[audiobook] Every Person in New York: 1 by Jason Polan at Arts-Photography

Review

74 of 75 people found the following review helpful. Almost 50 Years Later; We Finally Get the Full Story hellip;By DACHokieI first saw ldquo;Gimme Shelterrdquo; in 1982; when I was in high school; the mesmerizing and haunting documentary intrigued me because it clearly left many questions unanswered. The past 30+ years; I have desperately and fruitlessly searched for the missing pieces of the Altamont puzzle (even meeting a supposed Altamont attendee at a 2005 Stones concert didnrsquo;t help). Thankfully; Joel Selvin decided to fill in the blanks with his book ALTAMONT. I have never been so excited anticipating the release of a book and Selvin certainly delivered the goods.Contrary to the sunny; optimistic hope delivered by the Woodstock Festival four months earlier; the Altamont Festival (ldquo;Woodstock Westrdquo;) was dark; scary and dangerous. Simply viewing the films that document both events is all thatrsquo;s needed to understand the stark contrast. While the peaceful glory of Woodstock deservedly gets an abundance of attention (because it was a miracle that will never be replicated); Altamont seems to be steeped in mystery; darkness and misperception. A concert with 300;000 attendees that involved the planetrsquo;s hottest band; the Hellrsquo;s Angels; infinite drugs/alcohol and no cops is memorable because a film of it happens to capture a killing. Unfortunately; the film isnrsquo;t enough to give viewers answers to all the how and why questions it generates. The Stones donrsquo;t talk about it; most are afraid to ask the Hells Angels about it and the Grateful Dead have sheepishly avoided any connection to it at all. Selvin meticulously puts the Altamont puzzle together in its entirety. He not only finds the missing pieces; he provides context to what we see (and donrsquo;t see) in the film; clarifies misperceptions/myths and for the first time in almost 50 years; he has provided an all-encompassing account of the event. ALTAMONT is THE go-to resource that finally solves the Altamont mystery.What makes ALTAMONT so interesting is that Selvin attacks the subject matter with the tenacity of an otter cracking the shell of a clam. His meticulous and far-reaching research yield a gold mine of results that address and clarify much of the murkiness surrounding the formulation of the concert; how the Hells Angels really became such an integral part of the event and who ultimately bears the burden(s) of responsibility for the disaster that ensued. The most profound clarification centers on the financial situation of the Rolling Stones; who were more-or-less ldquo;brokerdquo; in 1969. When the band was called-out for exorbitant ticket prices on its 1969 US tour (a planned money-grabber) it countered with the ldquo;generous offeringrdquo; of a free concert. The less altruistic reality was that the free concert would ultimately deliver a handsome payout to the band when the eventual film of the tour (culminating in the free concert) was released (prior to the release of the much-anticipated Woodstock movie). It was this ultimate greed and ego (the Stones wanted their own Woodstock moment) that lead to a series of rash and ill-informed decisions that would ultimately lead to rockrsquo;s ldquo;darkest dayrdquo;. While numerous other factors come into play (the Deadrsquo;s suggestion to use the Hells Angels; the lackadaisical approach to the last-minute site choice and the myriad of self-serving individuals that inserted themselves for financial gain); in the end; Selvin paints a clear picture that the Stones apparent naiveteacute; was part of the plan hellip; they could simultaneously walk away from failure and ensure they were paid handsomely in the end (as they assumed all control of the big money maker hellip; the eventual movie).While the storyline of the organization; planning and production of the concert is interesting enough; if yoursquo;ve seen ldquo;Gimme Shelterrdquo;; you know that there is a litany of more-intriguing individual tales to be told and Selvin doesnrsquo;t disappoint. In addition to clarifying moments/scenes/individuals depicted in the movie (I never knew the meerschaum pipe smoking sweater-wearer was Timothy Leary or the creepy scene of concert-goers exiting into the darkness at the end was footage from George Lucas filming from a hill far; far away). With Selvinrsquo;s chronological account of events; we realize that not only was the movie heavily edited and misleading; but so were the press accounts. The concert was deemed deadly; but aside from the stabbing; the lethal drugs and alcohol played a bigger role in human suffering that from violence doled out by the Hells Angels. After reading ALTAMONT; readers get a clearer picture of the Angelsrsquo; role in the concert and the violence captured on film. Yes; there were moments where Angels were problematic; but much of their ldquo;activityrdquo; centered on people damaging their bikes or prospective members eager to prove their worth for active members. Selvin certainly doesnrsquo;t excuse the problems they caused; but fairly puts things in perspective and explains that most did what they were asked to do. These detailed vignettes give readers a view of concert events from ground zero hellip; we feel the stress; the chaos and certainly the fear. Even though we know what eventually happens; it is evident that the outcome could have and should have been much worse.ALTAMONT doesnrsquo;t simply end with the concertrsquo;s close hellip; Selvin follows up on individuals and the repercussions faced by the major ldquo;playersrdquo;; including Meredith Hunterrsquo;s girlfriend and family; as well as the man who killed Hunter. I found his post-concert research sufficiently answering all questions that lingered (at least in my mind) and I felt this is where the book really delivered. Unlike Woodstock; the media had no real interest in Altamont (save ldquo;Rolling Stonerdquo;); but the event remained a cloying issue that affected many of those involved; well into their futures. Only the Rolling Stones escaped relatively unscathed and we come to understand that that was exactly how it was planned hellip; they set it up so everyone else would deal with the aftermath (good or bad). Selvin closes with a spot-on analysis of what it all meant and why it matters. I feel his final words satisfactorily closes the case on Altamont by giving us the full story and leaving no questions unanswered.After reading ALTAMONT; my 30+ year craving for answers and details has finally been satisfied. While many rock nrsquo; roll books seem to embellish and glorify events/people as a means to shock and impress readers with salacious details and stories of depravity. For Altamont the simple facts are bad enough. Thank you; Joel Selvin; for shining such a bright light on this misunderstood event.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. One helluva ride!By Charles EricksonExcellent book. Gave a comprehensive portrait of what happened at Altamont. Unlike many other accounts of the concert; this one did not play favorites. For the most part. I heard stories about the Angels that indicated that they were provoked more than this book indicated. For example; there is a story that says that Marty Balin; the Jefferson Airplane singer; was given several opportunities to apologize before he was punched out by the Angel. So I thought that Joel was a little too hard on them; using them as a convenient scapegoat; albeit much less than other writers have done. Exciting and ultimately very sad. A vivid portrait of the times.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Well researched account of Altamont; including the head-shakingly poor event planningBy Brian CurranThis is likely the most well researched account of the fateful Stones show at Altamont; with details about the poor planning that led to the deaths at the site (yes; there were more than just the one well known fatality). I didnt love Selvins writing style; especially in the early chapters as he introduced character after character with little to distinguish them; but his detailed chronology of the show itself left me feeling as if I had been in attendance myself.