Search - Various Artists :: Woodstock Diary

Quintessential music festival album

Vishnu Veerubhotla | Chicago, IL USA | 01/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's a perfect album to celebrate "The Quintessential Music Festival" of the century



Joe Cocker's tune serves as a fitting album opener. Janis' passionate intensity in the 2 songs fires you up. Tim Hardin's classic "If I were a Carpenter" spices up the collection. Cannot imagine a Woodstock collection without "Blackbird" and Hendrix's "Voodoo Child". I would have preferred "I Cant make it anymore" and "I Shall be Released" to be the perfect closing act. Overall, a must-have album in your collection

"

40 year refresher

Paul Beauparlant | east coast USA | 08/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All caught up in the 40th anniversary of Woodstock this past weekend, I pulled out this disc which I've had for a long time but haven't listened to in, like, forever! So here are my fresh thoughts after a back to back spin: First off, as with Joe and his Grease Band, all the tracks on this CD sound superb. Rich deep base,plenty of high-end and a broad spectrum of stereo icing, make all these performances a delightful listen.

Joe kicks the disc off with Let's Go Get Stoned..fitting yes?...he and the band sound great. Mid-song, Joe ad-libs about waiting in New York in the weeks leading up to the festival. You really hear the blueprint for the style Joe created for his Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour which was just around the corner.

All songs on this set merge into one another, or, rather, the cheering and clapping upon a songs conclusion merges into the cheering and applause leading into the next track which I liked much better than a silent seperation.

The Band are up next and deliver a perfect The Weight. Such a pleasure to listen with their intertwining vocals, Levon's trademark shuffle drum style and especially, for me, Richard Manuals' piano highlighting each verse ending and during each chorus. All the way through actually.

Next is a shot of Texas delta blues-Johnny and his Mean Town blues. Only thing is, if I could JUST figure out what he's singing!! But that's quite alright-love the way he sings. But his slide guitar playing is the star here, featuring a sly solo. I can picture Mr. Hendrix himself off to the side of the stage with a fat grin on his face, had he been listening to this. Really excellent guitar playing.

With that, we arrive next at around 4:30 A.M. on that Sunday/Monday morning for Crosby, Stills and Nash's rendition of The Beatles' Blackbird. I had never heard this before, their performance of this at Woodstock and it is a jewel. "Blackbird singing in the dead of night" Stephen sings in a very deliberate manner as his two mates join in softly. This performance alone is, in my opinion, reason enough to own this disc.

Janis Joplin's "Try" begins next with a snakey groove and as with the Cocker group, her band sounds fabulous. Ball and Chain is next and I just have to say that, for me, the Ball and Chain on Cheap Thrills is the definitive version which I love to pieces. This Woodstock version is quite different with the addition of a horn section and organ and I have to say Janis' okay reading...good, but not that once-in-a-lifetime experience found on that Cheap Thrills performance.

Festival opener Richie Havens' song next is a real treat, being a song we don't recognize from the film. A very pretty but moody song, his acoustic guitar complimented by the 2nd guitar. Real nice after the bombast of Ball and Chain.

Next we go from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning as Jefferson Airplane wake up the sleeping field with their morning maniac music. Love the way Grace ad-libs in the middle of their Somebody To Love..."I think your eyes...look like it's morning" with just the drums backing her. A great version of this song. Listen very closely for Nicky Hopkins piano wayyyy in the background.

Next up, a very spooky and ultimately immaculate version of White Rabbit. A real A+ I deem this! The Airplane were certainly not the worse for wear when they finally got to the stage that morning after dead tired, waiting all day and all night for their turn.

Next, back to Friday evening for Tim Hardin and his beautifully sung If I were a Carpenter. His voice cracks a couple time but if you stick with it you are rewarded with a deeply felt performance accompanying himself on guitar, very nicely I'd like to add.

Next up, the textbook early 'heavy' sound of Mountain-interesting but not overly impressive. Still it was nice to hear this super Woodstock rarity. Southbound Train by Mountain at Woodstock. How many times have you heard that?

Sly and his familys' Love City sounds like they had just learned it that night but you know what?...it STILL sounds great! Love those short sharp horn blasts. Complete with an instructive spelling lesson(it won't do you no harm)

Joe Cocker returns with his band for a heartfelt cover of Dylans' I Shall Be Released. very good performance.

...and then...daylight. Monday morning daylight. with just 25,000 attendee's still present. talking very fast: "before we go any further I'd like to say man y'all really had a lot of patience. 3 days worth, you proved to the world what can happen with a little love, understanding....and soundzzzzz". I thought the recording of Voodoo Chile (SR) here sounds a little boxy but it is packed with goodies nonetheless such as some demonic laceration of his guitar..slashing and slicing..purring and teasing, and 6 minutes in Jimi introduces the band and comes back to play around with the words "I didn't mean to take up all your sweet time......". resuming the song's jam..."you can leave if you want, we'll just jam".

13 months after his Woodstock appearance Jimi was dead.

the last thing you hear on this disc is the sound of people cleaning up late that morning. Really does put you back there. In that field. That field caked with mud and trash. On that sunny Monday morning.

This CD is a very nice souvenier of the legendary festival."