MUSIC Jimi Hendrix ~ Are You Experienced?
by Travis Cruse
travis_cruse@yahoo.com
I
t’s hard to say how music would be different without certain standout figures throughout history, but most
would agree that few had a larger impact musically or culturally than Jimi Hendrix. He revolutionized how the guitar was played, pushed the bound- aries of popular music and redefined what it is to be a rock/pop star. This year marks what would have been his 70th birthday, as well as the 45th anniversary of his landmark debut album Are You Experienced. His impact is undeniable. There
have been dozens of books and arti- cles concentrating on just that, but unless you were there to witness that impact, talking about it just doesn’t cut it. You have to hear it. I sat down and listened to the entire album Are You Experienced beginning to end, pre- tending I had never heard it before. Yes, the notion of actually sitting down just to listen to an album in today’s world of digital singles and con- stant multi-tasking seems passé, but I guess I’m just an old soul that romanti- cizes the musical experience. Nonetheless, I thought it would be an interesting experiment to listen to the classic album and review it from a con- temporary mindset. Amazingly, the album holds up incredibly well, which further proves my point of how Hendrix was ahead of his time. The album opens with the now icon-
ic “Purple Haze” and admittedly I felt that I had been thrown into 1967. Much of that feeling can be attributed to associations rather than the actual sound of the song. After all, I don’t
22 March 2012 • Out & About
think there’s ever been a Vietnam War movie that hasn’t had “Purple Haze” in it. There are certain parts of the song that sound distinctly 60s, particularly the style of drumming, the guitar solo and outro. Many of the more well known songs like “Purple Haze,” “Hey
highly influenced be Jimi Hendrix. While “Third Stone from the Sun” could possibly be the most innovative song on the record, it is also the least accessible. It is one of the songs that helped define the genre of psychedelic rock and most psychedelic is unlisten- able unless you are listening to it on psychedelics. There are gems on this album that
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Joe,” and “Foxey Lady” tend to feel more dated because of these associa- tions with the 1960s. The album continues with the rock-
ing 3/4 tune “Manic Depression,” which exemplifies Jimi’s creative songwriting. He expanded on what previous rock and pop musicians had done and drew from his jazz and R&B influences to create something that was completely new. “Third Stone From the Sun” is a perfect example of creating new inde- scribable music, but maybe it can be described as the first attempt of com- bining jazz and rock to create fusion, which is usually attributed to Miles Davis and his album Bitches Brew, which didn’t come out until 1970 and was
are rarely or never played, including “May This Be Love” and “The Wind Cries Mary,” both of which are won- derfully written ballads, that have phenomenal guitar solos. More so than any, these two songs sound like possible hits of today. Obviously, a Jimi Hendrix song will never be mis- taken for Ke$ha or LMFAO, but these two songs especially sound as if they could have come from the reper- toire of Dave Mathews or Jack Johnson. Are You Experienced shook the music
scene when it came out. It set a new bar that every musician sought for years and changed how musicians and listen- ers looked at music. All of a sudden there were so many new possibilities that no one else had thought of before Jimi. It was so ahead of its time that it holds its ground as extremely listenable today, when many of his peers’ albums from the time are so dated that they are difficult to listen too now. Even though it was released 45 years ago, Are You Experienced will always be a timeless album.
~Travis Cruse teaches guitar and is currently
pursuing a bachelors degree in music. Email him at
travis_cruse@yahoo.com.
Out & About • May 2012 22
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