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This classic album features archive film footage and interviews with many of those who were there for the ride: Producer Eddie Kramer, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell, Steve Winwood, and Chas Chandler.

Track Listing:
1. Burning Of The Midnight Lamp
2. All Along The Watchtower
3. Rainy Day, Dream Away
4. Voodoo Chile
5. Crosstown Traffic
6. Little Miss Strange
7. Gypsy Eyes
8. House Burning Down
9. Long Hot Summer Night
10. Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)
11. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)

Electric Ladyland was a true landmark album deserving of such a treatment. Noel Redding's diary is a source for most of the setting and narration of the time and draconian conditions under which this very personal Hendrix album was produced. It can be said, fairly accurately, I think, that the Jimi Hendrix Experience began to unravel during the recording of this album. By then, Noel and Jimi had several physical and philosophical confrontations both in the studio and on the road during an oppressive touring schedule throughout 1967 and 1968. One such confrontation landed Jimi in a Scandinavian jail. Additionally, Hendrix rebelled against the keep-the-song-under-3-minutes directive of producer Chas Chandler. Chandler left the group in mid-production, and Redding, frustrated with Jimi's task-master and perfectionist tendencies in the studio, checked himself out of numerous sessions.

Fortunately for Jimi, Jack Cassidy subbed for Noel on bass guitar for the recording of "Voodoo Chile". Unfortunately for Noel, Jimi dubbed his own bass lines for "All Along The Watchtower" and "1983...(a merman I should turn to be)". As it turned out, Jimi was a formidable bass-slinger in his own right. What puzzles me most about Noel is that I can't understand why he didn't just go along for the ride. I've heard his solo work both with and without the Experience, and it seems to me that some of Hendrix' finest guitar work was on "She's So Fine" and "Little Miss Strange", both of which were penned by Redding. They weren't great songs, but Jimi's guitar was banging. That Jimi could do anything with lyrics like "She walks with a bell clock 'round her neck so the hippies think she's in with time" or "Little Miss Strange came into my parlor" is a minor miracle in itself.

As for Chas, while the album cover proudly proclaims that Electric Ladyland was "Produced and Directed by Jimi Hendrix", a few of the tracks were in fact produced by Chandler. While Redding still eats sour grapes about the sessions ....

The highlights for me were the archival footage of the Experience in London circa 1968, the promotional film of "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp" (okay, it's not that good, but it's interesting). The interview with Mike Finnigan, who played organ on "Rainy Day, Dream Away/Still Raining, Still Dreaming" is priceless, as was his session with Hendrix, since he was never paid for his recorded contributions. I didn't know that Jimi used a crude kazoo made with a comb and waxed paper to do the intro to "Crosstown Traffic". I always thought it was a guitar filtered through a new Roger Mayer pedal. Jimi's guitar easily evoked human tones at times. As an example, check out the East Indian-flavored underwater sequence in "1983".

I was somewhat disappointed that Steve Winwood was unavailable for this project. He was the organist on "Voodoo Chile" ("Go 'head on, little Stevie"). Yes, Mr. "Bring Me A Higher Love", Mr. "Gimme Some Lovin'" and former member of Traffic and the Spencer Davis Group was actively sought out to be recruited into the Experience, much to Noel's chagrin.

The finish of this DVD is absolutely killer. It's stock footage of Jimi with a soundtrack of a heretofore unreleased backwards solo of "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)". It's short, but if you liked the solo from "Castles Made Of Sand", you'll like this.

The footage of engineer Eddie Kramer's okay, but he seems more self-promoting, or at least more of a shill for Experience Hendrix, than I thought he should be. But it was interesting to hear how tracks were constructed. Which leads me to his claim that Cissy Houston and The Sweet Inspirations were background singers for "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp". Most published contemporaneous accounts, and one recent authoritative account of those sessions state that Jimi used a mellotron for the vocal effect. It should also be noted that Kramer wasn't the engineer, it was Gary Kellgren.

I like my documentaries to be entertaining, informative and factual. Casual fans will find it entertaining and informative. Long-time fans will find it factually deficient.


Disappointing. Too much talk...not enough music.   November 9, 1999
 23 out of 29 found this review helpful

Only about 1 hour long, and most of this is talking. Somewhat interesting, but I wanted Dolby Digital Hendrix!


Great for any musician influenced by Hendrix   April 11, 2000
 10 out of 10 found this review helpful

While the average Hendrix fan might not be interested in the details of how Electric Ladyland was made, for the musician this DVD is priceless. If you've seen "The Making of Sgt Pepper" and liked it, this is a similar treatment of Electric Ladyland. You get to hear individual tracks and interviews from the engineer and band members on how it was all done. Eddie Kramer, Mitch, Noel, all talking about their memories. You also get a glimpse into the personality of Hendrix that is very different than the wild man image. This movie has given me even more appreciation of this musical masterpiece.


everybody BUT Hendrix   February 26, 1999
 10 out of 12 found this review helpful

This video shows managers,roadies,and freinds, talking about THE MAN. NO complete songs even in the background (which is the only place the music is). If you want to see Hendrix play, it's not here.


Nice but who are these guys?   November 12, 2003
 9 out of 14 found this review helpful

The DVD was very interesting but for one glaring problem. The creator fails most of time to tell the viewer whos speaking in the interviews. For the Jimi fan who doesn't know everyone that Jimi interacted w/ by face, this is very frustrating. Other than that it had some nice clean footage.

I had much more fun watching the Jimi Hendrix Story DVD...BR>Even though it is presented in Mono.