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

1 It was worth it just to watch Jimi play
I'm a huge Jimi Hendrix fan so I was very excited to pick up this DVD. This show comes from the latter half of Hendrix's career and it turned out to be one of his last major performances.

It pains me to say this but this is not one of Hendrix's better performances. The show was marred by technical difficulties, delays and the amplifiers picking up radio noises. The band, too, seems a little sloppy through lack of practice so this performance is possibly not as good as it could have been. It seems to me like Jimi just wasn't getting into it.

Having said all that, even on his bad days, Jimi was capable of destroying most guitarists and some of that brilliance does shine through. Also, we do get a chance to see some of the new material that would have ended up on Hendrix's fourth studio album -- I would argue that this point is worth the price of admission alone.

For all of its glitches, the sound on the DVD is great and you feel like you're actually there. For me, it was the first time I'd seen the unedited performance. In the end, all the negative aspects of this performance seem to fall by the wayside because I got to see Jimi work his magic. Buy this DVD just so you can say you've seen this landmark show.

2 Jimi's Guitar Steals The Show
This DVD release presents one of Hendrix's most memorable live performances. Playing in front of 600,000 people, Hendrix quickly goes to work, taking control of the show with his guitar right around his performance of Spanish Castle Magic. This leads into some of the greatest guitar mastery you'll ever hear, with blasting metal riffs found within basically every song listed hear. Jimi's voice isn't in good voice at all times, but obviously that doesn't matter, seeing as Hendrix was never known for having a great singing voice.
Their are many superb performances throughout this thrilling performance, and the special features are interesting as well. We get to see a Behind the scenes interview with Director Murray Lerner. Also featured are a couple of brief clips from other Live DVDs in the Hendrix collection. The Introduction before the concert is also very interesting to see, and we get to hear from bassist Billy Cox and drummer Mitch Mitchell.
As for the overall footage and its presentation, such songs like Red House, Machine Gun and Spanish Castle Magic have strong camera work and we get some nice looks at Jimi soloing. The sound quality is perfect, and for the most part, the performance is enjoyable to watch.

Performance Highlights:

All Along the Watchtower: An epic song, and Hendrix gives a superb performance, with some fabulous guitar work. Always a classic song, and this is one great performance of the hit song.

Machine Gun: The song immediately following All Along the Watchtower, Hendrix takes on a guitar journey with some of the most incredible guitar solos you'll ever hear. Great drumming on this one too.

Red House: Most likely the most memorable performance from the concert, Hendrix takes a blues hit with a very, delicate, superb pace and displays his magnificent sense of blues. This live version is nearly 12 minutes longer which leaves it being roughly 3 times the length of the song in its original form.

In From The Storm: A perfect close, to a seemingly incredible live performance from the greatest guitar player of all time. Jimi is also in perfect voice for this one. Superb guitar work also compliment the song.

Overall, I would have to recommend this DVD to any Jimi Hendrix fan, as it is truly an epic Hendrix concert, Live at The Isle of Wight. However, rock fans just looking into his music should avoid this DVD. Highly recommended to Jimi Hendrix fans who want to witness one of the greatest live rock performances of all time.

3 Better than Monterey
Jimi's career is bookended by two famous concerts. One at the Monterey pop festival in June 1967, and the other at the Isle of Wight festival in August 1970, a few weeks before he died. The Isle of Wight show is by far the better of the two concerts. Most of the material the band plays is more complex and more interesting, and Billy Cox is a superior bass player to Noel Redding, who played the most basic of bass patterns at Monterey. Jimi would have done well to have stayed alive and developed this trio - Mitch, Billy and himself - cos they obviously had a pretty good chemistry. Cox hits all the right notes and even bends his strings for extra emphasis in some of the tunes here. Freedom is a good song, as are Dolly Dagger and Message to Love. If only Hendrix could have forseen how derivative and soulless rock would become in the eighties and nineties, he might have smiled a bit more at this show; his last major public appearance. Instead, he slyly indicates his frustration at the end of the gig when, after bidding a self-deprecating farewell to the crowd, he unstraps his guitar and lets his live strat collapse to the stage floor as he walks away, causing an audible crunch as the instrument hits the hard surface. His performance that night had been delayed by several hours and marred by sound problems. Bearing this in mind it only seems foolish of him to have played such a long set. Why, one wonders, did he opt to stay on stage until the small hours of the morning doing uninspired versions of songs from his first album, after saying to the audience earlier on that he didn't want to play old songs? It's hard to say.

