50th Anniversary Experience draws from the same mixes producer Andy Zax
and sound producer Brian Kehew assembled for the 38-disc box, mixes that
differ from the 2009 box. Like the 2009 set, this 2019 box follows the
same chronological order, opening with Richie Havens and closing with
Hendrix. Zax’s decision not to sweeten or fix the original tapes doesn’t
mean the set sounds rocky. On the contrary, the sound is vivid and
alive, lending a kinetic kick to both rock bands and folk singers, yet
it still sounds like a document of a specific time and place. Its
documentary elements are the most attractive element of 50th Anniversary
Experience, even in this truncated form, the festival unspools at the
pace it did in August 1969, touching upon every artist on the bill and
filling in narrative details with stage patter. Ten Years After and the
Band chose not to participate in the 2009 set, nor was the Keef Hartley
Band present, but all three are included here among the fifty-plus
tracks making their official debut on this box.
While there are gems to be heard among these rarities — gems coming from
both cult figures like Bert Sommer and heavy hitters like Janis Joplin
and the Who — the appeal of 50th Anniversary Experience lies in its
cumulative impact. Listening to the set gain momentum as it turns from
hippie folk to over-amplified psychedelia and rock & roll, with its
pace sometimes slowed by the rantings of John Morris and Chip Monk,
seems as ungainly and wooly as attending a three-day musical festival.
It also has the side effect of puncturing some long-held myths
cultivated by both Michael Wadleigh’s 1970 film and decades of chatter.
For instance, both the Grateful Dead and Creedence Clearwater Revival
sets are much better than their reputation suggests, while the whole
weekend sounds exploratory and adventurous in a way that years of
nostalgia have obscured. It’s that latter revelation that makes
Woodstock: Back to the Garden (50th Anniversary Experience) worthwhile
even for the skeptics: the comprehensive nature changes our perception
of an event we all thought we already knew.
Day 1
1. Richie Havens – Hello [01:14]
2. Richie Havens – From the Prison / Get Together / From the Prison [04:30]
3. Richie Havens – High Flying Bird [04:22]
4. Richie Havens – With a Little Help from My Friends [03:28]
5. Richie Havens – Handsome Johnny [04:47]
6. Richie Havens – Freedom [05:12]
7. John Morris – It Seems There Are a Few Cars Blocking the Road [00:38]
8. Sweetwater – Look Out [04:02]
9. Sweetwater – Day Song [01:51]
10. Sweetwater – Two Worlds [06:12]
11. Bert Sommer – Jennifer [03:03]
12. Bert Sommer – And When It’s Over [03:05]
13. Bert Sommer – America [03:28]
14. Bert Sommer – Smile [04:13]
15. John Morris – Let’s See How Bright It Can Be [02:53]
16. Tim Hardin – How Can We Hang On to a Dream [04:04]
17. Tim Hardin – If I Were a Carpenter [05:17]
18. Tim Hardin – Reason to Believe [04:25]
19. Tim Hardin – Misty Roses [04:32]
20. John Morris – We’re a Pretty Big City Right Now [03:57]
21. John Morris – Somebody, Somewhere Is Giving Out Some Flat Blue Acid [00:49]
22. Ravi Shankar – Raga Manj Kmahaj [17:46]
23. Melanie – Momma Momma [03:43]
24. Melanie – Beautiful People [03:59]
25. Melanie – Mr. Tambourine Man [02:22]
26. Melanie – Birthday of the Sun [03:35]
27. John Morris – It’s a Free Concert from Now On [01:30]
28. Arlo Guthrie – Coming Into Los Angeles [03:24]
29. Arlo Guthrie – Lotta Freaks! [00:34]
30. Arlo Guthrie – Wheel of Fortune [02:28]
31. Arlo Guthrie – Walking Down the Line [04:25]
32. Arlo Guthrie – Every Hand in the Land [01:46]
