Soundtrack of PBS' “The Vietnam War” series includes songs by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, CSNY and many more

Dan Weir

8 years ago

UMe

UMeThe new 10-part documentary series The Vietnam War by filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick will premiere on PBS starting September 17. In conjunction with the series, a two-CD soundtrack featuring memorable and topical rock, pop and soul songs from the Vietnam era will be released on Friday, September 15.

The Vietnam War: The Soundtrack includes 38 of the 120 songs heard in the series. Among the many classic rock tunes appearing on the album are The Beatles‘ “Let It Be,” The Rolling Stones‘ “Gimme Shelter,” Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young‘s “Ohio,” The Jimi Hendrix Experience‘s “Are You Experienced?,” Cream‘s “Strange Brew” and Buffalo Springfield‘s “For What It’s Worth.”

Other artists featured on the album include Creedence Clearwater Revival, Santana, Bob Dylan, Steppenwolf, Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Animals, and Simon & Garfunkel.

“The Vietnam War era produced some of the greatest, most impactful music ever recorded,” say Burns and Novick in a joint statement. “We are grateful that so many artists from the period wanted to be part of the film and now the soundtrack.”

The Vietnam War series took 10 years to make and features interviews with dozens of people who lived through and fought in the war, including U.S. military veterans, people who protested the war, and Vietnamese soldiers and civilians from both sides of the conflict. The program also includes rare photos, archival footage and recordings.

An original score to the series, composed by Nine Inch Nails‘ Trent Reznor and his frequent collaborator, Atticus Ross, will be released as a two-CD and a three-LP vinyl set on September 15.

The Vietnam War series will be available to purchase on DVD and Blu-ray on September 19 at shopPBS.org.

Here are all the songs on The Vietnam War: The Soundtrack:

CD 1
“A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” — Bob Dylan
“Hello Vietnam” — Johnnie Wright
“It’s My Life” — The Animals
“Eve of Destruction” — Barry McGuire
“Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” — The Byrds
“Masters of War” — The Staple Singers
“Mustang Sally” — Wilson Pickett
“Smokestack Lightnin'” — Howlin’ Wolf
“Backlash Blues” — Nina Simone
“The Sound of Silence” — Simon & Garfunkel
“One Too Many Mornings” — Bob Dylan
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” — The Temptations
“Are You Experienced?” — The Jimi Hendrix Experience
“I’m a Man” — The Spencer Davis Group
“Green Onions” — Booker T and The MG’s
“Strange Brew” — Cream
“Waist Deep in the Big Muddy (Live)” — Pete Seeger
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” — Procol Harum
“The Lord Is in This Place” — Fairport Convention
“For What It’s Worth” — Buffalo Springfield

CD 2
“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” — Bob Dylan
“Piece of My Heart” — Big Brother & The Holding Company
“Magic Carpet Ride” — Steppenwolf
“The Letter” — The Box Tops
“Bad Moon Rising” — Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Soul Sacrifice” — Santana
“Tell the Truth” — Otis Redding
“Okie from Muskogee” — Merle Haggard
“The Thrill Is Gone” — B.B “King
“Psychedelic Shack” — The Temptations
“Ohio” — Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
“Get Together” — The Youngbloods
“Gimme Shelter” — The Rolling Stones
“Tail Dragger” — Link Wray
“America the Beautiful” — Ray Charles
“What’s Going On” — Marvin Gaye
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” — Simon & Garfunkel
“Let It Be” — The Beatles