Jimi Hendrix and the Power of Three: A Look at His Enduring Legacy
The Jimi Hendrix Experience by Karl Ferris, 1967
Three stands to be a magical number in the world of Jimi Hendrix. Three band members, three albums, and three short years was all it took for the left-handed guitarist to cement his name in rock ’n’ roll history. In that brief yet explosive span between Are You Experienced (1967), Axis: Bold as Love (1967), and Electric Ladyland (1968), Hendrix reshaped the possibilities of the electric guitar, redefined psychedelic rock, and left behind a body of work that still feels daring and timeless.
By taking a closer look at the legacy of these works, it’s clear that the trinity of Hendrix, Redding, and Mitchell stretched the horizons of rock music, mirrored the turbulence and creativity of their time, and secured a lasting vitality that still inspires artists and listeners today.
Are You Experienced?
If psychedelia had a noise, it would sound like the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut Are You Experienced. Recorded in London studios for over five months in 1967, the 11-track album defies and redefines the boundaries of traditional rock. The England-based group struts onto the scene in a kaleidoscopic explosion of color, asserting themselves as a trinity truly worth experiencing.
Formed in 1966, the trio, comprised of Hendrix, bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, flaunt their raw talent with the opening track “Purple Haze.” Hendrix bends his strings in a way that lets the guitar do the talking, especially where lyrics are sparse. “Third Stone From The Sun” exemplifies this, as the left-handed guitarist transcends listeners with hallucinogenic soundscapes.
The barn-burning ballad “The Wind Cries Mary” highlights the group’s ability to explore soulful chord progressions. Finally, the eponymous track closes the odyssey. Are You Experienced is more than an album; it’s a statement.
Axis: Bold As Love
In seven months, The Jimi Hendrix Experience birthed their second album, Axis: Bold As Love. Coming off the explosive success of Are You Experienced, the trio wasted no time diving back into the studio. If their debut was a declaration, Axis is a testament to their evolution.
The sophomore effort opens meekly with the jazz-reminiscent track “Up From The Skies.” Instead of asserting their power-driven dominance, Hendrix, bassist Noel Redding, and drummer Mitch Mitchell let listeners soak in their instrumentals before embarking on a journey of rigid guitar riffs.
A throughline of swagger conveys glimpses of Hendrix’s witty personality. Tracks like “Wait Until Tomorrow” showcase his playful storytelling: “Click bang / What a hang / Your daddy just shot poor me.” Even in introspection, charisma seeps into his delivery, acknowledging humor within heartache.
The transition from the tenderness of “Little Wing” to the grit of “If 6 Were 9” is as stark as the psychedelic colors bathing the group on their album cover. Hendrix casually addresses the counterculture while chewing gum as if to say defying conformity is cool.
Axis: Bold As Love is a labor of love that sees Hendrix growing more comfortable with experimentation, treating his material like a playground. Electric blues, jazz-infused psychedelia, and poetic lyricism tangle in a whirlwind of sonic innovation to create an album that transcends genre.
Electric Ladyland
The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s third album Electric Ladyland, released on October 16, 1968, is a peek inside the inner workings of the famed left-handed guitarist’s head. It’s a sprawling, freeform work that refuses to be put in a box.
Keeping a cast of colorful characters in constant rotation at Record Plant Studios, Hendrix harnessed an energizing atmosphere that nurtured his imagination. Engineer Eddie Kramer worked to expel the sonic vision in Hendrix’s head, rendering the two as a dynamic duo that weren’t afraid to toe the line between experimental psychedelia and pensive blues.
A strong sense of rhythm resides in the vocal delivery across the album, reflecting the communal environment fostered in the studio. On “Crosstown Traffic,” listeners can hear the frontman smiling through his evocative lyrics. Layered guitar work with an undercurrent of high-voltage funk emphasizes his ability to merge playfulness with razor-sharp precision, creating a track that feels effortless and electric.
Drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding work as a unit, communicating in a near-telepathic synergy on “Burning of the Midnight Lamp.” Both players drive alongside each other, with Redding’s isolated bass highlighting his steady yet unconventional approach to rhythm. The vivid track sucks listeners into Hendrix’s world, its swirling harpsichord offering surrealism.
Other songs like “Still Raining, Still Dreaming” fall into heavier terrain that still upholds Hendrix’s psychedelic dreamscape. The dizzying wah-wah pedal carries all the sassiness and cadence of a human voice. Mitchell’s drum fill at the end erupts like an exclamation point, punctuating the song’s jam-heavy groove.
On the 13-minute post-apocalyptic epic “1983…(A Merman I Should Turn to Be),” Hendrix puts his storytelling on display. Expressive and experimental, he weaves ethereal soundscapes, flowing basslines, and underwater-like effects.
Electric Ladyland is a lush sonic odyssey that invites listeners into Hendrix’s vast, unfiltered world.