr 15 2025
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5
Awesome
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Apr 15 2025
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5
Feel like I should have been on acid for this, though the album is a trip in of itself. What an experience.
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Apr 15 2025
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5
A classic. Jimi at his most amazing. Soulful guitar works that resonate even today. Highly recommended.
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Apr 15 2025
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5
1983 è un un prog assurdo. Un riff di chitarra meraviglioso, la ascolterei per ore. Ho bisogno di questo vinile.
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Apr 11 2025
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5
And the Gods Made Love
Have You Ever Been- if you have heard this album before, this is a perfect intro track (with respect to the real intro track)
Crosstown Traffic- Hendrix wasn't great lyrically, but his understanding of sound was unlike anyone else's
Voodoo Chile- Hendrix does his best to make something that sounds like a juke joint in the 30s- and then turns it onto a ten minute jam session
Little Miss Strange- can't stand the vocals on this one- if you can get past them, it's got some soloing that is different for Hendrix
Long Hot Summer Night- this song does not get enough credit for being a great Hendrix jam
Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)- a Hendrix take on an classic blues anthem
Gypsy Eyes
Burning of the Midnight Lamp
Rainy Day, Dream Away
1983
Moon, Turn the Tides... Gently, Gently, Away
Still Raining, Still Dreaming
House Burning Down
All Along the Watchtower- Bob Dylan said the song belongs go Hendrix
Voodoo Chile (Slight Tower) Maybe the greatest guitar song ever
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Apr 09 2025
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5
It’s Jimi, come on people! I’m not writing some lengthy review of what we all know as a masterpiece.
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Apr 06 2025
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5
Fantastic album, and one I've only gotten into properly recently, even though I've been a Hendrix fan for a long time. For some reason I always connected more with the first 2 albums. But I get this one now, it's experimental in all the right ways and has some of his best playing (Voodoo Child, Burning of the Midnight Lamp, All Along The Watchtower). Maybe a bit too long, but I'll forgive him!
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Apr 04 2025
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5
10
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Apr 03 2025
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5
Brilliant. Unarguably his best studio work - though all 3 are 5-star albums. Not only does this begin with an insane little instrumental, but its got some of his best work - including (but certainly not limited to) the best cover of All Along the Watchtower ever.
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Apr 03 2025
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5
Yes this album is a little all over the place, but I'm going to have to go with a 5. First of all, it contains maybe the greatest cover of all time in "Watchtower" (wild that we got two of the GOAT covers in 2 weeks). Second of all Jimi is going absolutely off on the guitar throughout this whole album the solo at the end of the 12 min "Voodoo Chile" was maybe the peak but "House Burning Down" and "Gypsy Eyes" had incredible guitar solos as well. This is rock and roll with some proto-funk stylings and it would have been fascinating to hear more had he lived longer and gone further down this path. What an absolute tragedy.
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Apr 01 2025
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5
Hard to go wrong with Jimi
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Apr 01 2025
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5
There are so many great songs on here. This album was one of my mom’s favorites so it was spin often, though not this extended version (at least that I remember). This version of Voodoo Chile is bluesier than I recall from the later CD mixes. I also don’t remember it being live. (No complaints BTW). Watchtower was one of the first songs I remember ‘hearing’ Hendrix and I have loved that song since, but the swishing guitar work that starts Voodoo Child, and then drops into one of the hardest riffs in classic rock is still mindblowingly powerful. I really enjoyed 1983 this listen and am not sure I ever heard that song. This album is a classic but I’m not as excited as Experience from Hendrix. Is it a Four? nah. We all know…
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Mar 28 2025
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5
Was soll ich sagen? Mega groovy 6/5! „Voodo Chile“ (die lange Version) ist mein Favorit, aber das ganze Album ist voll mit mega Songs. Unterschiedliche Stile werden durch die signature-Gitarrensolos vereint! Großartig!
