“Songs of Experience was supposed to have a different feel than Song of Innocence. You see,
music is a great outlet. And regardless of what the titles say, and as close as I wanted it
to be to William Blake, what was going on in my life took precedence.” – David Axelrod.
David Axelrod's second album of William Blake interpretations continues but innocence has
given way to experience and this is evident in the music which is starker and more
minimalist (reflecting the shift in tone between the two sets of Blake poems and the death
of his son Scott).
As an in-house producer, arranger and songwriter at Capitol records at the time this was
recorded, Axelrod had the pick of session musicians and the most notable here are Earl
Palmer on drums and Carol Kaye on bass guitar. Although the drums and bass breaks are
limited here compared to 'Song of Innocence', the interplay between the two of them is
exemplary throughout and they add real depth to the sound.
Much like its predecessor, this sounds like nothing recorded before or since - many have
tried to copy and match the sound here (including Axelrod himself in later years) but none
have come close. An essential listen and one of the finest records not only of the 60s, but
in the history of modern music.
