Читать книгу The Mojo Collection - Various Mojo Magazine - Страница 107

Record label: Track (UK) MCA (US)

Produced: Chas Chandler

Recorded: Olympic Studios, London; May–October 1967

Released: December 1, 1967 (UK) January 15, 1968 (US)

Chart peaks: 5 (UK) 3 (US)

Personnel: Jimi Hendrix (v, g); Noel Redding (b, bv); Mitch Mitchell (d); Terry Brown (e);

Track listing: EXP; Up From The Skies; Spanish Castle Magic; Wait Until Tomorrow; Ain’t No Telling; Little Wing; If 6 Was 9; You Got Me Floatin’; Castles Made Of Sand; She’s So Fine; One Rainy Wish; Little Miss Lover; Bold As Love

Running time: 39.35

Current CD: Island MCD11601

Further listening: The Jimi Hendrix Experience (2000) contains fascinating outtakes from the Axis sessions.

Further reading: Electric Gypsy (Harry Shapiro and Caesar Glebbeek, 1991); www.jimi-hendrix.com

Download: iTunes; HMV Digital

Given that he had to hit the UK for his talents to be appreciated, Jimi Hendrix relied heavily on English boffins; British Marshall and Sound City amps were an integral part of his sound, and when he felt the need to customise his electronic armoury, he called on Roger Meyer, a London electronics guru who modified Jimi’s fuzzboxes and wah wahs, and invented entirely new effects pedals for him.

George Chkiantz, an employee at London’s Olympic Studio, was another crucial influence: ‘George was a tape op who would hang around in the maintenance department,’ remembered Jimi’s producer and co-manager, Chas Chandler. ‘He was very hung up on sound, and would work out new ways to bastardise the equipment.’ This spirit of experiment pervaded Jimi’s second album, recorded on the run between live engagements. Material, such as opener EXP, with its then-fashionable UFO references, sounds dated in hindsight, despite the still-thrilling guitar exploration. The ostensibly simple songs would prove more durable, notably Little Wing, which opened with a gorgeously simple guitar intro, heavily influenced by Curtis Mayfield. Castles Made Of Sand also employed subtle soul guitar styles; indeed for many guitarists Hendrix’s fluent use of guitar voicings, sliding fourths and other techniques make Axis Bold As Love the album that most rewards constant listening.

Bassist Noel Redding points out that the album’s finest moments see the band working at the limits of their powers: ‘On the last track, Bold As Love, there’s one point where we’re playing three different rhythms at the same time. Most of those things were worked out in the studio.’

Ironically, given the intense work that had gone into the rushed recording, Jimi ended up losing the master reel for half of the album – possibly on purpose, because he was unhappy with the sound. Chandler and engineer Eddie Kramer heroically remixed the entire side in one night, with the exception of If 6 Was 9. The two couldn’t match their lost first mix, ‘But in the end we found that Noel had taken a copy on 7½ ips to play at home on his domestic machine,’ remembered Chandler. ‘His machine had chewed the tape up, so we had to iron it flat. Then we mastered from that copy.’