4 The Last of the Best
Jimi was a gift for all of us to enjoy. Too bad there is not a great legacy that is worthy of DVD viewing. This is one of the few that gives us fans a look at the genius of the man with the guitar. One just has to overlook the lack of audio and video quality and appreciate it for what it really is. It's pure Jimi, to be cherished by his true fans. To the casual fan, you may want to pass on this one.

5 Simply Amazing
I found this dvd well worth the money i paid for it. Hendrix is one of my favorites and this is a reason why. Amazing version of Machine gun. Also during foxey lady he plays with his teeth and tongue at one point. Set list here..
1.God Save the Queen
2.Sgt. Pepper's Lonely 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 Sun

6 Essential!
I agree wholeheartedly with all the positive reviews here. This is an amazing DVD. Filmed long before the MTV quick-cut style came into vogue, this is a textbook on how concerts can and should be filmed. The crew, with at times nine separate cameras filming, had incredible access to the stage and the band. The result is the most vivid audio/visual record available of the most essential figure in the history of electric guitar. Warts, technical problems, and all, the performance here is blistering and breath-taking, and this DVD puts you right inside of it. If you're even mildly interesting in Jimi Hendrix and his music, then you *must* own this.

7 The Best Hendrix DVD Ever!
Just like many of the reviewers say its about time for Experience Hendrix to release a full quality DVD mostly complete other than the songs Hey Joe, Hey Baby, and Midnight Lighting. I bought this DVD the day it came out at FYE and was suprised to see how complete the concert was compared to the RHINO version on VHS. If you watch the orginal RHINO version you see they cut out most of the entire performence including half of all of the songs. This DVD takes you through a long journey starting out with the road crew and promotions for Jimi Hendrix, I found the beggining to be very interesting. Then they take you backstage with Hendrix before he goes on, and then your right on stage with the man on guitar Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix seemed to have many technical difficulties with his amp that night but it does not effect how good the concert was. This is the first time I heard Hendrix play All Along The Watchtower live that really suprised me also they include songs that many of us never heard him do like, Dolly Dagger, Freedom, Lover Man, In From The Storm, Message To Love, and Ezy Rider. What a treat for a Hendrix fan, as well as the camera angles they include in the bonus features you can basically watch Jimi Hendrix from any angle you want. The sound quality, and picture quality is amazing. This concert was one of the last Hendrix concert's before he died. I have to thank Experience Hendrix for such a great complete Jimi Hendrix DVD worth more than the cost....Highly Recomened! Please Buy This One!

8 Great DVD
Has some behind the scenes footage and "where are the now" additions. The sound quality is second to none. you can see hendrix the audio perfectionist 1st hand as he constantly struggles to maintain good sound.

9 IT ALL COMES TOGETHER HERE
I just finished watching this, and it is awesome! I prefer this period of Jimi's career, when he played with Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox, though the Experience were brilliant as well. With this DVD, you get Jimi playing LONG solos and his more experimental songs, though he does throw in some "greatest hits". The color film footage is superb and Jimi's wearing one of his coolest stage costumes ever! He looks like a total guitar god, but then he always did! The sound mix is excellent compared to the old Isle of Wight film. The camera angles are great - it's the best seat in the house, like being on stage, and it is edited well. I highly recommend this to any Jimi fan. It is a MUST!

10 The One to Get
Judging from the clips of Hendrix's Isle of Wight performance that I've seen in other documentaries, I always thought that this 1970 show in front of 600,000 people represented the sad end of Jimi's career. True, Hendrix wrestled with numerous technical problems and an audience obnoxiously yelling for hits, but that's only the half of it. The other half, to my delight, consists in moments of humor, a great set list and a relentless series of "jaw meet floor" guitar moments. In fact, of all the Hendrix DVDs available, this should be at the top af any true fan's list.
Since this is a complete concert, you get a real sense of Hendrix's ability to shape the otherwise chaotic energy of a 1960s rock show into a series of peaks to which he gingerly leads the assembled and just as carefully brings them home from. It's not just the rapid-fire blues scale runs that impress; witness his driving rhythm playing in All Along the Watchtower, his fluttering double-stops and tasteful dominant-chord comping throughout. The "Machine Gun" here rivals the version from the original Band of Gypsys record, and as for the rendition of Red House...considering that Hendrix is the best electric rock/blues guitarist in history and that Red House is his best blues song, this is simply one of the greatest blues performances ever recorded - and I say that with all due respect to the originators of the form. Jimi's blues at that time were very real; the hellhound of death was on his trail, and his only refuge was another hotel room in another of his endless tour stops. But The Master was still vital, and this DVD should put to rest the myth that he was creatively burning out in 1970. So don't buy the hype - Isle of Wight was a great Hendrix gig, and Blue Wild Angel is your front row ticket.

