Electric Ladyland – JIMI HENDRIX*****

And The Gods Made Love/Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)/Cross Town Traffic/Voodoo Chile/Little Miss Strange/Long Hot Summer Night/Come On/Gypsy Eyes/The Burning Of The Midnight Lamp/Rainy Day Dream Away/1983 A Merman I Should Be/Moon Turn The Tides Gently Gently Away/Still Raining Still Dreaming/ House Burning Down/All Along The Watchtower/Voodoo Chile(Slight Return)

Electric Ladyland was the final studio album from guitar hero Jimi Hendrix during his lifetime, and is a sprawling mixture of genius and self indulgence. Includes Voodoo Chile, a British No. 1 released after his death in 1970, his top five acclaimed cover of Dylan's All Along The Watchtower, plus the UK No. 18 hit Burning Of The Midnight Lamp. (US:1 UK:6)

"The sprawling Electric Ladyland is often considered Hendrix's magnum opus, as it shows the full range of his musical capabilities. From the druggy psychedelia of 1983 to the heavy blues rock of Voodoo Child (Slight Return) and the short, catchy Crosstown Traffic, the sixteen tracks show how adept Jimi was at various forms of rock music, However, as with many LPs of this length, I feel that a slightly shorter album would have been preferable. Aside from that minor flaw, Electric Ladyland is a very strong album that should belong in the collection of any rock fan."

"As is the case with many late 60s/early 70s double albums, it's not about the music, it's about indulgence. Speaking of which, this album is the closest that The Jimi Hendrix Experience ever came to an 'experience', and it's not just the music, it's also the sheer endless artillery of effects strewn throughout every inch of the album."

"A sprawling, sometimes discordant, but nearly always brilliant kaleidoscope of music with an emotional range that drifts sonically from melancholy musing to mellow merriment to the lunatic fringe of moon-madness and inchoate rage."

"If you are a fan of classic rock, hard rock, art-rock or great music in general and you don't already own this, then I pose the question - why not? This record has everything, great songs, great guitar work, great production effects and above all, a fantastic musical vision. So don't hesitate to pick up this masterpiece of an album, which is a true testament to Jimi as a musician and creative force in the studio."

"Although for the most part I like this, and most of the songs are excellent, the sheer length of the album is somewhat of a flaw to me. There are a number of tracks that just feel like unnecessary preludes to some of the better songs on the album."