The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Criterion Collection (Blu-Ray)
On a beautiful June weekend in 1967, at the beginning of the Summer of Love, the Monterey International Pop Festival roared forward, capturing a decade’s spirit and ushering in a new era of rock and roll. Monterey featured career-making performances by Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Otis Redding, but they were just a few of the performers in a wildly diverse lineup that also included Simon and Garfunkel, the Mamas and the Papas, the Who, the Byrds, Hugh Masekela, and the extraordinary Ravi Shankar.
With his characteristic vérité style—and a camera crew that included the likes of Albert Maysles and Richard Leacock—D. A. Pennebaker captured it all, immortalizing moments that have become legend: Pete Townshend smashing his guitar, Jimi Hendrix burning his, Mama Cass watching Janis Joplin’s performance in awe. The Criterion Collection is proud to present the most comprehensive document of the Monterey Pop Festival ever produced, featuring the films Monterey Pop, Jimi Plays Monterey, and Shake! Otis at Monterey, along with every available complete performance filmed by Pennebaker and his crew and additional rare outtakes.
Region B Blu-ray : Australian compatible
Monterey Pop
- New 16-bit 4K digital restoration, supervised by director D. A. Pennebaker, with uncompressed stereo soundtrack on the Blu-ray
- Alternate soundtrack featuring a 5.1 surround mix by recording engineer Eddie Kramer, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray
- Two hours of performances not included in Monterey Pop, from the Association, Big Brother and the Holding Company, the Blues Project, Buffalo Springfield, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, the Byrds, Country Joe and the Fish, the Electric Flag, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Al Kooper, the Mamas and the Papas, the Steve Miller Blues Band, Moby Grape, Laura Nyro, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Simon and Garfunkel, Tiny Tim, and the Who (Blu-ray only)
- Audio commentary from 2002 featuring Pennebaker and festival producer Lou Adler
- New and archival interviews with Adler and Pennebaker
- Chiefs (1968), a short film by Richard Leacock, which played alongside Monterey Pop in theaters
- Audio interviews with festival producer John Phillips, festival publicist Derek Taylor, and performers Cass Elliot and David Crosby
- Photo-essay by Elaine Mayes
- Festival program
- Trailers and radio spots
- PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by critics Michael Chaiken and Armond White
Jimi Plays Monterey
- Restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker
- Soundtrack featuring a 5.1 mix by legendary recording engineer Eddie Kramer, presented in Dolby Digital, and DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition
- Audio commentary by music critic and historian Charles Shaar Murray
- Trailer
- Video excerpt of Pete Townshend discussing Jimi Hendrix
Shake! Otis at Monterey
- Restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker
- Soundtrack featuring a 5.1 mix by legendary recording engineer Eddie Kramer, presented in Dolby Digital, and DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition
- Two audio commentaries by music critic and historian Peter Guralnick: the first on Otis Redding’s Monterey performance, song-by-song; the second on Redding before and after Monterey
- Interview with Phil Walden, Redding’s manager from 1959 to 1967
- A booklet featuring a new essay by music critic David Fricke