33. John Morris – Let’s Just Make the Festival, Not the Other Stuff [00:43]
34. Joan Baez – The Last Thing On My Mind [03:50]
35. Joan Baez – I Shall Be Released [03:45]
36. Joan Baez – He Already Had a Very, Very Good Hunger Strike Going [02:58]
37. Joan Baez – Joe Hill [02:44]
38. Joan Baez – Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man (feat. Jeffrey Shurtleff) [02:45]
39. John Morris – That Brings Us Fairly Close to the Dawn [00:52]
Day 2
1. John Morris – I guess the reason we’re here is music [00:36]
2. Quill – They Live The Life [08:17]
3. Quill – That’s How I Eat [05:29]
4. Chip Monck – Can those of you in the back hear well? [01:45]
5. Country Joe McDonald – Janis [02:48]
6. Country Joe McDonald – Donovan’s Reef [04:03]
7. Country Joe McDonald – The “Fish” Cheer / I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag [05:06]
8. Chip Monck – Those wishing to be lost, those wishing to be found [00:27]
9. Santana – Savor [05:22]
10. Santana – Jingo [05:15]
11. Santana – Persuasion [03:51]
12. Santana – Soul Sacrifice [11:53]
13. Chip Monck – An exciting set is understandable [00:12]
14. John Sebastian – How Have You Been [05:59]
15. John Sebastian – Rainbows All Over Your Blues [03:41]
16. John Sebastian – I Had A Dream [03:35]
17. John Sebastian – Darling Be Home Soon [04:25]
18. Keef Hartley Band – Halfbreed Medley: Sinning for You / Leaving Trunk / Just to Cry / Sinning for You [17:55]
19. Chip Monck – Bring Jerry’s nitroglycerin pills to the Indian Pavilion [01:56]
20. Chip Monck – Go to Mr. Lang’s office right away [01:13]
21. The Incredible String Band – Invocation [01:40]
22. The Incredible String Band – The Letter [05:31]
23. The Incredible String Band – Gather ‘Round [05:04]
24. The Incredible String Band – When You Find Out Who You Are [09:24]
25. Chip Monck & Hugh Romney – If things aren’t going well for you or whatever [02:44]
26. Canned Heat – Going Up the Country [04:44]
27. Canned Heat – Woodstock Boogie [29:00]
28. Bob Hite & Chip Monck – Can we have a little juice on this other microphone, please? [01:25]
29. Canned Heat – On The Road Again [10:51]
30. Chip Monck – It’s your own trip [02:03]
31. Chip Monck – We’ll take care of that right away [02:28]
32. Mountain – Theme For An Imaginary Western [05:02]
33. Mountain – Long Red [05:43]
34. Mountain – Who Am I But You and the Sun (For Yasgur’s Farm) [03:53]
35. Mountain – Southbound Train [06:15]
36. Chip Monck & Joshua White – Open your eyes wide [02:27]
37. Ken Babbs – So many people have been able to participate in such a debacle [01:27]
38. The Grateful Dead – Mama Tried [02:38]
39. Ken Babbs, Country Joe McDonald – It’s a sinister plot! [04:08]
40. The Grateful Dead – Dark Star [19:16]
41. The Grateful Dead – High Time [06:15]
42. John Morris – You’re carrying Janis’ wah-wah pedals [01:52]
43. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River [03:15]
44. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising [02:12]
45. Creedence Clearwater Revival – I Put a Spell On You [04:22]
46. Chip Monck – It’s going to be a very long evening [01:02]
47. Janis Joplin – To Love Somebody [05:17]
48. Janis Joplin – Kozmic Blues [04:52]
49. Janis Joplin – Piece of My Heart [03:54]
50. Janis Joplin – Music’s for grooving, man [01:32]
51. Janis Joplin – Ball And Chain [06:25]
52. Chip Monck – Just in case you should get any ideas about leaving [00:39]
53. Sly And The Family Stone – Medley: Everyday People / Dance To The Music / Music Lover / I Want To Take You Higher [22:29]
54. Abbie Hoffman & stagehand – Are you supposed to be up there rapping? No, man [00:33]
55. The Who – I Can’t Explain [02:22]
