Tuesday, September 2, 2008

The Train of Thought Lounge: The Jimi Hendrix Experience

The vanilla almond scented candles are out and the Manischewitz is flowing, which can only mean one thing; you are back in The Train of Thought Lounge. It's really unbelievable that I haven't featured Jimi Hendrix here yet before. In addition to being a cultural icon, guitar god and all-around legend, Hendrix is one of my personal heros (along with Prince, Dave Chappelle and John Brown).

Out of all of his incredibly famous songs, I feel like "Manic Depression" is one of his most slept-on. This is just a fucking jam. There's not really any other way of describing it better.

Another reason why I love this song though is the fact that Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell's talents really shine through. They are so often overshadowed by Jimi's immense star power, and it's not their fault or his. This track offers proof that Hendrix's supporting cast was more than solid. Jimi brings it, as always, but then that comes as no surprise. Redding's bass line is one of my favorite off all-time. It's everything a bass line should be: a simple, yet devastatingly-funky rhythm that remains constant throughout.

The true superstar of this song is Mitchell though. Especially after the 2:40 mark when it sounds as though Mitchell has eight arms.

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