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"Wild" thing
"Blue Wild Angel" is a re-edited and remastered concert film showing most of Jimi Hendrix's masterful performance at the Isle of Wight Festival 18 days before he died.
By JOSHUA TANZER
Offoffoff.com
Murray Lerner made a film, "Message to Love," in 1997 commemorating the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, a conflict-ridden but musically stellar extravaganza in a pastoral British vacation spot. Now, in cooperation with the guitar god's heirs, he has assembled almost the entire Jimi Hendrix set from the festival — the second such effort, this one apparently more complete and technically polished than the previous one.
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One of the many pleasures of the film, shot just 18 days before Hendrix's death in London, is catching his laid-back, loopy sense of humor. Right before taking the stage, he hurriedly asks, "How does 'God Save the Queen' go? I forget," and after tuning up, he starts the show with that. (The melody, for us Americans, is the same as "My Country Tis of Thee.") Later, after a couple of songs, he hears an audience member hollering for him to play "Fire," and he answers, "Yeah, we'll do that . . . towards the, uh . . . next time."
Of course, there would be no next time, and he didn't play "Fire" this time either. But he did play an awe-inspiring collection of well-known and more obscure tunes — starting with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and continuing with "Spanish Castle Magic," "All Along the Watchtower," "Foxey Lady" and "Purple Haze."
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| | His performance is beset by disaster, yet his music emerges clear-voiced, perfectly on key, and spellbinding. Undoubtedly, this is part of Hendrix's brilliance — he mastered chaos and turned it into something beautiful. |
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The standout is probably "Red House," his classic slow blues on which he plays with an almost painful passion. In typical fashion, his performance is beset by disaster, from faulty amps to perpetually out-of-tune guitars, and yet his music emerges clear-voiced, perfectly on key, and spellbinding. Undoubtedly, this is part of Hendrix's brilliance — he mastered chaos and turned it into something beautiful.
"Blue Wild Angel" (which is the name Hendrix says he wants to be introduced by at the show) is absorbing to watch and the remastered sound is a marvel. At the quiet points, it sounds like we're together with Hendrix in a studio. The loud parts, which is to say most of the film, come through clear and strong. One caution: Consider bringing earplugs. The sound is turned way up — though thankfully not to actual concert levels — and one of the many things we're smarter about nowadays is hearing loss. (Remember, festival participant Pete Townshend has now lost most of his.) So do yourself a favor — use protection and enjoy the show.
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OCTOBER 2, 2001
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Reader comments on Blue Wild Angel:
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| • | Wild Blue Angel from Andre Ellis, Nov. 19, 2001 |
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| • | amazing from Todd Katz, Aug. 28, 2002 |
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| • | Blue Wild Angel Travesty from Alex Smith, Oct. 30, 2002 |
| | • | Re: Blue Wild Angel Travesty from Rich, Nov. 7, 2002 |
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| • | Disappointment from Stewart Spaull, Nov. 15, 2002 |
| | • | Re: Disappointment from Jesse Pearson, Dec. 16, 2002 |
| | | • | Re: Disappointment from Frank from India, June 9, 2004 |
| | • | Re: Disappointment from The Axis, May 16, 2003 |
| | | • | Re: Disappointment from Stewart Spaull, Feb. 14, 2004 |
| | | • | Re: Disappointment from arroyo, June 21, 2004 |
| | | | • | Re: Disappointment from Alfred Millikan, June 26, 2006 |
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| • | [no subject] from enage><br> E-mail, Sept. 28, 2003 |
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| • | Great Guitar from Glenn, Nov. 2, 2006 |
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