The Jimi Hendrix Experience Album: “Are You Experienced? [US]”

The overview, for those who have recently arrived from Mars and never heard of Jimi Hendrix, or who have recently started studying rock history and never heard of ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?: In his liner essay to this CD, Dave Marsh calls this "the greatest, most influential debut album ever released," and it's hard to counter his praise. Hendrix is one of the few 1960s rock gods who is worshipped as much by the children of those who grew up with his music as by their parents. This was the world's introduction to his psychedelic guitar, trippy lyrics and throbbing basslines, and his voice was clear from the start. It's rare to find more than one or two signature songs on a debut -- even Bob Dylan, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones needed a running start to become the artists we think of today -- but Hendrix has five: "Purple Haze," "Foxey Lady," "Fire," "Hey Joe" and "The Wind Cries Mary." Thirty-five years after its initial release, ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? is prized both for its historical significance and its rocking sound, perfect for summer road trips or dorm room parties.

With this CD release, the classic has been given its due. The remastered sound brings out every whine and whistle of Hendrix's guitar, every reverberation of Mitch Mitchell's drums, every "plunk" of Noel Redding's bass, restoring to the sound the layers it was intended to have.

Marsh trips over himself to praise the album -- at one point, he suggests the Universe was created for the sole purpose of producing it -- but in his four pages he adequately places the album in its historical context.

In selecting the six songs (Tracks 12-17) to add to the album's original 11, MCA and Experience Hendrix did a bang-up job of adding to the classic without breaking up the flow. The casual observer who's never heard the original vinyl would barely notice anything was changed, which is quite a feat, given how carefully crafted the album was.

Rock fans will groove to Hendrix's vision and guitar-playing. Die-hard Hendrix fans and music historians will love the CD, making it a must-have for anyone's collection.

Well,

Being the Hendrix fanatic I am I jumped on the whole lot...big mistake, the DVDs are cool, but short (about 20 min each). Unless you have do not have these CDs already, or you must have the DVDs, skip it.

These are the SAME remasters from before. As another person pointed out, the track times are the same and when I ripped them into ITunes, it recognized them as the 1997 editions.

I feel like I just wasted $40

I should have waited for reviews!

Are You Experienced? is the debut album from the original guitar god, the late, great Jimi Hendrix. Along with drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding, he created one of the most original sounds in music and laid down guitar work that has yet to be duplicated. The album opens with one of the most instantly recognizable guitar riffs in music history, the opening line to "Purple Haze". The song became an anthem of the psychedelic rock sound and coupled with "The Star Spangled Banner", punctuated Mr. Hendrix's performance at Woodstock. "Hey Joe" is a cover song that Mr. Hendrix adds a subtle yet powerful guitar. "The Wind Cries Mary" is a quiet, reflective song that is followed up by a complete 180, the manic and reckless "Fire". "Stone Free" is rollicking song while "Foxy Lady" has a start stop, punchy sound. The album's finest song, and probably the best thing he recorded, is the title track. A swirling, shuffling, cornucopia of sounds with a razor blade guitar, the song is everything that makes Mr. Hendrix great. Are You Experienced? spent almost a year in the top ten and brought the Seattle born artist world wide acclaim.

This album was released 15 years before MTV came into being so its a no brainer why there were no videos made of these songs. I hope you're just a joker because if you're not you need serious psychological help.

With that out of the way, There is nothing overrated about this album whatsoever. Jimi Hendrix's guitar playing has yet to be matched by anybody else. "Purple Haze", is the ultimate acid rock anthem. It is still played on countless movies and T.V. shows. Hendrix redefined what the guitar could do with his use of distortion and feedback and lightning fast hammer ons, pull offs and bends. He even plays with his teeth and behind his back. Can Good Charlotte do That! One of the best things about Hendrix is that he didn't release any visual representations of his songs(or at least none that I know of). In other words, he didn't release any proto-MTV videos that would have watered down his work and made him less serious as an artist. Now don't get me wrong, some videos are legendary. Just look at Madonna's, "Like A Prayer", or Peter Gabriel's, "Sledgehammer", to see how good videos are made. I'm off subject so back to Hendrix.

Like I said before, the album opens with the legendary acid rock anthem, "Purple Haze", featuring one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in rock history and one of Hendrix's best solos. "Manic Depression" is another catchy acid rock tune with Mitch Mitchell on drums as the driving force of the song. "Hey Joe", is an instant classic. A familiar ditty about a jealous husband who shoots his wife dead after finding her having an affair and then fleeing to Mexico. The album never lets up. "The Wind Cries Mary", is a classic blues rock song and, "Third Stone From The Sun", is six minutes of crazy and erratic guitar playing(has a very psychedelic feeling to it).

"Foxey lady", is one of the first libido driven songs and who can forget, "Fire", one of the most classic anti-love songs ever.

Extremely good album that is a must have by lovers of classic acid and psychedelic rock. Very accessible so it shouldn't be hard to find. After you listen to this, be sure to check out his other two albums; "Axis Bold As Love", and, "Electric Ladyland".

P.S.

I know MTV Supporter and other MTV loving

losers are going to say this review isn't helpful

but I don't care. As long as I get my point through.

Unfortunately with the DVD, the new interviews were done in widescreen, however, the old video footage was not - but they spliced it in as widescreen. So what you get is Jimi's face stretched out wider than it is high. It is too, too bad. I bought this CD for the DVD and was hoping to see some vintage Jimi. Instead his footage is all distorted. Whom ever did the DVD needs to go back to school and learn how to do this correctly. Janie should have this fixed and offer a free disc exchange. Maybe this is why this set is only ten bucks.