JIMI HENDRIX - "WAR HEROES"

Artist: Jimi Hendrix
Album Title:War Heroes
Label: Reprise
Catalog: MS 2103
Year: 1972
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Concept: Ken Dyball - Doug Campbell 
Cover drawing: Paul Jansen

Grade: **** star

I'm not a super Hendrix fan, but there's something mesmerizing about the late Paul Jansen's hyper-realistic portrait of Hendrix.  (The album cover's actually better than the album.)


I grabbed a brief bio on Jansen:

Paul Jansen graduated from the Fine Arts Department with honors and a grant from the School of Visual Arts in the 1960s, after returning from Vietnam. After receiving postgraduate awards and scholarships such as to the renowned Skowhegan School with teachers Robert Indiana in 1969 Paul developed his unique technique and mastery of the line.

With mentors from such as Frank Stella, and Franz Kline along with George Maciunas the “Father of Soho” and founder of the Fluxus Movement, Paul termed his venue as a “3D Abstract Expressionist” with cartoonist flair.

Shortly thereafter, Paul served as Residence Artist at Jimi Hendrix’ Electric Lady Recording Studios in New York City. Jansen’s work appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine, The Village Voice and Playboy, and includes album cover designs for Jimi Hendrix War Heroes, and Loose Ends, and Henry McCullough’s Mind Your Own Business! Which was nominated for Album Cover of the Year Award, in London, England

Only 63, suffering from lung cancer, Jensen passed away in 2008.  His wife retains an interesting website devoted to the artist:  

http://www.pauljansen.net/home.html