Monday, July 23, 2012

Greatest Rock albums of all times Part. 17


THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE: ARE YOU EXPERIENCED (USA version)

    Jimi Hendrix together with the producer Chas Chandler (former member and bass player in ‘The Animals’)  formed the ‘Jimi Hendrix Experience’ in the UK in 1966, including Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass guitar. One of the most influential bands for the future of Rock music had just been born! The next year they released their debut album named “Are you Experienced”. The album was recorded in London during a 5-month period, and it was released in the spring of 1967. There were 2 versions of this album. The UK version which doesn’t contain all the singles that came out before the release of this record, and the USA one that includes them.
Which are these songs? Purple Haze, Hey Joe, The Wind Cries Mary, and Fire.
The album reached at #2 in the UK album charts, behind “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, and remained in the charts for 8 months.
   As for the reception of the album, it has been considered as one of the greatest ever debut
albums in Rock! The TV channel VH1 named it the 5th greatest album of all times in 2001.
In 2003 the USA version of this album was ranked at No.15 on ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine’s list of “The 500 greatest albums of all time”.  ‘Kerrang’ magazine listed the album at No.41 of the “100 greatest Heavy Metal (!)  albums of all time’. ‘Guitarist’ magazine ranked this album at No.1 on the list with ‘The Most influential guitar albums of all time’ and ‘Mojo’ magazine similarly listed it as “The greatest guitar album of all times” in 2003.
  Closing this, I’m putting a review by Keith Adams for the ‘New Musical Express’ magazine (NME), written on April 8, 1967:
“The Jimi Hendrix Experience are a musical labyrinth- you either find your way into the solid wall of incredible sound, or you sit back and gasp at the Hendrix’ guitar antics and showmanship, wondering what it’s all about”…

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