Monterey International Pop Festival [30th Anniversary Box Set] [Box set, Live]

Various Artists - Rock | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 10, 1997)
• Original Release Date: June 10, 1997
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Live
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B00000342H
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,781 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Festival Introduction

2. Along Comes Mary

3. Windy

4. Love Is a Hurtin' Thing

5. Dead End Street

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Look Over Yonders Wall

2. Mystery Train

3. Born in Chicago

4. Double Trouble

5. Mary Ann

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Somebody to Love

2. The Other Side of This Life

3. White Rabbit

4. High Flyin' Bird

5. She Has Funny Cars

See all 19 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. Killing Floor

2. Foxey Lady

3. Like a Rolling Stone

4. Rock Me Baby

5. Hey Joe

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars undeniably historic, but musically, a mixed bag, February 16, 2002

By 

OperablePig (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monterey International Pop Festival [30th Anniversary Box Set] (Audio CD)

The importance and far-reaching impact of the original musical mega-fest, Monterey Pop '67, is a fascinating cultural study in it's own right. While I have not seen the video of this event, I have a feeling that it may better convey the mood and significance of the event much better than the music on this box-set does; in fact, the beautiful booklet that accompanies the cds even does a better job at that. The basic problem - a) the sound quality on the bulk of these performances is just not that flattering and b) the bulk of the performances do not show the artists on the top of their game. Before any of you get angry, let me elaborate:

First off, the big exception to the rule is Jimi Hendrix's amazing set, his first performance in the states. This should really be available on it's own - the musicianmanship is top-notch, the song selection is definitive, the engineering is flawless (I'm pretty sure Eddie Kramer himself was on hand to capture this performance) and the closing performance of Wild Thing IS historic AND breathtaking as Jimi smashes his axe to pieces, the trusty stratocaster making noise till the very end. The Mamas and Papas follow Jimi with a surprisingly funky, punchy festival closing set.

Unfortunatley, most of the performances preceding Jimi's set are entirely dispensable and NON-definitive. Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE fan of bands like Jefferson Airplane and the Byrds, but their sets here are rather sloppy - the likes of which you would never really want to hear twice. These bands are encountering the same problems the Beatles were a year or so earlier: the increasing complexity of their music begins to render it impossible to re-create on stage (at least with the resources they had at the time). This is not to fault the bands in any way; but at the height of the psychedelic era, spending hours in the studio perfecting individual parts, carefully mixing ,and experimenting with new sounds via electronic methods was the norm, leaving the musicans ill-prepared for a live translation of the groundbreaking recordings they were releasing.
This is especially evident in the vocal harmonies. Listen to how AWFUL some of the harmony sounds when the Association tries to pull of "along comes mary" or when the Byrds struggle thorugh "rennaisance fair". It's not because they can't harmonize, but when your used to the cozy acoustics of a studio, and then you try to pull off complex three-party harmony in a huge outdoor venue like Monterey - well you get the idea.
There are exceptions to this besides Jimi: Lou Rawls, a seasoned live performer, turns in an incredibly soulful set. The Who, and Big Brother also prove that they rock out best on stage. But even these tight performances are undermined by the second big problem: sound quality.
Kudos to the engineers for capturing such an historic event on tape - it's definitley no easy task. The main problem here is balance and mixing (a technical note: the "mix" heard on most of these recordings probably reflects the live mix at the time as it was captured on two-track, or maybe four-track tape, therefore making the balance irreversible). Too often the guitars just sound horribly thin; the bass if often barely audible; the drums lack any punch; the vocals are generally placed WAY forward in the mix; when horn sections are used, they sound very close and compressed.

So what's the verdict? Well, I'd say just over a quarter of the music here (the bulk of that being Hendrix) is top-notch, rousing, sixties-revolution-in-full-effect. Also, the booklet is gorgeous. I'd say 'buy it for the pure historical value', but in truth, if you compiled all the Studio versions of every song here, you'd have a much clearer picture of the musical contributions and innovations of these artists (try it!).

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars legendary performances.., June 4, 2000

By 

Luigi (Pavia Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monterey International Pop Festival [30th Anniversary Box Set] (Audio CD)

This four-CD box is expensive but it's surely worth. It's a beautiful example of the best period of the pop, rock and soul music. The box includes the whole concert of Jimi Hendrix, that was historical because it was the first time he played with his Experience in front of the american public. At the Monterey Pop festival, Hendrix played wonderfully and the box also records the final moments when he destroyed his guitar. Also, you will listen the legendary performance of Otis Redding , that unfortunately died few months later for a plane accident. But the box also includes several other groups that, at this moment, were at the best. For instance I love the blues that was played by the Butterfield Blues Band, by the Big Brother & The Holding Company with Janis Joplin, the Canned Heat. Also the performance by Mamas & Papas and the Byrds were extraordinaly . The quality of the recording is excellent and also the booklet, that reports several pictures of the musicians, is really very nice. I hope that one day they will release the WHOLE Monterey Pop Festival, maybe in a box of 15 or 20 Cds.....

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Concert, August 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Monterey International Pop Festival [30th Anniversary Box Set] (Audio CD)

These four discs have some of the greatest music from back then. The 8 songs performed by the great Jimi Hendrix are worth it for any Jimi fan. The recording and version of his popular "Purple Haze" is the best I've heard. This cd is truly on of his greatest performances. The Who's performance was also awesome, for it was their first show in America. Their explosive songs amazed the crowd, and shows some of Townsend's best. These two performances are the highlights, but theyre are also many other tremendous performances with some of the best recordings I've heard.