Exact repro including gatefold, originally released on Capitol Records in 1969. One of Axelrod's best and most loved LPs, including classic front and back cover artwork, featuring a shirtless Axelrod as brooding genius ominously overlooking sultry blonde goddess. Musically the album contains some of Axelrod's best trademark complex and moody studio arrangements, this time around based on the poems of William Blake.
Review by Juan Mobili:
Songs of Experience represents the second half of David Axelrod's musical vision of William Blake's famous Songs. Whereas the first album on this project, Songs of innocence (you can check my review of this one too), is hopeful, daring and overall ambitious, these Songs of Experience, well, experiment. This is a darker album, a different but still quite lyrical and fearless Axelrod bringing to a masterful close the cycle initiated on his 68' debut, Songs of Innocence.
The compositions, arrangements, and band performance are superb. When you realize that this album was released in 1969, you may begin to appreciate the innovative mind and mature expresiveness that blesses each of these Songs.
Along with its earlier half, a young masterpiece from one of Jazz's great, underecognized talents.
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