Question by David: Is it fair to say Woodstock, then and 40 years later, is more about mystique and the people in attendance…?
…than the actual music.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to tear down Woodstock or downplay its cultural value as we reach the 40th anniversary — in fact, I’m very excited to see Ang Lee’s perfectly-timed “Taking Woodstock” film — it’s just I’ve always been quite disappointed by the musical performances themselves. Not bad — is it possible for artists such as Canned Heat, Jimi Hendrix, and The Who at the top of their game to sound “bad”? — but not INCREDIBLE. Everyone involved, with the possible exception of Joe Cocker, has far better live recordings.
It just seems to me Woodstock is more about… a gasp of peaceful air in the era of Vietnam, Manson, and Altamont, all those people sharing an event without hurting each other, etc. than the music itself and its quality. Is this fair to say, IYO? For example, when I watch filmmaker Michael Wadleigh’s electrifying documentary record of the festival, I am much more engaged by the faces of the people in the crowd and the narrative of the festival itself — the ups, the downs, the “disaster,” the love — than the individual performances. And a critic — http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3d57gjtrj6im — once wrote of the film’s live soundtrack:
“…but the triple-LP (later double-CD) Woodstock was really rock’s first “coffee table” album. Bought by millions but not really listened to that often, it’s amid a flood of wrong notes and the inherent flaws in recording live in front of hundreds of thousands of people in a temporary, makeshift venue. It was more satisfying for journalists and scholars than for ordinary listeners, what with its artists represented by one or two tracks and no more than 15 minutes of music by any single performer. But it did sell in the millions (and yielded a follow-up, Woodstock 2), fueled by the mystique surrounding the event and the release of the accompanying movie, and at times it did have a certain amount of energy to help drive it.”
Best answer:
Answer by joz
i think woodstock was all about the enviroment like what u said but also so everyone in the crowd could have a good trip or high and enjoy the experience of bonding and sharing good times.
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