Album: Are You Experienced
Year: 1967
First off, let me answer the question. Yes, I have been experienced. Let me prove it to you.
:: Plays long backwards guitar solo ::
Picking up the gauntlet that The Beatles had just laid down with “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “Rain,” but amping the volume to 11, the title track to Are You Experienced formally invokes the drug trips Jimi’s asking about in the lyrics.
With a plethora of backwards loops — Mitch Mitchell’s hi-hat, Jimi’s guitar solo — floating in and around a one-chord drone and martial drums “Are You Experienced?” was pure sonic overload, invoking an unstoppable force that just wanted to get you not necessarily stoned, but beautiful.
And beautiful it was, filled with ringing golden melodic noise, which is is good, because given how relentless “Are You Experienced?” is, it probably would have also been completely terrifying, especially if you got a little bit too beautiful.
But it ain’t: from the moment the band comes crashing in at the beginning to the feedbacky fade out, “Are You Experienced?” is a good trip — the kind where you feel OK with the world throughout and even the comedown ain’t all that bad — set to music, and as such, a fitting closer to a remarkable and earth shattering debut.
There are no good versions of “Are You Experienced?” on YouTube, so here it is on Spotify
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