Jimi Hendrix

Woodstock - 3 Days of Peace & Music (The Director's Cut)

The three-day Woodstock music festival in 1969 was the pivotal event of the 1960s peace movement, and this landmark concert film is the definitive record of that milestone of rock & roll history. It's more than a chronicle of the hippie movement, however; this is a film of genuine historical and social importance, capturing the spirit of America in transition, when the Vietnam War was at its peak and antiwar protest was fully expressed through the liberating music of the time. With a brilliant crew at his disposal (including a young editor named Martin Scorsese), director Michael Wadleigh worked with over 300 hours of footage to create his original 225-minute director's cut, which was cut by 40 minutes for the film's release in 1970. Eight previously edited segments were restored in 1994, and the original director's cut of Woodstock is now the version most commonly available on videotape and DVD.

The film deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and it's still a stunning achievement. Abundant footage taken among the massive crowd ("half a million strong") expresses the human heart of the event, from skinny-dipping hippies to accidental overdoses, to unpredictable weather, midconcert childbirth, and the thoughtful (or just plain rambling) reflections of the festive participants. Then, of course, there is the music--a nonstop parade of rock & roll from the greatest performers of the period, including Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Canned Heat, The Who, Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Ten Years After, Sly & The Family Stone, Santana, and many more. Watching this ambitious film, as the saying goes, is the next best thing to being there--it's a time-travel journey to that once-in-a-lifetime event. --Jeff Shannon

3 days. 3-million people. And memories to last a lifetime.Year: 1970Director: Michael WadleighStarring: Jimi Hendrix, Richie Havens, The Who, Crosby, Stills & Nash, much more

Jimi Hendrix: Live at Monterey

If any artist deserved a hagiography it was Jimi Hendrix, and Joe Boyd's 1973 "authorized" tribute adequately sanctifies the legend. Perversely for a documentary, it achieves this simply through well-chosen concert footage rather than through the insights of the various talking heads. Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, and Germaine Greer are all wheeled out to wax lyrical about their days with Jimi, but nothing is more eloquent than watching and listening to him play. From "Hey Joe" in grainy black and white on the Ready Steady Go TV show, classic footage of Monterey, Woodstock (yes, "The Star-Spangled Banner"), and the Isle of Wight festivals to an acoustic 12- string rendition of "Hear My Train a' Comin'," Hendrix the musician speaks for himself.

But if Hendrix the musician shines through, this is not the most insightful profile of Hendrix the man. The circumstances surrounding his death, for example, are hardly touched upon (girlfriend at the time Monika Dannemann gets only a few seconds of screen time). Interview footage with Hendrix himself plus some occasionally rambling and incoherent comments from such intimates as his father, army buddies, ex-girlfriends (including Linda Keith, who "discovered" him in New York and brought him to England), and fellow musicians all take second place to the music itself. The most sensible quote comes from Little Richard, who proves once and for all that he's utterly bonkers when he says of Jimi's music: "At times he made my big toes shoot up into my boot." --Mark Walker, Amazon.co.uk

This special edition DVD features all of the existing film footage from Jimi's incendiary June 18,1967 concert newly transferred to high-definition specs from the original 16mm camera reversal original. Re-edited and presented in its original performance sequence, this DVD showcase of a legendary performance is completely unreleased.

DVD bonus features include:
*The brand new documentary, "American Landing," which traces Jimi's remarkable transformation from obscurity to his triumphant U.S. `debut' at the Monterey Festival.
*"A Second Look," a unique feature that allows viewers to switch between multiple, previously unseen camera angles to view several of Jimi's celebrated performances like never before.
*"Music, Love & Flowers: The Monterey International Pop Festival", a behind the scenes glimpse of the festival's origins, operations, and lasting impact, brought to you by legendary composer, producer and Monterey Festival co-founder Lou Adler.

As an extra special bonus, watch the earliest known film and sound recordings of The Jimi Hendrix Experience in concert from February 25, 1967 before a packed audience in Chelmsford, England. Songs featured are "Stone Free" and "Like A Rolling Stone."

