Blue Wild Angel shows a legend in his prime

“Blue Wild Angel”

Guild Theatre
Southwest Ninth and Taylor
Friday 9:30 p.m.
Saturday 7 p.m.
Sunday 7 p.m.
$6.50 general
$5 students w/ID

Blue Wild Angel” is a film that was put together by Jimmy Hendrix’s family and other business interests years after his death. Thank God for it anyhow, it brings the magic and charisma of that talented young man back to us for over and hour and a half.

The film starts out with footage of Jimmy being interviewed by a variety of white journalists treating him like a revolutionary and/or a communist. “Blue Wild Angel” is basically well-recorded live footage of England’s version of Woodstock in 1970, The Isle of Wight Festival.

The concert promoters were very intent on making this entire concert about Jimmy Hendrix; those crazy blokes loved that man. Although the other bands that were opening the show were not to shabby to boot. Bands like The Doors, The Who and the Rolling Stones just to mention a few.

Crap, I wish I could get my time machine working again! Why did I take it out drinking and why did I spill so many sloe gin fizzes on it? Damn.

Ninety percent of the footage is of Jimmy spitting out his sweet hot licks for the British audience. While nine percent of the footage is of Mitch Mitchell on drums and only one percent is of the poor bass player “Magic fingers” Billy Cox. Oh well. The threesome shows why the band was, and is, so widely loved and respected.

I was never personally a huge fan of Jimi until this film. He has such a smooth style, I truly have not seen talent like his even closely matched since. I seriously doubt we will ever see such a true guitar visionary with such a shy intelligent wit ever again. He carries himself with such confidence, but you can sense no hint of arrogance in his nature.

The British hippie kids tore down crappy metal fences to see this electric preacher, spread the good vibes and his mission statement to a generation lost in war and social revolution.

This film is packed like a can of sardines with hits from the man with the smoking hands. If you know your shit on Jimi your going to need to see this beautiful, little movie, it was made for you. I would recommend this film to Jimi novices like my self as well. It gives you a good feel for the passion that he put into his work and why the world has gone ape shit for him for over 35 years now.

I always giggled like a schoolgirl when I would see or hear of people going to Jimmy’s grave, just outside of Seattle, Wash. to take some acid or drink red wine at his grave. I never truly understood why they loved this man so, until now. I have a new found respect for this young man and a newfound sadness that he was taken from us at such an incredibly young age.

The only thing that I was disappointed in was the post concert footage. Trash everywhere. When are those damn hippies going to learn about conservation and sustainability? They should take a good lesson from Mr. George W. Bush, he can teach those messy hippies a thing or two.

Leaving my subpar jokes behind, I do recommend “Blue Wild Angel” and hope to see all of you at Jimmy’s grave next weekend, we can trip out on the groovy vibes maaaaan! Peace.