Jimi is truly timeless

Greetings from our place at Tahoe Donner.  We drove up here yesterday (Sunday) and will be going back to the Bay Area on Wednesday. But on to the point of this post.
I was on a run Friday, and as usual listening to my MP3 player, shuffling over 1000 tracks.  This time I was fortunate enough to hear “Highway Chile” by Jimi Hendrix, a track off his great album, “Are You Experienced.”  I would venture to say that more weed has been smoked to that album than pretty much any one you could think of.  You may recall that this album is loaded with what came to be many of Jimi’s masterpieces such as:  Purple Haze, Foxey Lady, Fire, Hey Joe, and many others.  Believe me, this stuff more than holds its own when compared to today’s offerings.
Anyway, as I was running along, “Highway Chile” came on and I was just blown away.  I had not heard it for a long time because the other tracks I mentioned get all the play.  That’s a shame because “Highway Chile” is also a Hendrix masterpiece.  It is unique in its style and content.  First of all it is the only shuffle I can recall Jimi ever writing and performing.  Second, the lyrics tell a little story that you can play out in your head, thinking of the sixties as you are unspooling that reel.  Third, I love, love the tricky hook Jimi uses for the referencing the song title, which is a double delay, with the delivery coming at last on the BACK BEAT!  Fourth, the “what’s up brother” coming at one minute 38 seconds makes me smile every dang time.  And fifth, while not on the level of some of his other jaw-dropping guitar solos, Jimi tosses off a beauty at about a minute and 48 seconds in.
Anyway, I just have to share it with all of you.  I don’t think Jimi would mind.  So by all means, crank up the volume and enjoy Highway Chile.
~ Tom