I didn't set out to do a cover, but there are these two Jimi Hendrix songs that I've always thought were highly underrated. As strong as these songs are, their original recordings are not as clean as some listeners would like, hence my theory that had these been perfected in the studio (or perhaps a little more restraint shown by Jimi in the case of that famous recorder part) they would have been favorites. As it is, they still are cherished by the diehard fans. Listening to each of them, it occurred to me a while ago that I could put together an arrangement that would highlight the strengths that might have been obscured in the original. It also occurred to me that I could transition seamlessly between the two, even though they are at different tempos. (Well, I may be getting ahead of myself here, what do you think?) What you are listening to is a medley of these two songs.

Those not familiar with Jimi's work may think there are more than two songs here. Though Jimi may have been the king of blues rock, many overlook that his work led up to the progressive rock era. I believe he was actually ahead of his time in this respect as well, burgeoning more complex, experimental song formats and an early prototype of the concept album in Axis (albeit this story of star-crossed lovers is literally between an alien and this Fresno chick.) The original songs made up something of a medley to start with, and their sum produces quite a large tapestry.

Now taking on a Hendrix cover is a perilous task for someone who is admittedly not a guitar virtuoso. But that is what made these songs an interesting choice. I believe these were among the small part of Jimi's canon meant to showcase the rhythm section, including Jimi as rhythm guitarist rather than the Jimi that is a voodoo child. The first is comparable to Brubeck's "Take Five" in that perhaps it was originally meant as a platform for an extended Mitchell solo in concert, with that second bridge most certainly left for Redding's bass work. The second song was Jimi's means to test his gypsy band's ability to keep up, often challenging them during that famous New Year's Eve concert by jumping beats during what is already a complicated figure.

These two tunes also complement each other in that they both express a simple message that we all have our own life to live, and in that realization anything is possible. They remain timeless even today for that reason, but even so I couldn't resist updating just one lyric...