The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Criterion Collection (2002)

Review of disc 3 outtakes

Where to start, where to start....Well, I see on the main menu a 'Artist Index', so I decided to check out the Electric Flag first. And man they were in full flight on this day! Ripping through "Drinkin Wine". Everyone in the group is just smilin' ear to ear-thrilled to be up on this stage in front of the festivals second day Saturday afternoon crowd. I have a new idol. He's the bass playing big papa bear cool cat with the cheshire cat grin, the shades and the bushy goatee-one Harvey Brooks. Just watchin' this cat during this song always makes me smile :) This clip gives you a taste of the super smooth blues guitar of Mike Bloomfield and the fresh off the soul circuit Buddy Miles in white shirt, tie and suit thumping his drum kit like nobody's business. great footage. Actually all of the footage contained on this disc is great. The color on all of this, on everything on this entire disc is deep and rich. There are many many shots of the people in the audience to give you a feel for the time and place. The next clip I studied was of the Blues Project unveiling a lengthy jam on "Flute Thing". This is sooo good. How is it this was not included in the original movie? I read Al Kooper saying when he was in the band, flutist Andy Kulberg had to have an amp just for that one song , and an echoplex, a foot pedal and fuzztone. That may explain the swirling, soaring adventure this song takes-all captured perfectly on this film. Next I watched "Driftin Blues" by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. I now know just what a great singer and harp player Paul was. Quicksilver Messerger Service perform "Dino's Song" although it is listed on the disc as "All I Ever Wanted To Do (Was Love You). I thought this was a really catchy pop type song that in my opinion should have been a bigger hit for them and they really perform it well in this clip. Which leads me to a comment about the frustration I would get after watching one of these great clips by the bands doing one of their songs...they're all so good you immediately want to hear MORE by the band! But with a few exceptions you only get the one song.
Now the footage of Laura Nyro actually is more than one song but her "Wedding Bell Blues" is captured just at the tale end of the song and even just that small portion is excellent. Short though it is but her next song "Poverty Train" is the complete performance and we have to thank the film makers for getting this on film. I do not believe there is a ton of film footage of Laura out there and this clip really shows what she had. Her vocal and delivery are breathtaking. I really enjoyed Country Joe and the Fish's "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine". This was one of my favorite songs of theirs and they do a superb rendition here. Love Joe's vocal and his cool style and stage presence. Also, a favorite camera angle of mine is used with this clip as it is used with the Flag and some others and that is a camera was perched atop one of the stage left balcony's roofs providing an excellent view of the whole band from overhead. Love those shots!
Ah, did I forget to mention The Association? Their "Along Comes Mary" kicks off this disc and it's a real treat! They start off with a funny bit introducing each member of the band and then really impress with a tight rocking version of this song. Damn I wish I was there. And alas, another example of only one song from this band. But it's not all like that for The Who and The Byrds do 3 songs each while The Mama's and The Pappas do a whopping 6 songs which another reviewer pointed out was the complete Sunday evening festival closing set. The Mama's and Papa's set really puts you in the mood of being there, that night. On their last song that night Mama Cass says to the crowd "You're on your own now kids", you almost get an eerie feeling of time and a final conclusion to the fabled summer of love.
But you can slip this disc in and re-live, or, experience for the first time the vibe in the air. Watching Janis Joplin as happy as pie to be up there on stage that Sunday afternoon singing "Combination of the Two" with her band or watching The Byrds during the Saturday night show sweetly harmonizing to "He Was a Friend Of Mine" and "Chimes of Freedom" and David just tearing into the vocal for "Hey Joe".....and, The Buffalo Springfield with Crosby filling in for the departed Neil Young singing "For What It's Worth"...it all really just has you begging for more.
Special mention to the clip of Simon and Garfunkle and their 2 songs on here-Homeward Bound and Sounds of Silence. Hearing them sing together, so locked into place, so crisp. And Paul's guitar playing-sharp as a tac.
There is a special backstage mini-concert of Tiny Tim entertaining the staff, performers and friends with just his trusty ukelele, 3 octave voice, mannerisms and archival knowledge of the songs of the 20's and 30's that a lot of other reviewers feel very dismissive of but in my opinion they can't see the talent for the weirdness.
Nonetheless, this outtakes disc is a wonderful wonderful artifact preserving a time and place and people that are long gone but are as alive as when your finger presses play. April 28, 2008

Monterey Revisited

The Criterion Collection is a must have for all who came of age in the 60's and for those who wished they did. The original Monterey Pop '67 film remains the outstanding concert film, and can be wonderfully re-experienced by the aging Baby Boomers. For all other generations, the legendary performances of Hendrix, Joplin, Otis Redding, and countless others are an absolutely incredible introduction to the music of the 60's.

The added material, while something of a mixed bag, is filled with historic performances. Simon and Garfunkel's acoustic rendition of "Sound of Silence" alone is worth the price of admission as is three songs by the Who with the incomparable Keith Moon. A single disc devoted to Hendrix and Redding contains performances that will show you the breadth of their enormous talent.

Although the price may initially appear a bit steep, I think when you have played all three discs, you will feel you have scored a bargain indeed.
February 13, 2008

Ground Zero for the Summer of Love

June 1967 brought the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and just a couple of weeks later The Monterey Pop Festival. Wow! This is not only a fabulous record of the birth of the Summer of Love, but also the beginning of modern day concerts and festivals to come. If you didn't live through it, and even if you did, this one is a keeper. the sound is great and I really enjoyed the outtake disc. The Who, Jimi, Otis and Janis
before they were legends. What a treat! January 14, 2008

This is oneof the only clips of Janis Joplin singing. Amazing!

Janis Joplin was the main reason I bought this. The mamas and papas and simon and garfunkle were great too. January 7, 2008

Good but could have been more

I loved the audience. It's a who's who of the rock world at the time. But could have had more performances.
November 28, 2007

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