The Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 was likely rock's greatest mass concert

The most consistent characteristic of rock festivals, generally, has been their inconsistency. When they are successful, the attendees romanticize them far above what the experience really was. On the other hand, when they go bad, critics brand them as the worst of what society can offer. For every Bonnaroo and Woodstock '69, there seem to be four or five like Altamont or all the Woodstock re-tries.

The grandfather of the modern festival was the Monterey International Pop Festival held in Monterey, Calif., in June 1967. In 1992, Rhino Records released a four-CD boxed set (cover art shown in photo) of the event that includes performances from 21 artists and more than 60 songs. Though the original Woodstock soundtrack usually gets the nod for best festival album, the Monterey performances are better and more diverse.

Several acts became stars because of their performances here. For Jimi Hendrix and The Who, this festival was their first important performance in America. For Otis Redding, after years of just missing the big time, his performance here finally gave him the success his exceptional talent deserved. Unfortunately, he died six months later in a plane crash. For Janis Joplin, the Port Arthur, Texas, outcast finally found a place where she belonged as singer for Big Brother and the Holding Company.

Of all the performances represented here, it is Otis Redding's blistering set that is the best. I really wish I could have seen Redding in concert. Redding and Roy Orbison are the two best singers I have ever heard. A skilled Artisan created both their voices. Backed by Booker T. & the MGs, Redding's songs leap off the disc and kick the listener in the butt.

He has five songs on this compilation, including 'Respect.' Aretha Franklin had a big hit with the song, but few people remember that Redding wrote it. Also, he does his version of Sam Cooke's 'Shake.'

However, the best is 'Try a Little Tenderness.' Because of his trademark raspy vocals, folks nicknamed him 'Mr. Pitiful,' and he used that persona to the fullest on this song. Beginning quietly and gently, his voice guides the song as it slowly builds power. By the end, the music is exploding, and the crowd is going crazy. A truly memorable moment. Days later, while on vacation, he wrote the lyrics of his most well-known song '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay.'

Though they had found success in England, the Jimi Hendrix Experience had yet to break through in America. The only footage people usually see of Hendrix at Monterey is when he sets his guitar on fire during the finale of 'Wild Thing.' By focusing on the flash, however, many listeners miss an electrifying set.

All of his major early songs are represented here. 'Purple Haze,' 'Foxey Lady,' 'Hey Joe,' 'Can You See Me,' and 'The Wind Cries Mary' are straight performances of the studio versions with little improvisation. His version of Bob Dylan's 'Like A Rolling Stone' is best remembered by me because he refers to Dylan's grandmother at least three times during the set. Your guess is as good as mine.

Like Hendrix, the Who played many of their major early songs though most folks at the festival had never heard them. To this point, their biggest hit in America had been 'Happy Jack,' which got to only number 24 on the singles chart. They played it, but the rest of the songs were an assault on the senses.

Opening with 'Substitute,' it becomes quickly obvious that they are playing way too loud for the sound system. Other songs include: 'Pictures of Lily,' 'Summertime Blues,' and 'A Quick One While He's Away.' The finale was 'My Generation,' which ended the set with smashed guitars, microphones, and drums. I wish I still had that type of energy.

There are many other acts in this collection including: Jefferson Airplane, the Mamas and the Papas, the Byrds, the Butterfield Blues Band, and the Steve Miller Band. If anything, there is too much material here. There is just way too much music to digest in even three or four listenings. However, that is a good problem to have.

This set is worth owning for the Redding and Hendrix performances alone. If this boxed set is too much, look for an album that was released in the early 1970s that had just the performances of those two. It provides an appetizer of the best of Monterey Pop.

Antoine Walker blew $110 million....what more can be said?

During harsh economic times, it is only natural that people would look at money as an important stabilizer of their lives.

Let's face it; times are tough. The unemployment rate has been at or above 10 percent in Tennessee for months, and adversity does a good job of forcing people to appreciate things they don't have, which in this case is money.

However, as we all know, money does not solve all our problems. In studying the lives of rich people, money often brings hardship if it is not managed well. For every problem money solves, it often creates two more.

I thought of this recently when reading about the plight of former professional basketball player Antoine Walker. Walker played professionally for 12 years, primarily for the Boston Celtics. He earned approximately $110 million during his career. Despite this, creditors are pursuing him regarding $4 million in debt, and he is facing felony check fraud charges in Las Vegas, according to Yahoo! Sports.

So, how does somebody spend that much money? Here are some of the details provided by Yahoo!

"(Walker) liked to move in an outsized entourage; his mother estimates that, during his playing days, he was supporting 70 friends and family members in one way or another. And speaking of his mother, he built her a mansion in the Chicago suburbs, complete with an indoor pool, 10 bathrooms, and a full-sized basketball court.

