Author: robatch

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.”

Rating: 9.5/10

Top Track: ‘God Only Knows’

Well, June is here and summer is just around the corner. Time for some Beach Boys. I wanted to start with the crème de la crème in terms of Beach Boys albums because with everything going on right now, I feel like only the best from some of the best is what we need right now. Whenever I listen to this album it only lifts my spirits and has me singing along to every single lyric of every single song. Brian Wilson’s absolute genius and songwriting capabilities really shine throughout the entirety of this album. This album saw The Beach Boys move on from their Surf Rock days and evolve into a group that could put out some truly inspired music.

Is there any surprise in my choosing of ‘God Only Knows’ as my top track? Almost tirelessly overplayed at weddings and in romantic movies like Love Actually, this song has to rank as one of the best love of all-time. The song is instantly recognizable with the keyboard and french horn harmonizing into a cheerful symphony; then comes the sleigh bells ringing away with that memorable bass line following close behind along with the percussive sound of a horse galloping (a sound also used in ‘I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times’). A total of 23 musicians were used in the 20 takes of ‘God Only Knows’, but only 16 made the final cut. I was very close to choosing ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’, but ‘God Only Knows’ has always been a little closer to my heart. It’s no wonder why the group decided to have both songs start each side of the album respectively.

This album was one of the first I ever heard. My dad played The Beach Boys on a nearly endless loop while I was growing up along with The Beatles. ‘Sloop John B’ was one of my first favorite songs and one of the first songs I learned all the lyrics to; the first being ‘Little Surfer Girl’. Maybe it’s because the sounds of The Beach Boys gives me that nostalgic feeling is the reason I hold them in such high regard. It wasn’t until I was a little older when I realized that Brian Wilson was the mind that drove the group forward forever earning my respect and making him one of my personal heroes. Wilson is also one of the best rock songwriters of all-time in my opinion; up there with the likes of John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young.

This album is definitely in my personal top 25 and I consider it an essential listen to anyone who considers themselves a fan music. The way this album changed music and the amount of artists it inspired is absolutely astounding. The Beach Boys will forever be one of my favorite music groups and I think one of the best to ever do it.

Rating: 8/10

Top Track: ‘Summer’s End’

I decided to start off my blog with a post about one of my dad’s last purchases. I definitely intend to dig into the large collection soon, but as of right now I felt like listening to John Prine. Then again, I’m usually in the mood for some Prine. I also thought that this album would be timely considering the legendary songwriter passed away earlier this year due to complications from COVID-19, making this his last studio album. I know he was one of my dad’s heroes when it came to folk music and songwriting, as he was to many others I’m sure; and it was difficult not to get emotional listening to this album all the way through for the first time.

Let’s start with my personal top track off of this album. I want to choose a top track from each album I listen to just in case anyone who reads this wants to just dip their toe into an album or an artist they haven’t listened to without diving in head first, which can always be a little daunting. ‘Summer’s End’ is a very somber and melancholic song, which is not a bad thing at all. You can hear the sorrow of losing loved ones over the years and the small amount of hope that we might be lucky enough see them again. That raw emotion in his lyrics combined with his aged voice turns the song into something that could not be replicated by anyone else. I can’t help but tear up listening to this song, which is why I chose it as my top track off of this album.

I watched Prine’s performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts on YouTube and was absolutely floored by the soul and love Prine put into his music and his lyrics. Listening to this album as whole made it clear how much he loves music and I could hear how much fun he was having while recording this album. This passion especially comes through in the albums last track, ‘When I Get To Heaven’. The song plays much more differently now that he’s gone, but this song about death is so happy and vibrant, it just brought a smile to my face. Prine talks about all the things he plans to do once he gets to heaven and sings about smoking a cigarette ‘that’s nine miles long.’

I hope that he does everything he said he was going to do in that song, if there is a heaven, and more. This album is probably one of the best albums of 2018 and highly recommend you give it a listen if you can. Simply one of the best folk songwriters of all-time, Joh Prine lived and died a legend of the music industry and I hope his legacy lives on for a long time to come.