Isle Of Wight - JIMI HENDRIX***

Midnight Lightning/Foxy Lady/Lover Man/Freedom/All Along The Watchtower/In From The Storm

A live recording of Jimi Hendrix at the legendary Isle of Wight Festival held at the end of August 1970. Within a few weeks of this appearance he was found dead from a drug overdose. (UK:17)

“In 1970, Jimi Hendrix returned to the country where he had skyrocketed to fame and gave his first performances in almost two years when he headlined the Isle of Wight festival. Sadly, it was also to be his last major public appearance as less than three weeks later he would be dead.”

“At times jagged, and straining the limitations of the trio format, it's nonetheless a passionate, intriguing clue as to Hendrix's true ambitions and potential beyond his initial hype and stardom.”

“I have never heard so much out of tune guitar on any live album by a professional recording artist as appears here. As for the singing I can only consider it to be lacklustre. I'd say that's a gracious assertion. It's tragic that this gig was so well recorded yet caught the great man on such a bad night. Normally you can say with some justification that a bad show for Hendrix would have equated to a good or reasonable show performed by lesser mortals. Not in this case.”

“Of all the classic live Hendrix releases, this is my favourite because of the raw and heavy guitar tone - really in your face. All Along The Watchtower highlights and epitomises his tone at this concert.”

“If you like Jimi Hendrix live, you will love this LP. I play it almost constantly in my car and never tire of it. Jimi's skill comes across loud and clear on all tracks. It's different to the Woodstock concert which is brighter in mood, this is heavier and dark.”

“This is a very below-par performance, the bottom line is Jimi really wasn't in the mood. Most of the time he sounds desperately uninspired. The only reason this material has ever been issued is because it represents the last properly recorded concert before he died.”

“At 2:00 am in front of half a million music fans and stoned hippies, Hendrix held no prisoners as he crashed the small island's night silence with an absolutely blazing performance, giving everything he got, as if he could sense this would be his last British concert.”