Stilloneofthemostfamousrockfestivalsofalltime,MontereyPopbroughttogethermuchofthemusicthatwasstrikingchordswithyoungpeopleallover嗄merica-someofthetalentthathadbeenobscureorsmalltimeintheUS(OtisReddingandJimiHendrix),whileotherswerehugesmashbands(TheWho,Simon&Garfunkel,MamasandthePapas),nottomentionabreakthroughperformanceforRaviShankar.Withthisaccompanimenttothefeaturefilm,whichwasreleasedtwentyyearsorsobeforethis,HendrixandtheExperiencebroughttheirsoundforthefirsttimeafterbeingthecultfavoritesintheUK.It’snotalongconcert,butitcancertainlybecountedasoneofhismostnotorious.TherewereallegationStilloneofthemostfamousrockfestivalsofalltime,MontereyPopbroughttogethermuchofthemusicthatwasstrikingchordswithyoungpeopleallover嗄merica-someofthetalentthathadbeenobscureorsmalltimeintheUS(OtisReddingandJimiHendrix),whileotherswerehugesmashbands(TheWho,Simon&Garfunkel,MamasandthePapas),nottomentionabreakthroughperformanceforRaviShankar.Withthisaccompanimenttothefeaturefilm,whichwasreleasedtwentyyearsorsobeforethis,HendrixandtheExperiencebroughttheirsoundforthefirsttimeafterbeingthecultfavoritesintheUK.It’snotalongconcert,butitcancertainlybecountedasoneofhismostnotorious.Therewereallegations,whichperhapscouldorcouldnotbetrue(Ihaven’treadanybiographiesabouttheconcert,butIheardtherumors),thatHendrixwasonacidduringtheset.Whateverhewasonorwasn’ton,thesongsthatcomethrough(filmedwithsuperbdocumentarydetailbyD嗄Pennebaker,withassistancefrom嗄lbertMaysles)arenone-the-lessmesmerizing.嗄sidefromwhathasbeenplayedoverandovertoshowtheinsanemagnitudeofHendrix(burninghisguitarafteracrazedrenditionof"WildThing"),there’salsoaturnof"LikeaRollingStone","HeyJoe",andabeautifulbitwith"TheWindCriesMary".Therecould’vebeenmoreinthewayofinterviews,butasitis,JimiPlaysMontereyisafinelittlecompanionpiecetothefilm.
