The Midnight Special was one of the few regular outlets for music on television in the '70s, so when they agreed to film Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic in 1974, it represented a real coup for the Red Headed Stranger.

Released in 1979 and rereleased 30 years later as Willie Nelson's 4th of July Celebration, Yabo Yablonski's film is like Woodstock, Animal House and Gimme Shelter all rolled into one. As a spaced-out Leon Russell (at right, with Neslosn) emcees, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Doug Kershaw, B.W. Stephenson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Murphy and the Lost Gonzo Band run through sets of Outlaw Country and Southern Rock, which would dominate the decade.

Nelson's set includes "Whiskey River," "A Song for You," "Jambalaya" and a rousing version of "Night Life." Jennings plays "Good Hearted Woman" and "The Taker." It's amazing to see these country giants on the verge of greatness, at the height of their powers. 

One of the first festivals to be filmed (the Picnic started in 1973) and taking place in a remote location (Luckenbach, Texas), large stantions for cameras weren't provided. The cameras are right on stage to document the festivities. You see the musicians at eye-level throughout most of the movie.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of raging hippie Texans comprise the audience - naked, drunk, high and occasionally storming the stage. In the early 70s, in the wake of Vietnam and Watergate, if Willie Nelson's Picnic wasn't an expression of freedom, what was?

Review by John Rosenfelder • Check out John's blog @Earbender.com

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