Jimi Hendrix

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.

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.

When I worked backstage at the Fillmore East almost half a century ago, I thought a lot of the musicians were jerks. Oh, Virgil Fox would show up with his ministry occasionally -- "Johann Sebastian Bach loves you and you should love him or you will be be eternally damned" -- but I witnessed far too much of Jim Morrison to accept any of the idiotic sungod movie.

Jimi Hendrix was another matter. A man of such ability that..... I don't know. Everyone was young, everyone thought we were immortal and were going to be A-bombed anyway. All I know is I wish I knew what became of that reel-to-reel my brother made of that set, must be almost fifty years ago.

....About arguably the greatest guitarist of all time. The interviews of contemporaries like Peter Townshend, Eric Clapton, and Mick Jagger, reveal that, when Hendrix arrived in Swinging London, in 1966, he was viewed as somewhat of a sideshow, playing the guitar with his teeth, and behind his back. Townshend admits they were in awe, and perhaps threatened by him. As Hendrix's brilliance spread, being in his company conferred credibility, attracting devotees and posers.

I loved Little Richard reminiscing about their early days playing together. The Jimi Hendrix that emerges is that of a decent human being thoroughly enjoying the fame, aware of, and in love with his talent. The concert clips and performances are awesome. Hendrix died in 1970, we can only imagine what he would have accomplished as the music scene transitioned into disco, punk rock, synth pop, rap.

Jimi Hendrix: Delux DVD Edition Movie: The documentary is very interesting, and not just for guitar players like myself, I'm a big acoustic guitar fan not electric at all. It concentrates solely on who the man was and his amazing playing, it doesn't get distracted and bogged down with stories of drugs, mismanagement and the circumstances concerning his death. It really does give a sense of the person and the passion behind Jimi Hendrix and his music.

The film comprises of a series of a series of performances, some very rare and some considered classic, interspersed with clips of interviews of Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend, Little Richard, Lou Reed, Mick Jagger, Hendrix himself and the all important ones, from his friends and family.

The interviews are very frank and relaxed, and when interviewing friends you get a sense of sitting chatting with someone rather than the usual interrogation that half hearted interviews can become. With the interviews with other famous stars of the time, and indeed other amazing guitarists like Clapton, there is a real feeling of respect and admiration. They don't hold back about how good or influential he was and there doesn't seem to be any back stabbing or slapping, just genuine conversation and respect.

These aspects are something you can't just make in a documentary, and they enrich the interviews so much making them thoroughly engaging and make for much better documentary.

One of the most interesting parts for me were the live performances, they are excellent to listen to and some are pretty amazing just to watch his performance. These are absolute classic performances and should be watched by any aspiring guitar player, I certainly had a huge desire to grab my guitar and start playing...just don't set it alight!

My favourite piece was Hendrix playing a beautiful twelve string, I love the acoustic guitar and strive to find as many recordings of unusual songs and artists playing their songs acoustically, and this is undoubtedly the pinnacle of that search. It's amazing to see him play, and particularly interesting to see how nervous he was when he makes a mistake (like I heard!) and asks if he can start again. When he steams into the second play you can see he wasn't just an electric virtuoso. His talent is unmistakable and these performances have been selected to really show off his best playing.

Picture: Presented: 1.85:1

The picture quality is very good with a lot of restored and remastered footage. Still some sections show their age and that's not taking into account the hairstyles and clothes! Overall though, it's excellent quality for remastered 1973 footage and some of the older and more worn performances.

The interviews are perhaps the highest picture quality, however here it's the words that matter more than anything, and in the performances it's the music.

Sound: Presented: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Subtitles: English and French

I didn't quite understand this one, presenting the film in DD5.1 seemed a waste of channels without a proper remix to bring you into the performances, or let you feel you're sitting in the studio, park or stage that the interviewees were. It doesn't add anything to the experience over the DD2.0 track. The sound sticks firmly at the front, although at times it does spread wider, but just as much is achieved with the DD2.0.

Some of the older performance footage does sound old with cracks, clicks and hiss. Yet this achieved something else, like that feeling with vinyl, it just adds to the atmosphere and performance.

Extras Presented: From the Uklele to the Strat (63:00), The making of Dolly Dagger and Stone Free performance

From the Uklele to the Strat provides you with what appears to be the full interviews that were used to cut together to make the documentary. Although I did start to find this hard going, it really does provide a level of authenticity and would appeal to the hard bent Hendrix fan. The interviews are wide and extensive, and considering the purchase base for this I would think that there will be many Hendrix fans watching this.

The making of Dolly Dagger is a superb and very insightful feature into the recording process for any song, never mind one of Hendix's. Sitting with the Producer\Engineer from the recording, Eddie Kramer, we're treated to a break down of the track, how it was recorded, insights into the process, and even sections that never made it to the final cut. This was fascinating.

Finally there's a performance of Stone Free from the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1970 on July the 4th, apparently never seen before. This is a blistering watch, and much like the rest of his performances, amazing and very entertaining. Watching his guitar work just astounds me, and listening to how easily he produces the music fills you with envy. Roughly shot, but it again adds to the raw feel of the performance.

Overall: I think this is an excellent documentary for fans of Hendrix and of the guitar. It's an insightful film which doesn't get hung up on any of the contentious issues of the man's life, and instead tells us from his friends, co-workers and peers who he really was and how dedicated to his music he was.

However, if you're not a Hendrix or guitar fan, I think you might find this much harder going. I'd have preferred a more expansive DD5.1 track, or just sticking to the DD2.0, and some more intimate performances would have added to the overall attraction.

A good purchase for the performances, and in particular the acoustic performance, but add the interviews and the making of featurette, and you have a classic DVD for the fan.