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At the same time in the same studio where the Rolling Stones were making their psychedelic folly, the Jimi Hendrix Experience were sculpting an era classic.
His spiralling creative muse on overdrive after Are You Experienced’s May 1967 release at sessions squeezed between onenighters, The Wind Cries Mary and Burning Of The Midnight Lamp had signalled an expansion beyond pyrotechnic blues rock, Axis: Bold As Love marked Jimi coming of age in the studio, embracing technology with the micro-perfectionism that drove away producer Chas Chandler.
With engineer Eddie Kramer and Roger Mayer supplying innovative gizmos, the album was finished at Olympic when the Stones were abandoning blues roots on Their Satanic Majesties Request. Crucially, Jimi kept one foot grounded in earthly matters on tracks such as startling freak flag flying counterculture anthem If Six Was Nine, getting funky on Little Miss Lover
Opening with EXP’s alien radio interview flying saucer lift-off before Up From The Skies’ cool Mose Allison shuffle, only magnificently volcanic Spanish Castle Magic, Ain’t No Telling and You’ve Got Me Floating are quintessential Experience. Notwithstanding Noel Redding’s token She’s So Fine and lightweight Wait Until Tomorrow, slowies showed Hendrix’s desire to evolve with liquid guitar starbursts elevating One Rainy Wish, the soaring majesty of Little Wing or evoking Curtis Mayfield’s quiet sensitivity on Castles Made Of Sand. The stratospheric title ballad’s climactic phased finale put the final sugar lump on Hendrix’s first studio masterpiece.
This bells-’n’-whistles upgrade includes mono and stereo versions plus 40 bonus outtakes, alternative versions, TV and radio appearances. Considering the hours of outtakes in circulation, it’s a random tip of the iceberg, including Mr Bad Luck (aka Look Over Yonder), untitled instrumentals, Castles…’ backwards guitar track and energised demos of Little Miss Lover and Ain’t No Telling that highlight Mitch Mitchell’s polyrhythmic jazz genius. Sadly, If 6 Was 9 escapes inclusion.
Four incarnations of Burning Of The Midnight Lamp show it originally envisioned for Axis before becoming fourth single that August (when the Dee Time appearance here was broadcast). September’s eight song Swedish radio broadcast that starts by blazing through Sgt. Pepper’s title track is also included.
Thankfully, the disastrous original album cover caused by designers misunderstanding Hendrix’s request for an ‘Indian’ theme and sticking the band’s heads on a Hindu poster is replaced by Jimi’s childhood dragon painting.
Worth asking the Axis one more time.
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