| It's no exaggeration to say this might be the most intense and groundbreaking 45-minute performance in the history of rock. Jimi Hendrix's debut American set at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival is generally considered one of the most radical and legendary live shows ever, so this re-mastered version of the rather short, ten-song gig is long overdue. Released in conjunction with the similarly titled DVD (which presents the audio in stunning 5.1 surround), the music has never sounded better. Virtually unknown to American audiences at the time, even though he was already an established entity in the UK, Hendrix and his two-piece Experience explode on stage, ripping through blues classics "Rock Me Baby" and Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor," interpreting and electrifying Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," debuting songs from his yet-to-be-released first album and closing with the now historic sacrificing/burning of his guitar during an unhinged version of "Wild Thing" that even its writer Chip Taylor would never have imagined. Hendrix uses feedback and distortion to enhance the songs in whisper-to-scream intensity, blazing territory that had not been previously explored with as much soul-frazzled power. This may not have been the band's finest hour, but it is surely its most significant. Fortunately, tape decks and cameras were running to record the event for posterity, ensuring that rock guitar had entered a new era and there was no turning back. --Hal Horowitz |
