As usual with any performer that flies by the seat of his pants when playing live (unlike most of today's acts which rehearse their sets and perform the same things in the same way night after night), Jimi is hot and cold. He's clearly frustrated with his playing and certain tunes are at times both brilliant and also a letdown at others. Machine Gun is one example. The beginning is probably the best rendition of this tune I've ever heard him play - even better than Band Of Gypsies. However, he gets frustrated, takes a break during a drum solo, and comes back playing it somewhat different and almost constipated. His tone, however, is just thick and moving.

If you're a Hendrix fan or not, any live recording of his is worth 5 stars. He's just so imaginary, experimental, full of soul and feel, and his sound is incredible. His hands move so freely on the guitar that it's just soul stirring. Definitely the greatest guitarist of all time...without peer.

Any Hendrix is good Hendrix, but listening to this disc, I felt that something was wrong that night. Hendrix spends a good bit of time apologizing for the sound, which is usually an indication that there are technical as well as performance difficulties. The remastering is good, although I understand that the DVD is not properly in sync, i.e. lips move before song is sung. Spared that, and taken on its own merits, Hendrix seems to have a bit of an attitude at the beginning which resurfaces in the face of whatever frustrations he must have encountered.
Pity too, since this line up of Mitch MItchell and Billy Cox were the perfect trio partners for him. The playing is all very good, but this performance does not match WOODSTOCK or BAND OF GYPSIES, or his moments at MONTEREY, all of which are far more satisfying. It is a marked improvement over his appearance on Dick Cavett, which has to be one of the most absurd, surreal and bizarre moments in TV history.
Anyway, the songs here on the double CD do not follow the sequence of their performance as you hear Hendrix say goodnight midway through the first disc. Hmmm. Although, come to think of it, it seems like the life went out of these performances about that time. The run through of ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER, SGT PEPPER, and a few others are just that: run-throughs. Hendrix could not have been that pleased with this show, but it still has the obvious historic importance of being his last, so there is merit to it. The liner notes tell you that Hendrix knew the times ahd changed significantly, and perhaps the relevance of wht he was doing and where he was going musically was weighing heavily on him. We'll never know. For the moment, we have this as a puzzling farewell.

While there is SOME sloppy playing on this CD, it is a concert after all, and conditions were pretty poor from a technical standpoint from what I hear. Is spite of this, this contains some truly inspiring improvisation from the king of improv. If you are familiar with H only from radioplay, you are in for a treat, as Hendrix's genius as a live perfomer really shines forth on these tracks. Truly sounds like two guitars. Credit should also go to the band, who are totally in synch with H's playing. You can hear how Hendrix is getting real jazzy in his phrasing. God, what could have been.... My favorite track: Hey Baby.

This show is great, Jimi plays some of the greatest licks and riffs ever played on a guitar. Freedom, Red House, Dolly Dagger, Foxy Lady, Message to Love, Easy Rider, and In From The Storm are the best tunes from the show. I highly recommend getting the 2-disc set of this show.

I love the man but this is definitely NOT his best. By all accounts, he was exhausted when he finally took the stage, he was beset by technical problems throughout his extended set, but the real problem here is Mitch Mitchell - usually a fine and vibrant drummer, here he is simply awful and why Hendrix allowed him to do not one, not two, but THREE drum solos I'll never know. Still there are several highlights here, the blues of Midnight Lightening is haunting, and the band offers up excellent versions of Dolly Dagger, Spanish Castle Magic, and the masterful All Along the Watchtower which make this worth having in your live Hendrix collection - but not before the BBC Sessions and Live at the Fillmore.