Thursday 22 March 2012

Moebius and Jimi Hendrix


One of the most impressive, and yet lesser known, aspects of Moebius’ work is his series of images of Jimi Hendrix. Moebius created the gatefold cover of the 1975 French compilation Jimi Hendrix/1 Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold As Love, part of which was also used as the cover of the 1995 compilation Voodoo Soup, while in 1998 he produced a portfolio of remarkable images. It is not often that one artist pays homage to another in such an imaginative and original manner; but it is not surprising, if one takes under consideration that it is precisely these qualities that characterised their groundbreaking work. And in this respect, it is only appropriate to refer to If 6 Was 9, perhaps the best track of the pivotal album Axis: Bold As Love by The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

 
If the sun refused to shine
I don’t mind, I don’t mind
If the mountains fell in the sea
Let it be, it ain’t me
Got my own world to live through
And I ain’t gonna copy you

Now if six turned out to be nine
I don’t mind, I don’t mind
If all the hippies cut off all their hair
I don’t care, I don’t care
Dig, ’cause I've got my own world to live through
And I ain’t gonna copy you

White collar conservative flashing down the street
Pointing their plastic finger at me
They’re hoping soon my kind will drop and die
But I’m gonna wave my freak flag high, high

Wave on, wave on

Fall mountains, just don’t fall on me
Go on mister business man, you can’t dress like me

Nobody know what I’m talking about
I’ve got my own life to live
I’m the one that’s gonna die when it’s time for me to die
So let me live my life the way I want to
Sing on brother, play on drummer



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