Woodstock: Three Days of Peace & Music [BOX SET] [LIVE]

Various Artists - Rock - Classic, Woodstock (Related Recordings)

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 9, 1994)
• Original Release Date: August 9, 1994
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Live
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B000002J07
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,235 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #44 in	Music > Miscellaneous > Compilations > Decades > 1960-1969
  #50 in	Music > Pop > By Decade > 1960s
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This four-disc album--like the famed August 1969 rock festival it chronicles--is something of a sprawling, disorderly, engaging mess. Issued as a box set 25 years after the counterculture tribal gathering, it amasses the original three-record Woodstock set from 1970, its two-LP 1971 sequel, Woodstock II, and a generous store of previously unreleased tracks from Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, the Band, Jimi Hendrix, and others. There's plenty of chaff to go with the wheat (one is tempted to conclude John ("Far out!") Sabastian's blissed-out rant hasn't aged well, but it's just as likely most of the crowd at Yasgur's Farm would have gagged him if given half a chance, and Jefferson Airplane and Crosby, Stills & Nash clearly had better days). But Sly & the Family Stone, Joe Cocker, Santana, and Richie Havens shine, the stage patter has become part of the lexicon, and the whole package now stands as a remarkable account of a pivotal musical and cultural event. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It has the music but forgets the festival, July 2, 1999

By A Customer

I was somewhat disappointed with this boxed set which I had been looking forward to playing. Although it has much of the music from the original three record set, which I have, and from the movie, plus much more, what it lacks is the real flavor of what Woodstock was. For some inexplicable reason, they left out almost all of the stage announcements and crowd noise which, for those who were there, those who saw the movie, or even for those who wished they were there, really defined the experience. Where was the "no rain" cheer, Chip Monk of the Hog Farm announcing "breakfast in bed for four hundred thousand" or Max Yasgur's greeting of praise for the the crowd? All that was a big part of Woodstock. To just have the music ignores the event itself. I'd recommend the remastered original instead.

88 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars THE MAGIC IS MISSING, July 17, 2001

By	Avalon Don "Avalon Don" (Huntington Beach, California United States) - See all my reviews

This one of the best examples of when there is something special, don't tinker with it. What made the original Woostock albums was the music,the humor and the stage announcements. The second LP was a respectable follow up for people who couldn't get enough. The box set lacks direction and must have been a quick job to make $$$$. They should have combined both original albums with bonus tracks and a good remastering or put out cd's of all unreleased tracks sticking with old formula of mixing in funny stage and audience comments. On the box set, you get full versions of songs that came out better edited. Some artists get more songs (Creedence, Airplane) playing substandard sets and others (Santana, Ten Years After, The Who, Melanie ) who were "On" that weekend, get only one tune. A couple stand out performances from the original albums are missing like "Wooden Ships", "Birthday Of The Rain" and the stage comments. The sound quality of all Woodstock releases has always been inadequate, lacking no midrange and it's worse here. The booklet is lousy. They should have checked out "Monterey" and done their homework. Stick with the old albums, unless your a die hard Woodstock collector.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Oh It's Good...But Sure Could've Been Better! , May 12, 2005

By	M. McKay (Downey, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I got this CD box set for Christmas 1995 after I had just turned 19 years old. For years I had wanted a Woodstock collection that packed on a whole lot of the unreleased music from that three day event. Granted, I had been listening to the original two Woodstock L.P. sets since I was eleven or so and was always a bit disappointed with both of those sets. For starters, I was always pissed that on the soundtrack albums the songs were edited. On the movie I heard exciting parts in certain performances, most notably Ten Years After and Sly and the Family Stone, that were cut out for the soundtrack albums. And The Who's "Summertime Blues?" Where was it? Don't get me wrong! The original "Woodstock" three record set is awesome and is like a version of the movie all on it's own. I just wanted the movie versions of the songs on there. Then came the anniversary set that Christmas.

WHERE IS "I WANNA TAKE YOU HIGHER" BY SLY?!?!?! WHO DECIDED TO CUT THAT ONE FROM THE COLLECTION???? Could it be that the master tapes were damaged on that song? I doubt it, but I wasn't there when they were compiling this thing so I really don't know. WHY DOES JIMI'S FINAL GUITAR SOLO ON "PURPLE HAZE" FADE OUT FAR TOO EARLY??? Was there not enough room after disc four got saturated with more CSN&Y than anyone really wanted??? WHY NO STAGE ANNOUNCEMENTS EXCEPT A SECONDS WORTH SHOVED AWKWARDLY BETWEEN COUNTRY JOE AND TEN YEARS AFTER ON DISC THREE???? I wonder if he ever made it to the Information Booth? IF BOTH COUNTRY JOE AND JOHN SEBASTIAN PLAYED ON SATURDAY WHY ARE THEY CRAMMED ONTO DISC ONE??? The first day of the festival wasn't all acoustic guitars mind you. WHERE'S THE RAIN CHANT???? You wouldn't have had to put the whole thing on there (who knows how long it actually went on) but a sampling would have been nice, big part of the movie you know. THE REMASTERING COULD HAVE BETTER ON SOME OF THESE TRACKS!!! The horn section of Janis' "Work Me Lord" hurts my ears in that middle eighth break. The final "HIGHER" cries from the audience on the "Sing-a-long" sound so separated it's almost like they are digitally "sampled" instead of being on the master tape. AND NO MAX YASGUR SPEECH! I'm not even going to comment here on that one....disgraceful that.

Phew! What's good? Ten Years After ripping all eleven minutes worth of "I'm Going Home" (chicken scratching part included near the end). Johnny Winter's "Mean Town Blues," three songs from The Band's set, CCR, the full drum solo in Santana's "Soul Sacrifice" (or so we are lead to believe), a little bit of Leslie West and Mountain, "Handsome Johnny" finally seeing light of day from Richie Havens, Canned Heat doing "Leaving This Town/A Change Is Surely Gonna Come." That's all good and worth it if your a big fan of this festival. Bottom line it gets THREE stars for being a GOOD box set but not a GREAT one!

EPILOGUE - A SIX-CD BOX SET IS DUE OUT AUGUST 18TH BY RHINO RECORDS. This thing is going to be massive! BUT, there are a few slight problems with it so be just slightly forewarned. Ten Years After did not clear the full 11-minute "I'm Going Home" for inclusion on the new box set so the 25th Anniversary box is the ONLY way to get it! The new set will also not include "If I Were A Carpenter" by Tim Hardin, "Walking Down A Line" by Arlo Guthrie, or ANYTHING by The Band! Just to let you all know.