"Living in the Bishops Forest condominium complex in Waltham, Mass., during the Celtics season, Walker turned the pavement surrounding his home into a virtual luxury car lot – two Bentleys, two Mercedes, a Range Rover, a Cadillac Escalade, and a bright red Hummer. Often, the vehicles (had) custom paint jobs, rims, and sound systems at considerable added expense. He also collected top-line watches – Rolexes and diamond-encrusted Cartiers."

The Yahoo! story also includes examples of Walker's generosity to others, and anybody who spends that kind of money to build a house for his mother has to be a good-hearted man. Still, we can all be excused if his lack of financial discipline makes us shake our heads.

For people having problems making ends meet, his story will likely cause steam to shoot out their ears. Still, it is important to maintain compassion and understanding for Walker. The United States is a very materialistic society, and many people fall into the trap of believing extravagant items can bring lasting happiness.

Simply put, materialism is a big, fat lie. And, as we all know, the bigger the lie, the more enticing it is to people.

In Walker's case, he kept spending and spending and spending until there was nothing left to spend. Though his is an extreme case, the recession has provided us many examples of people who financially overextended themselves.

Part of the reason for the mortgage meltdown that we've seen the last couple of years is because people bit off more than they could chew when it came to purchasing a house. It is too easy to simply blame the banking industry as the sole reason for this mess.

Additionally, easy access to money through credit cards has caused many to dig holes too deep to quickly escape. If a person thinks otherwise, all he has to do is observe all the television commercials from companies promising to help people pay off their debt for only a fraction of what they owe.

The bottom line is the Walker case may seem uncommon, but it really is not. Think twice about casting stones at him.

We may be more like him than we realize.

Jesus has a lot to say about anxiety and worry

If we are honest, worry and anxiety are a couple of our biggest sources of distraction. Financial pressures, frayed personal relationships, and career demands are only three sources of anxiety that have become staples in today's society. It is human nature to worry or be anxious about things that are often out of our control. The pressures we face are very real and can become a huge source of bondage if we do not deal with them in a healthy way.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

On first reading, these verses likely fall into the category of 'easier said than done.' Don't worry about anything? When I first became a Christian, those verses were ones that I threw up my hands and said, "Impossible!" However, Paul was not being critical of our worrying. He understood that it is human nature to experience anxiety. The bigger point he was making is that prayer needs to be our first line of defense when it comes.

Prayer is often the court of last resort for many Christians. However, Paul understood that anxiety and worry are major elements of spiritual warfare that Satan uses to drive a wedge between a believer and God.

The Apostle Paul probably knew this topic all too well. When he wrote his letter to the Philippian church, it was likely during his first imprisonment in Rome when he was under house arrest. Paul repeatedly faced harassment during his ministry resulting in multiple stays in prison and finally, in his execution.

Believers can take heart because the people in the Bible were flesh and bone just like us. True, we likely will not face execution for our faith, but we all share many of the same worries. We can learn from each other, and when dealing with worry, Paul knew from his personal experience how God had delivered him during times of strife.

Paul encouraged us in those verses to take our worries and cares to God because God is the ultimate caregiver. Despite all the obstacles he faced, Paul knew his number one source for strength and encouragement was his relationship with God. Through prayer, he received the peace from God to remember that all things in this world are temporary and are only a drop in a bucket when compared to an eternity in heaven.

That is why an active prayer life is critical for everybody. Jesus repeatedly withdrew to pray as was recorded in Luke 5:16. Prayer is often the only point during the day where we can step aside and just pour everything out of our heart.

The bottom line is that no matter what role worry plays in our lives it does not help us one bit. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

We are all very busy and have lots of responsibilities to other people. However, God longs to have a personal and intimate relationship with all of us. People change, but God does not. Spill your heart out to Him. He is right there waiting for you.

Source material: The Holy Bible, ‘The Glorious Journey’ by Charles Stanley, ‘Pressing Toward the Goal: Philippians, Colossians’ by the David C. Cooke Ministries

Autumn's last stand

President Obama misguided in picking fight with Fox News

The struggle to manipulate and control information is a constant battle for most politicians. They want to control how their messages reach the public.

As the media's size has exploded over the last couple of decades, this has become much more difficult. The expanded presence of newspapers on the Internet, 24-hour cable news channels, and talk radio have all played major roles in causing headaches for politicians.

This is good news for the public. The public needs access to information from many different outlets in order to develop a well-rounded viewpoint on issues. However, the battle between politicians and the media remains a spirited one.

A recent example of this was when the Obama administration began a campaign of sorts to discredit the Fox News cable channel. Administration officials like White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel have appeared on high profile shows to criticize Fox.

The main point being made by officials is that Fox really is not a news reporting organization. They claim it is really a televised form of talk radio, and because of this, the network should not be considered on the same level as organizations like the Cable News Network (CNN).

