Woodstock: Back to the Garden (50th Anniversary Experience) [Box Set]
by Various Artists
  • Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Jun 28, 2019
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Record Collector
    Jul 25, 2019
    60
    The 10CD version is a patchy collection of familiar highlights and sometimes enjoyable outtakes.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. zakbowen
    Sep 30, 2019
    8
    THE BOX SET ITSELF:
    Wow. Fantastic. Most box sets I receive come in a generic "lift off lid" box with all the goodies inside. But no, the    THE BOX SET ITSELF:
    Wow. Fantastic. Most box sets I receive come in a generic "lift off lid" box with all the goodies inside. But no, the design of the Woodstock box took it above and beyond by using the Woodstock stage materials as inspiration for this box. Inside is just a treasure trove of memorabilia and music. The presentation of these items is excellent. Down to the music, despite the recording limitations at the time and the tape storage & deterioration over 50 years, the music still sounds surprisingly good! Reading about the production, Andy Zax has said that they included stage announcements, the sound of the thunderstorm and other miscellaneous recordings to keep the spirit of Woodstock and the historical artifacts within the chronology of the music. In terms of music, presentation and packaging, the team have done a sensational job. Grammy worthy perhaps...?

    RHINO RECORDS:
    While the product itself is excellent, the acquisition of the product was far from it. I pre-ordered the box set in May for an August 2nd 2019 release. A week goes by after release and still... nothing. Being based in Australia, I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to make phone calls to Rhino/Warner Music's NYC base to get information. First they said it was a warehouse transition issue. Next they said it was a production issue. Finally, a month after the scheduled release, they sent me a shipping notification and tracking number. After logging onto the tracking, I discovered they had actually sent my package on 4th August, but it had been returned to sender because UPS doesn't deliver to PO boxes (Rhino, why accept a PO Box when your courier doesn't send to them). Just over two weeks later (a month and a half after release date) they passed on the package to UPS and it finally arrived.... albeit without the two lithograph posters they said it would come with.

    FINAL COMMENTS (TL;DR):
    The box set is a fantastic piece of history and the team did a fantastic job in all aspects, however Rhino's lack of customer service, delays and mismanaged has made the journey tedious and upsetting and has overall sullied its reputation and put a dark cloud over the box set experience.    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »