It’s starting to look like Woodstock 50 won’t go ahead. However, while we won’t be celebrating the anniversary of the iconic event with a festival, we’ll still get to relive the magic of the original Woodstock. Rhino has just announced the massive Woodstock — Back to the Garden — The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive box set, slated for release August 2.
The collection spans 38 discs, 432 songs, and 36 hours, and features nearly every note of music played at Woodstock in 1969. The only exceptions are three songs: one song by Sha Na Na and two by Jimi Hendrix.
The Woodstock — Back to the Garden — The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive box set will feature nearly every note of music played at Woodstock in 1969, as well as a book, a replica of the original program, and a bunch of other treats.
The box will include complete sets by Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Grateful Dead, the Band, Nash and Young, Crosby, Sly and the Family Stone, and Stills. Chatter from the crowd and stagehands, microphones setup, and stage announcements from stage manager John Morris and lighting director Chip Monck, such as the infamous “flat blue acid” warning, have been preserved as well.
What’s more, the box will feature a replica of the original program, a guitar strap, a recreation of an actual attendee’s diary, a hardbound book Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music by co-founder Michael Lang, the director’s cut of Michael Wadleigh’s Woodstock film on Blu-Ray, and more.
There are only 1,969 copies of the deluxe set worldwide, and each one costs $799.98.
Here’s a taste of what the Woodstock — Back to the Garden — The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive box set will sound like:
