Hendrix: Band of Gypsys

If you have the money to buy just one video about Jimi Hendrix: this is the one. The DVD consists of two parts: a documentary with interviews about his life and works, plus one of the Band of Gypsys concerts. The concert is filmed by an amateur, in b/w and without extra light. The filming has its flaws (a close-up on the 'psychedelic' lighting for instance), but in general it focuses on jimi hendrix, bassist billy cox and drummer/singer buddy miles. The concert is awesome, it is the crown on hendrix's short stellar career. There is other nice footage of his performances, but this one stands out, never mind the film quality. Sound quality is OK. Buddy Miles is not the greatest drummer around, but his contribution to this music was nevertheless very effective. And the play between jimi and billy is faultless craftmanship.

The other part, the documentary, also compares nicely with other documentaries (like Jimi Hendrix story). That's partly because it is intertwined with the concert (very well done), and partly because the focus is on the music. It's interesting and rewarding. Although it's the concert that I return to much more often.

This really isn't what you'd expect. its not so much a concert video, as it is a story of the concert. they splash parts of Hendrix playing "who Knows" And most of "Machine Gun," but its more about how Eddie Kramer mixed it later, and the impact it had. Not really all that bad, but hey, what can ya say. it's Hendrix. The greatest guitar player ever. had there been an actual video of the concert (well both of them, he did play two sets that night), this would be a lot better. It's always a little interesting to hear what people have to say about Hendrix. No one ever says he was difficult, just an addict, which is the saddest thing. If you're a Hendrxi fan like myself, you'd love it. Otherwise, just buy the Band of Gypsys and Live at The Fillmore records, turn it up and learn it front and back

Hendrix: Band of Gypsys (1999)

*** (out of 4)

Pretty good and interesting documentary about Jimi Hendrix and his experimental band, Band of Gypsys. This documentary, much like the band itself, is pretty much a racial debate as to why Henrdrix took this step in his career. Many felt it was due to him wanting to try and capture a black audience, who, at the time didn't even know who he was. There are plenty of interviews with band members, current stars and even some great concert footage. I personally feel Hendrix was the greatest guitarist in history but I prefer his before and after Gypsy period.

A video/DVD like Hendrix: Band of Gypsies, which is indispensable if you're the Jimi Hendrix fan (even if you're just a casual admirer it is worth a look), should be more available online (it is in stores still), and should be just one page on this site. If there are two separate versions of this, I would be glad to check out both, but to the extent of my knowledge I think there is only one version of the Hendrix: Band of Gypsies documentary. This version, at 130 minutes long (when it appears on cable every now and again it is cut shamefully in half its running length), gives the viewer an in-depth look at one of the most fascinating aspects of Hendirx's career as a musician. Along with the interviews, it also gives the only glimpses of Hendrix playing with the trio that made up the Band of Gypsies, Buddy Miles and Billy Cox (drums and bass respectively).

There is first some ample history from different angles: we get the background on the rise and slow dissension of the Experience, how after two years of constant, non-stop touring, Noel Redding left, and Mitch Mitchell (one of the great drummers of his day, by the way) who hung on until late 1969. There are the interviews from the management, the engineers, those who knew Jimi either personally or through business affairs. Miles and Cox themselves give fond, memorable recollections of their times with him (Cox himself was with Hendrix on the Chitlin circuit in the early 60's). And the likes of Lenny Kravitz and Slash give their claims of total influence from the master of the stratacaster. But this all, of course, revolves around the Band of Gypsies, a group who brought songs that to this day don't get as much radio play as Purple Haze or Voodoo Child, but are just as (if not more) powerful than the hits.

That there are near complete performances shown from the Gypsies shows at the Filmore East at the turn of the decade is suffice enough to get the tape. There are two songs in-particular, Who Knows and Machine Gun, which I consider to be highlights of Hendrix's whole career, let alone with this collaboration. It was a chance for him to expand on his reach into the black community (as the documentary shows in very good detail), and it seemed to impress everyone. His style of progressive music, with down and dirty blues, soul, jazz, rock, and a kind of experimental science-fiction music all fusing together, worked well for the Gypsies, and at the core the video gives its money's worth in a not very well known story of classic rock. Also worth to recommend is the 2-disc CD version of the Band of Gypsies live at the Filmore.

Of all the Jimi videos out there this is certainly among the best. All too often, the producers of Jimi videos seem to 'psychedelisize' Jimi's performances, adding layer upon layer of weird camera work, strange colors, lights, etc., (try Jimi Plays Berkeley, for example). While the documentation of the music is there, they completely miss the performance itself, and manage to lessen the impact of a live Jimi Hendrix concert that only watching him play can provide. Jimi was magic. This video does an excellent job capturing that magic. It was filmed in black and white, and the production quality is not exactly stellar, but you get to both hear and see a true master at the height of his short career.