In the post-Sgt Pepper era when rock n roll got "serious", the single was thought to be kids stuff and not a sufficient medium to relay a "heavy" message, ushering in the album rock era. While the album era certainly yielded its share of excellent LP's, it also encouraged excess.
Jimi Hendrix was the consummate artist; one that put great care into what he released in his lifetime, and of course the LP's released in which he had creative control are nearly flawless. I can easily put on Hendrix LP's (of which I have listened to literally hundreds of times all the way through) and never tire of their majestic qualities. However, along the trip Jimi released some fantastic SINGLES as well, that are relatively forgotten to history. While some of these songs are very familiar, Jimi's catalog has been twisted and turned so many times that these songs tend to be remembered in a far different way. For instance, "Hey Joe" (his UK debut as an artist) and "Purple Haze" are thought of as LP tracks by US listeners, as they were included on his debut LP in the states ("Are You Experienced" in the US is quite different than the UK edition). These numbers were SINGLES, as originally presented by Hendrix.
"Hey Joe b/w Stone Free" (released late in 1966) sounds absolutely glorious in its original mono state. "Stone Free" has been issued numerous times (most notably on the US "Smash Hits" collection) in re-channeled stereo. "Stone Free" is, in this writers' humble opinion, one of the greatest b-sides in history!
Later on in '67, the Hendrix Experience released the epic "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp b/w The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice". "Burning" has always had a murky sound (especially on the rechanneled stereo LP mix), but the original mono single has the best clarity and feel. The b-side (with its druggy STP LSD title trickery) is Jimi at his most extreme psychedelic excess.
The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice
Flashing ahead to late 1969, the original experience had broken up, and Hendrix was in turmoil due to corrupt management and a looming trial for a drug bust that was most likely a setup. This state of mind is reflected on the single "Stepping Stone b/w Izabella"; Hendrix shows off the Band Of Gypsies group which peaked on New Years Eve 1969/70 and had crumbled by February 1970. "Stepping Stone" could easily be a journal entry of Hendrix' life in 1969 (with an absolute blazing guitar meltdown and ferocious drumming from Buddy Miles), and "Izabella" features imagery that alludes to the Vietnam war and the ideal female fixing it all. Unfortunately my copy of this record is a bit worse for the wear (it's very very difficult to find) but it is important, as the mixes of these two songs have never been properly reissued in their original state.
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