Rating: 9/10

Top Track: ‘Purple Haze’

Are you experienced? I am. With Jimi Hendrix’s first studio album that is. Widely considered the best electric guitar player to ever pick up the instrument, Hendrix emerged onto the Psychedelic Rock scene and blew absolutely everyone away. As a black left-handed guitar player who created sounds with a guitar that no one had ever heard before, Hendrix almost literally blew up overnight. The turning point in his career that many claim brought him to the forefront of 60’s Rock n’ Roll was his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in the summer of 1967 where he famously set his guitar on fire, broke it, and threw the pieces into the crowd after his set.

I felt obligated to choose ‘Purple Haze’ as my top track. Not only is it the best track on the album, it’s probably his best song; or best original song if you prefer ‘All Along the Watchtower’ off of “Electric Ladyland” which as written by Bob Dylan. Purple Haze was written about certain strains of cannabis known for their high THC content and recognizable by the purple-ish color of their leaves. Anyone who has heard this song even once will be able to recognize it within the first few bars of Jimi’s indistinguishable chord progression. And anyone who has heard this song more than a few times has probably mimed some sweet air guitar along with the legend. The song is also infamously a song with one of the most misheard lines in all of music. For anyone wondering it’s “…’scuse me while I kiss the sky,” not “this guy.”

For as long as I can remember, Jimi Hendrix has been one of my favorite musicians. everything from his charisma to his afro, it was hard not to idolize the guy; oh, and he was wicked good at playing the guitar. I remember my dad showing me videos of Jimi just shredding away at his Stratocaster and making it look so effortless and smooth. And when my dad showed me Jimi playing the guitar with his teeth, I was in awe; I mean, the man was biting his guitar and it still sounded awesome! That’s the thing with Hendrix, his music is only a fraction of who he is. His stage presence and performances truly showcased just how talented he was. Not to mention, he lived in 1960’s America and had to deal with some harsh scrutiny and backlash just because of his skin color, I’m sure. But his talent, his showmanship, and his music cut through all of that.

My favorite of all his performances has to be his rendition of the national anthem at Woodstock. I knew nothing of the context surrounding his performance when I first heard him revolutionize the anthem, I was only around 8 years old. But now the context holds so much more weight. To have the balls, as a black man with segregation still in effect in the country, to get up on stage in front of thousands of people and put his own spin on an anthem of a country that has oppressed people of color for centuries is absolutely amazing. That is why he will always be the best electric guitar player to have ever lived.

This album was not only responsible for bringing Jimi Hendrix to the forefront, but also for mixing major elements of Blues with Psychedelic Rock. Jimi Hendrix showed people what Rock n’ Roll could be along with what could be done with just a Fender Stratocaster and some teeth. Also, I’m pretty sure he was the first person to play a guitar behind his head, just sayin’.

I wanted to finish this post off with something special and a little proof that I am actually listening to real vinyl. So, I will transcribe what is written on the back of this album that is currently sitting in front of me:

“Be forewarned. Used to be an Experience meant making you a bit older. This one makes you wider. With the assistance of Mitch Mitchell (on drums) and Noel Redding (on guitar), Jimi Hendrix breaks the world into interesting fragments. Then reassembles it. You hear with new ears, after being Experienced. Those who’ve only seen him perform know only a part of This Experience. They rave about a young man who plays a guitar in more positions than anybody before him. Now, this debut album will put the heads of Hendrix’ listeners into some novel positions. Be forewarned.”