Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced?

Essay by wahsnitsujHigh School, 11th gradeA+, May 2004

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The Jimi Hendrix Experience released its first album in early 1967. Popular music had been leaning towards psychedelics for a couple years already and Are You Experienced? came out at about the same time as the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Are You Experienced? far exceeded the Beatles' triumph in complexity, capturing the essence of the late 1960's culture. Naturally the newer band did not share the immediate success of the Beatles. But its staying power has been testified to by several generations.

The British version of Are You Experienced? contained a few subtle differences. Most prominent were the absence of "Purple Haze" and the addition of Hendrix standard "Red House". "Purple Haze" caught fire in America after the Monterey Pop Festival and became Jimi's signature song. Although it was said to have endless verses, Jimi generally sang only the shortened version from the album (with a few ad lib changes).

The single was sent to radio stations with a note: "This song was intentionally distorted. Do not adjust."

Are You Experienced?, as with most of the Experience's music, sounds heavy no matter how many times you listen to it. In actuality, the stony "Purple Haze" is about as close as they ever come to hard rock. The next song, "Manic Depression" comes in strong with the opening chords and then reveals Mitch Mitchell's trademark rolling drums. It also contains another of Jimi's solos worth listening to by any new or Experienced fan.

Chas Chandler chose the quietest song on the album to give the world its first taste of Jimi Hendrix's talents. Its first single, "Hey Joe", a song written by turn-of-the-century bluesman Billy Roberts debuted at number on the pop charts. No other song written or performed by Jimi Hendrix had as much success as this...