4/5 All together on one CD
  by Phillip E. Andrews (Santa Fe, NM United States)
Well CBS/Sony finally got all the Santana Woodstock performance together on a single CD. Every song but Evil Ways had been previously been released. So to us true fans we are in effect paying for 1 song. The Best part of the performance is still Soul Sacrifice but granted that over the years having heard that the rest of the performance wasn't that good, I have to disagree. It is very much like other Santana performances from the same period that can be heard on live tapes and bootleg CDs.

Nice packaging with a fold out poster but why did they make the outer box bigger that a standard CD case? It doesn't fit on my shelf next to all the other prized Santana CDs

4/5 Santana - Woodstock Experience
  by John Mcdonald (Tasmania)
Its been said that the Woodstock performance broke Santana to the public at large. The performance is stunning, and given the circumstances, this recording is excellent. Only misses 5 stars because of what the band went on to do (and this is probably unfair).

1/5 Go With The Legacy Version of "Santana" Instead
  by Saxman (SW Suburbs Chgo IL USA)
This is one of my favorite albums of all time by my favorite Santana line-up. The Legacy Edition of "Santana" is superior to this "Woodstock Experience" in every respect: notes, photos, bonus cuts, overall album package and most importantly, SOUND QUALITY!

The sound on the "Legacy Edition" is crisp, clean, vibrant and full of life. Disc 1 of this "Woodstock" package sounds thin, harsh and compressed, very much like the original CD edition of this album from the 1980s. Disc 2 consists of the complete Woodstock set, minus most of the announcements and stage chatter. Why? The set is only about 50 minutes long - wouldn't have maxed out the disc! You no longer feel like you are right there in the middle of this amazing set. The sound on Disc 2 is also bad, very harsh with drop-outs and other technical problems not found on "The Legacy Edition."

The mini-poster of the band only shows about half the members. They couldn't even get THAT right.

Reasons to buy this CD:

The live version of "Evil Ways" from the Woodstock set.

Suggestion: go with "Santana: The Legacy Edition," buy the live mp3 of "Evil Ways" from this set and load all of that into your mp3 player for hours of listening enjoyment!

2/5 Legacy really screwed around with Santana's Woodstock recording
  by Barry Smith (Plainview, New York United States)
In 2004, Sony Legacy Recordings released a 2-CD mini box set of Santanta (1969). The second disc contained the complete Woodstock performance (sans "Evil Ways")in perfect stereo sound, with all the stage banter as well as Chip Monck's announcements.

The producers of the Woodstock Experience version really messed with the recording. Not only did they create an inferior sounding mix, they also removed much of the stage banter. For example, Gregg Rolie famously announced "we have one more tune for you...it's called "Soul Sacrifice." This has been edited out of the Woodstock experience version. I think that's really criminal. There was no need to do this. Since the set was less than 80 minutes, why couldn't the producers just leave everything the way it was? Couldn't they just let it be? It would have been so much better that way.

If you can, try to find the 2004 Santana remaster box set. It has informative liner notes and preserves the Woodstock set in all its glory.

5/5 On Another Corner
  by directions
Clearly Santana was at his prime live here and to me there is no reason not to compare this to any live performance of Miles' from the "On the Corner" era until 1975. However, just like Miles this is not a series of unfocused jams but has a clearly controlled quality but to me is closer to fusion than rock (although yes this album clearly was listening material for the Mars Volta). Woodstock itself for those that can remember it (that would include audience members) when one listens to the full sets has some that have lessened over the years as Jefferson Airplane were past their prime as sadly was Jimi Hendrix (and he himself noted that the Woodstock performance was lacking, a far better official starting concert is "Live at Monterey"). Carlos Santana had however, clearly entered his musical prime (which he would remain at for a while) and live the experience is even better, taking the direction the Grateful Dead never really acheived (enjoy their music or not, there is not a stray moment here, this is focused realized material and with a similar rhythm section to Miles mid 70's bands, clearly the two were co-inspiring each other). Although not one of the more historically noted moments at Woodstock this was one its most inspired performances and for a band that wasn't performing a closing act but just becoming noted musically.