The 33 1/3 series of extended album critiques is fueled by its authors' passions, and ex-Only Ones guitarist and music writer John Perry doesn't disappoint. A Jimi Hendrix fan from the first time he saw him at a British club, Perry devotes his entry in the mini-book series to Hendrix's startlingly innovative 1968 ELECTRIC LADYLAND album. Hendrix's last album with the Experience, ELECTRIC LADYLAND is a dazzling mix of jazzy riffs and free-form electronic effects that was a musical quantum leap forward from the guitarist's previous release, 1967's AXIS: BOLD AS LOVE. In its wide-ranging experimentation and casual genius it was both a culmination of the pioneering artist's original vision and a foundation for the next, sadly aborted phase of his musical journey. Perry freely acknowledges Hendrix's musical influence, and returns the favor with incisive analyses of the guitarist's playing and recording methods. Each album track has its own chapter, and whether you agree with Perry's opinions or not (at several points he heretically, though not unreasonably, suggests that some tracks could have been better mixed), JIMI HENDRIX'S ELECTRIC LADYLAND admirably fulfills the 33 1/3 series' brief of in-depth critical reassessment of seminal rock releases. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.