Jimi Hendrix

Have been watching this movie since the mid-1980's on home video. For quite a long time this and Rainbow Bridge were really the only selections a Hendrix fan could purchase in terms of home viewing until the 1990's when the full-length performances of Monterey Pop, the Isle of Wight, Woodstock and Berkeley were made available.

Unlike the original Rainbow Bridge theatrical release, where Hendrix is a featured performer for 20 or so minutes, the 1973 film Jimi Hendrix focuses entirely on Hendrix. Mostly on Hendrix as a musician and a performer, and mostly on the period of his life between late 1966 to his death in 1970.

Since the film was made within a few years of Hendrix passing, recollections of him are fresh. The interview subjects are a selection of groupies, fellow musicians - some famous, some not - who either played with him or saw him play, roadies, journalists, hangers on and the like. Virtually all of whom personally knew Hendrix and were speaking about their interactions with him from recent memory. There is an equal amount of performance footage as there is interview footage. Hendrix at Monterey in 1967. Hendrix at Woodstock in 1969. Hendrix at Berkeley in 1970. Hendrix at the Isle of Wight in 1970.

All of which amounts to a balanced documentary of what made Hendrix memorable, which was his songwriting/performing. There are some references made via the interviews about the groupie scene and the drug scene, but nothing approaching a tabloid tell-all. No blathering conspiracy babble about Hendrix being murdered as opposed to how he reportedly died. No urban legends about Hendrix taking LSD a million times a day. The focus throughout by and large remains on the music Hendrix made.

My only criticism would be actually wanting more performance footage than was included in the initial theatrical release, rather than the one or two tunes from each of the concerts mentioned above. However, this is small potatoes.

This documentary will give you the heart and soul of James M Hendrix, from the people who loved him to the thoughts and performances of the man himself. The performances are predominately taken from The Monterey Pop Festival, widely regarded as the best set Jimi ever played. Unlike most music biopics that seem to be afraid of the music they chronicle, this one gives you nice long stretches of performance, never cutting off a solo to give some little pearl of wisdom. Songs are played in their entirety.

The interviews are engaging and sometimes enlightening; such as The Who's Pete Townshend explaining how the appearance order at Monterey was decided, and Jimi's long-time girlfriend Fayne Pridgon retelling tales of Jimi turning her on to such new experiences as LSD and a strange little folk singer named Bob Dylan.

I HIGHLY recommend this movie to anyone who loved Hendrix for his amazing contributions to the halls of rock history. He truly was the impresario of his generation, and maybe all others, before and since. Turn the speakers way up, sit back, and ENJOY! You will not be disappointed.

Jimi Hendrix (1973)

*** (out of 4)

This documentary was made and released three years after the death of Jimi Hendrix and it really shows what a masterful talent he was. When viewing this today people might not get its full impact because it features clips from various concerts that have since been released complete and on their own. With that said, it's important to remember that for a time this here was the only way to see much of this footage. Eric Clapton, Paul Caruso, Billy Cox, Pete Townsend, Mick Jagger, Little Richard and Lou Reed are just some of the people who talk about who Hendrix was and what he was able to do with his guitar. Through the interviews you really get a great sense of what other artists thought of his talent and it's interesting hearing them talk so shortly after his death. Many of the stories are very entertaining and especially the reactions from them in regards to the first time they saw Hendrix and his talent. We also get an interview with Hendrix's own father who discusses his sons early days and how he got to playing guitar to begin with. Overall this is a very entertaining documentary that tells you some good stories about the legend but the majority of the running time come from various concert and television performances. No matter how many times you watch him perform you really can't believe that he was actually human and pulling off all of this music. Fans of Hendrix will probably own many of these shows in a complete form but this documentary is still very good for those unfamiliar with the work of Hendrix or those who just want to kick back and enjoy the music.

Jimi Hendrix chronicles the story of the man, the myth, the legend, the left-handed dude with a love of the blues and Bob Dylan, and who took rock and roll almost to another planet (just listen to some of the tracks off Electric Ladyland and see how he goes into music like the equivalent of a crazy science fiction writer). He was also, as described by Eric Clapton, "guillible", and susceptible to the leeches that lay around him that, by way of the drugs, led to his very sudden downfall. Had he lived there's no doubt he could have had an output that for his genre would be the equivalent of one of those great 18th century European composers or even 20th century Jazzmen. There's been so much written about him that he's been elevated to the status he's at today, so it's a welcome thing to see this documentary so soon after his death.

Welcome, though also one can see the pain in some of the interviewees under the surface. Many on screen, his fellow ex-band-mates like Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell, and some of his own family and close friends, still have the memory of Jimi fresh in their minds, and so their recollections, both loving and even critical, comes at a time when there's still a lot to ponder. Through this and various concert clips (some well known like Woodstock and Monterey Pop clips, some more obscure like Band of Gypsies and Isle of Wight), and a superb interview conducted by Dick Cavett, portray Hendrix as a smart guy who could play a guitar like, as Townsend describes, "an instrument." In truth- and even for those who may just admire him as opposed to outright love and cherish his music- he was reaching into territory that was far surpassing anything done in the late 60s.

He had the basics down for the best in blues (maybe my favorite scene in the film, maybe exclusive just to this documentary, has him in a white room playing a 'Train' type of blues song that is so invigorating to see what he comes up with, begging the cameras to keep rolling). He also was a kind of wild man about his imagination, and so didn't hold back with an audience. He appealed to white and black, rock and blues, soul and (as might be the case years later) heavy metal, and without ever making himself into a commodity - that was done after he was dead and buried. What A Film About Jimi Hendrix portrays is a confident man, at peace with himself, but as is described by those around him someone who had such extraordinary things about him that his few flaws made his undoing. And it is a near perfect treat for die-hard fans.

I'm not even a Hendrix fan. I'm probably a cloth-eared nincompoop but his records always sounded like jam-session guitar paired up with atonal screeching.

But when a musical documentary cold opens with Pete Townshend, I'm hooked. What follows are interviews with Hendrix himself, other musicians, a roadie or two, a former girlfriend, various hangers-on, and countless others. This is the 70s so most of them are higher than a kite, of course. We also get some tender reminiscing from his dad.

Hendrix was basically a mild-mannered busker with other-worldly guitar-playing talent and a sharp sense of giving the audience a show. The concert footage captures just how dynamic a performer he was. Even as a non-fan I always enjoy this documentary. What a waste to have lost him so soon.