113. The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Electric Ladyland (1968)

The boring new cover

1. Here we have Jimi Hendrix’s final album, and it’s a whopper. A double album with 16 songs spanning an hour and fifteen minutes, including two songs that last more than ten minutes apiece; the guy essentially put out four albums in less than two years before we lost him. While this album doesn’t stack up to his debut for me, he still went out on a high note.
2. Hendrix really stretches here, both in production and music. This is truly psychedelic stuff at times; album opener “…And The Gods Made Love” tripped me out hard when I put this album on for the first time. But it’s also his bluesiest record. The slow-jam “Voodoo Chile” is a fifteen minute journey, while his cover of “Come On (Let The Good Times Roll)” stacks up to any other version of Earl King’s hit.
3. And the album has bangers. “Crosstown Traffic” is two and a half minutes of pure energy, while “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” is one of the hardest, most addictive rock songs I’ve heard in this list to date. There’s a reason it’s been played to death on the radio and in commercials ever since. And of course: Hendrix’s cover of “All Along The Watchtower” is absolutely iconic, essential stuff. This is no respectful cover; this is rage and fire and brimstone tearing down everything in its path.
4. The album only really falters once: with the britpop “Little Miss Strange,” in which Hendrix takes a back seat on the vocals. The song makes no sense in context; it’s as though an entirely different band snuck a song in as a trick. To be clear: it’s not a bad song, and I’d be interested to hear what a more straightforward British Invasion band featuring Hendrix as strictly lead guitar could do. But it’s out of place here.
5. Such a damn shame to lose Hendrix. I always knew that, but now that I know I’m not getting any more of his material on this list, and now that I’ve realized how quickly he lit up the world, it’s really hit home.

One Essential Song:

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