Songs of Experience

The second album by composer, arranger and producer David Axelrod, Songs of Experience (1969) follows his debut Song of Innocence. It was recorded after the death of his son Scott, and is, thus, a work concerned with mortality and spirituality. Again, it was inspired by the 18th-century poems of William Blake, set to the urban bombast of a full Los Angeles orchestra, with Wrecking Crew vets contributing dark funk. The album includes the hits "The Human Abstract" and "The Fly," the former later sampled by DJ Shadow. Songs of Experience showcases powerful orchestral textures, smooth jazz vibes, and experimental sounds that were ahead of it's time, remaining a timeless masterpiece.