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The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Axis: Bold as Love


4.5
superb

Review

by Broken Arrow USER (10 Reviews)
October 15th, 2005 | 251 replies


Release Date: 1967 | Tracklist


Coming off his debut album Jimi Hendrix was trying to expand his musical horizons. His first album Are You Experienced? is no doubt a classic but Jimi was getting tired of having a limited setlist at shows so in the same year 1967 he went back into the studio and recorded a more undershowed album called Axis: Bold as Love. The album combined elemants of rock, blues, pyschedelic and even a little jazz. The album is still considered a classic but it is sandwiched between his two most popular album Are You Experienced? and Electric Ladyland.

EXP This is a very odd opening track which is starts out themed as a radio interview. The host, drummer Mitch Mitchell, has an effect on his voice making it very high and semi irritating. He says he is interviewing a man named Paul Coruso(sp?) about UFO's. Paul answers the question in a very deep voice and then says he must be going. The rest of the "song" is weird noises and feedback its only 1:54 and isn;t a real song so I wont rate it.

Up From the Skies EXP goes right into a drum fill and then Jimi plays some jazzy chords with Noel providing a nice heavy bassline and Mitch Kepp the drum beat light and jazzy. Jimi's vocals are light and nice as comes out of one speaker and the other speaker answers himself. There's no wild guitar solo's but there is a little break where Jimi does a little blues solo with the wah wah and then he does a nice little solo with the the wah in the outro. A nice and relaxed song with jazz influences. 4.5/5

Spanish Castle Magic The tempo of the album changes here as there as Jimi plays the heavier intro. During the verse the guitar is very stop and start with Mitch's bass drum is the only thing behind Jimi's voice at times. The lyrics are pretty "out there" as Jimi sings about how it takes half a day to travel to his destination by riding his dragonfly. The chorus includes a heavy guitar riff, wild drums and strong vocals. Jimi's solo is nice as he uses one of his signature tones to create a pychedelic feel to the song. 4.5/5

Wait Until Tomorrow The intro is light and quick guitar part and a real heavy bass that only consists of one note but really adds to the intro. As Jimi's vocals and Mitch's drums come in the band goes into more of a groove. After a a nice guitar fill that resembles the intro the che extremely catchy chorus comes with some nice background vocals.The intro theme gets repeated a few times in the song before every verse. Mitch plays some very nice fills in this song and keeps a solid beat throughout the song. 4/5

Ain't No Telling The song is only 1:47 minutes long but Jimi manages to pack in so much into it. A really fast-paced groove is established early and they stick with it through the whole song occasionally slowing down during parts but it always quickly goes back to the groove. Again there is some really great drumming and some nice quick guitar soloes. 4/5

Little Wing This is one of Jimi's finest premormances on the guitar as well as his most emotional song. The intro guitar part is just so beautiful and Mitch's glockenspiel makes the intro even more effective. A drum fill takes the intro in to the verse and Jimi takes the spotlight on the vocals. The bass is rolling, the guitar is light and the drums are prescise every thing fits together perfectly. The guitar solo in Little Wing is one of the best on the album. My only complaint is that the song is over too quicly nontheless it is still a 5/5.

If 6 Was 9 This is the longest song on the album and probably the most experimental. The song starts with Mitch and the high-hat. The bass and guitar are accented and compliment each other nicely. Jimi sings the the lyrics strongly about how he doesnt really care if a 6 was a 9 or is the mountains fell in the sea or if the sun refused to shine, things along that nature. Around 1:50 the bass starts doing this really cool jazz part as the guitar is filled with effects and kinda goes around and does whatever it wants. During the interlude Jimi says "I know I got to die when its time for my to die, so let my live my own life the way I want to". After this it goes back to the pyschedelic interlude which features Jimi playing random notes on the flute. This song can get kind of old fast though. 4/5

You've Got Me Floatin' This song has a real upbeat opening guitar riff and a nice beat. Jimi sings the verse nicely and he gets some help form Noel and Mitch during the chorus. This song doesnt dont that much for me, it's kind of a filler pop song. It does have a good groove and features some good guitar work though. 3.5/5

Castles Made of Sand The intro is done on a back tracked guitar and kinda of resembles "Little Wing" as the band goes into the first verse another heavy bassline back up Jimi's light guitar parts. The lyrics seem to be about dreams that are built up and are destroyed but thats just my take on them. The guitar solo is very well done but again is kinda short. The intro is played again as the outro, fabulous guitar playing in this song. 5/5

She's So Fine The song starts out with some Mitch playing a cool fill on the drums which is closely followed by Noel's bass and soon after Jimi's guitar playing the same melody as Noel. The song is sung by Noel because he was the one who wrote it. The fact that Noel sings it kinda makes it feel out of place but the song is still great. The drums and bass work nicely together with Jimi preforming a great guitar solo. 4/5

