Blue Wild Angel: Jimi Hendrix Live At The Isle Of Review

Released: November 12, 2002
The DVD documents the guitarist's legendary performance before 600,000 people at this massive outdoor music and arts festival in August 1970. It's a great addition to any Hendrix fan's collection.

Sound:	8
Content:	10
Production:	7.5
Impression:	9.5
Overall rating:	7.9
Reviewer rating:	8.8
Users rating:	7
Votes:	9

overall: 8.5

Reviewed by: NY773, on february 15, 2006

Sound: "Blue Wild Angel: Jimi Hendrix Live At The Isle Of Wight" was a great purchase on my part. The revamped Experience, with Billy Cox in the place of Noel Redding, were fantastic as always. Jimi Hendrix is always tuning and changing his volume levels and whatnot, but you have to forgive one of the greatest guitarists ever for that. If you buy the special edition, you'll find an extra 2 CDs that are the audio of the preformance. In my opinion, they sound better than the DVD itself. // 8

Content: As I said before, I loved the accompanying audio discs. They sounded great. "Blue Wild Angel," a concert DVD of Jimi Hendrix's last English performance, is a great showcase of Jimi's overall mastery of the guitar. He starts off with "God Save The Queen," the English national anthem. He then launches into a short rendition of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." After that, he goes through his usual repitoire of songs, which include "All Along The Watchtower," "Spanish Castle Magic," "Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," "Dolly Dagger," "Freedom," "Machine Gun" and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," although not necessarily in that order. This was a great set of songs, and it allows the viewer to hear some of his more magical melodies that we don't normally see or hear. There's a featurette at the beginning of the movie, which is very good. There is also a complete list of film - and discographies for those involved. // 10

Production Quality: The production quality is pretty good, except for annoying blue lines in the early part of the movie. These distract you and make you think there's something wrong. The sound quality is fine, and the camera angles are great (especially when Jimi goes backstage to fix his pants after a split during "Foxy Lady." The cameras took over during Mitch Mitchell's 3-minute drum solo). // 7

Impression: Compared to "Jimi Hendrix Live At Woodstock," this DVD has a better set list, better sound and visual quality, and is of high standards. It isn't as historic, and Hendrix himself didn't think this was as good a performance. But it's a great movie overall. The most impressive thing on this DVD is the camera work. I loved virtually everything about this, but I hated those blue lines! If it were stolen or lost, I would look over the blue lines and buy it again, most definitely. // 9

overall: 9

Reviewed by: Hendrix1970, on august 27, 2005

Sound: Jimi Hendrix is an amazing guitarist. You get almost everyting you would expect from. My only problems with the performance is that Jimi kind of lingers off in some of his songs and doesnt seem to be playing with the band. But the songs like "Machine Gun" (which clocks at 20 minutes or so), "Red House" and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" are amazing. And don't forget Mitch Mitchell's kickass drum solos and Billy Cox is awesome on bass. // 8

Content: Jimi plays a wide variety set. The whole thing clocks in at 154 minutes. It also has a few posters a tickets from the concert and an interview with the director.

01. God Save The Queen
02. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
03. Spanish Castle Magic
04. All Along The Watchtower
05. Machine Gun
06. Lover Man
07. Freedom
08. Red House
09. 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. // 10

Production Quality: Overall the concert looks decent. The have plenty of camera angles and some great shots of Jimi's guitar work. The picture does have the streaks that appear on the screen occasionally. It doesn't bother me. // 8

Impression: Overall this isn't Jimi's best concert. I'd say his Woodstock performance or the audio only section of Jimi Plays Berkeley get that title. But yeah it's a good concert, its worth the money for a few of is performances alone. If it got stolen yeah I'd buy it again. This is Jimi Hendrix. // 10

Comments

[dustyoffski]

