Fire (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) (LP 2717 - 2719)

The Jimi Hendrix Experience  Are You Experienced? (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1967) *****  

The Jimi Hendrix Experience  Axis: Bold as Love  (Vinyl, Reprise Records, 1967) *****

The Jimi Hendrix Experience  Electric Ladyland (Vinyl and CD, Polydor Records, 1968) *****    

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Fire (Are You Experienced?)

Gear costume: Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) (Electric Ladyland)

Active compensatory factors: The Hendrix catalogue continues to grow and has gone way beyond the three studio albums he released when he was alive.

I've decided to split my Hendrix collection into five parts: those three JHE studio albums; The Band Of Gypsies live albums; the posthumous studio collections; the posthumous live albums; the compilations.

First up, three extraordinary studio albums in 2 short years. His only three - each one a classic and no record collection worth a damn should be without them.

Are You Experienced? is a BIG album. Eleven songs, many of them staples of his live act for the next 3 years. It still sounds extraordinary - like it was beamed in from a far-off galaxy.

Axis: Bold as Love was also from 1967 but it sounds like it came from 2027. Such a huge development in months. Only The Beatles best Hendrix in terms of quantum leaps in sound during their career. Together with Brian Wilson, they were sonic astronauts without peer.

Third studio album was the wide-ranging double album Electric Ladyland. Breathtaking in its scope and reach and influence. No one has ever matched his guitar playing ability. No one ever will.

By the way, my copy is the nude ladies cover as pictured. Daring and provocative - just like the music inside the cover.

Where do they all belong? Episode 2 is next - The Band of Gypsies albums.