Jimi Hendrix -1967- Axis: Bold As Love

published: 20/01/2016

Jimi Hendrix is the most inventive, instinctive guitar player ever. Period.
Just like the Beatles have changed the face of music, Jimi Hendrix has changed how to play the guitar.
But nevertheless, no one has ever been able to really play like Jimi Hendrix.
Actually, most Hendrix covers by other artist fall short, they just sound plain flat and uninspiring. Except when the arrangements are radically changed, that's the only way to properly play a Jimi Hendrix song : don't try to play like him 🙂

Notwithstanding posthumous releases, Jimi Hendrix only released 3 studio album.
My personal favorite may not be everyone's favorite, it is the second one, "Axis: Bold As Love".
This is because it's the most sophisticated one, it is less "raw" with slightly less improvisation (well, it's still Jimi Henrix right, so there's more improvisation than in most other records in rock music history 🙂 ), there is more room for complex songwriting and arrangements, and there's a great variety of styles. And it's still psychedelic of course.
So basically it's the most delightful album, where even complex songwriting has an incredible life in the hands of these musicians !

It has many many tracks which are fabulous. Actually most of the album tracks are fabulous ! "Up From the Skies", "Spanish Castle Magic" or "Wait Until Tomorrow" are great. "Castles Made Of Sand" is really really great, being sweet, strong and subtle at the same time. "Little Wing" is the famous killer ballad.
Then, there is "Bold As Love", the last track of the album, which just drives me crazy : just like "Castles Made Of Sand", it is sweet, strong and subtle, at the same time, and very lively, inventive and soulful too as per Hendrix standards. And it's a ballad, a metaphoric song about love. And it's psychedelic. Yeah, it's impossible to describe...
Let's listen to "Bold As Love".