Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: German
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Experience Hendrix
• VHS Release Date: February 23, 1999
• Run Time: 83 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630532087X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #339,661 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

118 of 123 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Historical live footage and a so-so documentary, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hendrix: Band of Gypsies (DVD)

This DVD has two main sections 1) a recent hour+ long documentary covering Hendrix in his Band Of Gypsys phase and 2) an hour of black and white concert footage with Band of Gypsys from New Year's Eve 1969. There are also some color picture stills of the New Years' Eve show. Mainly consisting of interviews with folks like Buddy Miles, Billy Cox, Lenny Kravitz, Slash(!), the Ghetto Fighters and Eddie Kramer, the documentary is interesting and fairly well done, but not really all that insightful. The best parts are the Hendrix footage (unfortunately often interrupted) and the interview bits with Eddie Kramer. I especially like the footage of Kramer at the mixing board, playing tracks from "First Rays Of The New Rising Sun" while pointing out interesting bits or relating recording session stories. But too much of the documentary consists of unrevealing opinions of Hendrix. (Who really cares what Slash or Lenny Kravitz have to say about Jimi?) I give the documentary 2 stars. The concert footage from the New Years' Eve 1969 show with Buddy and Billy, recorded as a 2 camera shoot on prototype handheld Sony video recorders, is in fuzzy black and white and has only fair sound. Despite this, at least you get to see and hear the songs in uninterrupted form. This is a historical concert and I'm glad to have it captured on video despite its fair quality. 4 stars for the concert footage.

If you love the Band Of Gypsys you will probably like this DVD very much, especially the live concert footage -- the documentary has a few great moments, but too much filler. If you are looking for a Hendrix DVD with great video and sound quality, get the Hendrix at Woodstock DVD instead.

55 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This won a Grammy and is over 35 years old: reality check!!!, March 3, 2005

By 

Vince Palamara "SECRET SERVICE/JFK/STEELERS/M... (South Park/Bethel Park, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hendrix: Band of Gypsies (DVD)

I am hoping that the negative reviews are geared towards the original **VHS** version, because the DVD version is sensational...so much so that it even won a Grammy! The Ghetto Fighters/ The Allen Brothers WERE there---they sang backup vocals on "Freedom", for one of many examples....and they appear in the 1973 movie "Jimi Hendrix." The uninterrupted concert footage IS available on the DVD...and why in the world are people upset about the quality of priceless, one-of-a-kind BOOTLEG footage that was made circa 12/31/69-1/1/70: hey, that was the state of technology then (remember, this wasn't shot during the age of the internet, KBOX, DVDs, and digital technology)! This is close to the Holy Grail for Hendrix fans---I was suprised to see this much footage of those performances existed to begin with!
As for the documentary part, I enjoyed all the insights and, again, the uninterrupted concert footage is available as a bonus: what's the problem??? Let's face it: just to see the entire song "Machine Gun" performed is worth the price of admission alone.
So ignore the nitpickers and those obviously reviewing the VHS version...this DVD is excellent (although I will concede, Grammy or no Grammy, I wouldn't START with this DVD if you were a new or mild-mannered fan...start with the 1973 movie "Jimi Hendrix").
BUY THIS ASAP!!!!

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars PIECE OF..., August 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Band of Gypsys [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I think that this video was just another example of how misleading "music" videos are... The labels and back text all talked about the Footage, with interviews. This remackable piece of crap, spits on hendrix's grave!! Instead of letting him and his guitar tell you how great he was. They show you a clip of it and have some great aunt's best friends gas attendents brother in-laws father tell you how good band of gypsys were. If you want to watch people talk about hendrix, get this. Other wise SAVE YOUR MONEY FROM GREEDY CORPORATIONS WITH MISLEADING INFORMATION!!!!