Songs Of Experience (reissue) CD

David Axelrod's 1969 album Songs of Experience - the now legendary follow-up to 1668's similarly acclaimed Songs of Innocence - has long been regarded as something of a classic, not to mention a constant source of samples for hip-hop producers such as DJ Shadow, Pete Rock, Madlib and KRS-One. As this reissue proves, it remains a peerless release. While it was inspired by the poems of William Blake, the album's tracks brilliantly fuse elements of jazz, European classical music, jazz-funk, rock, pop and traditional British and Irish folk music. It's a stunning set of instrumental tracks, all told - a kind of imaginary soundtrack to the best film never made.