Search - Various Artists :: Monterey International Pop Festival

Consider Purchasing the 3-DVD or 4-CD Box Instead

Kenneth Sall | Columbia, MD United States | 07/03/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, if your interest in this June 1967 concert is only casual, or if you're on a budget, or if you're trying to conserve space in your home, then this 2-CD set will suffice. If so, then consider my rating 4-star. It contains some really great performances, has a total of 26 tracks and clocks in at around 95 minutes. It also boasts 3 previously unreleased on CD tracks (2 by Simon & Garfunkel, 1 by Buffalo Springfield). So, this is a fine compact collection For What It's Worth [sorry, I couldn't resist].



However, for those of you who really dig The Summer of Love sound, then I recommend getting the 3-DVD set The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Criterion Collection which runs 238 minutes. This DVD set contains Pennebaker's original concert film, a second disk featuring the complete Hendrix and Otis Redding performances (possibly my 2 favorite sets), and the third disk has more than two hours of outtake footage including several major bands that never appeared in the Pennebaker film for various reasons. For details, search DVDJournal.com.



Or maybe if you're got money to burn and want a collectible, consider Amazon Used & New for 1997 4-CD set Monterey International Pop Festival [30th Anniversary Box Set] or the older 4-CD set from 1992: Monterey International Pop Festival. Both 4-CD sets have 70 tracks - close to 3 times what the new 2-CD set contains. Each CD is over 70 minutes with 5 cuts by Big Brother & Joplin, 7 by The Byrds, 5 by Jefferson Airplane, 5 by The Mamas & The Papas, 6 by The Who, 5 classic Otis Redding and 9 stellar Hendrix tracks (also available as Jimi Plays Monterey).



Like I said, the 2-CD set is a bargain for what it is. It's a real shame that Razor & Tie didn't produce two 70+ minute disks since there were so many other performances to include and over 45 minutes left to fill. But my money is on the other options. Still, I bought the 2-CD set anyway for the 3 unreleased cuts which augmented my 1992 set; those cuts are on the DVDs. I don't notice any difference in the sound quality between the new set and the 1992 version. As others who reviewed the original box sets noted, the sound quality isn't the best (generally not as good as Woodstock) and there are some performers who frankly aren't that interesting, even on the 2-CD version.



PS: The 40th anniversary is being celebrated the weekend of July 28th, 2007. Peace!"

Worth the price

Michael Wheeler | Las Vegas, Nevada United States | 07/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For those of us who remember the Summer of Love and still enjoy the music of that era, this is lots of fun.

You get to hear Eric Burdon sing about Monterey. You also hear a very polished set of Simon and Garfunkel. Simon and Garfunkel play their two best songs of the time, Homeward Bound and the classic Sounds of Silence.

Janis Joplin is also in top forn with Big Brother singing the blues.

The Byrds with David Crosby finish the first CD

On the second CD you hear Grace Slick and the Airplane do their two classic songs, Somebody to Love and White Rabbit.

You get to hear two songs of Otis Redding and his classic performance at Monterey. The real find to me is Buffalo Springfield with Stills and Young doing, For What its Worth. This is the only recording where you can actually hear them live. The one thing of note here is the absence of Neil Young as David Crosby (at the time with the Byrds) stands in. C,S&N was already in the making. CS&M would play just 2 years later at Woodstock.

The Who seem out of place but sing the Eddie Cochoran standard Summertime Blues and the Classic My Generation.

Jimi Hendrix does The Wind Cries Mary and Bob Dylans' Like a Rolling Stone. I would have liked to see at least one more song included.

I do however have his performance on DVD and hope to purchase the CD when its released once again on CD.

The Mamas and the Papas end the CD with Straight Shooter, which to me is very weak. They do recover with California Dreamin. Scot McKenzie sings If youre going to San Francisco (Be sure to wear flowers in your hair)

For those who remember and love this music I would recommend it."

Monterey Pop International Pop Festival

Suzanne M. Olmsted | Oakland, CA USA | 09/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"CD from the famous music event of the 60's. WAY better than Woodstock. Music at it's peak, and the people/groups assembled is amazing. I only wish I could hear the entire contert(s)"