100. The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Are You Experienced (1967)

Three experienced chaps

1. Well, this is a hell of a way to hit #100. Obviously I’ve heard Jimi Hendrix before. I grew up listening to Hendrix; I love Hendrix. But there’s a stark difference between hearing Hendrix as one of many acts that you’d generally classify as “Classic Rock,” and listening to his debut album in the context of what was happening in pop music in 1967. Because this is absolutely mind blowing compared to what everyone else was doing at the time.
2. From the first notes of “Purple Haze” — the guitar work, but also the beat — it’s clear we’re dealing with something different here. Clapton’s work in Cream took blues sounds in an interesting direction, but Hendrix is creating a totally different, harder sound here. The production itself, too — the misty, echoey spoken word set behind Hendrix’s raging guitar solos really sets the mood. From there, it’s just banger after banger — “Manic Depression” and “Hey Joe” combine to form a stunner of an opening three tracks.
3. “Joe” and “The Wind Cries Mary” make clear Hendrix is not just a hard rocking lunatic, but can handle ballads just as well. His vocals manage to sound smooth and raw at the same time, energized as though live, blending into the music as a different kind of instrument than we’ve heard before. “Fire” and “Foxey Lady” are perfect examples of the Experience as a whole, just an incredibly tight trio working on a whole other level.
4. So yeah — five absolute classics with “Haze,” “Joe,” “Mary,” “Fire,” and “Foxey,” which should be enough for anyone. But the rest of the tracks here are all excellent as well. “May This Be Love” is a gorgeous ballad; “Third Stone From The Sun” is jazzy as hell; the reversed-drums on “Are You Experienced?” is a sound I didn’t realize had been used that long before.
   
   A perfect album.
5. Note: I listened to the US version for this, which includes some of the aforementioned hits that were left off of the UK version.

One Essential Song (an unfair and impossible decision):

Listen on Spotify: