The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold As Love [Remastered] (CD 1997)

This is the Jimi Hendrix Experience's second album, released in 1967, and it marks a slight change of direction from the first, Are You Experienced?

Whereas that album was infused with raucous energy and pioneered the use of feedback, dissonance and backwards tapes, this album betrays Hendrix's admiration of Bob Dylan, with a greater emphasis on lyrics, a degree of gentleness in some of the music and a notable absence of the blues. There is also playfulness and humour in some of the lyrics.

The playing is excellent with Hendrix demonstrating not just his skill as an improvisational lead guitarist, but also the delicacy and funkiness of his rhythm playing. Drummer John 'Mitch' Mitchell and bass-player Noel Redding also shine on this album, weaving interlocking lines of bass & drums which are both exuberant and sensitive. The bass, mixed prominently with a trebly e.q. setting on some tracks, can sound like another guitar playing harmony to Hendrix's two or three multi-tracked guitars. In other places it drives the low-register, locking together with Mitch Mitchell's drumming to produce a relentless & propulsive rhythm track.

Chas Chandler's production has clarity and brightness.

Jimi's singing is arguably better on this album than any other. He half talks, half sings his way throught the tunes with the hint of a chuckle in his voice.

The album is not, however, flawless. Noel Redding's song 'She's So Fine' is weak and the album would not suffer from its exclusion. Also, the mix & the production on 'Little Miss Lover' is a little cluttered & messy. The song would be a funk masterpiece with a more sparse and punchy treatment. If Jimi's later group, the Band Of Gypsys had got their hands on this song, they surely could have done it justice.

Despite these minor reservations though, I would say this is one of the best albums of the 60s, or any decade for that matter. I would not describe it strictly as a 'rock' album; much of it has a 'soul' flavour with a dusting of whimsical psychadelia.

Highly recommended! I'd give it four & a half stars out of five!

Haven't heard this for decades ( never play my vinyl anymore). Brought back good old memories - heard things on this I haven't heard before on vinyl - viva digital remastering!!! Always a classic, this just reconfirms.

I love this album and have always thought it was underrated in the Hendrix canon and oftern overlooked. I used to have this album on a cassette that is probably in a forgotten corner of my flat somewhere but am delighted to have it on CD now. The music is highly evocative of a bygone era and yet strangely futuristic at the same time. It does include some hippy-dippy nonsense but also two of Hendrix's finest balads - the very well known 'Little Wing' and the lesser known yet lovelier - 'Bold as Love' which has a wonderful drum/phaser solo near the end that ALWAYS makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up - absolutely gorgeous.