The whole controversy about the naked women on the cover of the British version of the album for instance, Jimi hated the cover and wanted nothing to do with it so he couldn't care less about it being banned. His idea for the cover is the picture above of the three band members and children on the Alice In Wonderland statue in Central Park.
But nobody bought into it, just as nobody who's come since has really understood the potential of what he was unearthing in the studio. Sgt. Pepper's in 1967 might have been the ultimate pop album, and The Band in 1969 might have been the first album to connect all the disparate elements of American music, but Electric Ladyland sandwiched between the two in 1968 was pushing an envelope that most people didn't even know existed.
The world of rock and roll and popular music does not allow enormous amounts of room for the likes of Jimi Hendrix, not now and not then. He didn't fit easily into any convenient slots: a lead guitar player who could play rhythm, a black man playing with two white men, and some one who wanted to compose more then the three minute song that the industry machine wanted.
Classic Albums: Electric Ladyland offers a rare glimpse of Jimi Hendrix the man behind the guitar. It's well done and intelligent with the usual superb job of tracking down and bringing together the people who were involved in the recording of the album. Eagle Rock Entertainment has provided a real service with the re issue of this series, and this is just another example of what makes it so good.
Article comments