In the year 2100 one of your great great grandchildren will hopefully take your Hendrix dvd off their fathers bookshelf. It's quite possible, given a boost in volume, that jaws will drop open upon viewing this historicaly signifigant dvd in the future. I tend to identify with people with minds that have enthusiasum and understanding with historical perspective. Films made before 1999 werent filmed for high definition(using more primitive acutal film), making that format unnessisary. For a film made in 1970 under unpredictable conditions, Jimi Hendrix live at the isle of wight is a revelation. Hats off to Murry Learner the director for a great job. Now this jaw dropping is the ability to see a hippy god musician in action. This is the stuff of mythology or legend. I dont recall too many concerts ive attended lately that were attended by 600,000! people, even on the night of this one. The Woodstock festival in 1969 was the first. Truley this was a phenomenon in a time of war, in a time of gods, and a changing culture, a statement of it. Jimis dressed like a multicolor psycadelic god, of which he was, the musician of the day. Usually, he wore a headband bandana a trademark of the hippy time period. Mitch Mitchell the amazing drummer, is also dressed in full hippy garb of the day. The director Murry says in the dvd booklet that he was onstage for the show and that the "guitar was incredible" (sound and volume) and that he had never experienced that level of volume before. Clearly there was something fantastic going on here even in the volume of the music going out onto the field. This was something new to the entire world. Using high volume and tone to reach a desired musical effect and expression, Jimi was not a harsh expression of what this type of music would become, turning into hard rock and heavy metal a decade and a half down the road, this was something special, this was an experience. All said, all this came from an amazing thing called blues music. Blues music is an amazing form of expression that can tell you a story, can come directly from the emotions to the specific notes, and can heal. Jimi Hendrix took this music along with rock and roll and it flowed out of him like a spectacular storm. All those elements are evident on this dvd. This is NOT one of Hendrixs best performances by any means. Jimi walks off stage many times throughout for many reasons, But it is a good performance, considering it was plaqued by extrodinary circumstances, and constant technical onstage troubles. Hendrix would die only a month after this concert.

Im not saying Hendrix at atlanta july 4th 1970 is Hendrixs best concert either, but as comparison to this one, musically its a monumental difference. That concert was a better example, the music and playing seemed to flow out of the band in very fluid and almost supernaturally talented way. The drums(Mitch Mitchell,) at atlanta are played in a completely different way than at the isle of wight, if you can believe it, as well as the guitar, and the bass (Billy Cox)is always solid. Here on this dvd you get alot of Hendrixs new material, and alot of good jamming on it. three songs performed at this concert are only availible on audio cd, which i recommend. One of those "hey baby new risisng sun" an instrumental, is truely an amazing rendition. Jimis playing on this dvd, is strained, and stretched out(for a multitude of reasons) and raw. You would think i was speaking about the elasticity of guitar string metal, but im speaking about the manner of performance. Carlos Santana has said that the music of Jimi Hendrix is very "wide" and i agree with him. when you get older and you've heard everything(that you want to), you can become good and have almost a musicians ear and telling different subtle musical qualities like that. Isle of wight, jimis sound or tone isnt apparently what he wanted it to sound like, adding to fustration. Its still very unique and rich sound(and wide), sounding nothing like anyone since. Jimi hendrix was never captured properly on film, as were neither the Doors, Cream, or Led Zeppelin, the Dead, Janis Joplin and others of the day. The Doors and the Who played at this monumental festival in 1970 also, and the Who performances is well caught on dvd, you should purchase that also. Live recording in 1970 was something relativly new, but it was taking off, and its amazing we have this much of Hendrix at the isle of wight. By properly, i mean capturing a complete one of those mythological performances, that were just stellar, in all aspects. So we get alot of Hendrix footage here, but not alot of prime playing. So this dvd is really like a rare historical document. i highly recommend getting this dvd if your of that mind, and are not too critical to judge, you understand the perspective of this video and audio. The dvd audio here will always be adaquate and even impressive here in stereo, and especially 5.1 sourround, given the listener turn the volume to medium or high. The dvd video quality is of the day and shows vibrant colors. there are many songs to listen to in complet