Jimi Hendrix | Blues | Retro Album Review

RCA Records

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Jimi Hendrix is a lost soul in today’s world of music as he was respected and admired by all backgrounds. The history of rock and roll cannot be told without the name Jimi Hendrix. The album Blues was released on April 26, 1994, and featured six songs that were never released to the public. In its first two years of release, the album sold over half a million copies. The album features 11 songs for a total listening time of an hour and twelve minutes.

The songs were recorded between the years 1966 through 1970. The opening song “Hear My Train A Comin,’” provides fans with a “loose” version of Jimi, where he shows off his unmatched acoustic guitar riffing skills. The album builds itself in a way where each song becomes more intense than the last and features its own unique ability. The second track, “Born Under a Bad Sign,” provides the listener with a more upbeat tone compared to the former, and is a long extenuated seven-minute guitar solo. The highlight of the album is the blues version of the Hendrix classic “Red House,” which gives the song an unforgettable twist. The guitar in the blues version is less aggressive and focuses more on giving Hendrix’s voice a platform compared to the original.

The album is not the first choice for many Jimi Hendrix fans, as Are You Experienced, released in 1967, is arguably his most iconic. The blues album provides a different, nuanced version of Hendrix, where the constant guitar riffs give off the impression that this was one of his more creative projects. Blues by Jimi Hendrix should be on the playlist of blues and rock enthusiasts as well as people who are not familiar with Hendrix. The album will provide those who are familiar with Hendrix a fresh perspective on an icon and provide those that have not a refreshing break from today’s autotuned world.