Rating: 
Summary: Uneven Performance marred by Sound Problems
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: {BLUE WILD ANGEL!}
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: The Last of the Best
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The One to Get
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Hendrix DVD Ever!
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: A great glimpse at an artist in transition
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Essential historic recort of brilliant artist
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A Guaranteed Winner.....
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: This Is It, Baby!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Missing songs
Review: 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
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