'WATTSTAX' RECALLS ONE GROOVY TIME.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

THIS GEM of a concert documentary makes you realize how much of America's pop culture has been lost, ignored or left to rot since soul music's golden era three decades ago.

Initially billed as a ``black Woodstock,'' Wattstax was a seven-hour concert held at the L.A. Coliseum in 1972 on the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots. With more than 100,000 in attendance, the daylong event (admission: $1), hosted by Jesse Jackson, brought together some of the Stax label's biggest Southern soul stars - gospel harmonizers the Staples Singers, the iconic Isaac Hayes, blues great Albert King, a good-natured Rufus Thomas and others.

It was an afternoon of huge Afros, glazed smiles, dancing in the aisles and on the Coliseum's field, white bell-bottoms and a pervasive sense of optimism and nonaggression so palpable it evokes nostalgia for more civil times even if the viewer is too young to have experienced any of it first-hand.

In one of the most memorable - and telling - segments, the audience gleefully storms the playing field to dance in front of the stage while Thomas performs a comic dance routine. At the end of the number, Thomas asks the audience to return to their seats. They do - peacefully, in short order and with good grace.

But the tightly edited, marvelously entertaining film also moves beyond the stage to the street corner to capture poignant comments from Watts residents, which are intercut into the movie along with stand-up segments from a then-little-known comic named Richard Pryor.

Mind you, ``Wattstax'' wasn't overlooked upon release, although it did eventually vaporize into cult status. The picture opened the 1973 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for a best documentary Golden Globe the following year, striking a major chord in African-American communities. Two separate double-disc soundtrack packages were issued. And Pryor's rise to stardom was partially sparked by his pungent moments in the film.

But seeing it today, on the heels of the disappointing soul survivors documentary ``Only the Strong Survive,'' this r&b fan was knocked out by riveting performances from King, the Staples, Johnnie Taylor and the rest that could not only steam up a room but make you yearn for more affable times.

Fred Shuster, [phone]

fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com

WATTSTAX - Four stars

Starring: Staples Singers, Isaac Hayes, Albert King, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Bar-Kays, Little Milton, Johnnie Taylor and more.

Director: Mel Stuart.

Running time: 1 hr. 44 min.

Playing: ArcLight Hollywood and the Magic Johnson Theatre.

In a nutshell: The 30th anniversary reissue of the acclaimed music festival documentary adds previously unseen footage.

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Photo:

Blues great Albert King performs before an audience of more than 100,000 at 1972's Wattstax concert at the L.A. Coliseum.