Hendrix’s groundbreaking debut Are You Experienced shook pop music to its very core. In 1967 nobody had ever heard a rock n roll outfit sound so nasty and seductive. At this point, nothing even remotely as heavy had cracked the top ten but Are You Experienced rocketed all the way to number 2 in the UK charts upon its release, blocked from number 1 only by Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Jimi’s fusion of blues, feedback and distortion changed the game for everyone. Listening to its perfectly honed waves of fuzz and sonic experimentation, one easily forgets that this record dropped relatively early in the Hard Rock piece – during the Summer of Love – before Led Zeppelin had even formed. Are You Experienced duly wrote the blueprint for 70’s rock n’ roll and heavy metal and stands as perhaps the most robust debut in pop music history. The track list reads like a greatest hits, it’s scary that Jimi only continued to evolve after this. Best listened to at extremely high volume. Now, excuse me while I kiss the sky!
Pete Whelan 