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''Electric Ladyland'' is a Rock album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience , released in 1968 ( 1968 In Music ). It is seen as the peak of Jimi Hendrix 's mastery of the Electric Guitar , and is frequently cited as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. Not only the last Jimi Hendrix Experience album, it was also the last of Hendrix's studio albums to be professionally produced under his own supervision. After ''Electric Ladyland'', Hendrix spent the remaining two years of his life attempting to organize a new band and recording a great number of songs. Released as a Double Album , ''Electric Ladyland'' is a cross-section of Hendrix's wide range of musical talent. It includes samples of several genres and styles of music, including the psychedelia of "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" (previously a UK single in the summer of 1967), the soul-turning bluesy guitar jam " Voodoo Chile ", the New Orleans -style rock and roll of " Come On ", the epic studio production of " 1983... (A Merman I Should Turn To Be) ", and the political commentary of "House Burning Down". The album also features a cover version of Bob Dylan 's " All Along The Watchtower " that was widely praised by many, including Dylan himself Dimery, Robert "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", p.136, followed by " Voodoo Child (Slight Return) ", a staple of both radio and guitar repertoire. RECORDING AND PRODUCTION The recording of the album was extremely problematic. After a troubled tour of Scandinavia and England , Hendrix decided to relocate back to the United States from England. Frustrated by the limitations of commercial recording, he decided to establish his own state-of-the-art multitrack studio in New York, to which he could have unlimited access to realise his expanding musical visions. Construction of the studio, called Electric Lady , was beset with problems and it was not finally completed until mid 1970. As a result, he recorded the bulk of ''Electric Ladyland'' at Record Plant Studios . Hendrix's formerly disciplined work habits were also becoming erratic, and the combination of interminable sessions and studios filled with hangers-on finally led regular producer Chas Chandler to quit in May 1968. Chandler later complained that Hendrix's insistence on doing multiple takes of every song ("Gypsy Eyes" apparently took 43 takes, and he still wasn't satisfied with the result), combined with what Chandler saw as Hendrix's drugged incoherence, led him to sell his share of the management company to his partner Michael Jeffery . Hendrix's studio perfectionism was indeed legendary – he reportedly made guitarist Dave Mason do over 20 takes of the acoustic guitar backing on "All Along the Watchtower" – yet he was always insecure about his voice and often recorded his vocals hidden behind studio screens. Hendrix sings all the backing vocals himself on the title track and on "Long Hot Summer Night." He was said to be very happy with the vocal results on the title track. Despite the difficulties of its recording, many of the album tracks show Hendrix's vision expanding far beyond the scope of the original trio and saw him collaborating with a range of outside musicians including Mason, Chris Wood and Steve Winwood from Traffic ; future Band Of Gypsys drummer Buddy Miles ; Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady ; and former Dylan organist Al Kooper . Co-operation between Hendrix and bassist Noel Redding was strained during the production of the album. Hendrix plays bass tracks (on a right-handed bass guitar) on many tracks including the bass solo parts on "1983." While recording "All Along the Watchtower" Redding went to a nearby bar for a beer and Hendrix took his bass.Liner notes of Alan Douglas supervised CD edition of the album, that was published in the early 1990s Sometimes Hendrix recorded bass tracks just in order to make things go on faster. Redding plays acoustic guitar and sings lead vocals with Mitchell on his own track, "Little Miss Strange." RELEASE AND RECEPTION ''Electric Ladyland'' was first released in the U.S. in October 1968 and became a massive hit becoming Hendrix's only #1 album. The UK edition reached #5 upon its October release amid considerable controversy. The album's intended artwork did not reach the UK in time to press the album, so a cover of naked women lounging in front of a black background was issued in its place. The U.S. cover by Karl Ferris , which Hendrix had intended, has since become the official cover of ''Electric Ladyland'' internationally. Hendrix's family, who own the rights to the album and most of his catalogue, has stated that the original UK cover will not be used anymore since Hendrix himself did not like it. There exists a rare CD issue from 1980s that features the original UK cover. A similar event nearly happened with the album's title. In the final stages of the album's production, a studio technician renamed the album "Electric Landlady."Electric Ladyland - television document about the making of the album The album was almost released under this title until Hendrix noticed it, which upset him considerably. Kirsty MacColl later used this alternate title for An Album of her own. In 2005 ''Q'' Magazine readers voted ''Electric Ladyland'' the 38th greatest album of all time; in 2003 the TV Network VH1 placed it at number 72. In 2003, Rolling Stone declared it the 54th greatest album of all time. The album is included in the book '' 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''. TRACK LISTING All songs composed by Jimi Hendrix, except where noted. Side one #"...And the Gods Made Love" – 1:21 #"Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)" – 2:11 #" Crosstown Traffic " – 2:26 #" Voodoo Chile " – 15:05 Side two #"Little Miss Strange" ( Noel Redding ) – 2:52 #"Long Hot Summer Night" – 3:27 #"Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)" ( Earl King ) – 4:09 #" Gypsy Eyes " – 3:43 #" Burning Of The Midnight Lamp " – 3:39 Side three #"Rainy Day, Dream Away" – 3:42 #" 1983... (A Merman I Should Turn To Be) " – 13:39 #"Moon, Turn the Tides...Gently Gently Away" – 1:01 Side four #"Still Raining, Still Dreaming" – 4:25 #"House Burning Down" – 4:33 #" All Along The Watchtower " ( Bob Dylan ) – 4:00 #" Voodoo Child (Slight Return) " – 5:13 As was traditional with multi-LP albums, Sides one and four were pressed back to back on the same platter, likewise sides two and three. This has led to some CD releasesPolydor 823359-2 double disc, "Nudes" cover to have the tracks in the incorrect one-four-two-three order (e.g. "Voodoo Chile" followed by "Still Raining..."). PERSONNEL The following credits are from to the CD booklet.Some detailed information, including bass playing credits, is based on liner notes of Alan Douglas supervised CD edition of the album, that was published in the early 1990s
Production
CHARTS Album Singles REFERENCES SEE ALSO |
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