You Can’t Always Get What You Want (
US$4.99 until the end of August, to celebrate Jerry Garcia’s birthday), is one of the best Rock and Roll books I’ve ever read. It is written and read by Sam Cutler, the tour manager of the Rolling Stones and later the Grateful Dead in the late 60’s and early 70’s. The centerpiece of the book is the free concert at the Altamont Speedway in Northern California that took place on December 6, 1969, which was made into a gripping documentary film titled Gimme Shelter by Albert and David Maysles.
The line up included: Santana, the Jefferson Airplane, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead, who later decided not to play since it was too dangerous. What most people remember about the concert is that during the Stones performance, quite near the stage, Alan Passaro, a Hells Angels member, stabbed and killed Meredith Hunter after Hunter pulled out a gun. Although horrible and headline grabbing the full story is much more gripping and is only one part of the book.
Sam Cutler, is a gregarious guy who was smack in the middle of the rock scene at the time. He’s a great story teller, and has the perfect voice to tell his story. He reads his book in a grizzled and sometimes tired English accent that gives instant credibility to his words. He knew everyone and remembers everything in amazing detail. Naming the cast of characters would go on for pages, but Sam was there at the start of arguably every English rock and roll band at the time and later knew just about everyone in the San Francisco music scene.
TUAWYou Can’t Always Get What You Want: Great book, lousy app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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