In the midst of the whirlwind surrounding him, Hendrix was required to make another album in 1967, and if Axis: Bold As Love seems somewhat mercurial when compared with the no-holds-barred of Experienced, it reflects both his expanded interest in the possibilities of the recording studio and his own growing confidence as an artist. "Little Wing," with its melodic statement and stateliness, is Jimi reaching back into sweet-voiced Impressionistic r&b singers (especially Curtis Mayfield) and letting his guitar speak for itself, all the more remarkable for its vulnerability.

The album's science fictional bent is enhanced by an opening spaced and third-stoned dialogue between Hendrix and Mitchell discussing extraterrestrial encounters as the tape slows and quickens and darts between speakers like those moving train stereo demonstration records from the 1950s. He lets his freak flag fly in the topsy-turvy of "If 6 Was 9," and conveys eternal truths in "Castles Made of Sand." Traces of southern funk appear in "Little Miss Lover," "Wait Until Tomorrow," and "Ain't No Telling," harbingers of some of the more rhythmic grooves Hendrix would pursue as he began exploring and returning to his roots. The title cut, graced by a beautifully sung Jimi poetry-in-motion, is an exquisite… read more »