Last night I found myself watching a four-hour documentary called Woodstock (3 Days of Peace & Music) and I can honestly say that it was the best fours I have spent in a very long time. Truth be told, I did not know the tremendous impact Woodstock made on the face of rock n’ roll and the amazing talent that came through the festival. It’s official – I’m now obsessed with all things Woodstock and so in commemoration of this time in history, this week’s lineup is featuring five groovy songs that were played during this festival of 1969:
1) “Freedom” – Richie Havens
Meet the man who opened the entire Woodstock shebang in 1969. Not only am I in love with the lyrics of this song (“freedommm!”), but also Richie Havens has the most phenomenal and intense acoustic guitar skills. Ever.
To see this guy in action, search and watch his songs on YouTube; you’ll be glad you did.
2) “With a Little Help From my Friends” – Joe Cocker and the Grease Band
Just listening to Joe Cocker’s voice puts me in a parallel universe. Okay, that may be a bit dramatic, but his voice is definitely (dare I say it?) magical. There are so many times that I wish I was a “Woodstock era kid” just so I could have witnessed him play this song live.
3) “Voodoo Child” – Jimi Hendrix
There was no way I could leave the legendary Jimi Hendrix out of this lineup. He was purposely the very last act of Woodstock to make sure the festival went out with a bang, and it did. Jimi Hendrix defined the rock n’ roll
movement of the 60’s and even The Rolling Stone defined his performance as one of the “50 Moments that Changed the History of Rock n’ Roll.” If you have never listened to Hendrix before, I would start with this song to get a feel for who this amazing musician really is.
4) “Going Up the Country” – Canned Heat
This is the ultimate Woodstock song. “Going Up the Country” overflows with good vibes (peace & love, anyone?). This song is all about “getting away” from daily stresses and being totally free. Let’s go lay in a field of daisies.
5) “See Me, Feel Me” – The Who
You can never go wrong with The Who, or this song. You’ve probably heard “See Me, Feel Me” somewhere before, even if you didn’t know exactly who was singing it.
The Who is another band that makes me wish I were
living in the 60’s; so much energy and awesome music came out of this era! Luckily though, living in the 21st century has its advantages – I can conveniently access their albums anytime, anywhere with a little help from
my computer, and that’s good enough for me.