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**Woodstock: Music From The Original Soundtrack And More** - Various Artists
★★★★☆

Forty-plus years on, the mud has long since dried, the brown acid warnings have faded to folklore, and Max Yasgur's farm has returned to pastoral anonymity. Yet the sonic testament to those three days of peace, love, and music continues to reverberate through the collective consciousness like feedback from Hendrix's Stratocaster. This sprawling document of the most mythologised festival in rock history remains both a time capsule and a living, breathing entity that captures lightning in a mason jar.

The road to Bethel, New York, was paved with countercultural intentions and commercial miscalculations. What began as a profit-minded venture by four young entrepreneurs quickly morphed into something far more significant when half a million souls descended upon a dairy farm in August 1969. The organisers had expected 50,000; they got ten times that number, creating a logistical nightmare that somehow transformed into a defining moment of the Sixties. The subsequent film and soundtrack became essential artifacts of an era when rock music genuinely believed it could change the world.

Musically, this collection serves as a greatest hits compilation of late-Sixties counterculture, spanning the folk-rock earnestness of Crosby, Stills & Nash to the blues-rock thunder of Ten Years After, with detours through country rock, psychedelia, and proto-heavy metal. It's a sonic kaleidoscope that mirrors the festival's eclectic booking policy, where acoustic troubadours shared stages with electric warriors, and everyone seemed united by a common belief in music's transformative power.

The album's crown jewel remains Jimi Hendrix's incendiary "Star Spangled Banner," a piece of musical commentary so visceral it still raises goosebumps. Performed to a sparse Monday morning crowd, Hendrix's deconstructed national anthem – complete with dive-bomb explosions and feedback screams – stands as perhaps the most powerful protest statement ever committed to vinyl. It's Hendrix at his most prophetic, channelling the Vietnam War's horror through his Fender's voice with an eloquence that no speech could match.

Equally compelling is Richie Havens' marathon opening set, represented here by his hypnotic "Freedom," born from necessity when other acts were stuck in traffic. His percussive guitar attack and gospel-tinged vocals created an instant classic from thin air, proving that inspiration often strikes when least expected. Joe Cocker's sweat-drenched "With A Little Help From My Friends" transforms the Beatles' gentle anthem into a soul-shaking revival meeting, while his body contorts through what appears to be musical possession.

Country Joe McDonald's "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" captures the festival's political undercurrent with dark humour and anti-war sentiment, while Ten Years After's "I'm Going Home" showcases Alvin Lee's lightning-fast fretwork in a performance that made him an overnight sensation. The acoustic moments shine equally bright: Joni Mitchell may have missed the actual festival (ironically watching it on television), but her song "Woodstock" became its unofficial hymn, here performed by Crosby, Stills & Nash with harmonies that could make angels weep.

The album's sequencing mirrors the festival's ebb and flow, from the acoustic opening day through the electric crescendo of the weekend, culminating in Hendrix's Monday morning benediction. The sound quality varies – this was, after all, a hastily assembled recording setup dealing with weather, technical difficulties, and general chaos – but the imperfections only add to its authenticity. You can almost smell the patchouli oil and feel the August humidity.

As a historical document, the Woodstock soundtrack has achieved something approaching sacred status. It's been reissued, expanded, and remastered countless times, each iteration adding previously unreleased performances and alternate takes. The music has soundtracked countless films, documentaries, and commercials, sometimes diluting its power through overexposure but never quite diminishing its core impact.

Today, in an era of corporate-sponsored festivals and Instagram-optimised experiences, Woodstock's accidental magic feels increasingly precious. This collection serves as a reminder of when rock festivals were genuine cultural events rather than lifestyle brands, when music carried the weight of social change, and when half a million people could gather without violence or cynicism. It's imperfect,