11 Finally
When I first saw Jimi's Isle of Wight concert on the original release, I wasn't too happy with it. Seeing this DVD, I now love it. In the first film, fans are presented with chopped up versions of songs, less talk and less fiddling that Jimi did on stage. Here you see it all. That leaves me with only one suggestion: how about a DVD release of the entire Woodstock performance?

12 Lack of focus
I've watched some of Hendrix��s best performances before. This is by far the least inspiring. He's chewing a gum, skipping lyrics and guitar notes. I have always thought Hendrix was the most expressive guitarist of all time, and I still do believe so. This concert is just a bad occasion.

13 Awesome Performance
I would have preferred better mixing, and its not Jimi's best performance. However, it is an essential DVD for those who wish to see the Experience live. Overall it's very enjoyable and I'd buy it again if I ever lose it.

14 Two words: MACHINE GUN
This is my favorite Hendrix show. At first I bought the 2 CD digipak and loved every minute of it. I listened to the whole concert over and over. One day I finally decided to buy the DVD, and I was amazed. I watched the whole show, gazing at my hero onstage tuning his guitar, giving gestures to his bandmates, adjusting the amps. This is an amazing show, it starts out with Hendrix doing his rendition of God Save The Queen, it's very entertaining I might add. But the one song that made my jaw hit the floor was MACHINE GUN, sure I was amazed when I heard it, but actually seeing it is another experience. Electrifying. I love seeing Hendrix play Ezy Ryder, Freedom, and Dolly Dagger, since they weren't released during his lifetime. I'm not sure whether the crowd was more into the concert or I was, but this one blew my mind as far as Hendrix performances go. Other highlights include Spanish Castle Magic, Red House, Foxey Lady, Message To Love, and In From The Storm. Get this DVD it's amazing.

15 I Can't Watch
Coming from someone who loves Hendrix and owns nearly all of his releases, this really is terrible. the technical difficulties are real, the performances are uninspired and forced, nothing seems to go right at this show. I give it three stars because after all it is hendrix, but it is still hard to watch given how much i love him. the technical difficulties really seem to take him out of the show, which is a big deal for someone who is able to channel so much otherworldy grace on releases such as band of gypsys. i found the albeit inferior video and sound quality of live at berkeley to reveal a much better performance. For those who truly love hendrix, avoid watching him in such a painful performance.

16 Don't buy from dvdlegacy.com
They sent me an empty box, and insisted I mail it back at my expense!
Then they said they are sold out, but they continue to list this DVD at the lowest price.
Avoid these fraudsters - look at their feedback - every screen has at least one complaint.

17 Essential historic record of brilliant artist
naysayers may write this is a subpar performance (which is probably true) but there are sadly few visual records of the long passed guitar deity. This film presents an intimate record of the largest concert hendrix ever played. remember most of the woodstock crowd had left by the time he got to the stage. what we have here is jimi with arguably his finest band ever with billy cox and mitch mitchell playing a set that covers the span of his recording career with an emphasis on material that would not be released in studio form until after his death. one can only speculate as to the precise chemical combination that evoked his state of mind for the show, but he does entertain and at times the band really catches fire. a must have for hendrix fans.

18 Jimi Is God of the Guitar
I bought this about a year ago when it first came out. I had never bought a DVD of Jimi before. I was blown away. The sound, the footage, Jimi's interaction with the band, was just awesome. This is a must for a Jimi fan. My only dissapointments were that (and to no one to blame) there are minor film blots on one song (can't remember which one) because of the improper care of this precious footage, there are a few sour moments and Jimi does have a few tuning problems that he takes up a little time for, and that Hey Baby (new rising sun) was not on the DVD but is on the cd (probably due to the footage quality.) None of this overshadows the incredibilty of this Hendrix performance. Don't take my critiscms to heart. This is one hell of a DVD.

