Customer Reviews

The Woodstock Experience (Limited Edition Box Set)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This collection contains performances by five of the many bands that appeared at the original Woodstock Music Festival in 1969.
Whether listeners feel that this set is another rip-off by the record companies to cash-in on the music/nostalgia from/for that era is something each person will have to decide for themselves. Giving the record company a break,they did package this set nicely.

By now most people already own if not the original albums or CDs,the latest versions which have "bonus" tracks appended to them,some from Woodstock. So having the original albums once again doesn't really matter.
The worst offender in this collection is the SANTANA set-which contains one unreleased track. Likewise the Janis Joplin set,which contains three unreleased songs. So purchasing these sets doesn't make a lot of sense unless you're a collector,or for some reason you don't own any of this music.
The set by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE contains seven unreleased tracks (including an introduction),most of which is good,powerful music. This live set is one of the highlights of the festival. The seven tracks,some very long, are worth owning for most listeners simply because its good music,with a lot of great guitar work,along with a great rhythm section,and some great vocals.
The SLY and the FAMILY STONE package contains six unreleased songs. Listeners will have to decide for themselves if all the new tracks are to their liking-some are better than others. But it is nice to have the performances in one package.
The Johnny Winter set,as far as unreleased music,is probably the best of the lot. There are seven unreleased tracks here,which include his brother,Edgar,along with Winter's rhythm section of bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer "Uncle" John Turner. Winter's guitar is simply scorching here all through his entire set.

Now,the packaging and "extras". If you purchase the box set,the individual packages are housed in a substantial cardboard box-nothing flimsy,with what is described below. If bought separately,each group's albums come in a fairly substantial cardboard slip-case. Overall the graphics on these packages are nicely done-nothing shoddy looking,just straight forward information about the band and track listings,with color photographs. Inside,each album is in a nice cardboard sleeve,one of which is a recreation of the original album graphics. The sleeve holding the live tracks have color photographs of the band at Woodstock. Inside that is a paper sleeve with track information and a short paragraph about that band at Woodstock.
Each set has a poster included,which is nice to have but certainly not essential,of the band playing live. The box set also contains a recreation of the Woodstock poster advertising the event. Its to bad that the posters have to be folded so many times in order to fit in the box. Again,not essential but nice to have for nostalgia's sake.

As I said at the top of this review-listeners will have to decide for themselves if purchasing the box set,or individual packages makes sense. Collectors may want the box set,while most people will,maybe,be satisfied with the individual sets.
Getting away from the money-making aspect of it all-listeners will have to agree that this music is indeed great,if not important. Listening to it all again still makes the pulse race,and that is a sure sign of good music.

I agree with the above reviewer, William G. Schletzer. The box set would have worked better with just the rare Woodstock sets. There always seems to be an element of redundancy in these kinds of packages, and this one is no exception. Most people who are fans of this era in music probably own the excellent remasters of SANTANA, KOSMIK BLUES, JOHNNY WINTER, STAND! and VOLUNTEERS. I myself already own the studio albums except for STAND!. Why repackage them again?

However, the rare live sets are definitely worth the price of admission. Whereas many of the Woodstock sets have been around in bootleg for for years, they have never sounded so brilliant as in this box. It's great to hear Sly's full glorious set without the sound glitches that the bootleg had. Also, Johnny Winter's complete set with brother Edgar is quite a revelation.

Again, I agree with Mr. Schletzer. The box set should have contained more live sets. Where's the complete set from Richie Havens? The Who? Ten Years After? Melanie? Arlo? CSNY? Country Joe? Joe Cocker? Canned Heat? Ok, I am sure some of the sets were not available, but these are the recordings us Woodstock aficionados truly desire. When the 50th anniversary comes around, let us have what's left of the Woodstock recordings, without the redundant elements mentioned above.

I assume this box is just a collection of the "Woodstock Experience" double disc sets that include a studio cd with the full woodstock concert. Cute idea but I imagine most people are like me. If they wanted the full Woodstock set by any of these groups they probably already have that studio cd. Example: the first Johnny Winter cd included here doesn't include the bonus tracks that came with the recent remaster of this cd. The Sly cd also was recently remastered and released with extra tracks and on and on. What's the point? I know they give you a pretty good price on those double cd sets but it seems like a waste, especially at the price they are asking for this set. They should release a 5 cd version that skips the studio cds and just gives us the concerts or maybe have 10 cds of 10 different artists at woodstock. There is so much that has been never released from this event. A release like this serves the record company more than the fans who have waited for 40 years for some of this stuff.

