The Ultimate Victory-Dance of the Disorganised, Proto-Yuppie Masses
The Woodstock concert remains a very intriguing subject. It defined the paradox of the 1960's and early '70's, in that there was war and injustice boiling all around, even sucking in the youth as soldiers and protesters, and yet there was an uprising of imagination, liberty and love. The creativity of the music, art and entertainment of that time was a culmination of the pent-up pain and aspirations seeking peace from the horrors and irrationality of World War Two - as it was also a dynamical blending of various trends in thought and music, by groups who had been segregated in spirit, but were now finding and reaching out to each other.
After the heaviness of insane assassinations, Vietnam, the Arms Race, riots, secrets, lies and so many injustices, a psychedelic mushroom-cloud of hope sprang up through this dank atmosphere, where all the whirls and sparkles of possibility, mingled and bloomed together as one, hearkening back to the original ideals of Liberal Democracy.
Woodstock's creation and business was intriguing in itself, but even more-so was the peace, cooperation and happiness that followed - almost on a wing and a prayer. But it succeeded. Even the police stood down, donned T-shirts, and celebrated the second summer of love, soon to be brought to the nation in moral solidarity, through the miracle of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. It all happened in 1969. And so did all the amazing music. It was the white crest of the Boomer wave which, by now, has kinda crashed like glass around us, in some kind of Helter Skelter, but. That was bound to happen. Here are two very good audio documentaries from the BBC, recommended, if you are interested in the subject...
(CLICK PIC TO PLAY)
Why Woodstock still matters...
The Woodstock myth is a potent and evocative symbol of the '60s utopian hippie dream - an event that represents to the world the ultimate example of the unifying power of music, peace and love. To mark the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic cultural events of the 20th Century, this programme explores the impact of the now legendary celebration and why the spirit of Woodstock still carries important social lessons, providing evidence that the power of ordinary people can effect change.
Musicians, artistes and organisers who were there including John Sebastian, Roger Daltrey, Carlos Santana, Michael Lang, Michael Wadleigh, Arlo Guthrie, David Crosby, Richie Havens, Eddie Kramer and Stephen Stills, explain how the pinnacle of the optimism that they all shared as a generation included 500,000 young people enjoying three days of what was billed as "an Aquarian Exposition".
And now that the Woodstock generation has indeed inherited the world, what lessons from that utopian dream are still being implemented today and how has the ‘60s hippie ethos that cherished the value that people placed on one another that weekend permeated society in general?
Presenter: Arlo Guthrie
Producer: Des Shaw
(CLICK PIC TO PLAY - Photo: Woodstock album cover. Credit: Burk Uzzle)
Second great documentary is VIDEO, 1 hour 22 minutes, featuring music! (24 days left to watch) -
Woodstock - Three Days that Defined a Generation
This documentary tells the story of the lead-up to those three historic days, through the voices of those who were there and the music of the time. It includes extraordinary moments from the concert itself, iconic images of both performers and festival goers, and tells how this groundbreaking event, pulled off right at the last minute, nearly ended in disaster and put the ideals of the counterculture to the test.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH / LISTEN!
Here are more WOODSTOCK things from BBC!
Here is my LJ tag for WOODSTOCK!
Read WOODSTOCK on WIKI!
I, personally, was wanting to go to WOODSTOCK50, but never managed to work something out. I guess I was lucky because, after all its weirdness and uncertainty, it cancelled, two and a half weeks before the scheduled date. One factor was the fear that people would be mowed down by Miley Cyrus. (My LJ tag for Woodstock50).
'Groovy, groovy, groovy': listening to Woodstock 50 years on - all 38 discs !
It was a blueprint for Live Aid and every mega-festival since. We survey a new archive box set - in full - to uncover the real story of these ‘three days of peace and music’
A few weeks back, my Twitter feed was suddenly clogged with misty-eyed reminiscences of Live Aid. It is now generally regarded as a white saviour festival of mostly dreadful music. Still, there’s much nostalgic love for Tony Hadley’s leather trench coat, and Queen’s alarming “no time for losers” philosophy. I lived through it; I remembered how a bunch of craven, ageing rock stars fell over themselves to reboot their careers. OK, I was 21, and cynical, but I was there for it, watching it all unfold on TV. I understand it.Woodstock - which celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend - was a primitive blueprint for Live Aid, and every mega-festival since. Its cultural weight has risen and fallen over the decades - depending on who you talk to, it was either the pinnacle of 1960s counterculture or the rain-sodden end of a dream. I was four years old. The soundtrack album would be in friends’ houses in the 70s, and the movie seemed to be on TV every year, so I’m part of a generation that thinks it knows Woodstock without having been there. But the movie is incomplete and out of sequence - some of the story is as fictionalised as Bohemian Rhapsody.
Out this month is a 50th anniversary archive box set - all 38 CDs of it - which presents the festival in something approximating real time. Folk-blues singer Richie Havens, who opened the event while almost every other act was stuck in traffic, would later claim he “played for nearly three hours … I sang every song I knew!” We now know he only played for 45 minutes. This is an audio vérité documentary, right down to the on-stage announcements: “Eric Klinnenberg, please call home … Dennis Dache, please call your wife … Karen from Poughkeepsie, please meet Harold at the stand with the blood pills …” I listened to all 38 discs in sequence, over three days.
Continue reading...
And this -
Guardian: 'In many ways, it was a miracle': looking back at Woodstock at 50
The influential, star-packed 1969 festival is remembered by those who organised, photographed and performed
“Woodstock was a just few hours in my 60-plus-year-long career,” says Leo Lyons, the bassist for blues rock band Ten Years After, who performed on the final day of the festival in the summer of 1969. “But I suppose my epitaph will no doubt read: ‘Musician who played at Woodstock.’”
