Review of Monterey Pop (1968) by Ashley C — 30 Jul 2008

Somehow I completely missed seeing this during my late teen neo-hippie period. My reactions were all over the map, from grooving to the more intense performances, to yawning at the more nebulous ones (and occasionally resenting the fact that they played a part in spawning some of the vapid jam bands from the '90s), to lamenting that I hadn't seen the film at an earlier age and at an earlier time, when Pete Townsend smashing his guitar, Jimi Hendrix burning his gear, and Ravi Shankar performing a blistering Indian raga were new and revelatory experiences.

Wonderful audience reaction shots during that last, ranging from awe to understanding to sheer boredom. An unintentional shiver at seeing a Hell's Angel in attendance, given events that would occur just a couple years later.