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Plato

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Various Artists - The Dutch Woodstock (1970 us/uk/nl, psych blues folk prog rock, classic documentary, two CD plus DVD box set)


Woodstock and Altamont pretty much covered what can go right and what can go wrong at a large rock festival in America. Meanwhile, over in Europe, music festivals began cropping up left and right, with varying degrees of success. The Isle of Wight, Bath and Lincoln festivals in 1969 and 1970 brought together some of the biggest names of the day. And then there was the 1970 Kralingen Music Festival in Rotterdam. Amongst the range of popular British and American artists were some wildly eclectic acts, many shrouded in obscurity that belied their talents. The three-day festival, infused with marijuana and optional clothing, was alternately know as the Holland Pop Festival and Stamping Ground (!). Now with highlights captured on a double-CD, single DVD set, you might as well just call it The Dutch Woodstock.

From America, you had Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, Santana and Country Joe — all original Woodstock veterans — along with the Byrds, It's A Beautiful Day, Dr. John and the Flock. The British artists included Pink Floyd, T-Rex, Al Stewart, Soft Machine, East of Eden, Quintessence and Family. So, there was this mix of psychedelic blues and progressive rock for the 120,000 people to groove on. The two CDs feature what is apparently the best of what they could put together, seemingly from numerous sources and locations. Three rough and ready blues acts — Cuby & The Blizzards, Canned Heat and Livin' Blues — start it off before Al Stewart steps up and plucks out "Zero She Flies" before an audience of what sounds like three or four. Maybe six.

The whirlwind prog of Quintessence and East of Eden (or maybe it would be Family's Roger Chapman and his piercing vocals on "Drowned In Wine") could make your head spin in either ecstasy or muckiness, depending on how weird and out-there you want to get. One can only imagine the audience's reaction to Soft Machine's "Esther's Nose Job." Then again, when you have Pink Floyd headlining — and they were brewing up their own batch of quirkiness with "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" and "A Saucerful Of Secrets" — you have to pepper the bill with similar groups. Which, of course, does nothing to explain the addition of the San Francisco groups.

At this point in time, Santana was on fire, and their blast through "Gumbo" is most definitely on par with their "Soul Sacrifice" performance at Woodstock. It's A Beautiful Day, known mostly for their breezy hit, "White Bird," unleash a fiery psychedelic jam on "Wasted Union Blues" (singer Patti Santos was just as alluring as Grace Slick). Country Joe plays it safe on the acoustic "Freedom" (no "Fixin' To Die" for this crowd), while Jefferson Airplane soars on "White Rabbit" and "The Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil." All in all, it's easy to see that each of these artists, since Woodstock, had become a little more weathered and professional.

The best part about this set is the DVD, a 97-minute film that vividly captures the event in all its psychedelic glory. The close-ups on Santana, Pink Floyd and Soft Machine, among others, are intense and as well edited as the Woodstock film. However, watching Al Stewart strumming away on "Zero She Flies" (yes, there are more than six people in the audience) or seeing It's A Beautiful Day jam out on "Wasted Union Blues" in the midst of a windy rain storm certainly gives one a better sense of the festival and its surroundings. Well that, and the numerous non-musical interludes that portray the concert as the idyllic, hedonistic utopia of the early 70s. Without seeing everything, you're almost led to believe The Dutch Woodstock is everything the original Woodstock set out to be and more. Oh, what heady days they were.
by Shawn Perry


Video DVD
1. Santana - Gumbo
2. Al Stewart - Zero She Flies
3. Canned Heat - Human Condition
4. The World's in Tango/So Sad
5. Quintessence - Giants
6. Jefferson Airplane - Won't You Try Saturday Afternoon
7. It's A Beautiful Day - Bulgaria
8. T.Rex - By The Light of the Magical Moon
9. The Byrds - Old Blue
10.The Flock - Big Bird
11.Soft Machine - Esther's Nose Job
12.Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit/The Ballad of You and Me and Pooniel
13.Santana - Savor/Jingo
14.Pink Floyd - A Saucerful of Secrets


Tracks 
Disc 1
1. Cuby And The Blizzards - Dust My Blues - 4:45
2. Canned Heat - Human Condition - 3:08
3. Canned Heat - So Sad - 5:31
4. Livin' Blues - Big Road Blues - 2:41
5. Al Stewart - Zero She Flies - 2:19
6. Quintessence - Giants - 2:38
7. East of Eden - The Sun of East - 15:49
8. East of Eden - Irish Theme - 3:19
9. Country Joe - Freedom - 3:54
10.Dr John - Mardis Gras Day - 4:31
11.Family - Drowned in Wine - 4:28