56. The Who – Pinball Wizard [02:53]
57. Abbie Hoffman & Pete Townshend – I can dig it [00:28]
58. The Who – We’re Not Gonna Take It [08:57]
59. The Who – Shakin’ All Over [04:42]
60. The Who – My Generation [07:10]
61. Chip Monck – Welcome this new day [00:52]
62. Jefferson Airplane – The Other Side of This Life [08:26]
63. Jefferson Airplane – Somebody To Love [04:23]
64. Jefferson Airplane – Let’s play it out of tune [00:10]
65. Jefferson Airplane – 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds [05:27]
66. Jefferson Airplane – Won’t You Try / Saturday Afternoon [05:09]
67. Jefferson Airplane – We got a whole lot of orange and it was fine [00:29]
68. Jefferson Airplane – Plastic Fantastic Lover [04:28]
69. Jefferson Airplane – Volunteers [03:00]
Day 3
1. Hugh Romney – If you’re too tired to chew, pass it on [02:18]
2. John Morris – The roads are fairly clear now [01:06]
3. Max Yasgur – This is the largest group of people ever assembled in one place [02:33]
4. Joe Cocker – Dear Landlord [08:06]
5. Joe Cocker – Feelin’ Alright [06:00]
6. Joe Cocker – Let’s Go Get Stoned [06:52]
7. Joe Cocker – Hitchcock Railway [06:02]
8. Joe Cocker – With a Little Help from My Friends [08:17]
9. John Morris, Barry Melton, Rainstorm & Audience – Isn’t the rain beautiful? [05:34]
10. Country Joe and The Fish – Rock & Soul Music [02:10]
11. Country Joe and The Fish – Love [03:01]
12. Country Joe and The Fish – Silver And Gold [04:46]
13. Country Joe and The Fish – Rock & Soul Music (Reprise) [12:25]
14. Ten Years After – Help Me [15:35]
15. Ten Years After – I’m Going Home [12:18]
16. Chip Monck – Come down and say hello to us [01:31]
17. The Band – Chest Fever [05:34]
18. The Band – Tears Of Rage [05:34]
19. The Band – This Wheel’s On Fire [03:55]
20. The Band – I Shall Be Released [03:37]
21. The Band – The Weight [04:36]
22. Chip Monck – We’ve just had a slight change in running order [00:28]
23. Chip Monck – It’s really a drag [00:53]
24. Johnny Winter – Leland Mississippi Blues [05:11]
25. Johnny Winter – Mean Town Blues [10:55]
26. Johnny Winter – Johnny B. Goode[05:24]
27. Chip Monck – It just doesn’t seem to be necessary [01:01]
28. Blood Sweat & Tears – More And More [02:55]
29. Blood Sweat & Tears – Spinning Wheel [04:47]
30. Blood Sweat & Tears – Smiling Phases [10:06]
31. Blood Sweat & Tears – You’ve Made Me So Very Happy [04:52]
32. Crosby, Stills & Nash – Tell ’em who we are, man [00:58]
33. Crosby, Stills & Nash – Suite: Judy Blue Eyes [08:36]
34. Crosby, Stills & Nash – Blackbird [02:43]
35. Crosby, Stills & Nash – Marrakesh Express [02:52]
36. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Sea Of Madness [03:17]
37. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Wooden Ships [06:43]
38. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Bummer! [01:01]
39. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – 49 Bye-Byes [05:17]
40. The Butterfield Blues Band – No Amount of Loving [06:02]
41. The Butterfield Blues Band – Love March [11:02]
42. The Butterfield Blues Band – Everything’s Gonna Be Alright [09:20]
43. Chip Monck & Sha Na Na – Test [01:19]
44. Sha Na Na – Get a Job [02:26]
45. Sha Na Na – Come Go with Me [02:30]
46. Sha Na Na – Silhouettes [02:55]
47. Sha Na Na – At Tthe Hop [02:56]
48. Sha Na Na – Duke of Earl[01:58]
49. Sha Na Na – Get a Job (Reprise) [00:24]
50. Chip Monck – Thank you for making all this possible [01:39]
51. Jimi Hendrix – Hear My Train A Comin’ [09:10]
52. Jimi Hendrix – Izabella [04:46]
53. Jimi Hendrix – The Star-Spangled Banner [13:37]
54. Chip Monck – Good wishes, good day, and a good life [03:30]
