The channel surfing gods must have been watching over me last night, as I came across this documentary on VH1 Classics under their 'RockDocs' format. As I tuned in, Hendrix was into his amazing "Wild Thing" version from 1967's Monterey Pop Festival and it had me hooked for the entire run. Jimi Hendrix was always a favorite of mine back in the Sixties, and when he died in 1970, I became fixated on his 'Electric Ladyland' album, seeming to find comfort in the ethereal strains of 'Moon, Turn The Tides...Gently, Gently', as if he were floating away to a far off better place.
Besides the awesome live footage, the blast in watching this biopic has to be seeing rock gods speaking in reverenced tones of the guitar master. Were Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton and Little Richard ever really that young? It was revealing to hear Townshend describe how he and Clapton talked about Hendrix and his music, and how they 'decided' that they liked him - as if it had to be a conscious choice. Other revealing insights came from some of the women in Hendrix' life who I didn't know about at the time, like Fayne Pridgon and Pat Hartley. Even feminist Germaine Greer got into the act, with observations on how his music impacted male audiences of the era.
An interesting element that worked for the documentary was interspersing scenes of live music and interviews with televised segments from a Dick Cavett TV appearance, where Hendrix' low key manner seemed to belie his vulnerability. I never realized how insecure he felt about himself, and how malleable he was to the pressures of agents and hangers on, eventually leading to his tragic end. One of the Allen Brothers had an interesting twist on Hendrix' passing, stating that the singer might have been experiencing an alpha state in which he consciously decided to experience death, resulting in an 'alpha jerk'.
A curious aside to the Dick Cavett appearance - sitting next to Hendrix on the guest couch was Robert Young. I wonder if Hendrix ever watched "Father Knows Best"?
Above all though, it's the man and the music that make this rockumentary special. My personal favorites - "Wild Thing" and the amazing Dylan tribute "Like a Rolling Stone". Of course the Woodstock "Star Spangled Banner" version is on display in it's entirety, as are all of the song performances presented, making this picture a unique tribute to the rock legend. Had he lived, Hendrix would be sixty years old today, and oh, what music might have been.
Besides the awesome live footage, the blast in watching this biopic has to be seeing rock gods speaking in reverenced tones of the guitar master. Were Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton and Little Richard ever really that young? It was revealing to hear Townshend describe how he and Clapton talked about Hendrix and his music, and how they 'decided' that they liked him - as if it had to be a conscious choice. Other revealing insights came from some of the women in Hendrix' life who I didn't know about at the time, like Fayne Pridgon and Pat Hartley. Even feminist Germaine Greer got into the act, with observations on how his music impacted male audiences of the era.
An interesting element that worked for the documentary was interspersing scenes of live music and interviews with televised segments from a Dick Cavett TV appearance, where Hendrix' low key manner seemed to belie his vulnerability. I never realized how insecure he felt about himself, and how malleable he was to the pressures of agents and hangers on, eventually leading to his tragic end. One of the Allen Brothers had an interesting twist on Hendrix' passing, stating that the singer might have been experiencing an alpha state in which he consciously decided to experience death, resulting in an 'alpha jerk'.
A curious aside to the Dick Cavett appearance - sitting next to Hendrix on the guest couch was Robert Young. I wonder if Hendrix ever watched "Father Knows Best"?
Above all though, it's the man and the music that make this rockumentary special. My personal favorites - "Wild Thing" and the amazing Dylan tribute "Like a Rolling Stone". Of course the Woodstock "Star Spangled Banner" version is on display in it's entirety, as are all of the song performances presented, making this picture a unique tribute to the rock legend. Had he lived, Hendrix would be sixty years old today, and oh, what music might have been.