Disc 2
1. Santana - Gumbo - 3:57
2. Santana - Savor - 4:28
3. Santana - Jingo - 4:28
4. Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit - 2:18
5. Jefferson Airplance - The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil - 3:02
6. It's a Beautiful Day - Wasted Union Blues - 7:23
7. It's a Beautiful Day - Bulgaria - 4:01
8. T.Rex - By The Light of the Magical Moon - 3:18
9. The Byrds - Old Blue - 3:35
10. The Flock - Big Bird - 4:49
11. Soft Machine - Esther's Nose Job - 6:03
12. Pink Floyd - Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun - 3:42
13. Pink Floyd - A Saucerful of Secrets - 6:21

Free Text
the Free Text

35 comments:

  1. Excellent, I had thought that Fotheringay had performed at this festival, but maybe I'm wrong. Good to hear Soft Machine.

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  2. Many thanks for the huge post! I'm only interested in the dvd though...

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  3. The video WOULD be great, except that it is "RATIO" SQUISHED VERTICALLY. Is there any way to get a non ratio- altered version?
    Thanx.........

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  4. Thanks very much for this. Timmy, I haven't seen the DVD yet, but your TV may have an aspect ratio adjustment that should help you.

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  5. Many thanks Marios!Can you upload it in dvd format please?

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  6. Blimey! I was there and NOW I remember something of it at last!

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  7. Files 2 to 4 for the DVD do not unzip?. Message wrong password. Entered xara, as always. Any advice?
    File 1 open ok.
    Thanks
    Jorge

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  8. Thanks for the chance to haer this one.

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  9. I heard about this festival when it was over, so I missed this one. Thank you Marios for providing this unique document!

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  10. Great witness of an era, the evolution of the movie "Stamping Ground", I hope the same work (2CD+DVD) for the movie "Supershow". Many thanks Marios

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  11. Why is it in avi format but it says DVD? Can you upload it in dvd format please?

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  12. I was at the festival,three days of fun and beautiful music.Highlights for me ,Canned heat,Santana,Byrds,Dr John,Mungo Jerry!!!,Soft machine and last but not least Pink Floyd!!
    http://arthurfromholland.blogspot.nl/2008/01/holland-popfestivalkralingen-1970-deel1.html
    More great music on :
    Arthur,s Musical Journey
    http://arthurfromholland.blogspot.com/

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  13. Wow, this is a great share, Marios! Thanks for posting such fine compilations.

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  14. YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS
    and i found him this xmas morning right here at ROKASTERIA.
    thanks a lot for the great christmas presents i got here today.
    MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY, AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

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  15. Hi, the links seem to be dead.
    Could you kindly reup?
    Thanks in advance,
    Henry

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  16. I can see the txt files, both (the same links)
    dfiles seems to be the problem (outdated maybe?)it won't let me dld.
    Is there any possibility to upload to another sever?
    greetings,
    Henry

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  17. Henry,
    links are working pretty fine,
    but in any case I'll re up in another hoster,
    I presume you want the lossless files?

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  18. Only the audio in lossless would be great,
    thank you,
    Henry

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  19. thanks much, marios

    -psyker

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  20. Great! this worked out
    thank you so much,
    Henry

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  21. thanks so much, this footage is the stuff my dreams are made of

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  22. hi,


    Can you please re-up part 2, 3 and 4 . Only part one I can open. When I try to open the other parts I get the message that the next volume is required...

    Thanks in advance

    Robert

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  23. Robert, all four parts must be in the same file, not in separate folders.

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  24. Hi Marios,
    You divide it into 4 parts, so I download 4 parts, and I have to open 4 parts of which 3 parts do not open because of the announcement "next volume is required ".... So i think it is better that you upload it into 1 part. That is possible with D files. You can upload more than 1 gb at one time.
    Regards, Robert

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  25. Robert, I've just downloaded and extract these specific files and haven't found any problems, but in any case if you can add your e-mail here, I can send it to you in One file.

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  26. How do I download the dvd? I saw this back in 1971 or 72 and have been hoping to see it again ever since.

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  27. MikeF, click upon Free Text and you will find the path to vision...

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  28. I've just seen the boxset in a second hand store for 15 €. But the sound isn't the best I've heard. Buy or not buy?

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  29. Thanks for the "Dutch Woodstock" set! I saw the movie a million years ago and remember a fierce "Drowned in Wine" by Family. Really looking forward to hearing the long East of Eden track, assuming it doesn't hide a 10-minute drum solo.

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