The timing of the administration's efforts is curious. Right now, President Obama is grappling with how to handle the war in Afghanistan and guide our economy out of its severe rut. Yet, despite all these problems, the president is apparently expending quite a bit of time to discredit a news network.

Officials representing his administration have been making the rounds for several weeks to press the criticism of Fox. These are not casual, off-the-cuff remarks. These officials are repeatedly criticizing the network.

The purpose of this column is not to defend or criticize Fox. As a reader, if you are taking time to read this blog, I trust that you are capable of coming to your own conclusions about what Fox does. The issue is how upfront the Obama administration is being in its dislike of the network.

However, cloaked in the administration's attacks, there are traces of hypocrisy. Though branding Fox as nothing more than an extension of the Republican Party oversimplifies the issue, this is what they are doing.

The hypocrisy enters this debate when the administration fails to criticize news outlets that are friendly to him who use the same general approach as Fox. For example, MSNBC is unrelentingly supportive of President Obama, and their prime time line up of shows takes the same approach as Fox except they have liberal commentators.

So, apparently, the president does not have a problem with a talk radio approach on television as long as it supports him. In fact, the president is apparently going out of his way to assist MSNBC.

The Los Angeles Times recently reported that private briefings are being given to MSNBC commentators Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. Olbermann and Maddow are both in MSNBC's prime time schedule and compete directly with Fox shows that are giving the administration the most heartburn.

Again, the hypocrisy here is pretty compelling. The next question is obvious. Why is the administration doing this?

If nothing else, President Obama did not receive a lot of strong criticism leading up to his election last year. Saturday Night Live lampooned this fact last year in a devastating sketch that illustrated how much tougher the press was on Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

Because of this, the president appears ill-prepared for some of the criticism he has been receiving.

He says he doesn't lose sleep over Fox. The reality appears otherwise.

A cold winter awaits

Autumn is a wonderful time of year, but it often disappears in the blink of an eye. For those of us who don't like heat and humidity, summer seems to drag out forever.

Then, when cooler air gets here, it appears to be nothing more than a brief transition into winter. This has been especially true this autumn because of all the rain we have had.

Don't get me wrong; I appreciate the rain. After the drought that punished us in 2007, I don't think any of us will ever take rain for granted again.

Still, all the recent rain has dampened the beauty that accompanies autumn.

For those wanting dry weather, some help may be on the way. Officials at the federal Climate Prediction Center recently issued its forecast for the upcoming winter, and it predicts the Southeast will experience a cooler but drier winter than normal.

Get ready to hear a lot about El Nino again because that is the reason the experts are giving to support their prediction. The El Nino phenomenon is fascinating on one level, but it is a topic that often gets beaten into the ground by weather people.

However, it is tough to blame them. After all, autumn is usually a wedge season when it comes to violent weather. Even though tornadoes can occur in every month, we don't hear much about them in October. They typically fade away in autumn when compared to summer.

Plus, the coldest weather of the year does not usually occur until January. Because of this weather lull, the meteorologists really do not have a lot to talk about this time of year. So, they probably thank God when El Nino appears.

As for this year's winter prediction, I hope they are wrong about the temperature. While I loved winter when I was a boy, I have lost my appreciation of it as I have grown older.

January is one of the year's gloomiest months. Whether it is the short daylight, the cold temperature, or the general restlessness after the holidays, it is a month that is dull. This is the only thing that it has in common with July.

January and July are opposites when it comes to weather, but these are easily the two most tedious months. Both have 31 days and are stagnant. Both are nothing more than gateways to more pleasant times.

I know it would be easy to lump February into that category as well, but it only has 28 days most years. Though that is only three days less than January, the month seems to go by a lot quicker. Plus, once February is gone, we know spring is just around the corner.

The only bright spot in the Climate Prediction Center's forecast is that they expect it to be drier than normal. For snow lovers, their prediction could wind up being a great source of frustration.

After all, if it is supposed to be cooler than normal, we could be on the receiving end of some healthy snowfalls if we continue to get the same amount of moisture we have recently.

However, for those folks, this won't happen if the Center is correct. Frankly, I am hoping they are.

As I've gotten older, snow has become more of a nuisance. I was like most kids who loved the snow and was ecstatic when it shut the schools down.

While it maintains some of its allure, it gets old a lot quicker. I like watching it fall, but not much else. There is a sweetness to watching it melt.

I know...Bah Humbug.

San Diego Chargers throwback uniforms are the best of them all

As most football fans know, many of the original American Football League teams are wearing throwback uniforms for special games this year. San Diego wore theirs on Monday night, and they are the best of all the throwbacks. The power blue jerseys with white helmets and golden thunderbolts are classic. It doesn't get much better than those.

Previously, I have written posts praising the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans. While both those are great, the Chargers rank at the top.

Fantastic.