Monterey Pop Box Set- any reviews yet? (1 Viewer)

[Grady Reid]

I don't think Criterion releases review copies, but its worth a shot to ask!

 

[Jean Paul Villeneuve]

http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s637pop.html

 

[Craig S]

See this existing thread to talk about Monterey Pop. There are a few reviews linked in the most recent posts.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=42907

 

[Robert Crawford]

I received my dvd set today and will be playing it later on in the day. I'll post my thoughts afterwards.




Crawdaddy

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I don't think Criterion releases review copies, but its worth a shot to ask!

Yes, they do send out screeners...

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Move over, Rover - let Jimi take over!
WAH-WAH-WAH, WUNG, WAH-WAH WOO WAH WAAAAAAAAH-SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!
Great stuff!
Gordy

 

[Jack Briggs]

How did you manage to get your set today, Crawdaddy? I won't be receiving mine until Monday.

I've already seen much of the footage, I think on IFC. The Hendrix completists among us will be very happy. And Jefferson Airplane gets its due, as well.

In the the "main" film, it always bugged me that Maysles focused the camera on Grace at the keyboards during "Today." Marty Balin sings the song, yet the camera never drifts from Grace. Some people in the audience back in 1969 thought it was Grace they were hearing.

Love the film, though. It's essential. And all this other material is to die for. Can't wait for mine to arrive.

 

[Stu Rosen]

The feature I'm looking forward to the most -- in fact, the one that put me over the top in ordering the set -- is the double commentary by Peter Guralnick on the Otis Redding film.

Guralnick is one of the best music writers there is, and he's written a series of phenomenal books on all genres, and is best known for the great double-volume Elvis biography. It should be a great extra.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

There's an extensive review at digitallyOBSESSED! http://www.digitallyobsessed.com where it's the spotlight disc this week (Jedi? Hobbits? Pshaw...dare to be different).

 

[LarryDavenport]

I got my copy on Friday and have now watched every minute of it, listened to the main commentary and watched the 30 minute interview with Lou Adler and D. A. Pennebaker. I am very pleased, but am still dissapointed that there was no footage or audio of the Grateful Dead even though they mentioned that they had shot about 45 minutes worth of footage. I particularly liked the outtake footage of The Association, Al Kooper, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Byrds, Big Brother, The Who (which I had seen before) and especially Buffalo Springfield. They explain in the commentary that they didn't shout every band or even every song for each band. As far as I can tell, only the Dead footage is missing.

I only have a stereo so I can't vouch for the 5.1 tracks, but it sounds great in stereo. The picture is a bit grainy, but it always was, but the colors are fantastic!

 

[Greg_Y]

I am very pleased, but am still dissapointed that there was no footage or audio of the Grateful Dead even though they mentioned that they had shot about 45 minutes worth of footage.

Larry,
In the latest Dead bio, A Long Strange Trip, author Dennis McNally explains that the Dead would not sign the release to have their performance recorded. Thus, Pennebaker had to turn off the cameras and point them down while they were performing. (In fact, I think a bunch of bands refused to sign the release but some relented later on.) McNally did say that Pennebaker managed to catch some of the performance, but I can't remember how much. If I remember tonight, I'll grab my copy of the book and let you know some more of the details.
I'm wondering where the information in the digitallyOBSESSED review about the jams being too long came from. Did Pennebaker say that in the commentary?

 

[LarryDavenport]

Thanks Greg. I sometimes wonder if the Dead regret this. It was interesting to learn that we almost didn't get to see Janis (listen to the commentary).

I know the Dead have always said they didn't like their performance at either Monterey or Woodstock, but I've got two songs from Monterey (Cold Rain And Snow and Morning Dew) and they were excellent, as was the Buffalo Springfield (at least we get to finally see For What It's Worth).

Any fan of the movie or this, the best IMO, period of rock music should immediately buy this set.

Now if Woodstock 69 would get the same treatment!

 

[SteveGon]

I just received Monterey Pop today. This may be one of Criterion's best releases.
It's a shame they couldn't fully recreate the experience of being at Monterey by including a couple of joints with the set!

 

[Greg_Y]

From A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead by Dennis McNally (ISBN 0-7679-1185-7), p. 202-208:

After all the machinations over film rights, ABC-TV took one look at the Jimi Hendrix footage and lost interest, realizing it was a family network. Pennebaker's movie would become a staple on the art-house circuit, and over the years, as half owner, he would profit. Although they violated their promises and Pennebaker did shoot the Grateful Dead for a minute or two, Lou Adler was never able to get the Dead to approve their footage.

 

[LarryDavenport]

This is all rather funny since both Big Brother and The Dead appear in Petulia (a Warner Brothers movie). I guess selling out to a major film company is OK.

 

[Reginald Trent]

Haven't seem all of it yet, but the Hendrix disc is extraordinary it also features outstanding commentary tracks.

 

[Henry Gale]

A bargain at $60.00!
Janis, Keith Moon, Mama Cass, Otis, Jimi....LIVE and in DTS.

Also brought home Hendrix at the Isle Of Wight yesterday so I'm have a deafening good time.

Jim

 

[debi_lee]

Pennebaker was forced to cut a number of acts: The Paupers, Lou Rawls, Johnny Rivers, The Steve Miller Band, Moby Grape and The Grateful Dead. The latter, the director explains, ran all his cameras out of film with their notoriously lengthy jams.

For review, I watched and rewatched this (excuse the pun) jam-packed set in a 3-day period that is now a big blur (can't wait to do it again at a leisurely pace!). It is either in the commentary or the interview that Pennebaker makes this claim, and that's his only mention of it. (I'm leaning toward the interview.) I believe the gist was that the crew never managed to capture any Dead songs in their entirety.
I just checked, and he does say it in his foreward to the accompanying book: "The Grateful Dead presented another problem. They got started and didn't know how to stop. They purely outlasted us. After ten minutes they were still on their first song, and we simply ran out of film and lost them."
It still could well be that there are no outtakes because there are no rights to the Dead footage. I suss it depends on who's telling the story

 

[Rob Willey]

I'm only part-way through this three-disc feast for the eyes and ears. All I can say is this classic-rock fanboy is in heaven!

Highest recommendation. Well done (again) Criterion!

Rob

 

[John Kwong]

Excellent disc. The commentary on the Hendrix movie is one of the funniest ones I've heard in a while!