The Complete Monterey Pop Festival

One of rock's most famous (and in some ways greatest) concerts is accorded the royal treatment with this three-disc boxed set on the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival. The first disc features the legendary Monterey Pop, D.A. Pennebaker's 79-minute, 1968 concert film of the festival, which took place during the fabled “Summer of Love” when the hippie ethos was in its fullest flower, especially on the West Coast. And while not all the featured performances are thrilling, those that are--principally by The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and the amazing Ravi Shankar--are worth the price of admission, especially in the high-definition digital transfer and new 5.1 mix showcase seen and heard here. The same can be said for “Jimi Plays Monterey” and “Shake! Otis at Monterey”--appearing together on a second disc--which provide a much fuller look at Otis Redding and Hendrix's incendiary sets (literally, in the latter's case). The first two discs are also loaded with bonus features, including audio commentaries by Pennebaker and others, audio-only remarks by some of the performers, photos, trailers and other material. But it's the third disc, “The Outtake Performances,” comprised of some two hours of music that didn't make the final film edit, that will be of most interest for devotees, offering a taste of some of the artists who didn't appear in the original Monterey Pop at all (the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Quicksilver Messenger Service), and a more complete look at others who did (The Who, Simon & Garfunkel, the Mamas and the Papas). Nicely packaged with a substantial booklet full of photos and essays, this impressive set is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)[Blu-ray Review—Dec. 12, 2017—Criterion, 3 discs, 238 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $69.95—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 1968's The Complete Monterey Pop Festival sports excellent transfers and uncompressed stereo soundtracks on the Blu-ray release. For Monterey Pop, extras include audio commentary by festival producer Lou Adler and director D. A. Pennebaker, a 2001 interview with Adler and Pennebaker (30 min.), audio interviews with festival publicist Derek Taylor (30 min.) and festival producer John Phillips (16 min.), 2017 interviews with Pennebaker (15 min.) and Adler (12 min.), an audio interview with musician Cass Elliot (12 min.), a photo essay with commentary (12 min.), an audio interview with musician David Crosby (10 min.), a promotional section with trailers and radio spots, a photo gallery featuring the work of Elaine Mayes, a facsimile of the original festival program, “MIPFF” on the Monterey International Pop Festival Foundation, and the short film “Chiefs” that accompanied the film in theaters (20 min.). For Jimi Plays Monterey, extras include audio commentary by music critic and historian Charles Shaar Murray and additional audio excerpts, and an interview with musician Pete Townshend (5 min.). For Shake! Otis at Monterey, extras include two audio commentaries featuring music historian Peter Guralnick from 2002, and an interview with Otis Redding's manager Phil Walden (19 min.). Also included are outtake performances of footage not used in the film (130 min.), as well as an extensive 70-page booklet. Bottom line: the definitive Blu-ray edition of this landmark concert film collection.]