A Film About Jimi Hendrix

Watched this docu again last night on DVD. Saw it some 30+ years ago on film. I was class of '69 (Jimi's cousin, Nona Hendrix, was in my grade 12 class) and remember when Jimi and his band came through my town(East Van rules). Jimi was from Seattle, some 145 miles south) I always rue the day I DIDN't go to the concert. I went to all the biggies EXCEPT this one, and I have never forgiven myself. WHY? I worked that night. I had every vinyl, worn the grooves off Electric Ladyland twice. The 60's re visited...This '73 docu captures the mood VERy well. Comments from impossibly young Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton (who I saw perform last week in NZ..even BETTER than he was in '69 the last time I saw him)... Jimmy Page, Eric, and JIMI were our holy trinity of guitar gods way back when...this was a T R I P down memory lane for me...the talk of drugs and race issues....subjects which never go away..we're still dealing with it today...but back to the music.....Jimi's fusion of blues/rock/jazz....wondrous to us so long ago, and still sounding 'fresh as a daisy' to this alumnus of the class of '69 see this DVD.... I give it an 8.8

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.

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.

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.

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.