ABC
just didn’t get it. When they saw the footage of Jimi Hendrix torching his
guitar at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, they reverted their rights back to
D.A. Pennebaker, taking a pass on what would become one of the most iconic concert
films in documentary history. Remember that when anyone on the network lectures
you about anything. Instead, the film released in theaters in late 1968, the watershed
year for the counter-culture. On the fiftieth anniversary of the festival,
music and film connoisseurs can revisit and re-evaluate Pennebaker’s Monterey Pop (trailer here) when Criterion’s new 4K restoration opens this
Wednesday in New York at the IFC Center.
Much
to the trepidation of local authorities, 8,500 eager young-ish folks crammed
into the venue, over twenty percent more than were expected, but no harm was
done—unless you happened to be a guitar. Many critics were struck by the way
Pennebaker soaks up the scene and slyly incorporated ironic bites of audience
chatter. However, hipper viewers will notice its aesthetic similarity to Bert
Stern’s Jazz on a Summer’s Day,
documenting the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival nine years earlier.
At
the time, seeing all these acts together in one sitting was a treat. Remember,
there was no youtube or itunes back in the day. However, some of the performances
have comparatively depreciated with the passage of time and the proliferation
of online media, whereas others have gained potency. Frankly, The Mamas & The
Papas and The Who feel like they are just doing workaday sets, even if Pete
Townsend smashed his guitar at the end of “My Generation.”
Eric
Burdon & the Animals do a credible version of the Stones’ “Paint it Black,”
but it seems odd to give a cover such prominent placement—of course, their
greatest hit was also a cover, so maybe it makes sense in a weird way. Otis
Redding certainly came to play and so did Canned Heat doing a very modern
sounding take of Hambone Willie’s “Rollin’ and Tumblin’ [Blues],” but they would
later generate much more buzz for their appearance in the 1970 Woodstock doc (with “Going Up the
Country”). Technically, Hendrix’s “Wild Thing” is yet another cover, but it is
undeniably history in the making when he immolates his guitar. Even though it
is 1967, you can still see the WTF looks in the front rows (of course, you know
all those folks will now boast to anyone who will listen: “I was at Monterey
when Jimi set his guitar on fire—and it was awesome).
Ironically,
the clear, hands-down, head-and-shoulders-above stand-outs in Pennebaker’s film
would now be considered “world music” rather than “pop.” Hugh Masekela has a
foot still very much in jazz when performing a stark, stirring rendition of
Afropop-flavored “Bajabula Bonke (The Healing Song),” the B-side to hit smash
hit single, “Grazing in the Grass.” Appropriately, Monterey Pop ends with an infectiously transcendent performance by
Ravi Shankar, with Alla Rakha on tabla. Pennebaker further builds the inherent
tension of “Dhun (Dadra and Fast Teental)” by focusing on the increasing
ecstatic audience rather than the Indian musicians, until they reach the climaxing
crescendo. Yes, that was one that should
still sell downloads.
