Customer Reviews

Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This isn't your run-of-the-mill concert video packed with edited performances. This is loaded with performances from the original (and, as far as I'm concerned, the ONLY) three-day festival of peace, love, and music. (...)it's loaded with interviews of kids coming into town for the festival, enjoying it, and leaving it (I felt really sorry for the cleanup crew). A lot of the time, it's a split screen so you'll find yourself using the rewind button quite often to catch anything you may have missed.

Interesting to find out that Woodstock was the second performance for Crosby, Stills, and Nash (in the days before Young). Ritchie Havens was out of sight, Jimi Hendrix far out, and Country Joe McDonald a blast. Rock and roll and folk music came together for a once-in-a-lifetime event that could never be duplicated (why did people botther trying?) and, truth be told, I'm deeply jealous of the people who were there.

The coolest part of all was when Max Yasgur, owner of the farm the festival was held on, got on stage and said that Woodstock was proof that young people could get together and have three days of peace, love, and music and nothing but three days of peace, love and music.

This video is a first hand glimpse into the turmoil that was the 1960's (e.g. older people arguing amongst themselves that the festival was wrong because the young kids were having sex and getting high while others thought it better that they were there instead of being in Viet Nam). You can feel the tension and the too cool atmosphere of the festival through the TV.

Ah, nothing like the 1960's. What a decade!

This documentary was brilliantly filmed. The split screen although not new to filming was a great was to show how much was going on at once. The music made my feet tap and my head bounce, it was great. It captured the mood and feelings of the young people of America trying to break through old ways. The first Woodsotck was the best most creative, spirtual, and nonviolent of all time. There will never be another repeat. I can watch it over and over and never get sick of seeing a culture changing infront of me!

No words can describe how wonderfully this film has captured the moment in the event which defined the Hippie Movement, which amazed the world by truley and fully living up to its catch phrase: "Three days of peace, love, and music", and which made those who did not attend wonder what they were thinking.
The music, first and foremost, is truley wonderful. Spectacular performances by CSN, Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Ten Years After, Richie Havens and so many more. I most especially enjoy watching Joe Cocker's rendition of "With A Little Help From My Friends". His voice and the energy which radiates from him as he performs is truley mesmerizing. And of course who could forget Jimi Hendrix famous performance where he tore up his guitar with his captivating version of the National Anthem. I also love Country Joe's performance of "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag". A wonderful performance, it truley captivates the peace and love of the event as, toward the end of the song he encourages the audience to stand and sing to end the war...and the majority of the 500,000 or so audience members stand and sing along.
But it's not just the music that make's this film wonderful. The film show's the organization of the event, the building of the stage etc... We meet the people who made the event possible. And when the people begin to enter the site without paying for tickets....and the producers realize how much money they've lost...they shrug it off and say that they don't mind because the event and the people loving eachother and sharing everything is such a beautiful thing...and that the money doesn't matter. Do producers of rock concerts (or producers of anything for that matter) ever say that money doesn't matter these days? It truley shows what a wonderful generation it was. The audience is beautiful as well, everyone being themselves, everyone having a good time and sharing the experience that was the last bang (and what a bang it was) for the Hippie Movement.

this is the best of the hippie festivals of the 60's/early 70's.

unlike others they show the full performance of the artists, not to mention interviews with actual people who attended and a few artist.

this is definitly a piece of history and a good buy.

Having been born in 1980, I missed the original Woodstock concert by 11 years (plus about another 18 as that's probably how old I would have been to go to a concert like that). However, through my constant viewing of VH1's special, I have become a huge fan of the music of that era. While I love listening to the music of Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix and such, what I have always longed for is a chance to actually watch them perform. While seeing them perform live is highly unlikely (seeing as how Jimi and Janis have been dead for 30 years and JA did their big reunion a decade ago), watching this documentary is about the best chance I'm going to get. While I would have loved to have been there in person, one thing that I love about this movie is the view that you get. From seeing Ritchie Havens' foot tapping during "Freedom" to watching the expressions on the faces of JA's Grace Slick and Marty Balin as they traded leads on "Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon"), you definitely have the best seat in the house when you watch this movie. I watched the entire video in one sitting, glued to the t.v. the whole time (except when I got up to dance to Santana's "Soul Sacrifice"). From the interviews with the townspeople to the interviews with the hippies (my fav was the one with the stoned guy as he walked out of the Port-a-Sans) to the incredible music, I think this documentary captures the event very well. The only complaint that I have is not having more footage of the live performances. I would have loved to have seen Sweetwater at their best or Grace Slick belting out "Somebody to Love" or "White Rabbit". Maybe someday they'll release separate video versions of the individual sets played by the artists...that'd be awesome! In the meantime, buy and watch this video...you'll have a great time!!

Without question this was a landmark movie. Some of the greatest acts in rock and roll were able to perform in this movie. The movie going fan was able to see the Who,Joe Cocker,Janis Joplin,Jimi Hendrix,Sly and the Family Stone, Richie Havens, John Sebastian and the Loving Spoonful as well as many other up and coming stars in the world of music. The music in the movie was very good. The on the scene footage was also well shot. You were able to see Woodstock from every perspective
in this movie. That this video is till available 32 years later
is a testament to this event. Buy this and watch it. It is a collector's item.

