Woodstock - A look back in books

August 15, 4:12 PMLong Island Books ExaminerLauren Walter

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Woodstock fans are in for an eambarrassment of riches as the forty anniversary of the event has brought out new books and new editions of classic Woodstock tomes.

First up, Long Island’s own Pete Fornatele’s book, Back to the Garden (336 pages, Simon & Schuster). Fornatele, a long time radio DJ, recounts in the opening chapter his first day at the old, WNEW-FM. Twenty minutes into his shift, he had to do a live commercial for, you guessed it, Woodstock. After reading the text about the bands, site, and cost, Fornatele added, “They’ve had their hassles, but it looks like everything’s gonna be okay.”

Fornatele chose to focus on the music of Woodstock, drawing on his interviews with such legendary performers as Roger Daltry, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Joe Cocker, David Crosby and others. Fornatele also interviewed organizers and fans, resulting in a well rounded look at the Woodstock experience. The book includes fabulous photos, including a number of stunning black and white shots. The tone is personable and very readable.

If you tune into Fornatele’s WFUV (90.7) show tonight, you’ll be able to share in a four hour look at Woodstock. You should be to find it in WFUV’s online archives if you miss it.
 

 

The Road to Woodstock by Michael Lang (Harper Collins $29.99)

Back in 1969, Michael Lang was 24 years old and one of the promoters, producers and artist managers of Woodstock. He found himself battling town councils, venue changes, weather nightmares and an onsite ticketing system that broke down completely. The legendary weekend resulted in fabulous free memories for the concert goers and 1.4 million dollars of debt to its investors.

Lang’s book tells the stories of how he went from his first music festival in 1968 in Miami to the Woodstock festivities. His first person account also brings in interviews with the musicians, artists and concert goers. He shares some insider stories including why Bob Dylan failed to make it to Yasgur’s farm and he kept the Grateful Dead and the Who happy. Also shared is the secret to Jon Sebastians spaciness – yes, drugs were a factor.

If you ever dreamed of being a fly on the wall at the planning and unspooling of Woodstock, pick up Lang’s book.

 

Woodstock Vision: The Spirit of a Generation
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Woodstock Festival
This is a reissue of Elliott Landy’s book (225 pages, signed copy $35 at Landy’s website).

This book now contains an expanded 90 page section on Woodstock, complete with nearly 300 incredible photos. Landy was the official photographer of Woodstock, and some memorable images are contained in the pages. Also included are some iconic photos of Van Morrison (taken at the Moondance sessions) and Bob Dylan (from the Nashville Skyline sessions).

The book contains first hand accounts from the producers, hippies, and suits that describe the Woodstock experience. The book has an introduction from the late great Jerry Garcia and commentary from Richie Havens.

For those of you looking to spend your dollars in a way that will help preserve the Bethel site and support the museum, you can click here to purchase these books.