After the mammoth endeavor that was Prince’s discography, I wanted something different. So naturally, I chose a super short discography, and one that I had already heard all three studio albums. Jimi Hendrix is someone else that needs no introduction. He’s one of the best guitarists of all time, and all that was with only a few years of work before his untimely demise. There’s no telling what he would’ve been able to accomplish if he didn’t end up passing away in 1970. Just to put it in perspective, the pandemic has been “over” for a good amount longer than Jimi was releasing music. The fact that he has the legacy he does with only three albums and a few years of writing is a testament to the otherworldly talent that Jimi Hendrix had. Now, since his passing, there have been a significant number of posthumous releases, and while I’m sure many of them are good, it doesn’t feel right to talk about them alongside the projects Jimi released while he was alive. So if you’re looking for those projects, that’s why they aren’t here. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Honorable Mention
This was the only album out of the bunch that I had never heard before. In fact, I didn’t know there was any more officially released music from Jimi before his passing, but this live album actually came out 6 months before his passing. The only reason I’m kind-of including a live album here is because it’s completely made up of new songs! But because it’s a live album, I was a little hesitant to rank it against his officially recorded material. To be honest though, there’s part of me that likes this even more than some of his studio releases! It’s like he took the blues jams from Electric Lady and made a whole album around it! As someone who obviously never got to see him live either, hearing a glimpse into what a Jimi Hendrix concert would’ve been is incredible! His new band at the time, made up of Billy Cox and Buddy Miles, is a wonderful addition to Jimi’s psychedelic playing, and I wish they would’ve been able to make more music together. Just like a lot of artists' last bodies of work when they pass away too young, Band of Gypsys is a glimpse into the type of music that Jimi could’ve been making for decades to come.
Ranking
3. Axis: Bold As Love (1967)
Less than seven months after Are You Experienced, and Jimi already had a new album out! This might be his most psychedelic album, but it’s also his most straightforward album. Only two songs reach the four minute mark, and one of them only reached it by a few seconds. As someone who does love the extended moments, I do wish there were more moments like “If 6 Was 9” on here. The song just kind of meanders along with this slower pace and unorthodox song structure, but I absolutely adore the entire thing! There are some amazing straightforward tracks on here though! “Spanish Castle Music” is an instant classic in the Hendrix catalog, and the R&B slow-jam of “Little Wing” is a wonderful song that should’ve been longer. Of course, saying any Jimi Hendrix album is the worst feels wrong, so I’ll just say that this one has the most obvious little things wrong with it, so that’s why it’s last. For example, why is there a song by Noel Redding on the second half of the record? Even though it sonically fits the vibe, it’s not your album, I don’t want to hear you singing right now. But whatever, I don’t want to say too many bad things about the album because it’s obviously still a great project!
2. Are You Experienced (1967)
Let’s start with the confusing part, the tracklist for this album has varied greatly over the past 50-60 years, both in terms of how music technology has evolved and which part of the world you happen to live in. For example, the international version of the album didn’t even have “Purple Haze” until 1997! It’s not even like these were some small changes, they took away arguably his biggest track ever, and the first song of the album from the tracklist. Nowadays, both the US and the International versions of the album have the same 17 songs on them, just in a different order. With all that in mind, it is hard to look at this project as an album where tracklisting matters, and instead just look at it as a collection of songs, but what a collection of songs it is! If we follow the US version, starting off the album with “Purple Haze”, “Manic Depression”, and “Hey Joe” is an otherworldly way to start off your debut album! “Third Stone from the Sun” is a look into the more extended, psychedelic rock songs that he would make later on in his career. The title track of the album also shows Jimi’s tender voice and these harsh reversed sounds that should not work together, but they somehow do. And of course, as someone who loves blues music, “Red House” is a personal favorite! At the end of the day, no matter how you listen to these songs, it’s clear that Jimi would be destined for a legendary career!
1. Electric Ladyland (1968)
This album has “Voodoo Chile”, so it’s not really much of a choice. I don’t know if it’s a controversial take to say that this is one of the greatest rock songs of all time, but it certainly feels like everytime I listen to the track! Literally the only thing in the whole 15 minute runtime that I would change is the line where he talks about making love to someone in their sleep (feels a little rape-y in 2025). In fact, the song is so good that there’s a whole other version of the song that ends the album. Still though, the rest of the album is obviously also amazing! The Bob Dylan cover of “All Along The Watchtower” is so good that most people don’t even know Bob Dylan originally wrote it. “Gypsy Eyes” is a fantastic psych-rock track that harkens back to the first couple albums. “Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)” is a wonderful R&B-inspired jam that shows off one of Jimi’s best vocal performances! The whole double album is nothing short of a cornerstone of psychedelic rock, and is something that only a few people are capable of making!
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