On The 50th
Anniversary Of The Summer Of Love-“The Monterey Pops Festival” (1968) –A
Different View
DVD Review
By Film Editor Sandy
Salmon
The Monterey Pops
Festival-1967, starring Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, The Mamas and the
Papas, Ravi Shankar, and the usual suspects from the 1960s acid rock circuit on
the West Coast, produced by D.A. Pennebaker, 1968
Those of you who are
regular readers in this space (or of the on-line edition of the American Film Gazette) may be surprised
that I am reviewing a film, in this case the 1968 documentary of the first
Monterey Pops Festival, when my Associate editor Alden Riley has already
recently done so. And by his, and my, lights a decent job. The reason I am
posting a review is due to a “controversy” or rather a few sentences at the
start of Alden’s review where he had complained that he had been force-marched
into the review by me as some kind of punishment for a remark that he had made
to me after reading a review of my take on the 2015 biopic Janis Joplin: Little Girl Blues. He mentioned in passing that he
had never heard of Janis, never heard her sing. I suggested to him that he
might benefit from reviewing this documentary where one of the acts featured
would by Janis Joplin and her band, Big Brother and the Holding Company doing
her now classic Ball and Chain blues
cover. That concert was a breakthrough for her (and several other iconic 1960s
rock and roll figures like Jimi Hendrix and soulful Otis Redding) which
occurred in June of 1967 right at the heart of the Summer of Love of which we
are now commemorating the 50th anniversary. I had originally
intended to do the review myself as part of a series of pieces and sketches of
that duel 50th anniversary. But I will admit that he grudgingly
decided to perform the service which I asked him.
Maybe I had better go
back a bit before discussing my views of the documentary and of the scene out
in the West Coast at that critical juncture of the emerging “youth nation”
1960s counter-cultural explosion. A while back the now retired film editor in
this space, Sam Lowell, who will figure in this “controversy” later asked me as
an old friend and fellow critic of his in the old days at the hard copy version
of the American Film Gazette to take
over the day to day film reviewing at this site. I agreed stipulating that I
would bring in an associate editor who would in the not too distant future take
over the reins as my own retirement was coming up. I selected young and hungry
Alden Riley whose work I knew from Current
Times on recommendation from his editor there also an old friend of mine
from Gazette days. I believe I have
made a right choice in that regard.
One of the virtues of
this site (and of the Gazette from
the narrower cinematic end) is that it has attempted to under Pete Markin’s
guidance act as something of a “memory” for all kind of social, political and
cultural occurrences in American history, and to a lesser extend
internationally. In the film area that has meant that everything is up for
grabs from the recent latest version of Wonder
Woman back to the “silent” era. No rule had been set down by Sam Lowell
about what could be reviewed. If you look at the archives you will see that the
eclectic Lowell has review everything from 1930s noir to the Tom Cruise-etched Mission Impossible series. I have been in my long career the same
way and the expectation on this site is that a whole range of material would be
covered. Additionally special events, events like the 50th anniversary
of the Summer of Love which maybe was not some world-historical event in itself
but which definitely represented the flavor of a turbulent part of the history of America within memory (some
memories anyway) should, and do, receive extra attention. It was under that
premise, as well as broadening Alden’s reach, that I suggested the review. But
enough of that internal politics stuff because while Alden did a crackerjack
job of reviewing the documentary I want to expand on a few things he mentioned,
and a few things he didn’t since I am old enough to have remembered most of the
actors (if not like Sam Lowell having been out on the West Coast at that time).
.
Nobody of course is
required in the film criticism business to have a knowledge of its history, of
the definitive films and the break-through technological events which certain
directors, producers and other film technician have worked on although it
helps. For example when I reviewed Kirk Douglas’ classic big screen Technicolor
version of Spartacus I did not have
to mention that the film represented the first thaw in the hard-core red scare
Cold War freeze that Hollywood had willingly gone along with when it listed
“black-listed” Hollywood Ten writers who had been screwed over back in the 1940s
for supposed Communist affiliations like they were Uncle Joe Stalin’s toadies
or something. Maybe that was why the film turned out so well. I think so
anyway. Alden mentioned in his Monterey Pops review that director D.A.
Pennebaker’s work seems crude by today’s high-tech standards. And it was but I
believe he missed the point that D.A. was on the cutting edge of cinema verite
and some of the filming was consciously done at that level.
That is only a minor
sin. What I do not understand is Alden’s short seemingly in passing reference
to the performances over those three days which is really the heart of the
documentary. I would argue that the shots of the audience was so much filler to
give some flesh to who was attracted to the event and why. Moreover this concert
was a preliminary wide appeal event in what had been emerging over the previous
several years of a different kind of rock-drug connected “acid rock” for lack
of a better name which created a very different sound than had been current in
the wake of the Beatles/Stones-led British invasion (those groups would be
sucked into the acid rock maelstrom as well).
The sound is a return to
primitive embryonic times which many in that time, usually but not always under
the influence of drugs, were seeking as a whole slew of old taboos were
tumbling down. Ms. Joplin’s break-out performance with her band Big Brother and
the Holding Company on the old blues classic Piece Of My Heart complete with shouts, screams, wah-wahs and
whatnot spoke to those primitive urgings. I do agree with Alden that such deep
feelings had to have taken a toll if she had consumed that much energy on one
song. I don’t know how she had gotten through a full set never mind a whole
concert but maybe the drugs really did help keep her going. That is kind of the
point. Such musical outbursts take much energy and no question drugs enhanced
what the performers were trying to accomplish. Some of the music produced from
that era like the Stones’ Their Satanic
Majesties had not withstood the ravages of time (I don’t believe a have
heard one cut from that album as part of their playlist for a long, long maybe
since back in the day.) But Janis’ Ball
and Chain, Piece of My Heart, and
Bobby McGee still kick out the
jams.
I suppose it is hard to
tell somebody not from that generation, our vaunted Generation of ’68, about
what Alden claimed I would call creative “rock and rock” when he could not
believe his eyes as the Who leader smashed and Jimi Hendrix burned perfectly
good guitars on stage. Rather than a retort here I will gather up Sam Lowell
from his retirement and together we will discuss a litany of such creative
actions on the 1960s stages. That will protect Alden from any two hour lecture
from us that he may be standing in fear of coming down on his young head.
Finally maybe there is
hope that Alden will grow into this job. Although as I have mentioned
previously the audience shots were filler he hit the nail on the head when he
mentioned that those close-up shots of the attendees, of the audience, of the
mostly young audience in their best “hippie” garb looked very cool even now.
Porkpie hats, old-time Victorian dresses, World War II G.I. surplus stuff like
that. I also agree that when I watched the DVD most of the audience looked like
they had done some serious weed or some drug before they got to the concert
(probably there as well). Certainly I also wondered like he did about those
young women then, women who looked very foxy indeed. I also wonder if anybody
who watched the film today and who had been there then would be shocked by the
footage of them in their “to be young was very heaven” days after an
unsuccessful fight against the ravages of time. Alden won’t agree but the whole
effect of the documentary had me thinking at the end that those were the days when
men and women played rock and roll for keeps and everybody listened with baited
breathe. Yes, indeed, we did.
No comments:
Post a Comment