One Rainy Day Wish The guitar intro is light and slow as Mitch does a roll on a cymbal. Aproximetly 30 secinds lately Jimi starts singing in a very nice melody. The tempo picks up for the chorus which features a nice guitar line backed by a rolling bass and "fill-happy" drums. The songs goes back to the verse tempo as Jimi continues singing over top of his guitar. A nice song with cool guitar parts.4/5

Little Miss Lover Another drum intro starts off this funky number. The other insturments follow the same rythym as the drums started with. Jimi's voice is even funky as he sings about his "Little Miss Lover". He also adds in nice guitar solo and other interest parts. This song also has one of Noel's best basslines on the album. It's pretty short too. 4.5/5

Bold as Love No intro needed as Jimi starts says/yells "Anger!". The lyrics are about the emotions and how colours relate to them. ( I think). The guitar is light but you can here it going all over the place. As the song hits the chorus the song gets heavier but soon return to the original verse tempo. Jimi sings amazingly and adds an outstanding guitar solo to the song. Eveything is perfect, the lyrics, the singing, the instruments. Just when you think the song is over Mitch does a roll and the song goes into a flange drenched outro with another amazing solo. Mitch preforms fill after fill and Noel has keeps the bass pumping. This happens to be one of my favoueite songs of all time too. 5/5

Overall I'd give the album a 4.5/5, for having such masterpieces as "Bold as Love", "Little Wing", "Castles Made of Sand" and "Spanish Castle Magic". The rest of the songs are good but those are definetly the standout tracks.



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user ratings (1668)
4.4
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other reviews of this album
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Comments:Add a Comment 
temporary
October 15th 2005


207 Comments


Great review, great album. I pretty much agree with all your raitings, Little Wing, Spanish Castle Magic, and Bold as Love are my favs.

masada
October 15th 2005


2733 Comments


This is a great album, mainly because of all the softer, more tasteful songs, and ballads.

Storm In A Teacup
October 16th 2005


46359 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

What is VBcode?

masada
October 16th 2005


2733 Comments


VBcode is the HTML-esque coding that is used on MX/Sputnikmusic. A lot of other sites use it too.

[quote=SlothxCore]how come all the VBcode on the whole site is broken?[/quote] It probably has to do with the updates and modifications that Mr. MX has been working on for quite some time today. Eventually, he will work all of the bugs out, so there really isn't a need to worry at this point.

mx
Moderator
October 16th 2005


752 Comments


All fixed

Britton
October 16th 2005


8 Comments


Jimi is the reason I play guitar. This wasn't his best
album but it's still my favourite. Bold as love is in my
top five fav songs of all time. Paul carouso was Jimi's
harmonica player back in his greenwhitch village days.
I beleive Mr. carouso also plays on the "My Friend"
from the new rising sun. Little wing is incredible.
spanish castle magic is awsome. I love castles made
of sand.

Great review

Broken Arrow
October 16th 2005


220 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

MX posted in my review. :cool:



Thanks for the comments, thats a cool fact about Paul.

SELHIM
October 16th 2005


62 Comments


Best Jimi Hendrix album, I am sure. Best song is "Little WIng".

Broken Arrow
October 16th 2005


220 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Either Little Wing or Bold as Love.

SELHIM
October 16th 2005


62 Comments


...or castles made of sand, but no best is Little Wing.

DesolationRow
October 16th 2005


833 Comments


Great review. It's good to see this album get the good review it badly needed. This is my second favorite JHE album, behind Are You Experienced?.

Electric City
October 16th 2005


15756 Comments


Jimi Hendrix is a God. He is Rock and Roll.This Message Edited On 10.16.05

Broken Arrow
October 16th 2005


220 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Yeah, I read the other one and there was everyone was trashing it but no one else would write the review.

sheik
October 17th 2005


7 Comments


Too much, good review. Ive been meaning to buy this for a while now but cant find it any where.

Bonzo17
December 27th 2005


92 Comments


a good album, but his first was better

nirvana_33
January 24th 2006


4 Comments


I just recently bought this album and I love it. Little Wing has always been a favorite of mine so I wanted to hear what else came out of him around the same time. Good review Livewired.

BloodThirstyGuillotine
February 6th 2006


63 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Castles Made of Sand is an awesome track, and so are Little Wing and Bold as Love.



One of my favorite albums period.

PurpleHaze420
February 6th 2006


56 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Wonderful review man.

This would probably score my favorite album. Just because the CD is just so perfectly put together.

"Axis: Bold as love" has to be one of my favorites... for some reason the solo in that just gets me. And I really enjoy Jimi's vocals in "Little Wing" and "Castles made of sand." Really good lyrics too.

El_Goodo
February 15th 2006


1016 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I just bought this album today. I bought it because Castle's Made Of Sand, and Spanish Castle Magic are both amazing songs. And mostly because Bold As Love is my favourite song. And this is the first time I've heard Little Wing with vocals, I thought it was only an instrumental or is that a different version?

Broken Arrow
February 16th 2006


220 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Must be a different version because I have never heard the one without vocals.



anyway thanks for the response guys.



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