19 Superb Documentation Of Hendrix
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.

20 Missing songs
the songs HEY BABY, HEY JOE & MIDNIGHT LIGHTNING are rocking on the CD. an absolute dissappointment that footage for the same on the DVD is missing. would have loved to see those performances

21 Don't waste your money!
Dear hendrix fans,

I will not argue that hendrix was a great guitarist, and a huge inovator, but as a live guitarist, he was out of control, and not in a good way. I am a guitarist, bassist, drummer, singer, and song-writer, and as an experienced musician I was terribly disapointed in the bands performance. Mitch Mitchel(drums) made a mockery of himself as he played like a five-year-old holding his first pair of drumsticks. And jimi's guitar playing was nowhere near the quality of his album work. The only song worth seeing on this whole DVD is red house. If you are a skilled musician who likes watching skilled players, don't buy this DVD!

22 My Favorite Hendrix DVD
HENDRIX BLUE WILD ANGEL
This is one of my favorite Hendrix DVDS. In the mist of the 1970s Hendrix was trying to create new music. This concert proved to be one of his best performences ever other than the woodstock concert. Hendrix opened up with God Save The Queen an amazing thing bout the opening song was that Hendrix forget the song and asked one of his road managers before he went on How Does God Save The Queen Go? And his road manger sounded it out. Hendrix then went on stage and played it creativly great. Hendrix then had his Marshall Stacks bout 5 of them all go dead I mean no sound what so ever. Finally the roadys or whatever you like to call them fixed the amps and Hendrix started Spanish Castle Magic wow this was a differnt solo then Hendrix usually played. Hendrixs version of all along the wacthower took place next to me I loved wacthing Hendrix play this song Live it was a dream come true it was great. Hendrix went on with alot more songs I loved seeing Hendrix also play his new material like Freedom, Dolly Dagger, also In From The Storm. When Hendrix played Machine Gun that night he played his heart out running over 20 minutes I think this song was better played live at The Isle Of Wight than The Fillmore East. Hendrix played on Lover Man, and Message to Love. All together Hendrix played about 17 songs and this concert marked to be one of the latest and best concerts ever. BLUE WILD ANGEL:LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT ON DVD is a must have for a Hendrix fan better than all the rest DVDS ENJOY

23 {BLUE WILD ANGEL!}
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

24 The greatest contemporary electric guitarist ever!!
I said that when I was thirteen years old, and I say it now at thirty eight years old. If anyone wants to see what it was all about instead of hearing what is played on the radio from "Are You Experienced" this DVD is it! An absolute master of his instrument, this footage shows his control, mastery and his limitless imagination of what the electric guitar is capable of. No one did it better. He layed it all down for future generations. This is Hendrix the musician as opposed to the rock star image that is portayed on radio and the media. His adventurous musicianship can be compared to saxophonists Eric Dolphy, Anthony Braxton, and Roland Kirk, to name a few, in his creative blend of sounds and notes.

A small edit glitch! Check out during "Ezy Ryder" you will briefly see the headstock of his Gibson Flying V come into veiw when he was playing the tune with his Black Fender Stratocaster!

Not to much footage of Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell though. These two were great contributors to the music as well.

Five stars also must go to Eddie Kramer for his excellent remastering of the video and audio. Great sound and video footage.

Everyone that has even a remote interest in Jimi should own this. Check it out!

25 Frustrating!!
This is the most frustrating video of Jimi Hendrix I've ever seen. What was the cameraman thinking? I expected to see Hendrix playing his guitar, seeing the man in action. Instead this is a lame collection of Jimi butt shots and facial expressions. This camera crew obviously had no interest in guitar playing. It's almost as if they were trying to hide the actual playing. Whenever I go to a concert, I'm fixated on the lead guitar. If that sounds like you, you'll hate this DVD. I give it one star, not for Jimi, but for the product.

26 The Full Concert, Finally!
Finally, the complete film footage of the last major concert performance by Jimi Hendrix at the 1970 'Isle Of Wight' festival is now available. This historic show has been available through the years under different names and permeations, but never as the complete concert and in proper sequence. This errors have now been thoroughly corrected with the release of the superb DVD "Blue Wild Angel".

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.

