By Sean Egan
Acappela Books
www.ipg.com

Jimi Hendrix and the Making of Are You Experienced is the second book to be published in Acappella Books' Vinyl Frontiers Series. The series documents the making of various legendary rock albums. (The first book, Revolution, examined the Beatles' White Album.)

The book focuses mainly on the circumstances surrounding the recording of Are You Experienced, but also offers interesting insights into the guitarist's subsequent releases as well as his unfortunate death.

It starts with a look back at Hendrix's childhood and early days as a sideman for various R&B and soul acts. The scene soon shifts as he is “discovered” and flown to London in 1966, where he forms The Jimi Hendrix Experience and begins recording.

The author transports the reader to the vibrant London club scene of that era and recalls some of the band's early gigs and interactions with notable British musicians such as Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Pete Townshend.

A good portion of the book is devoted to recounting the various recording sessions for Are You Experienced. The album was recorded at a number of different London studios in a surprisingly piecemeal fashion. The author points out the highlights (and lowlights) of the various sessions and describes some of the innovative techniques employed by Eddie Kramer and others as they strove to capture Hendrix's unique sound on tape. All in all, a fascinating read.