Monterey Pop

It was a great experience. I was 18 and hitch hiked to Monterey with a girl and her Doberman. One ride all the way. As soon as we got dropped at the fairgrounds, some people asked if we had a place to stay, took us to their pad, let us shower, and made breakfast. That was a good sign. I had no desire to go to Livestock; nothing could ever compare to those three days in Monterey. You see all the people with coats and blankets because it was cold at night and early morning. For weeks before we had been hearing the ads on the radio (KRLA)about all the performers and they kept saying the Jimi Hendrix Experience. We had no idea who this guy was; we were going to see and hear everyone we could. But that night, after The Who had tried to demolish the stage and Lou Adler and John Philips were scrambling to regain order, the stage went dark and a lone figure walked to the mike at center stage. When the spotlight came on we could see it was Brian Jones. He introduced Jimi Hendrix and when I saw, and heard, the most amazing things ever done or played on a Stratocaster (on any guitar for that matter)life wasn't the same. Hendrix took music to an alien world and came back with sounds and style that were beyond my imagination. This film is not the greatest quality and certainly--in a technical sense--pales in comparison to contemporary concert movies and videos; however, it was the first true rock festival, and if you were there you know what I mean. But if you let go of the need for cinematic purity and enormous production values, what you'll enjoy is an island of (not corny) peace, love, and incredible music.

Organized and planned by Mamas & The Papas leader John Phillips and associates The Monterey Pop Festival was a concert featuring various acts of the time from different parts of the world. Held in Monterey, California from June 16-18, 1967 the two day event hosted an array of musical luminaries some of whom gained bigger recognition from the concert. The highlights of the gig showcase the eclectic talents involved: Hugh Masekela's loud Afrobeat Jazz; Big Brother & The Holding Company's memorable lead screecher; Ravi Shankar's lengthy sitar workout; Otis Redding's rocking Soul; The Who's pioneering high decibel destruction; and Jimi Hendrix's legendary show stealer which elevated Rock performance like no other since Elvis and raised the standard of guitar playing unparalleled since. Interposed with the performances are shots of the crowd (lots of pretty girls) and interviews with the audience. One can immediately see the influence the event and the film had on the Woodstock and Isle of Wight concerts and documentaries. A simple and effective document of a place and time, "Monterey Pop Festival" is a visual and audio legacy of an age when legends walked the earth and the promise of a better future seemed truly and genuinely real.

I found this documentary on DVD at my local library.

I know all about the 1960s, I graduated from high school, I graduated from college, I completed my graduate studies, I got married, I started my career, I had my first child. She will be 49 later this year, 2018.

But I never went to any music festivals. So finding this film on DVD was a joy. It has a good mix of on-stage performances and views of the mostly young crowd away from the stage. While I didn't know any of them I recognize all of them. That is how we looked and behaved in the late 1960s.

Funny, when I was younger I avoided Janis Joplin, I just hated her singing style. But I saw a documentary on her, I became a fan of sorts. And here at roughly 25 minutes into the documentary she performs "Ball and Chain" which was a real show-stopper., showing her extremely wide range of talent. There is a memorable shot of Mama Cass Elliot in the crowd mouthing "WOW" when Janis' performance was over.

Anyway, good film that brings back good memories.

It's the legendary California music festival in June 1967. D. A. Pennebaker films the incredible iconic concert. There is great music. It is an important time capsule for popular music in general. Two of the most notorious performances are Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar and Joplin singing with Mama Cass watching in shock from the audience. One does learn a few things. I didn't think they had chairs but the metal chairs are all neatly lined up in their rows. This is more than a movie, a documentary, or a concert film. It is music history.

There was a time in 1969 when a friend and I went to see Monterey Pop every Friday night at the Kips Bay Cinema in NYC just to hear Janis sing Ball and Chain and Otis sing I've been Lovin You Too Long. Then we'd go to dinner and maybe another movie, but it set up our entire weekend.

Now, I think about how many of the performers were gone too soon, too young -- Janis, Jimi, Otis, Mama Cass... How amazing to have them all there in this one glorious celebration of music and the innocence (yes) of the 60's.

Maybe it's not the best "film-making" but it's a treasure to be appreciated as the years go by. Would love to see a DVD release with any additional available footage. Enjoy and remember, (or discover)