27 Jimi Near the End
Well, what can you say. This is a some great footage of Jimi. Too bad it was a pretty bad performance . . . very sloppy. The sound mix is pretty good but Jimi is just not "on" this night. There has got to be some better footage of the master someplace isn't there????? Still, it's interesting to see the demise of him and compared to even the Rainbow Bridge performance which was shortly before this . . . Jimi is obviously spirling downward. It's very sad!

28 Excellent , a true picture of what it must have been...
This DVD contains a short documnetary on the concert (events leading up to it, the preperation that went into it, etc..) then it gets right to the concert. The film is very clean (great remastering job) and the new 5.1 audio mix (coutersy of Eddie Kramer himself) must be heard to be believed (it's so good you can hear all the little flaws). The show is for the most part in tact, you never get the sense that anything was clipped for the purpose of saving time, you get to see Hendrix walk over and adjust his amps between songs, hear him talk to the stage people, etc.. it's a very real picture of what this concert was. This is in my opnion the best of the Hendrix DVDs when all is consered (definately the best sound quality),

The only negitive thing I have to say about this DVD, and really the combination of all the Hendrix DVDs are that they prove this legend was human. Not to take anything away to his contributions to the guitar and rock music, but in this DVD we hear a perfectly sober Hendrix making quite a few mistakes in his songs, ocassionally hiting wrong notes and struggling with a few songs to pull off acceptable live renditions of what was studio magic (e.g. All Along The Watchtower). These issues are not unique to this DVD, if you're a Hendrix fan it's best to just accept this. The passion, and the amazing execution of Hendrix guitar work is captured best here.

29 The Real Jimi
I love this DVD; it's a really honest picture of what a Jimi Hendrix concert was. The backstage banter before the show is especially enlightening and it shows that Jimi was really sober and alert when playing a show; he was talking to a staff member and was worried about legal issues with the record company when he found out the show was going to be recorded. This is all music and all heart; it's not about technical proficiency but about vibe and feel and at that the man excelled and was a total genius. The interaction of all three band members is also brought to the fore as well as the loose interplay and improvisation. This is a must have for any serious Rock fan.

30 Hendrix near the end!
This Isle of Wight concert was shot over 30 years ago and a couple months before Hendrix's untimely death. I thought the sound and picture quality were good. The film documents the uninterrupted concert which previous films did not. It's interesting to compare Hendrix's tour de force in Monterey Pop with this one. In the Isle of Wight performance, Hendrix shows signs of fatigue and frustration. As mentioned in other reviews, there is a thin blue line which runs through a small portion of the film, but it doesn't distract from the enjoyment this historical piece. This DVD is a must have for any true Hendrix fan.

31 There are no lip sync problems. Pay closer attention, guys!
Darryl and Erik, perhaps you need to check your home theater systems or the prescriptions for your glasses.

There are no lip sync problems on this DVD. Perhaps you don't realize that Jimi was in the habit of madly chewing gum while he played, and that can lead a neophyte into thinking that he's singin' when he's really chompin'.

Pay attention to other clues in the frame like the fact that Mitch Mitchell's sticks are precisely on beat, or what Jimi's hands are doing.

Also, remember that unlike your favorite MTV Music Videos, there was only one take of this historic performance. It may have indeed been the editor's intent to show a camera pan, zoom, or rack focus in the middle of a clip to convey the immediacy or chaos of such an affair.

32 A 1000 Thanks for who ever made this available
Hendrix died when I was 14, then I started playing guitar. While not virtuoistic myself, all the famous axemen cite James as their major influence (SRV, Satch among others). To be able to see James up there on that primative stage, with all those 1970 faces, clothing, and James with his Strat, Marshalls and those 3 (wow only 3!)ancient technological legendary music-changing guitar-effects-pedals wailing for 2 hours is mesmerizing. It is also the single-most high-octane source of inspiration I own to gas me up to play again. Just to be able to see him perform for so long, uninterrupted, on a DVD in 5.1 is so great and beyond comprehension I am continually amazed and more impressed with each viewing. Despite the (mainly unnoticable) flaws mentioned in other reviews about the sound synching, the poor 5.1 quality, etc, hey, we're talking about Hendrix in 1970, and the ease with which we can see it today just so overcomes any minor technical glitch. This is as effective as it gets. While others may not think this treasure is delivered efficiently, how can one quibble when you can see this legend at work, at 2AM, kicking butt bigtime. This material is so hard to find, and I'm SO HAPPY I can click a few buttons & see this 28 yr old doing his God-given gift: performing and entertaining several hundred thousand people and enchanting them all (and me 32 yrs later)!!

