'Are You Experienced'

Interestingly, Hendrix and Co. decided against the question mark.

I've never been a big Hendrix guy despite being a faithful reader of "Guitar World" and "Guitar" for about a 10-year period starting in the early 1990s. Every other teenager of my ilk loved Hendrix and for good reason.

I just don't feel his songs were very good. The writing was so-so to straight-up bleh and the musicianship wasn't tight enough for me.

Hendrix gets a ton of props for his guitar playing, but Hendrix -- at least on record -- didn't bust out face-melting solos or anything. Hendrix was best at his rhythym playing. It's probably the most understated facet of his writing as it's understated for 99 percent of every guitar player. Hendrix' chord progressions are amazing and completely unique.

For the record, my favorite Hendrix was the blues compilation released about a decade ago and the "Band of Gypsies" album.