Faux Fu

Thursday, July 09, 2020

Random Lines...

"Yeah. My hair looks great, but the rest of me is melting."

"I'm six years ahead of you, think of that. Everything we do. Every step we take. I'm six years ahead."

"Take your hands off the wheel. There are bigger things going down right now. I mean, we aren't driving anyway."

"I have given up trying to figure things out. Who knows?!"

"The U.S.A. is the richest country in the world. The most technologically advanced. We have more Covid-19 cases than any other country. More deaths. WTF?!"

"I really, truly, madly, deeply, think I cooked my nines' this time."

"No, I don't think schools will reopen in the fall... or they will close back up really quickly if they do. Disease and death are a great motivators, don't you know?!"

"Coffee in the morning, kombucha at night. Reasons to be cheerful."

The a.m soundtrack - Jimi Hendrix' "Are You Experienced?"  (1967).  A foundational r&r statement. For the longest time, if pressed, I would have said that "Electric Ladyland" was Jimi's best record. But lately, this debut record totally knocks me out. I'm having a bit of a re-think. It's an old recording now, but I recently snagged the 2010 Song Legacy version of the album which includes six extra tracks, original singles and album tracks. Usually, I am not a fan of adding extra tracks to an album, there is something sacred about the original vinyl album format, but you know, in this case, the additional tracks on the remastered CD fit and flow well. This band, this artist, were too much for one little vinyl record. This version of the album just builds on the original, overflows with originality, with fire, with magic, with power, grace, humor and experimentation. It's is over-powering, overwhelming. I am playing it on low volume this morning on the BOSE system, and it just sounds totally fabulous. Brings out some of the subtleties and textures of the music. Hendrix' guitar is a force of nature, power, grace, slinkiness, and Mitch Mitchell is one of the finest drummers amongst us. They really play so well together. Two soloists fighting and co-existing. Prodigious talents. Noel Redding on bass holds it all together. So many great tracks: Purple Haze, Hey Joe, Red House, Stone Free, Third Rock from the Sun. Yes. It's trippy. Psychedelic. LSD is the spirit hanging over the record. Jimi was pushing the boundaries of music. He was also fascinated by UFO's and time-travel. Which leads to some of the funniest, weirdest tracks and some of the finest experimentation. A boundary-crosser. A magus. A major talent. Unique voice and spirit. Nothing quite like the Jimi Hendrix Experience. A classic record. A masterpiece. Still thrilling and head-opening. Alive. Inspiring.

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