Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49714 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-03-07
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 139 minutes

Synopsis
An eye-opening, no-holds-barred documentary of 1970's legendary five-day Isle of Wight rock-and-roll festival, featuring the final stage performances of Jimi Hendrix and The Doors with Jim Morrison. Other highlights include The Who's 'Young Man's Blues' and 'Naked Eyes', along with footage of Free, Taste, Tiny Tim, John Sebastian, Donovan, Ten Years After, The Moody Blues, Kris Kristofferson, Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis, Leonard Cohen, ELP, Joan Baez and Jethro Tull. Filmed and edited by Murray Lerner.

Customer Reviews

Fascinating portrait of a legendary festival
I bought this DVD after attending the revived Isle of Wight Festivals (most recently 2005 headlined by REM), curious to know what made the 1970 festival so legendary, and the last of its kind (more than 30 years passed before the Isle of Wight dared stage another). The sight of more than half a million people crammed onto Afton Down, refusing to pay the £3 to get into the official arena, is amazing. The ever-more-desperate compere, Rikki Farr, trying to explain to the masses that if no-one pays, the bands can't play sums up the conflicting priorities of the time (Business versus Peace & love). This is a very well-made film that gives a real insight into the chaos behind the scenes. In some ways the real surprise is that the show DID go on and so many rock legends of the time shared the same stage. The performance footage is great, and so is the sound-quality. But what delighted me most about this film is that it's a real social documentary of a past era. It makes the slick commercialism of modern-day festivals look very tame indeed.

When hippy culture bangs into capitalism
This DVD should be required viewing for any sociologist interested in the 1960s/70s. Here we get a fascinating clash between dopeheads, anarchists and hippies demanding a free concert, whereas their pop music heroes are demanding to be paid before they perform.

Tiny Tim comes off particularly badly, saying to camera that he thinks a free concert is a great idea. But then the concert organiser admits that Tiny Tim won't pick up his ukulele until he gets paid. Joan Baez is more honest and less two-faced about it, but she has no solution to the financial problem. She does expect to get paid.

Eventually the rabble wins and, after clashes with police dogs etc, tears down the corrugated metal fences. Even the concert promoter's spokesman finally admits defeat and says everyone can come in, now that they know they'll never break even.

Sociologists may well wince along with most viewers when one dopehead admits that he gives his young son (who looks about five) marijuana and LSD.

But what a fantastic concert it was. Quite apart from this providing the last ever appearances by Hendrix and Jim Morrison, there were also some superb performances, particularly by the Who. (The interplay between drummer Keith Moon and guitarist Pete Townshend is telepathic.) Free are OK, but they are not well-miked. There is also the humdrum: Rory Gallagher with a very mediocre song, an extended Miles Davis band (which included Chick Corea and possibly Keith Jarrett) providing an excerpt which was all too brief. Joni Mitchell deserved gets two songs on this DVD, after telling the crowd that they are behaving like tourists.

There is the nudity and unscripted on-stage behaviour that you might expect from crowds of the period. But what this film does so well is focus not just on the dirtiness of attending an outdoor concert for several days, but also on the problems of managing the event. Great stuff!

Isle of Wight 70
Having seen the documentary on TV about a year or so ago I expected more music content in this extended version. Unfortunately I was slightly disappointed. There are contributions from around 15 artists but most only show one track and sometimes those are cut short. Five artists only provide sound backing during scenes of the crowd, etc (how much I would have liked to see Family!) Overall, an important piece of rock history for those not present at the last great event of its time, and a chance to see snippets of performers who were making final appearances - Hendrix, Doors, Taste, etc.