Thread: woodstock
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Old 12.11.2009, 22:26
Johnny Chicago Johnny Chicago is offline
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Here's my 5 minute review of their performance at Woodstock:

It's very difficult but also very easy to understand why CCR won't let their performance footage be used or seen some 40+ years after the event that some people have claimed was a pivotal moment for so many bands.

I have a bootleg of the performance - and must have been recorded off the soundboards or right onstage cause their sound is AWFULLY close - and to be honest, it wasn't one of their best.

I know i'm committing some kind of sacrilege here by knocking one of the greatest 60's & 70's bands of all time, but it has to be said. the music is rushed, even the long numbers, and John is constantly complaining throughout their set about some technical error that the rest of Woodstock must have heard.

By the way, their set clocks in at just under 45 minutes, and once again, their sound is very amateurish. Yes, they were pretty much rushed onstage after the usual 9-year long set by The Grateful Dead went over (big surprise), it was late at night, the hippie types were all partied out, and as can be heard on the bootleg, at least a few of The Great Unwashed clapped and cheered a bit after each song.

Now here is the setlist, according to my recording:
  1. Born on the Bayou
  2. Green River
  3. Ninety-Nine and a Half
  4. Bootleg
  5. Commotion
  6. Bad Moon Rising
  7. Proud Mary
  8. I Put a Spell on You
  9. The Night Time Is the Right Time
  10. Keep on Chooglin'
  11. Suzy Q (their encore song)
Now, given that they were given zero time to prepare, it was late, the crowd was mostly asleep, and John was upset about a lousy setup onstage, they still rocked the hell out of those dirty hippies.

The song choices were right, Suzy Q goes on for 9 minutes alone, and it seemed even after all of the stuff that went against them, they still soldiered on and played their hearts out. By the end of the set, the hipsters were wide awake and they can be heard screaming for more.

I give their performance 2 1/2 stars - not their best, not their worst.

Now John has remarked that he hated this concert, and would never let it be seen forever. As of late 2009, a few performances have leaked out, and of course I've got the bootleg, and you can too as it's easily attainable online pretty much anywhere.

It would be a real shame that those of us who'd like to hear the entire set, digitally remastered, or at least in better sound (my bootleg is pretty crappy to decent in spots, so don't expect much yourself) will probably never get that chance.

As Jimi Hendrix's entire Woodstock appearance still hasn't been put out there, CCR's is much more overlooked as it doesn't exist anywhere (except illegally) and John & Co. are still alive and can rectifiy their error and put it out there...

Even if it's not the best of them, it's still CCR at Woodstock, doing the best that they can.

Thanks for reading.
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