I suppose actually filming that set at 2AM took a lot of work. My hat's off to those cameramen and those that transferred the film into DVD format. And how about those Marshalls ?

James would have turned 60 in Sept 2002. He was the greatest, most innovative, bring-it-to-the-front/in-your-face guitarist ever, not to mention Seattle's biggest contribution to world culture.

33 Good But Not Without Flaws
Blue Wild Angel is easily worth the [price], but it does have many flaws! First and most annoying is that the complete performance is out of sync, some songs much worse than others (Other reviews state that only a couple of songs are out of sync, trust me they all are to some degree). The DVD booklet also mentions the "skilled crew of British cameramen" that captured the event. Well if you like out of focus cameras, shots of the back (not the front) of Jimi's fret board hand, extreme closeups and awkward camera angles then you might consider these cameramen skilled (They were filming for five days straight, fatigue must of been a factor). The PIP feature gives you a good idea of what it could of looked like had the film been better edited. The film print also has many scratches on it. Last but not least is the boring 5.1 mix credited to Eddie Krammer. With that said I think the music rocks, especially the newer songs and for the Jimi fan it's a must have.

34 A great glimpse at an artist in transition
Like many people in the early '70s, I grew up with Jimi Hendrix as part of the cultural aether around me. (This was well before the days of "classic rock" radio programs that have overexposed Hendrix's work and made it seem so tiresome...) Anyway, it wasn't until I snuck into the moviehouse at the college student union near where I grew up and saw a screening of the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock documentaries that Jimi Hendrix really blew my mind. Although the feedback and distortion techniques he pioneered have become commonplace in the rock bands of today, no one has ever topped the stunningly intimate physicality with which Hendrix approached playing the electric guitar... His approach was as much percussive as it was melodic, with him pushing and nudging and prodding the tones out more than he actually strummed the strings.

This performance is not as artistically dazzling or as charismatic as those earlier shows, but the cinema verite style of this stark documentary is an invaluable glimpse of a musical genius in his final, reclusive days. As other reviewers point out, the logistical conditions at the Isle of Wight festival were chaotic and challenging, but it's clear from the pre-show and on-stage footage that Hendrix was not the hopeless basket case that many made him out to be, based on this single shambolic concert. The film producers could have done a better job explaining the significance of this show (one of Hendrix's last, before his tragic London overdose), and the conditions he faced before he stepped on stage. Still, it's a valuable document, and the optional split-sceen, multi-vantage point presentation on several tracks is a nice use of DVD technology to show us the full coverage that the film crews shot. Definitely worth checking out if you're a devoted Hendrix fan.

35 Could be Perfect...Defective Remaster
This DVD could be perfect if it weren't for the damn technical flaws. At several points on the disc, including concert portions and some of the opening documentary, the sound is completely not in synch with the footage, which is VERY VERY annoying. With all the expense and quality control that is usually involved in such a huge archival project, could they not have made sure that a mistake like this did not occur? It really ruins certain parts viewing the DVD when you see Hendrix singing a line before you hear it.

Furthermore, I find Eddie Kramer's sound mix a little too gimmicky and echo-drenched. The guitar and bass sound very good, but the drums are a little mushy. Oh well.

At least it's the most complete document of the concert, but I'll be keeping my old version just so I can watch certain tracks in sync with the sound.

36 A Guaranteed Winner.....
No long-winded, overblown review here. Although several songs could not be included, this DVD is nearly perfect. It's the one we've all been waiting for. Picture, content, and sound are almost flawless. Get it NOW, while it's still in print and easily available. Don't even fool around with the VHS version.

37 THE TRUTH IS REVEALED!!!
Based on what I saw from the earlier Image Entertainment version this wasn't one of my favorite Hendrix concert but after seeing BLUE WILD ANGEL that opinion has totally changed because there is so much going on here.

This may be about as much of this concert as you'll see possible. Added to this DVD that wasn't on the Image Entertainment version is "LOVER MAN" , "FOXEY LADY" , you see the actual performance of "MESSAGE TO LOVE" where in the Image Entertainment version you just hear the song during the intro of the program while footage of the daytime audience is being shown. You get "EZY RYDER" , "PURPLE HAZE" , and the unedited versions of "MACHINE GUN" , "RED HOUSE" , and "VOODOO CHILD (SLIGHT RETURN)".

