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Reputedly, this is supposed to be a sub-par performance by a tired and burnt-out Hendrix, and if that's the case, even a sub-par Hendrix is still a marvel to behold. Regardless of his physical and mental conditions that night, Jimi still managed to deliver scintillating versions of "All Along The Watchtower", "Red House", and the always inspiring "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)". The ferocious, anguished "Machine Gun" alone makes this DVD essential. Finally, there's the rare, and to best of my knowlege, unavailable elsewhere, live renditions of "Freedom", "Message To Love", and "In From The Storm", great new compositions that pointed the musical directions Hendrix was headed just before he sadly died.

The sound and picture quality are very good for a film this old and just recently restored. I would have enjoyed the footage a bit more if there was less facial close-ups and fast-cut editting, especially during the guitar solos, but overall it's still enjoyable, especially if you're a Hendrix fan.

Overall, "Blue Wild Angel" is the best Jimi Hendrix concert film capturing one of the true guitar geniuses of all time in a last performance. No Jimi Hendrix fan should be without this DVD.

April 22, 2003 lr**

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.


It's like being on stage at a Jimi Hendrix concert!!   November 13, 2002
 54 out of 59 found this review helpful

At last, Experience Hendrix does justice to this often-maligned concert. This release is infinitely better than the previous "Live at the Isle of Wight" DVD. First, we are presented with some informative interviews with Gerry Stickells (Hendrix's road manager), Mitch Mitchell, and Billy Cox. This segues into the concert itself, with Jimi backstage, ready to go on.

The songs all appear in proper order. Bear in mind, this isn't the ENTIRE concert (Hey Joe, Hey Baby, and Midnight Lightning weren't filmed, according to Experience Hendrix), but all the songs contained on the video are complete, and there's even some nice between-stage banter that's preserved. It's the small details, like that, which makes this film stand out from most of the other commercial JH video releases.

As far as the music itself, it's incredible -- check out the mind-blowing versions of "All Along the Watchtower", "Freedom", "Machine Gun", and even "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)". The other tracks are great too -- most notably "Red House". The sonic quality is vastly improved, with a Dolby 5.1 surround mix.

In short, if you're a Jimi Hendrix fan, what are you waiting for?? You NEED to buy this DVD!


Superb Documentation Of Hendrix   January 19, 2004
 40 out of 41 found this review helpful

As far as film accounts of Jimi Hendrix go, this is absoluetly the best from every conceivable perspective. Camera work is terrific: none of the poor lighting that mars Berkley or Band of Gypsies, none of the dental examination that comprises all but a few minutes of Woodstock. The opening sequences are informative. Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox give a very solid account of how truly beyond pop stars they had become by that point, heading towards a jazz-blues fusion that only Miles Davis and John McLaughlin would be able to assume with any respectability.
It is very clear from backstage chatter thru the comments of his tour manager and band mates that Hendrix was not keen on performing at this concert and had begun to feel that he was, in fact, beyond rock and its infantile approach to artists. That said, he had enormous respect for the people who had paid money to see him and so tore into this concert with enormous brio. His fingerwork is among his most dazzling. The camera crew captures three men feeding off each other with visual ques that also point to how sober, clean and focused Jimi was by this time. He and Mitchell were as in sync with each other as Coltrane and Elvin Jones. Cox has been unfairly glossed over in music and this film and soundtrack illustrate that he was the best bass player for the best guitarist of all time.
If you are a fan, pick this up. If you are curious, I'd suggest this as theplace to start. Many thanks to the Hendrix family for releasing an incendiary performance. In a matter of weeks, Jimi would be dead. You'd never guess it from here: one listen to Voodoo Chile would convince you.
I might also add that this DVD is far superior to the CD, whose sequencing made no sense and gives the listener the impression that Hendrix wants to get out as soon as possible. For the future: stick with Jimi's sequencing. He knew what he was about, and this DVD proves it.


{BLUE WILD ANGEL!}   June 19, 2003
 26 out of 32 found this review helpful

JIMI HENDRIX live at the Isle Of Wight documents the guitarist's legendary performance before 600,000 people at this massive outdoor music and arts festival in August 1970. This unforgettable concert film experience draws heavy upon Academy Award winning director Murray Lerner's vast archive of previously unseen performance footage and presents some of HENDRIX'S finest ever concert performances, including extended takes of "Machine Gun," "Red House," and other faviorates such as "All Along The Watchtower," "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)." New interviews with JIMI HENDRIX Experience band members Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, and others set the stage for the concert footage that follows. In addition to providing the definative look at one of the landmark events in HENDRIX'S storied career. Blue Wild Angel features both a stereo and 5.1 audio surround soundtracks newly mixed by HENDRIX'S original recording engineer Eddie Kramer!

