Comments on: CD Review: “Amchitka: The 1970 Concert That Launched Greenpeace”

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Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:51:08 +0000

[...] CD Review: Various Artists, “Amchitka, the 1970 Concert That Launched Greenpeace” (popdose.com) [...]

By: kshane

kshane — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:14:55 +0000

Thanks for weighing-in Barbara. I enjoyed your essay very much. I got an advance copy of the cd, together with a print out of your essay, so I didn't have access to the booklet.

By: Barbara Stowe

Barbara Stowe — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:58:12 +0000

In response to these questions about why Chilliwack (most regrettably) is not on the CD: As one of the, er, horse's mouths involved, I can tell you that it is because Chilliwack's manager did not allow Irving Stowe to keep Chiilliwack's portion of the tape of the concert ( a tape that recording engineer Dave Zeffert had made for personal use). All the other artists' managers agreed that Stowe could keep the tape. This is mentioned in the acknowledgements at the end of the booklet that accompanies the CD.

As for Circle Game...the tape ran out part way through the song, that's why its incomplete.

Thanks very much for your comments.

By: kshane

kshane — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:14:55 +0000

Thanks for weighing-in Barbara. I enjoyed your essay very much. I got an advance copy of the cd, together with a print out of your essay, so I didn't have access to the booklet.

By: Barbara Stowe

Barbara Stowe — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:58:12 +0000

By: DwDunphy

DwDunphy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:03:13 +0000

I've seen special editions where they've only added one single song. Of course, these were very desperate labels making those releases happen, and I'd imagine the Greenpeace organization is fully aware of what a draw Chiliwack isn't.

Thanks for the link on the original recording though. It's so bizarre to think now the unlimited capacity of digital recording versus the the original necessities of tape length.

By: kshane

kshane — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:45:50 +0000

You are absolutely right. That point is covered in the essay that accompanies the set. It was written by Barbara Stowe, Irving's daughter. In the wake of the War Measures Act, it was feared that authorities would try to cancel the concert, but that threat never materialized. It seems that Canada was united on the issue of Amchitka.

By: Thierry

Thierry — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:06:28 +0000

I'm not sure a Chiliwack set (it's the only thing missing from the show, aside from Joni Mitchell's opening "Chelsea Morning", which she requested they not include on the cd) would be enough of a draw to warrant a deluxe edition...

Oh, and from what I just read (here: http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=... ), the reason why the last song fades out is that they ran out of tape.

By: Thierry

Thierry — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:25:35 +0000

I didn't know about this, but now I may have to check it out...Just a note, Ochs's reference to a police state probably has little to do with the U.S. political climate and more to do with the fact that the night before the concert Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act in the context of the October Crisis, which granted the government extraordinary powers. See here for more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Measures_Act

By: DwDunphy

DwDunphy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:19:38 +0000

Aside from licensing and label usage fees, I'd imagine Chilliwack is not present because, by now, they simply don't have that marquee presence like Joni and James. I'd imagine that if this disc does well though, a more deluxe edition won't be far around the corner.