Jimi Hendrix - Live at Woodstock

Concert footage of Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock.
Genre: Music Video - Pop/Rock
Rating: NR
Release Date: 13-SEP-2005
Media Type: DVD

Jimi Hendrix (Deluxe Edition)

The long-awaited Deluxe Edition of the 1973 theatrical documentary Jimi Hendrix is loaded with extras and completely remastered and remixed to provide exceptional sound and picture quality This is the biography of Jimi Hendrix the world famous guitarist who died much too young. Featuring the guitar wizard on stage and behind the scenes classic concert footage is interspersed with interviews with friends and prominent musicians giving first-hand recollections including Pete Townshend Mick Jagger Eric Clapton Little Richard Lou Reed Buddy Miles and more. Includes songs "Hey Joe" "Rock me baby" "Like a rolling stone" "A Star Spangled Banner" from Woodstock 69 and many more from his beginnings to his Monterey Woodstock and Isle of Wight performancesRunning Time: 103 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 012569698468

If any artist deserved a hagiography it was Jimi Hendrix, and Joe Boyd's 1973 "authorized" tribute adequately sanctifies the legend. Perversely for a documentary, it achieves this simply through well-chosen concert footage rather than through the insights of the various talking heads. Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, and Germaine Greer are all wheeled out to wax lyrical about their days with Jimi, but nothing is more eloquent than watching and listening to him play. From "Hey Joe" in grainy black and white on the Ready Steady Go TV show, classic footage of Monterey, Woodstock (yes, "The Star-Spangled Banner"), and the Isle of Wight festivals to an acoustic 12- string rendition of "Hear My Train a' Comin'," Hendrix the musician speaks for himself.

But if Hendrix the musician shines through, this is not the most insightful profile of Hendrix the man. The circumstances surrounding his death, for example, are hardly touched upon (girlfriend at the time Monika Dannemann gets only a few seconds of screen time). Interview footage with Hendrix himself plus some occasionally rambling and incoherent comments from such intimates as his father, army buddies, ex-girlfriends (including Linda Keith, who "discovered" him in New York and brought him to England), and fellow musicians all take second place to the music itself. The most sensible quote comes from Little Richard, who proves once and for all that he's utterly bonkers when he says of Jimi's music: "At times he made my big toes shoot up into my boot." --Mark Walker, Amazon.co.uk

The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Criterion Collection

Documentary about Monterey Pop Festival of 1967; includes festival footage and performances.
Genre: Music Video - Pop/Rock
Rating: NR
Release Date: 12-NOV-2002
Media Type: DVD

The Monterey International Pop Festival, the three-day event staged in 1967 that has become one of rock music's most famous and in some ways greatest concerts, gets the royal treatment with this three-disc boxed set.

Material on two of the three discs has already been widely available. Monterey Pop, D.A. Pennebaker's 79-minute, 1968 film, effectively sets the scene for the festival, which took place during the fabled "Summer of Love," when the hippie ethos was in its fullest flower, especially on the West Coast. And while not all the featured performances are thrilling, those that are--principally by the Who, Jimi Hendrix, and the amazing Ravi Shankar--are worth the price of admission, especially in the high-definition digital transfer and new 5.1 mix seen and heard here. The same can be said for Jimi Plays Monterey and Shake! Otis at Monterey, which appear in the boxed set on a separate disc and provide a much fuller look at Hendrix's and Otis Redding's incendiary sets (literally, in the former case).

Those two discs are also loaded with bonus features, including audio commentary by Pennebaker, festival producer Lou Adler (on Monterey Pop), and author Peter Guralnick (Shake!); audio-only remarks by some of the performers; photos; trailers; and other material. There's also a substantial booklet, filled with essays and photos. But it's the third disc, "The Outtake Performances," comprising some two hours of music that didn't make the final film edit, that will be of most interest to many viewers. The disc supplies a taste of some of the artists who didn't appear in Monterey Pop at all (the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Quicksilver Messenger Service), and a more complete look at some who did (the Who, Simon and Garfunkel, the Mamas and the Papas). A nice addition to an already very impressive DVD collection. --Sam Graham

Jimi Hendrix - Blue Wild Angel (Live at the Isle of Wight)

Those familiar with the original Isle of Wight DVD/VHS release will be pleasantly surprised by Blue Wild Angel. For one thing, the soundtrack has been remixed in both stereo and 5.1 surround. Hendrix's legendary Isle of Wight show may have been notoriously riddled with technical difficulties, but in all honesty, it is one of his better live recordings, and Eddie Kramer's remix sounds superb. Next, Blue Wild Angel includes many songs missing from the original release such as "Lover Man," "Foxey Lady," "Message to Love," "Ezy Rider," and "Purple Haze." By far the highlights of the performance are the mesmerizing, newly unedited versions of "Red House" and "Machine Gun." Finally, as an added bonus, the concert is introduced by a mini documentary about Hendrix's involvement with the Isle of Wight festival. This introduction is told through new interviews with Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, and Eddie Kramer and footage from Murray Lerner's Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival rockumentary. Blue Wild Angel is a great addition to any Hendrix fan's collection. --Rob Bracco

Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsys (Live at the Fillmore East)

Made less than a year before his death in September 1970, Band of Gypsys was an album recorded live to fulfill a contractual obligation for a long-forgotten deal Jimi Hendrix signed when he still spelled his name "Jimmy." Hendrix had just disbanded the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and in order to dispense with the album as quickly as possible, he put together a new trio featuring Billy Cox (an old Army buddy) and drummer Buddy Miles, whose bombastic singing and thudding drum style would soon pollute FM airwaves across the nation. (Former Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell refers to him here as "William the Concreter," for his cement-mixer sense of rhythm.) They booked the Fillmore East with the idea of recording the shows for a live album, and this DVD features recently unearthed film footage of that historic performance, with Hendrix at the top of his powers (despite Miles's excesses). It also offers several other rare live performances from British clubs in the mid-1960s. The musical moments are mixed with new interview footage, including conversations with the self-effacing Cox and the self-aggrandizing Miles. If you've only heard the CDs (Band of Gypsys and Jimi Hendrix: Live at the Fillmore East), you've only gotten half of this particular Jimi Hendrix experience. --Marshall Fine

Classic Albums - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland

Can an effective episode of Classic Albums be produced when its subject's creator has been dead for more than a quarter century? Perhaps surprisingly, the answer is yes. With Experience members Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, additional musicians on the order of Steve Winwood and Dave Mason, manager Chas Chandler, and engineer Eddie Kramer telling much of the story, Jimi Hendrix still stands front and center in this hourlong examination of the making of his most ambitious release, the 1968 double LP Electric Ladyland. The series's usual centerpiece (isolating parts of the multitrack tapes to illuminate the whole) is invaluable not only in demonstrating Hendrix's genius for building performances in the studio, but, by extension, implying how the music coming out of his head reflected his heart. The result is possibly the most moving documentary about Hendrix, and certainly one whose rare bits of film (such as a promotional clip for "Burning of the Midnight Lamp") make it even more invaluable. --Rickey Wright

Released in 1968, Electric Ladyland represented a watershed in the flourishing career of Jimi Hendrix, and today is recognised as one of rock music's landmark albums. The album features some of Hendrix's most notable recordings, including Crosstown Traffic, Voodoo Chile, and a cover of Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower.

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)

Beach Boys - An American Band / Brian Wilson - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times

A magnificent DVD pairing for Beach Boys fans, these two stylistically different films here pretty much represent the two sides of "America's Band." First up is The Beach Boys: An American Band, made at the height of their Reagan-era resurgence after then Interior Secretary James Watt banned them from performing at the nation's capitol on the 4th of July. A colorful, upbeat film, it doesn't entirely gloss over the more downbeat aspects of the Beach Boys saga (parental abuse, mental illness, uncomfortably tight pants, loads of drugs, and Charles Manson), though it does go out of its way to give the story a happy ending, despite the recent death of drummer Dennis Wilson and the group's complete creative standstill. However, what it lacks in perspective, it more than makes up for in priceless footage, including Smile-era studio outtakes, the unreleased 1967 concert in Hawaii, numerous TV appearances, and extensive interview footage from the mid-'70s.

I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, on the other hand, goes more out of its way to show the long dark path of head Beach Boy Brian Wilson. While Wilson is now acknowledged as the Mozart of the late 20th century, director Don Was gives us a stark black-and-white portrait of a troubled artist still struggling to get his life back. His reminiscence of dad Murry Wilson's beatings is chilling, and Wilson is as comfortable as he'll ever be in front of the camera bragging up his drug use ("Cocaine... the works... put me in jail") and randomly quoting Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon. Through it all, Wilson comes across as a complete original, and if the reworkings of his classic songs don't quite match up to the originals, give the guy a break--he just wasn't made for these times. --Kristian St. Clair

Jimi Plays Berkeley

There is no denying it: Jimi Plays Berkeley ain't The Last Waltz. Visually, Peter Pilafian's direction and camerawork look like a student film compared to Scorsese's rock masterpiece. Instead of thanking fans and formally saying farewell to the road, Hendrix's manager Michael Jeffery created an exploitation film to simply squeeze as much cash he could out of the overworked guitarist. Despite the cheesy documentary footage, clips of silly protesters, butchered songs ("Hear My Train A Comin'" is literally chopped in half!), and the continuously shaky head shots, Jimi Plays Berkeley is great. Why? Because of Hendrix's flawless performance with Mitch Mitchell on drums and Billy Cox on bass. The band never sounded better live, and Eddie Kramer's 5.1 surround remix on the DVD really lifts the sound to a new level. In addition, the DVD includes the entire audio recording of Jimi Plays Berkeley: 2nd Set, arguably Hendrix's best live performance ever recorded. It's just perfect. --Rob Bracco