Hendrix Documentary/DVD/CD

[westen44]

An American Masters's Jimi Hendrix documentary will be airing tonight on PBS, as this article indicates.  I'll just add that the performance at the Miami Pop Festival was considered something of a bridge in between Monterey and Woodstock.  If it wasn't as good as Monterey, it was definitely better than Hendrix at Woodstock, in my opinion, of course.  As is mentioned, the Axis:  Bold As Love album had been released not too long before the Miami concert.  The author of the article complains that Hendrix didn't play any Axis album songs in Miami except one:  "I Don't Live Today."  The fact of the matter is "I Don't Live Today" isn't from the Axis album, either.  No Axis album songs were performed at the Miami show.  Hendrix never liked that second album very much anyway.  Rarely are there ever any songs from it in his live performances.  Nevertheless, this CD is worth listening to.  Overall, the songs sound fresh.  There is an energy to the sound.  This was before the time when Hendrix started becoming jaded and complained about his own songs, like in 1970 at the Berkeley concert when he said on stage that "Foxey Lady" was something from a cartoon, or something to that effect.  At Miami, there is still a joy evident in the performance of "Foxey Lady," as well as the other songs.  Maybe just as important, Eddie Kramer was there to record this concert.  All Hendrix performances with Eddie Kramer recording and/or mixing sound better than ones that don't.  This CD benefits from that as, for example, contrasted to the Dagger releases (really official bootlegs) that don't have him. 

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2013/11/jimi-hendrix-miami-pop-festival-american-masters-jimi-hendrix-hear-train-comin/

[westen44]

Actually, I hope no one wasted their time watching that.  I just finished watching the documentary.  It was even more disappointing than the Eagles documentary on Showtime.  However, I do still recommend the Miami Pop Festival CD. 

[Dave W]

I watched F Troop instead.

[westen44]

I watched F Troop instead.

It was a sanitized version of what they wanted you to think happened rather than what really happened.  Nothing more.  I'm sure F Troop was way better. 

[Dave W]

It was a sanitized version of what they wanted you to think happened rather than what really happened.  Nothing more.  I'm sure F Troop was way better. 

Glad I avoided it then.

F Troop was the one with Harvey Korman guesting as a Prussian hot air balloonist.

[Pilgrim]

Glad I avoided it then.

F Troop was the one with Harvey Korman guesting as a Prussian hot air balloonist.

Makes me wanna go kick a cannon wheel like Corporal Agarn. 

I liked Larry Storch in The Great Race as Texas Jack!  (BTW - he's still alive at age 90)

[westen44]

Glad I avoided it then.

F Troop was the one with Harvey Korman guesting as a Prussian hot air balloonist.

I always found Harvey Korman to be very funny.  Definitely my kind of humor. 

[jumbodbassman]

on the DVR but will have to look for the highlights only.  I thought there was new never seen concert footage....

[westen44]

on the DVR but will have to look for the highlights only.  I thought there was new never seen concert footage....

The DVD in the bonus section is supposed to have a number of performances (supposedly from Miami as far as I know) which have never been seen before.  Without even seeing those yet, I'd say that's already way more interesting than the documentary itself which, as I've pointed out, is quite disappointing. 

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Actually, I hope no one wasted their time watching that.  I just finished watching the documentary.  It was even more disappointing than the Eagles documentary on Showtime.  However, I do still recommend the Miami Pop Festival CD. 

I watched it because my cable DVR was recording two shows that I wait and watch with my wife and that's its max, so I just changed the input on the TV and watched over the air. The first word that came to mind was boring, and how in the world do you make anything accurate about Hendrix boring?! PBS REALLY needs to get some producers under 50.

It was a sanitized version of what they wanted you to think happened rather than what really happened.

I liked his "praise" for Noel Redding on the clip from the Smothers Brothers interview. Jimi made it sound like being a dick was nice thing.

[westen44]

I watched it because my cable DVR was recording two shows that I wait and watch with my wife and that's its max, so I just changed the input on the TV and watched over the air. The first word that came to mind was boring, and how in the world do you make anything accurate about Hendrix boring?! PBS REALLY needs to get some producers under 50.

I liked his "praise" for Noel Redding on the clip from the Smothers Brothers interview. Jimi made it sound like being a dick was nice thing.

That's the problem:  it really wasn't very accurate.  They tried to make it look like the only weakness Hendrix ever had was his weakness for women.  They were sugar coating all over the place, bending the truth, as well as totally leaving out key points.  It's pointless to elaborate very much.

I had seen the Dick Cavett interview several time before.  But watching it within the context of such a dismal documentary accentuated even more how lame it was, especially that comment about Noel Redding.  It makes it look like Noel Redding asked to be kicked out of the band so he could explore the strange, new world of harmonics or something to that effect. 

[4stringer77]

All I took away from it was wondering if I could play those bass lines as good as Noel in Miami on STP.

[westen44]

All I took away from it was wondering if I could play those bass lines as good as Noel in Miami on STP.

LMAO