REVIEWS

Nobody's quite sure who coined the adage, “history is written by the victors.” But the inescapable fact remains that nearly every version of history is the product of a subjective point of view. What is left out – and why – is often as important to what's included. Moviegoers who saw Michael Wadleigh's 1970 documentary film Woodstock witnessed breakout performances from Santana, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and many others; those indelible sights and sounds quickly became woven into popular culture.

At that point in the band's history, Creedence Clearwater Revival had just released its third album, Green River. The Oakland quartet had already scored a pair of Top 40 hits (“Suzie Q” and “Proud Mary”), and eight more were to come within the next 24 months. Creedence was at the top of its game, with a rootsy sound that would go on to exert incalculable influence on rock music. CCR was scheduled as Saturday night's headliner. But you won't see them in the film.

Why? The story goes that leader John Fogerty had issues regarding the band's payment, and – according to bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford – Fogerty felt that his rhythm section hadn't played well that night.

A middling audio quality bootleg of Creedence's Woodstock set has circulated among collectors for many years; it provides scant evidence to back up that argument. And now – a half-century after the festival – fans have their opportunity to make that determination for themselves. Live at Woodstock presents the group's complete performance in superb audio quality.

The band is in typically fine and fiery form, delivering the songs with spirit, power and authenticity. Creedence was rarely about jamming; even the longer tunes won't find much new here.