Forty years after his death, Jimi Hendrix continues to fascinate music fans
and historians alike. There are tons of documentaries, concert films, even feature
films about the guitarist. Joe Boyd’s 1973 Jimi Hendrix documentary
is often considered the touchstone by which all others follow. The Guitar
Hero bears a similar tone and presentation, offering insights from
insiders like Eric Burdon, Hendrix’s girlfriend Kathy Etchingham and his
brother Leon, along with contemporaries such as Eric Clapton, Dave Mason, Mick
Taylor, Stephen Stills. Slash does an ample job narrating, although the film
doesn’t really require narration. In some cases, the star-power director
Jon Brewer employs to tell the tale sometimes overplays the subject.
The surreal opening with the displayed birth and death dates of Hendrix, bassist
Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell leads one to think this is a film about
the Jimi Hendrix Experience, when it clearly only touches on the Experience
as part of its primary focus on Hendrix. Throughout, there are non sequiturs
that come close to throwing the story off the rails. Somehow, it all seems to
wash out in the mix.
A lot of attention is given to Swinging London and its small clubs where rock
royalty gathered to see the mysterious black guitarist from America. This is
where the talking heads fill in the blanks. Yes bassist Chris Squire, whose
band opened for Hendrix, offers his account. Drummer Joey Covington, who worked
for a spell with Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane, has his perspective. Comparisons
between Cream and the Experience from Clapton and Ginger Baker add some drama
and tension, but it seems like writer Charles Cross, who penned Room Full
of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix, is the only one with a comprehensible
assessment of the guitarist’s rise.
Other characters that help flesh out Hendrix’s story include Motörhead’s
Lemmy Kilmister. A former roadie for bands that played with the guitarist, Lemmy
provides an unapologetic, straightforward view of Hendrix without putting him
on a pedestal. Micky Dolenz brings some comedic flavor to his recollections
about Hendrix opening for the Monkees. Hearing Stills and Mason chat about working
with Hendrix is simply priceless.
Regarding the guitarist’s passing and opinions of what he may have accomplished
had he lived, everyone seems to have their own spin. Hendrix’s neglected
brother Leon says he wanted to write symphonies. Cross thinks he would have
expanded the size of his backing bands, based on the huge ensemble he brought
to Woodstock. Stills firmly believe he would have gone into fusion. Whichever
direction Hendrix may have headed, all pretty much agree he was one wicked guitar
player. Complete archival footage (aside from the a striking performance of
“Hey Joe” in the Bonus section) and interviews with more
credible (and living) participants in the man’s life might have lent The
Guitar Hero a higher degree of authoritativeness. But as a loving tribute
to the man as a musician, a guitarist and a creative spirit, it’s an informative
and entertaining piece most Hendrix fans wouold enjoy.
~ Shawn Perry
