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Woodstock 1969, or 1967?

 

In 1967, as The Beatles, The Stones, The Grateful Dead, The Jefferson Airplane, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, Cream, and the rest of their ilk were peddling their "psychedelic horsesh*t"---as Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun characterized Disraeli Gears after he listened to the acetate Cream had given him of their new album---to the exploding Rock music audience, there was an unheard music revolution simmering underground in Woodstock and nearby West Saugerties.

 

Bob Dylan and The Hawks spend all of 1967 getting together in a pink house on a 100 acre lot in West Saugerties, making music in the basement of the house. Hawks organist Garth Hudson set up some mics, plugged them into a Uher reel-to-reel tape recorder, and Dylan and the quartet (Hawks drummer Levon Helm left the 5-pc---heh---band in 1965, not at all caring to perform for the booing audiences they encountered on the Dylan world tour, for which Dylan had hired the Hawks. Helm was replaced by the drummer who had been working in Johnny Rivers’ band. When the second leg of the 1966 tour was cancelled, the drummer returned to work in the Los Angeles recording studios.).

 

The recordings Dylan and The Hawks made of course became known as The Basement Tapes, and they were in essence the seeds planted for the music that Dylan and The Hawks soon harvested on their own separate albums. Dylan recorded and in December of 1967 released John Wesley Harding, an album of music about as far from psychedelia as you can get. His previous 1966 album had been the amphetamine-fueled Blonde On Blonde, which absolutely bristled with kinetic energy. JWH was the opposite of BOB, in terms of both music and lyrics. He had been instrumental in creating the Counter Culture, and just as it was taking over the world of the younger generation, he turned his back on it.

 

Dylan’s manager Albert Grossman negotiated a record deal for The Hawks (they were contemplating a name change; suggestions were The Honkies, The Crackers, both of which were rejected wink). All through 1967 Hawks pianist Richard Manuel had been learning to play the drumset Dylan brought into the basement, Levon Helm still absent from the band. Helm had worked on an oil rig in the Gulf Of Mexico, then relocated to Los Angeles where he became part of the local music scene (Leon Russell, Delaney & Bonnie, etc.), giving drum lessons to make money (one of his students became the drummer in Linda Ronstadt’s first backing band.).

 

Richard Manuel was a fast study (in that year of ’67 he developed his own unique and wonderful style of drumming. He plays drums on half the songs on The Band’s second album), but The Hawks would of course need a full-time drummer. Hawks bassist Rick Danko gave Levon a call, informing him of the offer from Capitol Records of a million bucks. Levon jumped into his Corvette and drove straight to West Saugerties, and moved into the pink house.

 

The Hawks became The Band with the release of their debut album, Music From Big Pink. To say it caused quite a stir is a gross understatement (George Harrison characterized them as "the best band in the history of the universe"). That album and it’s follow up, the self-titled "brown" album, changed the course of Rock music. But that course was one not followed by all, in both terms of musicians/bands/songwriters/etc. and the audience. Led Zeppelin is the band that really took over the world, and they weren’t alone. But The Band were the most respected by their peers. A "musician’s band."

 

I say all the above to lay the foundation for the video clip below, a wonderful 36 minute film about Dylan, The Band, and Woodstock the town. It is entitled "What Really Happened To Woodstock’s Americana Movement Of The 1960’s", and I think you will find it worth your time to watch.

 

https://youtu.be/8MDcnoLgLxg?si=FS7EBR484pQkQkMt

 

128x128bdp24
bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,945 posts
 

 

You’ll notice that after hearing Music From Big Pink, Clapton himself no longer wanted to do what Cream did, told Jack and Ginger it was over, and made a pilgrimage to West Saugerties, sitting around waiting for The Band to let him play rhythm guitar. When he finally realized that wasn’t going to happen, he went on the road with Delaney & Bonnie, the next best thing.

Clapton’s best friend George Harrison---not a guy easily impressed---made his comment about them. Okay, I’ll repeat it: "The best band in the history of the universe." George had a higher consciousness than I, so I’ll have to take his word on that. wink

Ringo and Ron Wood were dying to play with The Band, and were allowed to get up on stage for the jam at the end of The Last Waltz. Do you hear how bad Ringo sounds? That’s partly because you’ve just heard Levon Helm playing.

 

I saw The Dead in the Summer of ’67. They sounded like an average Garage Band to me. The Airplane followed them on stage, and were quite an improvement. But like almost all the San Francisco guitarists, Jorma used waaay too much finger vibrato. The only two SF guitarists I liked were Jerry Miller (Moby Grape) and Terry Haggerty (The Sons Of Champlin), Not coincidentally, Moby Grape and The Sons were the two best SF bands. IMO, as always. I couldn’t care less if you agree or disagree.

I saw both Cream and Hendrix twice each in ’67 and ’68. Liked them the first time, not so much the second. Hendrix’s second was notible for the fact that Jimi seemed quite bored, like he was ready to move on to something else. I didn’t see Buddy Miles with Hendrix, but I did see him with Mike Bloomfield, in The Electric Flag in the summer of ’68. OMG, awesome! I felt bad for the doors, who had to follow the Flag on stage. I saw Janis and Big Brother, who were by far the worst "big time" band I’ve ever seen. Terr-i-ble. If you don’t like hearing that, you can quit reading this whenever you want.

The Who with Keith Moon? NOW yer talkin’! Saw them in ’68 and ’69. By the way, Pete Townshend is quite vocal in his distain for The Dead.

 

As for me, most of the music from the hippie-era bands now sounds comically dated. Just as bell bottoms look silly, except on hot chicks. But I also have no use for David Bowie, the last 50 years of The Stones, The Velvet Underground, U2, R.E.M., or Nirvana. But I love AC/DC! I could go on quite a bit longer, buy that’s enough for now.

 

Note to the "displeased": No offense, but this thread wasn’t intended for guys like you. It’s for those deeply interested in the Americana genre. That’s the field The Band toiled in. NRBQ is another great, great band.

 

rpeluso
1,085 posts
 

Oh boy, I was ready to ignore, but this is hard to ignore.  The smugness, the hubris, the sense of "I'm right, listen to me and learn young man", its way too much.  Why not write these things to yourself and feel better?  Why preach, all the time?  Just stop.  

dekay's avatar
dekay
5,669 posts
 

Beads, beards, bell bottoms

No underwear

Ear rings by the pair

How square

Who cares

 

DeKay

winoguy17
1,158 posts
 

 I enjoyed it bdp24, thanks for posting. I live in Hurley, adjoining town to Woodstock, been here since 67. Physically the town looks very similar today, but the whole vibe has been touristy hipsters from NYC for a long time. A show at Levon Helms barn is one of the few reasons I go there anymore.

stuartk
3,017 posts
 

@bdp24

We get that you hold The Band above all others and that you have a low opinion not only of 60’s psychedelic Rock but of (as you recently opined) 70’s Rock as well.

The thing is, many of us enjoy The Band, AND 60’s psychedelic Rock AND 70’s Rock and see no reason to choose. Yet you continue to hammer us with the same message, like some sort of evangelist. We understand; we simply don’t agree with the hierarchy you insist upon.

I’m glad you’re a regular contributor and as we share a fondness for Americana music, I’m definitely interested in learning more about The Band. However, when such information is always paired with denigration of other musicians whom I also cherish, I’m more inclined to take a pass. Why not simply present the former and leave out the latter?

 

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