Review of Jimi Hendrix (1973) by Gavin S — 04 Sep 2011

A documentary compiled, produced and directed by Joe Boyd, John Head and Gary Weis about the life and career of Johnny Allen Hendrix, who became known as Jimi Hendrix in his professional career. It's quite a dated rockumentary, with too many talking heads and not enough footage and performances of it's subject, shame really.

The film contains interviews with Hendrix's family, including father Al and his friends, admirers and celebrities including Eric Clapton, Billy Cox, Alan Douglas, Germaine Greer, Mick Jagger, Eddie Kramer, Buddy Miles, Mitch Mitchell, Juggy Murray, Little Richard, Lou Reed and Pete Townshend.

The film includes archive interviews of Hendrix, including his performances at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Woodstock, the Isle of Wight in 1970 and Live at Berkeley in 1970. His family and friends recall how he grew up, his time in the 101st Airborne Division around 1961, how he came to become a musician and how he influenced his peers and how he rose through the ranks from session musician to a cult hero of music, before his untimely death in 1970.

It's is a little dated, documentaries from this era had little to go on, but there's alot more archiving now and more footage to go on. There's too much yattering, and Little Richard manages to make a fool of himself being flamboyant and full of it.

But, Hendrix's life should be a biopic, this doesn't do much justice.