Stilloneofthemostfamousrockfestivalsofalltime,MontereyPopbroughttogethermuchofthemusicthatwasstrikingchordswithyoungpeoplealloverAmerica-someofthetalentthathadbeenobscureorsmalltimeintheUS(OtisReddingandJimiHendrix),whileotherswerehugesmashbands(TheWho,Simon&Garfunkel,MamasandthePapas),nottomentionabreakthroughperformanceforRaviShankar.Withthisaccompanimenttothefeaturefilm,whichwasreleasedtwentyyearsorsobeforethis,HendrixandtheExperiencebroughttheirsoundforthefirsttimeafterbeingthecultfavoritesintheUK.It’snotalongconcert,butitcancertainlybecountedasoneofhismostnotorious.Therewereallegations,whichperhapscouldorcouldnotbetrue(Ihaven’treadanybiographiesabouttheconcert,butIheardtherumors),thatHendrixwasonacidduringtheset.Whateverhewasonorwasn’ton,thesongsthatcomethrough(filmedwithsuperbdocumentarydetailbyDAPennebaker,withassistancefromAlbertMaysles)arenone-the-lessmesmerizing.AsidefromwhathasbeenplayedoverandovertoshowtheinsanemagnitudeofHendrix(burninghisguitarafteracrazedrenditionof"WildThing"),there’salsoaturnof"LikeaRollingStone","HeyJoe",andabeautifulbitwith"TheWindCriesMary".Therecould’vebeenmoreinthewayofinterviews,butasitis,JimiPlaysMontereyisafinelittlecompanionpiecetothefilm.
