Aug 10, 2009 12:00 AM
1991 Views
The edifice of Rock is supported on the four pillars (read albums) of Zoso, Machinehead, Who's Next & Electric Ladyland. Machinehead is pure unadulterated classic/hard Rock, Who's Next is the ultimate Rock Opera, Zoso incorporates large elements of folk rock too while "Electric Ladyland" fuses hard rock, psychedelia, blues & acid rock all in one record. Its no surprise therefore that Electric Ladyland (EL) should be considered the most complete pillar.
EL was released in 1968, ahead of the other three albums. The album had 16 songs with a run time of 76 minutes. The UK release had a controversial sleeve comprising nude women which was later substituted by the now famous red & yellow Hendrix face. While recording, Manager Chas Chandler & Bassist Noel Redding were reportedly fed up of his multiple takes of every song and accused him of being too much of a perfectionist & hedonist.
Those who have heard stories of Hendrix's penchant for experimentation with musical instruments and his habit of playing an upside-down Fender Stratocaster, restrung for left hand, would swear by the effects achieved in EL. The album really expanded the horizons in terms of sounds that could be produced by musical instruments.
The record starts with ...and the Gods Made Love, a brief throaty incoherent intro. Next in line is Have you ever been to Electric Ladyland? in which Hendrix primes listeners for the musical journey ahead which would be filled with "sounds & emotions". In Crosstown Traffic Hendrix talks about one of his girlfriends and compares her to the traffic that inhibits him.
Voodoo Chile is a 15 minute marathon jam session with Steve Winwood of Traffic on organ and Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane on bass in addition Mitchell on Drums. Redding had already left for the day. The song also has overdubbed "crowd" noises added later to give the live effect. One of the most famous jams in Rock history.
Little Miss Strange is more like a Rolling Stones number both in lyrics & construction with dashes of Hendrix's improvisation thrown in. Long Hot Summer Night seems to describe a comedown with suggestive lyrics such as "Where are you on this hot cold summer?". Let the Good Times Roll is a cover of Earl King song written earlier.
Gypsy Eyes is an outstanding tribute by Jimi to his mother who had died young after abandoning him to relatives. It showcases both his pain and his indebtedness for inheriting that wild spirit which would rule him for his life.
Next is my longtime favorite Burning of the Midnight Lamp which has Jimi playing a guitar solo to conjure the effect of a lamp burning, of flames flickering, of morning breaking and other things which are best seen, not heard. But such is his playing, aided by the wah-wah guitar that the music is blindly suggestive of the scene he is trying to create. The song talks about his lonliness and drab exsitence. If you have never heard of a Guitar being used to paint a picture, wait till you hear this. Stupendous stuff and the highlight of this album !! (Movie clip uploaded as a sampler)
The second part of the album begins with Rainy Day, Dream Away is wonderful song supposedly written when Hendrix was caught up in a jam on a rainy day. The song has a light playful aura about it but the heaviness of Hendrix guitar is still obvious. "Rainy day, dream away, Let the sun take a holiday, Flowers bathe, and oh see the children play, Lay back and groove on a rainy day....". The song also has an epilogue titled Still Raining, Still Dreaming.
1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be) is a 13 minute long "anti war" song which has Hendrix wishing to walk into the sea with his beloved. The song has textured guitars, bass and vocals, as also flute being superimposed to get that overlap effect.
All Along the Watchtower was originally penned by Bob Dylan for his album John Wesley Harding and is easily the second highlight of the album. It starts with a wonderful lead-in guitar riff and Hendrix's unique matter-of-fact vocals that give it a stunning effect. So brilliant was the rendition by Hendix that Dylan paid homage to him by starting to sing the song to Jimi's tune rather than his own.
The album is brought to a fitting end by Voodoo Child (Slight Return) which again has Hendrix producing a legendary guitar solo act. The song was also used by Hendrix frequently for live performances and is considered by many including Joe Satriani as the greatest piece of Guitar ever played.
TRIVIA
(1) Hendrix had lost over half of his hearing by the time of his death courtesy the playback volumes that he played his studio speakers to.
(2) He was voted the 6th Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artist of all time by Rolling Stone. He was also voted the greatest guitarist of all time in a 2003 poll by Rolling Stone.
(3) Hendrix and Pete Townshend (The Who) once had a heated argument over who would play first at the Monterey Pop Festival. The argument was resolved by flipping a coin that was won by Townshend. In a fit of rage Hendrix set his own guitar on fire after performing his song.
(4) The guitar chord - 7th + sharpened 9th - became known as "The Hendrix Chord" because of its heavy use on his songs "Foxy Lady" and "Purple Haze,". The chord however, was actually used several months earlier by George Harrison on Taxman in The Beatles' album Revolver.
For many, EL was the statement that rested the argument on Hendrix being the best guitarist of all times. For himself, if there were two people whom he absolutely worshipped in different capacities, they were (1) Bob Dylan for his songwriting & (2) Steve Winwood for his sense of music. In fact Hendrix had conceptualized a supergroup comprising of himself, Arthur Lee (refer my review on Forever Changes) and Steve Winwood. However that was a "Lead Zeppelin" that never took off !