154 Minutes, Stereo, Color, Exclusive 5.1 Surround Sound Mix! View Jimi's legandary concert in it's original sequence as filmed. Hear Jimi's legendary concert in either stereo or 5.1 surround audio. DVD extra features include: Multiple camera picture in picture, wich allows for simultaneous viewing of multiple camera angles for "Spanish Castle Magic'" "Machine Gun," "Red House" and "Foxey Lady." A behind the scenes interview with director Murray Lerner. Rare artifacts and memorbilia including original tickets, festival posters, and even HENDRIX'S own handwritten directions to the festival site! Get this entire concert, and three more tracks not featured on here, on the special 2-CD edition digipak!

TRACK LISTING:
1.)God Save The Queen
2.)Sgt. Pepper's Lonley Hearts Club Band
3.)Spanish Castle Magic
4.)All Along The Watchtower
5.)Machine Gun
6.)Lover Man
7.)Freedom
8.)Red House
9.)Dolly Dagger
10.)Foxey Lady
11.)Message To Love
12.)Ezy Ryder
13.)Purple Haze
14.)Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
15.)In From The Storm


This Is It, Baby!   November 14, 2002
 13 out of 16 found this review helpful

No, this wasn't Hendrix' final gig, despite representations to the contrary (not made by Experience Hendrix, by the way). The band played Sweden the next day -- actually the same day, since it was only 15 hours later. Then, off to Denmark and then the Isle Of Fehmarn, Germany on 9/6/70. The next day in Rotterdam the bass player, Billy Cox, became mysteriously ill to such a degree that Hendrix' tour of Europe was aborted.

Jimi returned to London at wits' end and in dire need of rest. And rest, he did.

By the way, his final public appearance was at Ronnie Scott's on 9/16/70. He sat in with Eric Burdon and WAR, of "Spill The Wine" fame, without film crews or recording engineers (unless you count the audience tape).

The Isle Of Wight was Jimi's first gig in England since his fabled 1968 appearance at Royal Albert Hall (also misidentified as Jimi's final gig). His management staff found gold in them thar hills in the US, and thus concentrated their attentions and efforts to arena and festival venues in the States. Also, by then, Jimi had committed his resources to the building of a state-of-the-art studio in New York's Greenwich Village, to be called "Electric Lady".

Given that framework, Jimi was torn about doing this gig. His management team worked him like a government mule with bookings out the old wazoo, leaving him little time to complete studio work on the much-anticipated follow-up to Electric Ladyland. It was clear that Jimi needed some time off to rest and write and work a few things out musically, professionally and personally, but they never gave him the chance. The last documented "vacation" Jimi was known to take was in 1968 in Florida. Otherwise, he was in the studio, gigging, handling some PR business, in court, or trying to form (a) new band(s).

It literally never stopped. Drummer Mitch Mitchell is on record as describing the Woodstock band as too unwieldy, and discloses, for the first time, that he thought Jimi's replacement of Noel Redding with Billy Cox resulted in Hendrix' best band. That's in the documentary preface to the show.

As for the show itself -- WOW! Seeing the Isle Of Wight show for the first time in its (almost) proper sequence was a revelation. The Image DVD (_Jimi Hendrix Live Isle Of Wight 1970_) didn't serve as a fair document of the show at all -- in fact, I [didn't like] the show ... until I purchased _Blue Wild Angel_. In fact, I hope the Image DVD will be deleted from the catalog, because the presentation is very unfair to Jimi. Seeing the show in its proper context and sequence places the show in an entirely new light.

Yes, there were technical problems. But it seemed to matter more to Jimi to repay the debt to England for his rebirth and his fortunes. You get the sense of the importance of this gig to Jimi, despite the glitches.

It's a great show, warts and all. In fact, there are some pretty good warts. Experience Hendrix calls it "definitive", and I will agree, although at least three songs weren't filmed due to need to reload.

5.1 surround is also an improvement over the Image DVD. Pass on that one and get this one. There's alot to like about this DVD, but they only give me 1,000 words.