After the multi-platinum success of
Music from the Original Soundtrack and More: Woodstock
that accompanied
Michael Wadleigh
's documentary film
Woodstock
(two million copies sold and it spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the
Billboard
charts, and even a Top 20 spot on its R&B chart!),
Woodstock Two
was inevitable as a sequel. Released as a double LP in 1971 with more stills from the film -- though none of the music here was included -- this set featured many of the same artists who'd appeared on the first volume, with two additions:
Mountain
, and
Melanie
. If anything, this set, more concise and more focused, is a better bet than its predecessor. Disc one is a stunner on more than one level. First, there are three tracks by
Jimi Hendrix
and his expanded lineup after breaking up the
Experience
(adding guitarist
Larry Lee
), and a trio of percussionists along with
Mitch Mitchell
and bassist
Billy Cox
. There's the killer
"Jam Back at the House,"
which rolls in riffs and an instrumental array of tunes from his catalog including
"Rainy Day Dream Away"
; there's a killer take on
"Izabella"
that's raggedy but full of killer improvisation -- check the interaction between
Cox
and
Mitchell
-- and
"Get My Heart Back Together,"
also known as
"Hear My Train A'Comin'."
These 20 minutes of music make it worth the purchase of this collection if you don't already possess the
Jimi Hendrix Live at Woodstock
disc.
Jefferson Airplane
is also here with an extra 12 minutes of music. Judging by this contribution and the inclusion of
"Volunteers,"
on volume 1, this ranks as one of their greatest live sets ever issued. They begin
"Saturday Afternoon/Won't You Try"
with a medley of tunes from
After Bathing at Baxter's
, issued early on in their career. The vocal performances by
Marty Balin
,
Grace Slick
Paul Kantner
are simply stellar, but
Jorma Kaukonen
's guitar as a guiding light also really shines here, and it screams on their other selection,
"Eskimo Blue Day,"
from the
Volunteers
album, even if its basic structure aped
Bob Dylan
's
"All Along the Watchtower."
Disc one ends with the
Butterfield Blues Band
redeeming themselves with
Little Walter
"Everything's Gonna Be Alright,"
after the indulgent debacle of
"Love March"
on volume one.
Disc Two features a trio of fine cuts by
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
including
"Marrakesh Express,"
and a pair from
: the stellar rocker
"Blood of the Sun,"
and the more pastoral
"Theme from an Imaginary Western."
Canned Heat
's 13-minute
"Woodstock Boogie"
is a bit monotonous, but it's a blast all the same. The tracks by
Joan Baez
included here add nothing to this set and should have been left off in favor of some other artists who weren't included on either volume, but that's personal preference. The
Rhino
edition of
contains new liner notes by
Gene Sculatti
, new photos, and completely remastered sound that's a grand improvement on any CD edition released thus far. ~ Thom Jurek