THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE 2499 006 (-71) GERMANY

Reissue of the German "Axis:Bold As Love" on Polydor's budget label Karussell with exclusive cover design. Not much to say other than it's a good one with very nice audio. It is worth mentioning though as carrier of the alternate two-channel that by this time had replaced the original UK stereo and mono in most other countries including England. Rumours exist it was a lost and found UK mix, but hearing it and considering what was going on with recordings and issues at the time it's more logical to assume it was a German remake and done for practical reasons only. By "Axis" first release mono was already discarded in Germany and domestic issues were made as compatible stereo. So stereos originally part of double issues and not compatible was in many cases remixed to fit that format. To me that's what separate it from the original stereo. While the first directly followed the actual recordings, this emerged as an adaption to a release policy. Listening today I can understand why it became more popular. At the time stereo radio was catching on in many countries and this would sound good even on a mono reciever. It's also clearer and more collected than the UK stereo which made it suitable to any kind of equipment back then, reagardless of quality. Allthough a legit two-channel mix the overall impression is closer to mono with a somewhat bigger and heavier sound. For some reason they also removed the short psych intro to "You've Got Me Floating" appearing on the UK stereo, but absent from the mono. Anyway to my taste the UK first is a lot more enjoyable on a modern equipment. That has a kind of remaining sixties psych feeling and also appears a lot softer and more laid back which makes it a better listening experience and easier to digest. (JHÄ*) (GÖXÄ*)