In the run up to the recently released 'West Coast Seattle Boy' box set of Hendrix rarities becoming available, one of the BBC's digital TV channels ran an entire evening of programmes celebrating the life and music of James Marshall Hendrix that I somehow managed to completely miss...Doh!!!!!!!

A few weeks later however, on returning from a night out on Uber Rock duties I did manage to catch the tail end of one of the programmes entitled 'Jimi Hendrix - The Guitar Hero' which curiously only lured me in due to its narration, which was performed by the one and only Slash.  Now here's a thought for any advertising agencies reading this - Slash is a man who has obviously been spending way too much time around his snake recently and has developed the power of Kaa. So go out and hire him now as his voice has hypnotic qualities.  Want some proof? Well as soon as 'Jimi Hendrix - The Guitar Hero' became available as part of this Classic Rock Presents Hendrix package just before Christmas, yours truly immediately went out and bought it.... almost without any second thoughts...very strange indeed.

Classic Rock Presents Hendrix then is the third in a series 'Special Editions' run by Classic Rock/Future Publishing that normally packages a 'prior to release' album with a 100 page plus magazine dedicated to the artist in question.  With Slash and Motorhead having both chosen this format to launch their latest albums, to great commercial success, what better way for Jon Brewer to get his excellent 'Jimi Hendrix - The Guitar Hero' movie out in the UK ahead of its full Directors Cut Edition due in the spring of 2011?

With that forthcoming release in mind the version of 'Jimi Hendrix - The Guitar Hero' you get here comes as a bare bones disc that rightly restores the previously edited 50 minute BBC version to its full 90 minute running time (albeit in NTSC. so beware if your TV set up can't cope with this).  The format of the documentary is one we will all be familiar with by now, you know, various talking heads paying tribute to an unsung hero and we all nod along in appreciation of said unsung hero as the story unfolds.  What puts Brewers film so far ahead of the myriad of other documentaries all made telling the tale of Hendrix's short life, is the depth and quality of the people he has assembled to complement the much told and you might argue, much worn out story of Jimi's love of sex, drugs and rock 'N' roll.  And when you have the likes of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Mick Taylor, Lemmy, and Stephen Stills all lining up to give their versions of events you certainly know you're not going to be watching some second rate affair, right?.

I'm not going to give too much away here as the ninety minutes fly by once you are drawn in by Slash's addictive slurring narrative, but If I were to single out one defining moment from the film that would give you a flavour for why it is such a top notch affair, then it is when Jimi's younger brother Leon describes his brothers talents as simply 'dyslexic genius'.  And who are we to argue with him when effectively his brother played the guitar upside down and back to front?

Moving on to the accompanying 132-page magazine then and this contains editorial and articles of the normally high standard associated with Classic Rock, Total Guitar and Guitarist magazines.  Nothing necessarily new, but the articles are compelling and informative with Charles Shaar Murray's '100 Days That Changed Rock' and Alan di Perna's in depth look at the 'Electric Ladyland' album being some of the best Hendrix articles I've read in a good while.  To top off the package you also get a double-sided Mark Eurich poster designed to illustrate two very different faces of Jimi in his prime, one being named 'Haze' and the other 'Voodoo'.

All in all then this is another excellent value for money package from Future Publishing, even if it is one I probably purchased under Slash induced hypnosis.

Win one of three copies of 'Classic Rock Presents Hendrix'

Über Röck has three copies of 'Classic Rock Presents Hendrix' to give away to a trio of Hendrix hungry readers courtesy of the very kind people at Future Publishing/Duff Press! If you want to be in with a chance of winning one of these awesome DVD/Magazine combos then all you have to do is answer the following question, sending your answer, with your name and address in an email headed 'Hendrix Comp' to mail@uberrock.co.uk.

All entries must reach us by midnight on Sunday 23^rd January 2011 (that's a week today folks) 

Here goes;

In August 1969 Jimi Hendrix appeared at which legendary American open-air festival that celebrated 3 days of Peace & Music?

Usual terms and conditions apply. Winners will be notified by email. Good luck

For those of you who would simply like to buy a copy of this great DVD/Magazine set can do so by clicking on the following link.

http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/music/classic-rock-presents-hendrix/

You can also pick up copies at all good retailers as well as Play.com, Amazon and HMV.