In a time when music videos have reached epic high-tech proportions twenty-four hours a day with the flick of a switch it was a delightful afternoon for me as I sat back to re-visit a piece of high-life history with the jaundiced eye of the political cynic. I loved this video. I loved the music. Indeed, I studied the undercurrent, with the interest of political science as I've been studying it, in hopes of gaining more insight, and I did. I also had fun, and I'm sure I will have fun every time I watch it. Why is it that everyone looks so YOUNG? (sigh) From Arlo Guthrie to Richie Havens to Joan Baez to Carlos Santana to Janis Joplin to Sly and the Family Stone ah, youth is wasted on the young! And the side interviews and shots of young people wading their way through the crowds, and the over riding theme of peace, love and anti-war...anti-capitalism as well, which more recent Woodstocks have not been able to copy. Woodstock I still has much to teach us, it's not just a walk down memory lane. If you do decide to pick this up, I can only hope you have as much fun with it as I am!

I like the expanded version better than the original because we finally get to see Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane performing in the movie. Where the director and I disagree is Melanie's brilliant solo "Birthday of the Sun" belongs in the picture, not in "Lost Performances". As far as the rest of the flick for those unfamiliar or need a refresher. Richie Havens opens the festival with maybe the fastest rhythm guitar work on record - "Freedom". Joan Baez high octave reaches the evening skies - "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". Crosby, Stills and Nash being scared bleep-bleep - "Suite Judy Blue Eyes". John Sebastian, the ultimate hippie in all tye-dye - "Younger Generation". Country Joe's anti-war sing-a-long fires up the crowd - "I-Feel-Like- I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag". Joe Cocker singing while pretending to play an instrument - "With A little Help From My Friends". Santana bringing the "Street Sound" on "Soul Sacrifice" as a bunch of unknowns. The Who delivering their circus-like show - "Summertime Blues". The dancing "Big Bear"of Canned Heat blues rocking um' on "A Change Is Gonna' Come. Comical Sha-Na-Na who don't fit in - "At The Hop". Arlo Guthrie talking about alot of freaks and singing about a custom man - "Coming Into Los Angeles". Ten Years After updating 50's, early 60's rock in triple split screen fine form - "I'm Going Home". Sly And The Family Stone outrageous funk rock bringng the night audience to its feet- "I Want To Take You Higher". Jimi Hendrix shocking just about everybody doing the "Star Spangled Banner" with a heavy dose of feedback. The film performances were so good, it became the MTV of its time, creating arena rock for the majority of the players about a year later. The other key non-music moments were remarks by the concert organizers before and during the festival. Wavy Gravy, hog farm leader serving breakast for over 300,000. Periodic funny stage announcements in hippie language. The pro and con opinions from the nearby residents of Bethel, N.Y. Land owner Max Yasgur addressing and thanking the crowd. The down to earth port-o-san cleaning man talking about his own kid in the Vietnam War. Drenching thunderstorms, heavy use of pot, audience comments and skinny-dipping, happy crowd swimming at the nearby lake. Quite simply a three day phenomenon that will never happen again. Well packaged for movie viewing. Woodstock was the ultimate free festival in a sea of mud.

Like others, I truly wish I had been there in person. This film helps, but it also makes me want more. To see so many fine artists, from Sha Na Na and Joe Cocker to Santana appear for just a song seems like we were cheated. The film usually presents entire songs,albeit with lots of cutaways, but in my humble opinion, it does not let the music dominate.

Maybe being there, the music was background, with this new "nation" of freaks, radicals, etc. gathering together. Just organizing and meeting basic needs (food, toilets, etc.) was a big challenge. But those in attendance certainly did not pick up after themselves, as they were urged to do by John Sebastian and others.

The film is a bargain at any price. It will take you back to a time when almost anything seemed possible --and idealists thought new forms of community and sharing might rise up and become institutions. With appropriate musical background and stimulation of course.

Will there every be another "Woodstock" like that, or have we all changed too much, and the world changed too much? NOT---
One of these hot, humid summers, another authentic Woodstock will arise in some remote farmyard, and we'll again hear all those classic groups from the 1960s rocking and booming and pushing us to new heights. And maybe we can change the world!!!

I was one of the "lucky" ones who attended Woodstock. I was only 16 and was somewhat of a nerd. The only illegal substance I ingested was pot, but my purpose here is to review the movie and not to write a narrative of my personal experience there. For those of you who weren't there, you'll be happy to know that this movie really does capture the true essence of Woodstock. Considering the weather conditions and how difficult it was to get remotely close to the stage area, I can safely say that I enjoyed watching the movie more than I did being there. I agree with many of the previous reviewers in that there were many glaring omissions of certain bands and there were simply too many great performances that didn't make the film. Santana, The Who, and Canned Heat performed sets that were worthy of being seen in their entirety, and many other bands deserved much more screen time. I think Michael Wadleigh did an excellent job of giving the viewer an idea of what it was like to be at Woodstock, but many of the comments of the people there were overly long and should have been pared down or deleted. Still in all, watching this movie gives you a good idea of what it was like to be at Woodstock, and you don't have to slip in the mud or shiver in the cold.