I have no idea why in the Image Entertainment version of this concert that VOODOO CHILD is edited because the BLUE WILD ANGEL version reveals that the prophetic line "..if I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you on the next one and don't be late..." is cut out of the Image version! As a matter of fact , Hendrix says "...if I don't see you know more in this world..." 4 times dramatically building up to the lines "...I'll meet you on the next one...". Thats the first time I've ever heard Hendrix do that with "VOODOO CHILD". When you keep in mind Hendrix's unfortunate fate that part is chilling , dramatic , and sad to see so why edit that out? In "BLUE WILD ANGEL" you see this part.

Also "BLUE WILD ANGEL" shows more of the bantering during songs over technical problems but it also shows it was a better show than what the Image version showed. There is a segment leading to the end of the concert where Hendrix hits the crowd with non-stop music. They played "MESSAGE TO LOVE" , "EZY RYDER" , "PURPLE HAZE" , "VOODOO CHILD" and "IN FROM THE STORM" (minus Hey Baby & Hey Joe on DVD) without stopping until the end. You just sit back and go along for the musical ride.

There is a cool picture-in-picture feature in this DVD. The P.I.P. is used on 4 songs; "SPANISH CASTLE MAGIC" , "MACHINE GUN" , "RED HOUSE" , and "FOXEY LADY". Very cool!

The Image Entertainment version obviously edited the concert footage to 'clean it up' and make it seamless but they hurt the integrity of the concert. In other words what you see isn't how things happened and why mix up the order of the songs? The concert was fine the way it was! Go figure.

Anyway , you see this concert in its actual chronological order and in its entirety minus "MIDNIGHT LIGHTNING" , "HEY BABY (NEW RISING SUN)" , and "HEY JOE". You can hear the concert in its entirety with these 3 missing songs on the new double disc version of "BLUE WILD ANGEL".

And in the end of the concert when he just drops the guitar and walks off stage he wasn't upset but he was just tired. He seemed to enjoy himself more on stage in this concert than what I got the impression of from the earlier Image Entertainment version. So thats a good thing to know.

FUNNIEST MOMENT : Based on Billy Cox's recollection Jimi split his pants during "FOXEY LADY"! You never see the split in the pants but you see Jimi disappear behind the speakers and amplifiers while Mitchell and Cox played on (incredibly Jimi still played his guitar throughout this moment). Then when Jimi comes back on stage he gives Billy a look of relief and a smile as if to say "Woo! That was close." A pretty funny moment and , on top of that , it was a fierce version of "FOXEY LADY" with the guitar teeth playing then you see him clearly play the guitar with his tongue for a few seconds and then between his legs putting on a show. Awesome stuff!

38 Uneven Performance marred by Sound Problems
It's unfortunate that Jimi was plagued by problems caused by a poor sound system during this concert. Captured on film, prior to taking the stage, we get a glimpse of Jimi's enthusiasm upon learning that his set will be filmed. From the beginning though Jimi's apparent enthusiasm is quickly dampened when he quickly learns that he's going to be battling a poor sound system for the duration of his set. For years, various theories were offered regarding Jimi's lackluster performance at the Isle of Wight. People have claimed he was depressed and worn out and so on. But in the case of this performance, Jimi is clearly frustrated and disgusted with his inability to achieve a satisfactory guitar sound. Hendrix was known to be a bit of a perfectionist, and his frustration with the sound system is obvious and unfortunately results in a rather erratic performance here. Things improve by the time the band performs "Machine Gun" and on through the next several songs, where Jimi begins to achieve a consistant quality of performance throughout. But things degenerate as the sound system intermittantly frustrates Hendrix throughout the rest of the show. Despite the problems, there are moments where Jimi's guitar prowess shines through, most notably during a rather meandering performance of "Machine Gun" and on through to "Red House".

The remastered performance is commendable, despite the technical glitches inherent in the film (the original negative was scratched), hence the periodic appearance of the infamous "blue lines" that appear on screen. And the DVD extras are minimal. In the end, though this film is worth seeing if only to see one of the last performances by Jimi shortly before his death.

39 This Is It, Baby!
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.

40 It's like being on stage at a Jimi Hendrix concert!!
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!