Related: Three days of peace: Woodstock at 50 - in pictures
Continue reading...
I haven't seen the official Woodstock documentary, which did pretty well. I did see another one, which is probably discussed via my tag ABOVE. Here's a groovy picture -
Woodstock dudes looking for a cell-phone sweet -spot.
After the heaviness of insane assassinations, Vietnam, the Arms Race, riots, secrets, lies and so many injustices, a psychedelic mushroom-cloud of hope sprang up through this dank atmosphere, where all the whirls and sparkles of possibility, mingled and bloomed together as one, hearkening back to the original ideals of Liberal Democracy.
Woodstock's creation and business was intriguing in itself, but even more-so was the peace, cooperation and happiness that followed - almost on a wing and a prayer. But it succeeded. Even the police stood down, donned T-shirts, and celebrated the second summer of love, soon to be brought to the nation in moral solidarity, through the miracle of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. It all happened in 1969. And so did all the amazing music. It was the white crest of the Boomer wave which, by now, has kinda crashed like glass around us, in some kind of Helter Skelter, but. That was bound to happen. Here are two very good audio documentaries from the BBC, recommended, if you are interested in the subject...
(CLICK PIC TO PLAY)
Why Woodstock still matters...
The Woodstock myth is a potent and evocative symbol of the '60s utopian hippie dream - an event that represents to the world the ultimate example of the unifying power of music, peace and love. To mark the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic cultural events of the 20th Century, this programme explores the impact of the now legendary celebration and why the spirit of Woodstock still carries important social lessons, providing evidence that the power of ordinary people can effect change.
Musicians, artistes and organisers who were there including John Sebastian, Roger Daltrey, Carlos Santana, Michael Lang, Michael Wadleigh, Arlo Guthrie, David Crosby, Richie Havens, Eddie Kramer and Stephen Stills, explain how the pinnacle of the optimism that they all shared as a generation included 500,000 young people enjoying three days of what was billed as "an Aquarian Exposition".
And now that the Woodstock generation has indeed inherited the world, what lessons from that utopian dream are still being implemented today and how has the ‘60s hippie ethos that cherished the value that people placed on one another that weekend permeated society in general?
Presenter: Arlo Guthrie
Producer: Des Shaw
(CLICK PIC TO PLAY - Photo: Woodstock album cover. Credit: Burk Uzzle)
Second great documentary is VIDEO, 1 hour 22 minutes, featuring music! (24 days left to watch) -
Woodstock - Three Days that Defined a Generation
This documentary tells the story of the lead-up to those three historic days, through the voices of those who were there and the music of the time. It includes extraordinary moments from the concert itself, iconic images of both performers and festival goers, and tells how this groundbreaking event, pulled off right at the last minute, nearly ended in disaster and put the ideals of the counterculture to the test.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH / LISTEN!
Here are more WOODSTOCK things from BBC!
Here is my LJ tag for WOODSTOCK!
Read WOODSTOCK on WIKI!
I, personally, was wanting to go to WOODSTOCK50, but never managed to work something out. I guess I was lucky because, after all its weirdness and uncertainty, it cancelled, two and a half weeks before the scheduled date. One factor was the fear that people would be mowed down by Miley Cyrus. (My LJ tag for Woodstock50).
'Groovy, groovy, groovy': listening to Woodstock 50 years on - all 38 discs !
It was a blueprint for Live Aid and every mega-festival since. We survey a new archive box set - in full - to uncover the real story of these ‘three days of peace and music’
A few weeks back, my Twitter feed was suddenly clogged with misty-eyed reminiscences of Live Aid. It is now generally regarded as a white saviour festival of mostly dreadful music. Still, there’s much nostalgic love for Tony Hadley’s leather trench coat, and Queen’s alarming “no time for losers” philosophy. I lived through it; I remembered how a bunch of craven, ageing rock stars fell over themselves to reboot their careers. OK, I was 21, and cynical, but I was there for it, watching it all unfold on TV. I understand it.Woodstock - which celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend - was a primitive blueprint for Live Aid, and every mega-festival since. Its cultural weight has risen and fallen over the decades - depending on who you talk to, it was either the pinnacle of 1960s counterculture or the rain-sodden end of a dream. I was four years old. The soundtrack album would be in friends’ houses in the 70s, and the movie seemed to be on TV every year, so I’m part of a generation that thinks it knows Woodstock without having been there. But the movie is incomplete and out of sequence - some of the story is as fictionalised as Bohemian Rhapsody.
Out this month is a 50th anniversary archive box set - all 38 CDs of it - which presents the festival in something approximating real time. Folk-blues singer Richie Havens, who opened the event while almost every other act was stuck in traffic, would later claim he “played for nearly three hours … I sang every song I knew!” We now know he only played for 45 minutes. This is an audio vérité documentary, right down to the on-stage announcements: “Eric Klinnenberg, please call home … Dennis Dache, please call your wife … Karen from Poughkeepsie, please meet Harold at the stand with the blood pills …” I listened to all 38 discs in sequence, over three days.
Continue reading...
And this -
Guardian: 'In many ways, it was a miracle': looking back at Woodstock at 50
The influential, star-packed 1969 festival is remembered by those who organised, photographed and performed
“Woodstock was a just few hours in my 60-plus-year-long career,” says Leo Lyons, the bassist for blues rock band Ten Years After, who performed on the final day of the festival in the summer of 1969. “But I suppose my epitaph will no doubt read: ‘Musician who played at Woodstock.’”
Related: Three days of peace: Woodstock at 50 - in pictures
Continue reading...
I haven't seen the official Woodstock documentary, which did pretty well. I did see another one, which is probably discussed via my tag ABOVE. Here's a groovy picture -
Woodstock dudes looking for a cell-phone sweet -spot.