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  • Altamont

  • The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day
  • By: Joel Selvin
  • Narrated by: John Pruden
  • Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (7 ratings)

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Altamont

By: Joel Selvin
Narrated by: John Pruden
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Publisher's Summary

In this breathtaking cultural history filled with exclusive, never-before-revealed details, celebrated rock journalist Joel Selvin tells the definitive story of the Rolling Stones' infamous Altamont concert in San Francisco, the disastrous historic event that marked the end of the idealistic 1960s.

In the annals of rock history, the Altamont Speedway Free Festival on December 6, 1969, has long been seen as the distorted twin of Woodstock - the day that shattered the '60s' promise of peace and love when a concertgoer was killed by a member of the Hells Angels, the notorious biker club acting as security. While most people know of the events from the film Gimme Shelter, the whole story has remained buried in varied accounts, rumor, and myth - until now.

Altamont explores rock's darkest day, a fiasco that began well before the climactic death of Meredith Hunter and continued beyond that infamous December night. Joel Selvin probes every aspect of the show - from the Stones' hastily planned tour preceding the concert to the bad acid that swept through the audience to other deaths that also occurred that evening - to capture the full scope of the tragedy and its aftermath. He also provides an in-depth look at the Grateful Dead's role in the events leading to Altamont, examining the band's behind-the-scenes presence in both arranging the show and hiring the Hells Angels as security.

The product of 20 years of exhaustive research and dozens of interviews with many key players, including medical staff, Hells Angels members, the stage crew, and the musicians who were there, Altamont is the ultimate account of the final event in rock's formative and most turbulent decade.

©2016 Joel Selvin (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

a good listen BUT...

I found this a very intersting listen the neration was pretty simple and to the point which i liked...the book itself was good but seemed to be finalised with a big unproved opinion where the rest of the book seemed well reserched and factual. Iwould recomend though in spite of this.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Too much doom and gloom

I gave up on this one. Despite being an avid Rolling Stones fan and seeing and enjoying the movie. I thought this book focused too much on all things negative. OK there was a menacing involvement of the Hells Angels surrounding the concert but the violence depicted and overall "feel" of the book was too gloomy for me so, after a while, I chose not to listen any more. Entertaining for some but it just made me feel uncomfortable for too long

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