In these degenerate days when popular music is basically just a device to sell TV talent shows, one forgets that only a few short decades ago, an entire generation believed that music was going to change the world, and that somehow one could facilitate this global metamorphosis by sitting in muddy fields smoking suspicviously long cigarettes. And just in case you think that I am being snide about all this, I was one of those young people, and I truly believed in it all. In fact, if I am brutally honest with you, I'm not sure that I still don't. The rock festival culture that had been developing for several years reached its apotheosis in popular consciousness with Woodstock, held over the=ree days in August 1969 in upstate New York. Despite the fact that only a few months later, the Rolling Stones sponsored Altamont festival in California had been an unmitigated disaster, and the mass media had declared the scene to be over didn't stop a whole slew of idealistic young promoters across the world wanting to emulate what they perceived had happened at Woodstock. One of the most successful of the first generation of European rock festivals was Kralingen Music Festival. Held less than a year after Woodstock its line-up was a stellar mix of the upper echelons of both British and American rock royalty including Tyrannosaurus Rex, The Byrds, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, and the headlining Pink Floyd. The festival was filmed for a movie, usually known as Stamping Ground, which amongst other things featured a very young Al Stewart performing a very assured Zero She Flies, Jefferson Airplane at the height of their magickal powers performing a medley of White Rabbit/The Ballad of You and Me and Pooniel, and, of course Pink Floyd doing a monumentally groovy Saucerful of Secrets which for my money is better than the more well known live version from Umagumma. But quite a lot of music was recorded that wasn't in the film, and people purchasing this very very cool 2CD 1DVD set will also be the proud owner of more live material from Pink Floyd, (Set your controls..) and some immeasurably rare artefacts from folk such as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Dr John, Family and The Byrds in their most under-rated incarnation that happens to be my favourite. There are also some songs from far more obscure (undeservedly so) artists like The Flock (who's second album Dinosaur Swamps has one of my favourite covers of all time) and East of Eden. What a collection! This is so much more than just a bunch of exquisitely chosen and played vignettes. This is a real slice of history, and is off immense socio-cultural importance. And who is putting this album out? Gonzo, of course.
Tracks: Disc 1 , 1. DVD Santana - Gumbo , 2. Al Stewart - Zero She Flies , 3. Canned Heat - Human Condition , 4. The World's in Tango/So Sad , 5. Quintessence - Giants , 6. Jefferson Airplane - Won't You Try Saturday Afternoon , 7. It's A Beautiful Day - Bulgaria , 8. T.Rex - By The Light of the Magical Moon , 9. The Byrds - Old Blue , 10. The Flock - Big Bird , 11. Soft Machine - Esther's Nose Job , 12. Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit/The Ballad of You and Me and Pooniel , 13. Santana - Savor/Jingo , 14. Pink Floyd - A Saucerful of Secrets , , Disc 2 , 1. Cuby & The Blizzards - Dust My Blues , 2. Canned Heat - Human Condition/So Sad , 3. Livin' Blues - Big Road Blues , 4. Al Stewart - Zero She Flies , 5. Quintessence - Giants , 6. East of Eden - The Sun of East/Irish Theme , 7. Country Joe - Freedom , 8. Dr John - Mardis Gras Day , 9. Family - Drowned in Wine , , Disc 3 , 1
CD2 Santana - Gumbo/Savor/Jingo , 2. Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit , 3. Jefferson Airplance - The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil , 4. It's a Beautiful Day - Wasted Union Blues/Bulgaria , 5. T.Rex - By The Light of the Magical Moon , 6. The Byrds - Old Blue , 7. The Flock - Big Bird , 8. Soft Machine - Esther's Nose Job , 9. Pink Floyd - Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun , 10. Pink Floyd - A Saucerful of Secrets.
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Progressive Rock & Progressive Metal - E-Zine
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