Axis: Bold As Love.
Axis: Bold As Love is the second studio album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in 1967. Surprisingly, this is a Contractual Obligation Project, as the Experience had to release two albums in 1967.
Although a highly popular album and undoubtedly a classic, it is generally held in lesser regard to Are You Experienced and Electric Ladyland, for better or worse. As for the cover art, the band members did not approve.
Tracklist:
Side One
- "EXP" (1:55)
- "Up from the Skies" (2:55)
- "Spanish Castle Magic" (3:00)
- "Wait Until Tomorrow" (3:00)
- "Ain't No Telling" (1:46)
- "Little Wing" (2:24)
- "If 6 Was 9" (5:32)
Side Two
- "You Got Me Floatin'" (2:45)
- "Castles Made of Sand" (2:46)
- "She's So Fine" (2:37)
- "One Rainy Wish" (3:40)
- "Little Miss Lover" (2:20)
- "Bold as Love" (4:11)
Principal Members:
- Jimi Hendrix - lead vocals, guitar, piano, recorder
- Mitch Mitchell - drums, vocals, glockenspiel
- Noel Redding - bass, backing and lead vocals
Spanish Castle Tropes:
- All for Nothing: Implied by each verse of “Castles Made Of Sand”.
- Alliterative Title: "Little Miss Lover".
- Ancient Astronauts: "Up From The Skies", sung from the perspective of an alien visitor to Earth ("this here people farm") who had been here before thousands of years ago during an ice age, and has come back to observe how things have changed.
- Given an opening, with "EXP," the first track on the album.
Mitch Mitchell: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to radio station EXP. We are interviewing a peculiar looking gentleman who goes by the name of Mr. Paul Caruso on the dodgy subject of "Are there or are there not Flying Saucers (or UFOs)." Please, Mr. Caruso, can you give us your regarded opinion on this nonsense about space ships, and even SPACE PEOPLE?!Jimi Hendrix: Thank you. As you all know, you just can't believe Everything you see and HEAR, CAN YOU? NOOOW, IF YOUUU'LL EXCUUUSE MEEE, I MUUUST BE OOON MY WAAAAAYMitch Mitchell: I—I don't believe it!(Hendrix makes spaceship noises for 1:30) - Call-Back: The album begins with a radio skit ("EXP") that starts with the opening six notes of "Stone Free", a single that was recorded and released during the Are You Experienced sessions.
- Face on the Cover: Redding, Hendrix and Mitchell, shown in psychedelic hinduistic imagery.
- Hinduism: The album cover is inspired by this imagery.
- Multi-Armed and Dangerous: Hendrix's arms on the album cover hold several weapons.
- One-Woman Song: "Little Miss Lover"
- One-Word Title: "EXP"
- Precursor: "Up From The Skies",
perhaps. - Psychedelic Rock: The album cover gives you a pretty good indication of the musical content.
- Self-Deprecation: Hendrix's liner notes on the back cover of this album said "Jimi Hendrix writes his own songs and almost sings them".
- Shout-Out:
- Frank Zappa referenced this album in the lyrics of "We're Turning Again" from Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention in 1985, along with "Purple Haze" from Are You Experienced.
Your haze was so purple it caused your axis to be as bold as love- "Little Miss Lover" was sampled in "Scenario" from A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory from 1991.
- 6 Is 9: "If Six Was 9".
- Step Up to the Microphone: Noel Redding sings lead vocals on his song "She's So Fine", and Mitch Mitchell gets spoken-word vocals on "EXP".
- Surprisingly Gentle Song: "Castles Made Of Sand", "Little Wing", "Bold As Love".
