Various artists, "The Monterey International Pop Festival" (Rhino, 1992)

Watching the video depiction of 1967's Monterey International Pop Festival, now available in expanded three-DVD form, is an experience of mixed emotions.

It's great to see so many of the performers who form the nucleus of "classic rock" gathered in one place, playing for an audience of young people who seem to truly appreciate what's transpiring before them.

But it's depressing to think about how many of those musicians, then in their prime, no longer are with us. Likewise, it's a bit unnerving to look at the folks in the audience, the archeyptal "hippies," and realize the ones who still are around either are past 60 or are nearing it quickly.

Let's dwell on the positives and go back 39 years today, when the festival opened with The Association playing its hit "Along Comes Mary."

Following an introduction by chief festival organizer John Phillips, that song also kicks off the four-disc "Monterey International Pop Festival" boxed set that Rhino Records released in 1992, the 25th anniversary of the event.

Prior to that, recorded material from the festival was sparse, limited primarily to an LP of the performance by Phillips' band, the Mamas and the Paps, and another record that featured the Jimi Hendrix Experience on one side and Otis Redding on the other. The Rhino collection offers performances by 20 out of the 32 acts at Monterey, providing a tremendous overview of what the festival had to offer.

Some of the performances quickly turned into legend: Pete Townshend smashing his guitar, Jimi Hendrix torching his, Janis Joplin belting out the blues like no one since Bessie Smith. Others belonged firmly in their time and place, like Eric Burdon's "San Fransciscan Nights" and Scott McKenzie's "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)."

And some didn't even made it to CD or DVD. The Grateful Dead opened it set with "Viola Lee Blues," which reportedly went on so long that the crews ran out of film during the song.

One of the more interesting portions of the CD collection is the set by the Byrds, with David Crosby rambling somewhat incoherently between songs, most notably about his conspiracy theories involving President Kennedy. Fellow Byrd Roger McGuinn apparently didn't take too kindly to the remarks, and Crosby was out of the band a short time later.

No mention of Monterey would be complete without mention of Otis Redding, who stole the show on sheer vocal power during a set that lasted less than half an hour. His performance brought him to the attention of the rock mainstream, and he was in position to make it to the top, as he did when his song "Dock of the Bay" reached No. 1 the following year.

By that time, though, Otis was gone, in a plane crash in December 1967, along with several members of the Mar-Keys, who also performed at Monterey. They were the first of a long list of festival performers who have passed on, but thanks to projects like the Rhino CD and DVD collections, they'll stay with us for as long as we want them.

RIP (partial list):

Michael Bloomfield (1943-81), Paul Butterfield (1942-87), John Cipollina (1943-89), Michael Clarke (1946-93), Brian Cole (1942-72), Spencer Dryden (1938-2005), Cass Elliott (1941-74), John Entwistle (1944-2002), Jerry Garcia (1942-95), Jimi Hendrix (1942-70), Bob Hite (1945-81), Al Jackson Jr. (1935-75), Janis Joplin (1943-70), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (1945-73), Keith Moon (1946-78), Laura Nyro (1947-97), John Phillips (1935-2001), Lou Rawls (1933-2006), Noel Redding (1945-2003), Otis Redding (1941-67), Alexander "Skip" Spence (1947-99), Henry Vestine (1944-98), Alan Wilson (1943-70).