Album Reviews

Comments following the review of the mono reissues of the American versions of Are You Experienced? and Axis: Bold As Love indicated some dissatisfaction with the reissue of the U.K. version of the album, also mastered by Bernie Grundman.

I have an original UK Track but didn't have that reissue. I promised to get one and did, so here goes:

The differences between the American and UK versions begin with the cover art and continue with different track order and some different songs.

The U.K version omits the single "Purple Haze" and the "b" side "The Wind Cries Mary." That's what they did in the U.K. It also omits "Hey Joe". It includes "Red House" and "Can You See Me", which are not on the American version.

So first of all, you have to ask yourself, would you rather have "Purple Haze", "The Wind Cries Mary" and "Hey Joe" and can you do without the bluesy "Red House" and "Can You See Me?". Show of hands. Right! Of course! That's why the American version is so much better! The cover is better too.

Completists and purists will want both I guess, in part because of the artwork and in part because Track 612001 is the first Track Records release. Track was set-up by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp specifically for The Who and Jimi Hendrix (who got on vinyl first) but those would be the only reasons.

As for the complaints about the sonics, the original U.K. Track 612001 is not a very good sounding record. The bass is seriously rolled-off and the entire production sounds distant and somewhat lifeless—at least the pressing I have does. The reissue cut by Bernie Grundman sounds much better than the original because it has bass that must be on the tape but was shelved for the original release.

So whatever the complaints about the reissue sound, I'd say they are misguided. On the other hand, the back cover isn't a precise facsimile of the original. The original has a long Hendrix bio, that perhaps isn't 100% accurate or perhaps it was omitted along with shorter ones for Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding.

So the reissue is not a precise rendering of the original.

To further confuse matters, Polydor in 1991 released a stereo version of Are You Experienced featuring the American Reprise track selection and order but with the original U.K. cover art (Polydor 847 234-1). It sounds too clean and "digital". To the best of my knowledge there never was an original U.K. stereo Are You Experienced?.

So, while I'm glad for completists the U.K. mono original has been reissued, the artwork is not 100% accurate and you are better off with the American original. On the other hand, having the original U.K. Track version is nice to own because it's a piece of history.