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Barney Hoskyns "Small Town Talk" (Faber & Faber)
The social atmosphere of Woodstock, New York in the sixties was the antithesis of San Francisco, California. Where San Francisco had Haight-Ashbury, with its influx of hippies, acid trips, and psychedelic rock, Woodstock had folk musicians with acoustic guitars, searching for solitude and solace. Woodstock also holds the mystique of its association with the Woodstock musical festival, even though the actual connection between the place and the event is tenuous at best. I've long been fascinated by the sixties movement, both culturally and musically, and so this book appealed to me on many levels.
The material is meticulously researched, and its clear that the author has a special affinity for this town. For me, though, the reading experience is too weighed down in details. I simply didn't find every aspect of the town's history as captivating as the author clearly does. The first third of the book drags. I found myself continually putting the book down, eventually forcing myself to get back to it. We learn things like the exact addresses of many of the people living there early on, which is meaningless information to those of us unfamiliar with those homes and streets.
The middle of the book is more interesting, as we get into the heart of the cultural and musical icons, their lives in Woodstock, and their connections to one another. We spend a lot of time on Dylan, of course, since he and Woodstock are forever interwoven. We also spend a lot of time learning about Albert Grossman, the manager of many big-name musicians back then, who more or less ruled over Woodstock.
For me, the book is bogged down with a lot of detail that simply didn't hold my interest. That being said, it is well written and offers some great insight into life in this idyllic town for a handful of cultural icons.
The social atmosphere of Woodstock, New York in the sixties was the antithesis of San Francisco, California. Where San Francisco had Haight-Ashbury, with its influx of hippies, acid trips, and psychedelic rock, Woodstock had folk musicians with acoustic guitars, searching for solitude and solace. Woodstock also holds the mystique of its association with the Woodstock musical festival, even though the actual connection between the place and the event is tenuous at best. I've long been fascinated by the sixties movement, both culturally and musically, and so this book appealed to me on many levels.
The material is meticulously researched, and its clear that the author has a special affinity for this town. For me, though, the reading experience is too weighed down in details. I simply didn't find every aspect of the town's history as captivating as the author clearly does. The first third of the book drags. I found myself continually putting the book down, eventually forcing myself to get back to it. We learn things like the exact addresses of many of the people living there early on, which is meaningless information to those of us unfamiliar with those homes and streets.
The middle of the book is more interesting, as we get into the heart of the cultural and musical icons, their lives in Woodstock, and their connections to one another. We spend a lot of time on Dylan, of course, since he and Woodstock are forever interwoven. We also spend a lot of time learning about Albert Grossman, the manager of many big-name musicians back then, who more or less ruled over Woodstock.
For me, the book is bogged down with a lot of detail that simply didn't hold my interest. That being said, it is well written and offers some great insight into life in this idyllic town for a handful of cultural icons.
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