...then this may be for you.

No, I wasn't at Woodstock. I had to work that weekend. (True!) Indeed, frankly, at that stage of my life, I hadn't heard of most of the performers. Then the film came out, and it certain filled many of my fantasies.

Actually, in my travels "around the country" since then--true, I actually did some of that--I talked with many who were there, and they didn't find it quite the fantasy I still do. Be that as it may...

As others have pointed out, each performer has a recording of the group's set as it was performed at Woodstock. Many of the tunes hadn't been released before. It's almost like being there.

On each jacket too is a description by Woodstock's producers putting the performance in some kind of context. Santana and Johnny Winter, for example, were relatively new to the scene. So they in many ways got their start at Woodstock. (Santana got $1,200 for their performance there!) That actually makes the set even more valuable: a context.

For each performer there is also a studio album. To be honest, I don't know why they included them. I have had the first Johnny Winter album since it was released so many, many years ago. And I was actually thinking of getting the CD of Sly's "Stand" album, so I no longer have to do that. But I'd have preferred a few more complete performances than the studio album. I don't know I'll listen to the studio albums. That's now why I got the set.

One other slight disillusionment: Jefferson Airplane's performance recording is listed as "Part Two." Methinks they're busy trying to sell the full two-CD set of Airplane's performance. (Like, for years I've had Hendrix's performance there, and that's two CDs).

Oh, and with each set also came a two-sided poster of Woodstock. On one side is that festival--they're all the same--and on the other is a photo of the band on stage at Woodstock. That's okay, I guess, but I don't know I'll hang them.

I'm glad I have the set. But I would have packaged them differently to approach perfection. But if you do want to hear what they all sounded like back on that stage 40 years ago, this might be for you! Enjoy it.

I bought this with very high expecations and was let down. After listening to the live tracks I am not entirely sure they are really from Woodstock. An example is the jefferson airplane set. Missing is the famous opening from grace slick.."Good Morning People...You have heard the heavy groups now you will hear morning manic music.... This is missing.
The music is very good as general concerts.

As someone who was there and was wishing for some of these performances to be released, my question is why did it take 40 years? I know technology has something to do with it but look how many purchases you missed by waiting so long. These are much better then the bootlegs as they were like listening to half of the band at once. Thanks for releasing these artists. They are among the highlights of the festival.

I also have 4 of the 5 studio albums but let us not forget that there are a lot of youngsters that might benefit from having both. I really enjoyed the live stuff (even though much of Santana has already been released). Here's to a little of the communal feeling (God I don't believe I said that)and enjoy owning it or listening to your friends copy. And hopefully Sony or someone can convince the rights holders to the other concerts to do the right thing Peace

The Woodstock Experience Box Set (Santana, Janis Joplin, Sly & The Family Stone, Johnny Winter and The Jefferson Airplane): For those who want to fill in the gaps of their Woodstock collection, these are necessary CDs. They all also happen to be very good performances. Along with the Woodstock performances, they decided to add another CD for each group with a key studio album from the period. This was, in my opinion, an unnecessary addition. Most of us still interested in having the complete Woodstock performances already have those key studio albums and so their inclusion made this box wasteful, and more expensive than it needed to be. However, as I said, to have as complete a representation of the Woodstock Festival as can be obtained, these complete performances are essential (which will have to be added to the other 6-CD Woodstock Yasger's Farm box, and the old 4-CD Woodstock box, and the Movie, and...as you see, these `experience' CDs only cover a small, but important, part of the Woodstock recordings). Yet, when all is said, this is still worthy of five stars.

This set isnt what you think it is...did that make sense?
The ads didnt say who was on the album..well I received it today
and half of the album isnt even woodstock
What this is...they took 5 artists Janis..Santana...Airplane..Sly..winter
each have 2 cds..one from woodstock the other classic 69 studio album

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GREAT JOB ON REMASTERED,SOUNDS GREAT. HOPE THEY RELEASE MORE PERFORMER(S) THAT WERE AT WOODSTOCK.