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Mar 26 2025
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5
One of my favourite albums of all time, and probably my favourite Hendrix album. Everything comes together here in peak performance, from the heavy wawa use to the rampant psychedelia. The album listens like a glorious acid trip, and is sonically something else. Hendrix is incandescent here, making his guitar talk via wawa glory on Still Raining, Still Dreaming, which picks up on where Rainy Day Dream away left off a few tracks early. Then there's the ornate riff of Burning of the Midnight Lamp--a masterpiece of psychedelia. The riff on Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) and the muted intro that predicts hip hop scratching and the solo on All Along the Watchtower, one of rock's alltime greatest solows. And it isn't just the guitar work here--this is a band effort. Noel Redding's Little Miss Strange sounds like the Beatles on more acid than usual while the drumming on House Burning Down and Gypsy Eyes drives the amazing rhythm of those tracks.
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Mar 26 2025
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5
I was wondering why it was taking so long to get the first Hendrix album. I'm also happy this is the first one I see, it's my favorite :) now give me "Blues" and I can pardon any other crap album from this list.
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Mar 25 2025
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5
Ongekend
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Mar 24 2025
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5
I had never listened to Electric Ladyland in full before, and I was really looking forward to it.
Wow—what an album. I absolutely love it. It feels like a massive jam session layered with some truly fantastic songs. Hendrix’s guitar work is incredible, and his voice really stands out—underrated, in my opinion.
Favorite songs: All Along the Watchtower and Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland) are just perfect.
Least favorite: None. Every track on this album feels purposeful and adds something valuable to the experience.
Album artwork: Very cool cover—it perfectly sets the tone for the music inside.
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Mar 24 2025
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5
ONE OF THE ALBUMS OF ALL TIME
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Mar 24 2025
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5
Stone classikkkk
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Mar 24 2025
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5
Bluesy, effortlessly cool (other than the effort needed to be this good)
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Mar 24 2025
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5
What an insanely good album
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Mar 20 2025
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5
Fabulous
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Mar 19 2025
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5
Incredible. His Magnum Opus.
Best Song: All Along the Watchtower
Rating: 9.5/10
Stars: 5/5
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Mar 19 2025
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5
10/10
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Mar 19 2025
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5
Excellent guitar playing, iconic songs and a must hear for every guitar player.
That being said, this album is iconic but it is very reliant on the guitar playing and the at the time revolutionary mixing tricks.
Some tracks are more experimental than others and the album has a very 60s psychedelic vibe.
So it is not for everyone, but the album includes some of the most iconic and classic rock music we have. so I would have given it a 4 because if you aren't a guitarist you might just enjoy the hits.
but personally it is a 5 because i play guitar
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Mar 18 2025
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5
I mean it's Jimi!
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Mar 14 2025
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5
Another great album from Hendrix, dives more into the psychedelia with combining it with blues, funk, rock.
I would listen again!
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Mar 11 2025
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5
I mean…I have loved Jimi since the first time I ever heard him.
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Mar 10 2025
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5
Masterful album. I especially like All Along the Watchtower and Crosstown Traffic.
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Mar 09 2025
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5
I forget that I love Jimi Hendrix. So much of my music tastes of that era hails from the UK, but Jimi is one of the few Americans that just blew music off its lid. He could make a guitar weep, scream, wail, and moan. Then you've got those guttural and soulful vocals. They don't music like this anymore. God bless Jimi Hendrix.
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Mar 09 2025
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5
Jimi Hendrix was a master at his craft. His music can be soothing one moment, feral another, and soulful and funky the next. I will never turn down an opportunity to listen to his music.
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Mar 06 2025
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5
Gitarre>>>
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Mar 05 2025
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5
Amazing
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Mar 03 2025
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5
- .... do I need to explain? -
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Mar 03 2025
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5
I loved this album as a teenager so it's tough to reevaluate now when I know just about every note on the whole album, but I like that it shows the breadth of Jimi's talent by tackling a wide variety of sounds and genres. I do think there's a bit too much experimentation with noise, feedback and strange effects. But there's enough hits on here to get a 5
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