It Was 40 Years Ago Today

It's the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Even with all the rain and mud and crowds, it must have been a lot of fun. But it's the event--so much bigger than anyone expected--that people remember. Musically, it was only fair.

The lineup was amazing--CCR, Janis Joplin, Sly & The Family Stone, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, The Band, CSNY and Jimi Hendrix, to mention only a few. (And let's not forget Sha-Na-Na.)



However, the sound system sucked, half the bands were high, and few of the artists were at their best. There were also a bunch of excruciatingly long solos--perfect for going to the facilities, if they only had them.

At the time, it seemed like the harbinger of a new age. Looking back, it seems closer to a sign of the end. Musically speaking, Monterey, in 1967, had it all over Woodstock.