I first saw “Gimme Shelter” in 1982, when I was in high school; the mesmerizing and haunting documentary intrigued me because it clearly left many questions unanswered. The past 30+ years, I have desperately and fruitlessly searched for the missing pieces of the Altamont puzzle (even meeting a supposed Altamont attendee at a 2005 Stones concert didn’t help). Thankfully, Joel Selvin decided to fill in the blanks with his book ALTAMONT. I have never been so excited anticipating the release of a book and Selvin certainly delivered the goods.
Contrary to the sunny, optimistic hope delivered by the Woodstock Festival four months earlier, the Altamont Festival (“Woodstock West”) was dark, scary and dangerous. Simply viewing the films that document both events is all that’s needed to understand the stark contrast. While the peaceful glory of Woodstock deservedly gets an abundance of attention (because it was a miracle that will never be replicated), Altamont seems to be steeped in mystery, darkness and misperception. A concert with 300,000 attendees that involved the planet’s hottest band, the Hell’s Angels, infinite drugs/alcohol and no cops is memorable because a film of it happens to capture a killing. Unfortunately, the film isn’t enough to give viewers answers to all the how and why questions it generates. The Stones don’t talk about it, most are afraid to ask the Hells Angels about it and the Grateful Dead have sheepishly avoided any connection to it at all. Selvin meticulously puts the Altamont puzzle together in its entirety. He not only finds the missing pieces, he provides context to what we see (and don’t see) in the film, clarifies misperceptions/myths and for the first time in almost 50 years, he has provided an all-encompassing account of the event. ALTAMONT is THE go-to resource that finally solves the Altamont mystery.
What makes ALTAMONT so interesting is that Selvin attacks the subject matter with the tenacity of an otter cracking the shell of a clam. His meticulous and far-reaching research yield a gold mine of results that address and clarify much of the murkiness surrounding the formulation of the concert, how the Hells Angels really became such an integral part of the event and who ultimately bears the burden(s) of responsibility for the disaster that ensued. The most profound clarification centers on the financial situation of the Rolling Stones, who were more-or-less “broke” in 1969. When the band was called-out for exorbitant ticket prices on its 1969 US tour (a planned money-grabber) it countered with the “generous offering” of a free concert. The less altruistic reality was that the free concert would ultimately deliver a handsome payout to the band when the eventual film of the tour (culminating in the free concert) was released (prior to the release of the much-anticipated Woodstock movie). It was this ultimate greed and ego (the Stones wanted their own Woodstock moment) that lead to a series of rash and ill-informed decisions that would ultimately lead to rock’s “darkest day”. While numerous other factors come into play (the Dead’s suggestion to use the Hells Angels, the lackadaisical approach to the last-minute site choice and the myriad of self-serving individuals that inserted themselves for financial gain), in the end, Selvin paints a clear picture that the Stones apparent naiveté was part of the plan … they could simultaneously walk away from failure and ensure they were paid handsomely in the end (as they assumed all control of the big money maker … the eventual movie).
While the storyline of the organization, planning and production of the concert is interesting enough, if you’ve seen “Gimme Shelter”, you know that there is a litany of more-intriguing individual tales to be told and Selvin doesn’t disappoint. In addition to clarifying moments/scenes/individuals depicted in the movie (I never knew the meerschaum pipe smoking sweater-wearer was Timothy Leary or the creepy scene of concert-goers exiting into the darkness at the end was footage from George Lucas filming from a hill far, far away). With Selvin’s chronological account of events, we realize that not only was the movie heavily edited and misleading, but so were the press accounts. The concert was deemed deadly, but aside from the stabbing, the lethal drugs and alcohol played a bigger role in human suffering that from violence doled out by the Hells Angels. After reading ALTAMONT, readers get a clearer picture of the Angels’ role in the concert and the violence captured on film. Yes, there were moments where Angels were problematic, but much of their “activity” centered on people damaging their bikes or prospective members eager to prove their worth for active members. Selvin certainly doesn’t excuse the problems they caused, but fairly puts things in perspective and explains that most did what they were asked to do. These detailed vignettes give readers a view of concert events from ground zero … we feel the stress, the chaos and certainly the fear. Even though we know what eventually happens, it is evident that the outcome could have and should have been much worse.
ALTAMONT doesn’t simply end with the concert’s close … Selvin follows up on individuals and the repercussions faced by the major “players”, including Meredith Hunter’s girlfriend and family, as well as the man who killed Hunter. I found his post-concert research sufficiently answering all questions that lingered (at least in my mind) and I felt this is where the book really delivered. Unlike Woodstock, the media had no real interest in Altamont (save “Rolling Stone”), but the event remained a cloying issue that affected many of those involved, well into their futures. Only the Rolling Stones escaped relatively unscathed and we come to understand that that was exactly how it was planned … they set it up so everyone else would deal with the aftermath (good or bad). Selvin closes with a spot-on analysis of what it all meant and why it matters. I feel his final words satisfactorily closes the case on Altamont by giving us the full story and leaving no questions unanswered.
After reading ALTAMONT, my 30+ year craving for answers and details has finally been satisfied. While many rock n’ roll books seem to embellish and glorify events/people as a means to shock and impress readers with salacious details and stories of depravity. For Altamont the simple facts are bad enough. Thank you, Joel Selvin, for shining such a bright light on this misunderstood event.
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