Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the flourishing of an American counterculture that affected many aspects of society. The movement's music provided the soundtrack for this bellwether time in American cultural history. Just as Timothy Leary told students to "Tune in, turn on, drop out," Jimi Hendrix asked listeners if they were "experienced." Young Americans let their freak flags fly, listened for the sounds of silence, and sat poised on the eve of destruction. Such performers as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Ario Guthrie, The Doors, John Lennon, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, and The Grateful Dead ushered in new sounds, as well as new attitudes and philosophies for an emerging generation. With vibrant narrative chapters on the role of music in the anti-war movement, the Black power movement, the women's movement, political radicalism, drug use, and the counterculture lifestyle, this book details the emerging issues explored by performers in the Sixties and Seventies. A chapter of biographical sketches provides an easily accessible resource on significant performers, recordings, and terminology. Also included are chapter bibliographies, a timeline, and a subject index. An unforgettable time, documented in this exhaustively researched reference work.

Reviews

Though writing primarily for academic and informed fans, Perone has compiles a useful and exhaustive handbook/history to an important symbol of American social and music history; it appears to be the only resource of its kind. Recommended for strong reference collections. * Library Journal *
High-school, college, and public library readers should find the book both interesting and educative, if not exhaustive. The encyclopedia entries are diverse enough to serve as jumping-off points for further research on the producers/performers of Woodstock '69 and the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Those who want to know more about the festival's place in American history and the logistics involved in developing and promoting it will find the narrative chapters beneficial, as will those who are intrigued by the 1994 and 1999 events. All in all, the book is an insightful work on a turning point in American musical and cultural history. * Music Reference Services Quarterly *
[A] valuable and apparently unique contribution to the music and pop culture literature with this concise and informative book about the August 1969 music and art fair known as Woodstock.[t]his book is carefully documented and is truly a paper-writing student's or diehard Woodstock fan's dream!Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair is well-written, easy to comprehend and appears to have been a labor of love for its author. However, if possible, it would best serve both academic and lay readers by being placed in circulating collections. It is recommended for academic libraries supporting music programs and perhaps courses concerning 1960s culture. Larger public libraries may wish to consider purchasing this book as well. * Reference & User Services Quarterly *
[T]his is a title that will appeal to libraries of all types. It will serve both the general enquirer checking or seeking basic facts and the students faced with a Woodstock or 1960s counterculture assignment. * Reference Reviews *
Perone has established a useful foundation for further research on one of the seminal events in Amereican cultural history. * Lawrence Looks at Books *
A symbol of the hippie movement and the 1960s counterculture, Woodstock was actually just one of several music festivals of the time. This volume describes and contextualizes the famous 1969 event and notes its legacy.The spirit of Woodstock appeals to several generations. This volume provides useful information about the event, the actions leading to it, and its aftermath and is recommended for high-school, college, and public libraries. * Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin *

Author Bio

James E. Perone is Associate Professor of Music at Mount Union College. He is the author of several books on music, including Music of the Counterculture Era and Songs of the Vietnam Conflict.