Disco de The Jimi Hendrix Experience: “Axis: Bold as Love”

When Classic Records releases a new title on vinyl, it's always special. But when that title is the mono version of Jim Hendrix's classic Axis Bold as Love, it's an event. Original mono pressings of this album (if you can find them) go for as much as $2000. Several of the songs are noticeably different than the stereo versions most of us know and love. In general, the 180g vinyl pressing has considerably more bass than its CD counterpart, although the sound on the CD is clearer in several places. The album was mastered from the original mono masters by Eddie Kramer--the original engineer on the sessions. Let's talk about the specifics...

"EXP" is almost 40 seconds shorter on the vinyl, and the vocals by `Paul Caruso' are louder. The difference on the stereo version is extended feedback at the end. "Spanish Castle Magic" and "Wait Until Tomorrow" boast a much better low end than the CD. On the latter tune, the first note is too loud on CD. The volume is corrected on the LP, but the song fades up to full volume, as opposed to maintaining a consistent level throughout the track. One of the other problems with the CD is audible tape hiss. The false ending on "Ain't No Telling" is louder on the CD. The vinyl is much warmer on "Little Wing" and the end solo is more up front.

"If 6 Was 9" doesn't have near as much high end as the CD, and the bass is slightly muddy. Although the song's highs are much brighter on the CD, it also has considerable tape hiss that isn't heard on the vinyl. "You Got Me Floatin'" is missing the intro on the LP. "Castles Made of Sand" has a cleaner intro on the CD; the vinyl is slightly muddy in comparison, but features a different vocal performance. "One Rainy Wish" has much more bass on LP and a slightly different ending. The title track, "Bold as Love" is the one instance where the CD is superior. Without the channel panning, the song is clearly missing something.

The burning question here is: which one sounds better? It really depends on your personal preferences. The analog aficionados will no doubt pick the vinyl. It's much warmer than the CD and the bass will literally shake the room. Digi-fans will be more than happy with the sound on the CD (even if they need to crank up the bass a bit), and the booklet is excellent. It's a shame that it's not included in the vinyl pressing. On a positive note, the vinyl is on the Track label, plus when you consider that the mono version has been out of print ever since the original pressing hit the stores, this is the perfect addition for the Hendrix collectors out there. The choice is yours.

To all you out there who were not around when this genius was alive, to all of you who were not yet born and never got to see him play, all I can say is buy this CD! All of them! Buy the live sets, put on a pair of headphones, close your eyes, and pray to the higher forces of the Universe that He comes back. This is one of the greatest musical artists that ever walked on Earth, a 20th century Mozart. Jimi and Wolfy would have really rocked together.

All bow down before the altar of Hendrix. Every song is a little gem to be examined from each angle, like a ruby or a sapphire or an emerald. Each has its own color, own vibe and own eternal energy. My favorites? Little Miss Lover, Spanish Castle Magic, Little Wing (listen to him do it live at London Royal Albert Hall if you can...heartrending). But I also love "You Got Me Floatin', One Rainy Wish, Bold As Love...32 years Later, I cherish these songs as the greatest art I have witnessed in my life.

I first saw him play at lunchtime on the UCLA campus at noon. After that, I saw him play anywhere I could get to, and that included flying to San Diego or San Francisco or wherever! He changed my entire life, everything. He was plugged into some kind of energy. In concert, he could make you feel like a warm sirocco wind was blowing across your body, or a fire was burning above your head, or we were all swimming together in some kind of mystical warm turquoise gold-flecked cosmic ocean. He made you believe in God, stars, forces of the universe. Anything was possible. It took weeks to recover every single time I heard him play. What an aura this guy had around him! Sheer magic!

I miss him every day of my life, and you guys out there have nothing like this in your lives, which is a shame. My heart aches when I think of him, and I want him to come back. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to have heard him.

The musical genius at a pivotal point in his career. Jimi Hendrix long ago proved to the world his genius with "Are You Experienced?" and anyone who questioned that genius had to only listen to the follow up to that album.

Axis: Bold as Love is a fantastic album, and definetely on my top ten list of fave albums. It's behind Electric Ladyland, but it equals AYE. However, AYE and ABAL are vastly different albums. Where AYE focuses on distorted guitars and heavy tracks, Axis focuses on the more spiritual, beautiful and surreal side of Jimi.

With any other band I'd choose the distorted guitars, but what makes the difference is the intensely beautiful and poetic lyrics that echo from the mouth of Jimi. As well, the album still mantains the same fury as AYE, only in a different manner. While AYE was rock 'n' roll, Axis was much more of an experiment in blending the styles of blues, folk, rock, soul and just about every other music form out there. With most artists, a blend like this would often be difficult to listen to, but Jimi has a way to make the tracks move almost seamlessly. However, in the vein of blending styles, Axis is outdone by it's respective follow up "Electric Ladyland."

Each track is as listenable as the others, there are no real stand-out tracks, because Hendrix concentrated on creating an album, not one single and filler, like a lot of bands out there today.

The oft imitated, rarely duplicated guitar work remains, but it isn't put as far forward in the mix as the other two albums. It seems almost an afterthought when you take into account all of the beatiful lyrics throughout the record. However, it is still fantastic, and ingenious as it ever was. Especially on songs like "Little Wing," and my personal fave "Castles Made Of Sand" the guitar is particularly beautiful, adding to the overall texture and mood of the record.

This record is often missed by record-buyers because of the two albums the respectively preceded and followed it, but it remains a fantastically written, well-thought out experience that remains true to this day. It almost feels as if it was recorded yesterday. If you don't have this album, I say "buy it right now!" It is probably one of the five best in my 90 CD collection, which is a compliment, since it's being placed beside such classics as Led Zeppelin IV and Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon.

If I was allowed to have one complaint about this album, it would be the length. Because Ladyland was my first album I became accustomed to 8 and 12 minute tracks. The 2-5 minute vein in song lengths is somewhat hard for me to adjust to. The fact that the album clocks in at under 45 minutes is a dissapointment, although I'd hardly expect someone to be able to write that much material at that high of a quality. I guess that's Jimi for you...

If you're scared about getting shafted on an audiophile pressing, don't worry. This delivers the goods. Blows the reprise tri color out of the water, creams the two tone and sounds as good if not better than the Track pressings. Dead quiet, straight, great music. Keep the 60's pressings around for nostalgia, have this for the sound.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience followed up their magical debut with another masterpiece. Axis: Bold As Love is a psychedelic gem that opens with the bizarre, feedback explosion of "EXP". "Spanish Castle Magic" is a great song with some superb guitar while "Wait Until Tomorrow" has an almost pop sound with a catchy as hell chorus. Mr. Hendrix's music has always had a socially conscious bent, but "If 6 Was 9" is one of his most overt social statements, with its spacey sound and its pro hippie lyrics. "You Got Me Floatin'" has a propulsive beat, "Castle Made Of Sand" has a quiet sound with some very poignant lyrics and "She's So Fine" has Mr. Redding's debut as a lead singer. "Little Wing" is a stunning song of power and majesty that has been covered by other guitar greats like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.