DVD ROUNDUP
Reviews by Michael Buffalo Smith
Gone With The Wind:The Remark- able Rise and Tragic Fall of Lynyrd Skynyrd (Sexy Intellec- tual) is by far the finest documentary ever on the band. Rare and never be- fore seen photographs and film clips, combined
with a wide variety of interview footage and live and location footage make this the most comprehensive documentary yet on the band. Included are stories and commentary from such Skynyrd elite as the recently deceased drummer Bob Burns, guitarist Ed King, drummer Artimus Pyle, former manager Alan Walden, producer Al Kooper and many, many
more.The story is filled with details, many of which I had never heard, and I thought I had read and heard all of the stories. Included are first hand accounts of the harrowing and tragic 1977 airplane crash that took the life of band leader Ronnie Van Zant, along with other band members, crew and pilots. Gone with the Wind is an essential DVD for all Skynyrd fans.
Jimi Hendrix Experi- ence, Electric Church (Legacy) This documen- tary reminded me, in no uncertain terms, just how much of a genius Jimi Hendrix was. Ions ahead of his time, a bril- liant artist, he was also a
brilliant human being. Not only was his guitar style the most original to ever grace a stage, he was damn near a prophet. Rarely did he do interviews, but when he did, he spoke of peace and love, equality, music - everything positive. The documentary is as much about the At-
lanta Pop Festival - also known as the “Byron Pop Festival”- as it is about Jimi. Every aspect of staging the festival is covered, from the staging and concert site (a race track in the small southern town of Byron, Georgia), bands and management, hippies and bikers, The film shines a bright light on Byron, Geor- gia and the state of the world at the time, in- cluding racism, working class adults who no doubt felt like the end of the world was upon them with naked hippies openly making love and smoking weed. Of course, there was a reason for so much rampant nudity, it was 104 degrees and humid on July 4th. While most folks chose to live and let live, many of the police followed the lead of Governor Lester Maddox, who was openly opposed tho the festival from the get go. In fact, after fly- ing over the scene in a helicopter. Maddox is- sued a statement declaring Byron a Disaster Area. The concert footage of Jimi in his prime is a
treat beyond amazing. Performing a smolder- ing version of his “Redhouse,” there are also performances of classic Hendrix tunes like “Fire,” “Purple Haze,” “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”, “Stone Free,” and more- 13 in all, including his amazing version of “The Star Spangled Banner,” perfect for July 4th. In a zen moment of reality, the guitar legend starts into Dylan’s “All Along the Watch- tower,” and sings the first line. He realizes he is in the wrong key. He steps back from the mike and plays a wicked riff, then casually
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