Jimi was the guitar god of my generation; few will argue that he was an extraordinary musician. Still today though, there are some that still don't get it. Only hear noise, not the genius. I suggest that they take a look at this offering from Rhino. Electric Ladyland was Jimi's third LP and this one hour film chronicles its creation with all the principle players that are still around. It was a double album, and praised by the critic's as Hendrix's finest work. As such, it is a classic album, and one of a series of discs to come out on DVD from Rhino, produced by the BBC and VH-1 cable.

This one hour disc includes snippets of Hendrix in the studio, still photographs, and written thoughts from his diaries. We hear from most of the musicians who took part in the recording and the DVD is nicely broken up into different song selections from the album and people's recollections of that particular cut. Among those interviewed for this special were the co-producer, Chas Chandler, the original bass player for the Animals and discovered Hendrix in London. Chandler died soon after his participation in this special, and he is very honest about his relationship with Jimi and why he quit half way through the recording of this album, leaving Hendrix to produce it on his own. We get a lot of insight into the original Experience band, with interviews with Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding, who describe what it was like to tour the country with this phenomenal person in 1967, and the reasons behind Redding quitting the band after this recording. Redding describes his participation in this band with a totally straight face, and you can tell that even after all these years, he still is bitter about his role in the group. Almost everyone interviewed for this special describes the guitar man as "Jimi", while Redding only refers to him as Hendrix, with no great look of adoration for the man. We have interviews with session men Buddy Miles, Mike Finnegan, and Dave Mason of Traffic and solo fame, who helped out on some landmark songs for this album, including All Along The Watchtower. We also hear from Stevie Winwood, who sat in on a few sessions and was adored by Jimi, as well as bass player Jack Cassidy, of the Jefferson Airplane and later Hot Tuna. We hear from the chief engineer of the recording who isolates tracks and demonstrates how Hendrix approached each title with energy and creative genius. Most touching is near the end of the video in which a number of the people interviewed say how much they miss the man, for he was full of life and good humor, savoring every moment of his all too short life. Mitch Mitchell is almost brought to tears in his tribute. Unfortunately, we are not treated to any complete performances on this DVD. We get some short clips of him performing on stage, a few comments from him in the studio but most of the video is composed from others commentary, centered around the making of the recording.

This DVD gives you some rare insight into the making of a rock classic and also a peek at a man who is still regarded as the greatest guitar player who ever lived. This disc shows that Jimi was a musician and cared a lot about his music. He was a showman but I believe his stage antics were also a way of him expressing his music and love of it. For people who loved the guy, this is a must. For those who don't get it, give it a rental for sure and maybe you too will see there was more to Jimi then just wild feedback and "Purple Haze".