Albums celebrate music and artists of Woodstock

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, Rhino Records has rereleased the two original "Woodstock" movie soundtracks and a six-CD box set "Woodstock: 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm."

In addition, Legacy Recordings is celebrating the anniversary with a Web site — www.woodstock.com — and re-releasing CDs by Janis Joplin, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Johnny Winter and Sly & the Family Stone, which were originally released in 1969.

Those CDs are packaged with an additional disc featuring the bands' full and live performance recording from the original Woodstock tapes.

Also, on Aug. 28, the Ang Lee-directed comedy/drama "Taking Woodstock" hits theatres. Rhino is releasing the movie soundtrack.

Here are the reviews of those CD collections:

VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More" (Rhino) ★★★★

John Sebastian wasn't scheduled to play during Woodstock. He just went to see the show and was asked to play a few songs.

His "I Had a Dream" fittingly opens this two-CD soundtrack that also features an array of stage announcements as well as live music by Richie Havens ("Freedom"), County Joe & the Fish ("Rock & Soul Music"), Crosby Stills & Nash ("Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Sea of Madness" and "Wooden Ships"), Joe Cocker's ("With a Little Help From My Friends") and the iconic "Star-Spangled Banner" by Jimi Hendrix, to name a few. This CD was originally released on a three-vinyl disc package in 1970.

VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Woodstock Two" (Rhino) ★★★1/2

After the release of the first "Woodstock" soundtrack album in May, 1970, "Woodstock Two" was released in July, 1971. This rerelease features live songs by the Butterfield Blues Band ("Everything's Gonna Be Alright"), Joan Baez ("Sweet Sir Galahad"), Mountain ("Blood of the Sun" and "Theme for an Imaginary Western") as well as Crosby Stills & Nash's "Marrakesh Express," "4+20" and "Guinnevere," among others.

VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Woodstock: 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm" (Rhino) ★★★★

Originally, this six-CD set was planned as a 30-CD music-collectors dream.

Producers Andy Zax, Mason Williams and Cheryl Pawelski envisioned releasing the entire Woodstock lineup set list. However, logistical nightmares killed that idea.

So instead of 30 CDs, we have a six-CD box set filled with, as Zax writes in the liner notes, "One fifth of the music that was played at the Woodstock Festival."