Rock, Metal

The Band - Cahoots (1971)

2010-05-11T11:26:31Z

The Band - Cahoots (1971)


01. Life Is A Carnival (Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Robertson) – 3:55
02. When I Paint My Masterpiece (Bob Dylan) – 4:16
03. Last Of The Blacksmiths – 3:37
04. Where Do We Go From Here? – 3:46
05. 4% Pantomime (Robertson, Van Morrison) – 4:30
06. Shoot Out In Chinatown – 2:49
07. The Moon Struck One – 4:05
08. Thinkin' Out Loud – 3:16
09. Smoke Signal – 5:06
10. Volcano – 3:01
11. The River Hymn – 4:36

Personnel:
- Rick Danko - bass, vocals
- Levon Helm - drums, mandolin, upright bass, vocals
- Garth Hudson - organ, piano, tenor and baritone saxophones
- Richard Manuel - piano, drums, organ, slide guitar, vocals
- Robbie Robertson - guitars, piano
+
- Allen Toussaint - brass arrangements on "Life Is A Carnival"
- Van Morrison - vocals on "4% Pantomime"

In comparison to its predecessors, Cahoots, the Band's fourth album, may be characterized as an essentially minor effort that nevertheless contains a few small pleasures. These pleasures begin with the leadoff track, "Life Is a Carnival," a song that continues the theme of Stage Fright by emphasizing the false nature of show business and its impact on reality. The song features a lively Dixieland horn chart courtesy of Allen Toussaint. "When I Paint My Masterpiece," a Bob Dylan song making its recorded debut here as the second selection, is another welcome track, buoyed by mandolin and accordion in a charming arrangement appropriate to its tale of an odd trip to Europe. "4% Pantomime" is a duet between the Band's Richard Manuel and Van Morrison that is entertaining to hear, even if the song itself is slight. Unfortunately, that just about completes the list of the album's attractions. Annotator Rob Bowman claims that the overriding theme of the songs is "extinction and the sadness that accompanies the passing of things that once were held to be of great value"; actually, there is no overriding theme to the minor songs written by Robbie Robertson. Several of the songs' lyrics come across as half-baked film scenarios, but they fail to be evocative, and they are paired to music lacking in structure. The failure is solely in the writing; the Band sounds as good as ever playing the songs, with singers Manuel, Levon Helm, and Rick Danko all performing effectively and primary instrumentalist Garth Hudson filling in the arrangements cleverly. It's just that the material is not strong enough, particularly in comparison to the three impressive albums the Band had released previously. [By adding four good bonus tracks, the 2000 reissue significantly strengthens the collection.] ---William Ruhlmann, AllMusic Review

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The Band - Moondog Matinee (1973)

2010-05-09T12:30:23Z

The Band - Moondog Matinee (1973)


01. Ain't Got No Home (Clarence "Frogman" Henry) – 3:23
02. Holy Cow (Allen Toussaint) – 3:20
03. Share Your Love (With Me) (Deadric Malone, Alfred Braggs) – 2:53
04. Mystery Train (H.Parker Jr., Sam Phillips, adaptation by Robbie Robertson) – 5:40
05. Third Man Theme (Anton Karas, W.Lord) – 2:45
06. Promised Land (Chuck Berry) – 3:00
07. The Great Pretender (Buck Ram) – 3:10
08. I'm Ready (Fats Domino, Al Lewis, Sylvester Bradford) – 3:25
09. Saved (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 3:45
10. A Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke) – 4:17

Personnel:
- Rick Danko - bass, rhythm guitar, vocals
- Levon Helm - drums, bass, rhythm guitar, vocals
- Garth Hudson - organ, piano, accordion, synthesizer, clavinet, tenor saxophone
- Richard Manuel - acoustic and electric pianos, drums, vocals
- Robbie Robertson - guitars
+
- Billy Mundi - drums on "Ain't Got No Home" and "Mystery Train"
- Ben Keith - pedal steel on "Promised Land"

The Band essentially went back to being the Hawks of the late '50s and early '60s on this album of cover tunes. They demonstrated considerable expertise on their versions of rock & roll and R&B standards like Clarence "Frogman" Henry's "Ain't Got No Home," Chuck Berry's "The Promised Land," and Fats Domino's "I'm Ready," but of course that didn't do much to satisfy the audience they had established with their original material and that, two years after the disappointing Cahoots, was waiting for something in the same league with their first three albums. ---William Ruhlmann, allmusic.com

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The Band - Northern Lights - Southern Cross (1975)

2010-05-09T13:48:55Z

The Band - Northern Lights - Southern Cross (1975)


01. Forbidden Fruit – 5:56
02. Hobo Jungle – 4:10
03. Ophelia – 3:28
04. Acadian Driftwood – 6:40
05. Ring Your Bell – 3:51
06. It Makes No Difference – 6:30
07. Jupiter Hollow – 5:17
08. Rags And Bones – 4:43
+
09. Twilight - 3:22
10. Christmas Must Be Tonight - 3:38

Personnel:
- Rick Danko - bass, guitar, violin, harmonica, trombone, vocals
- Levon Helm - drums, guitar, mandolin, piano, keyboards, vocals
- Garth Hudson - keyboards, accordion, saxophones, synthesizers, brass, chants, woodwind, bass
- Richard Manuel- acoustic & electric piano, congas, Hammond organ, clavinet, drums, vocals
- Robbie Robertson - guitars, bass, piano, keyboards, clavinet
+
- Byron Berline - fiddle on 04

The first studio album of Band originals since 1971's Cahoot -- in many respects, Northern Lights-Southern Cross was viewed as a comeback. It also can be seen as a swan song, in that its recording marked the last time the five members would work together in the studio as a permanent group, with a commitment to making a record they would tour behind and build on as a working band. The album was also, ironically enough, the Band's finest since their self-titled sophomore effort, even outdoing Stage Fright. It was spawned after a series of battery-recharging events -- the move of all five members out of Woodstock, New York and to Malibu, California, into a new, state-of-the-art 24-track studio that not only felt right but offered them (especially Garth Hudson, working with Moog synthesizers and other new instruments, as well as brass and reeds) a bigger creative and sonic canvas than they'd ever known before; and the decision to finally let the other shoe drop on their early career, accompanying Bob Dylan on their first-ever studio album together (Planet Waves) which, in turn, had led to an eight-week tour together, this time captured for posterity and, unlike their mid-'60s Dylan tour, rushed out midway through the work on the album at hand. Between all of that, their own live album (Rock of Ages), and the Moondog Matinee album of rock & roll and R&B covers, the group found itself with more music in print at one time than they'd ever dreamed possible, despite the four-year gap in new material, and in several genres and modes, and blossoming in some unexpected directions -- just prior to the start of the sessions for this album, Levon Helm and Garth Hudson had fulfilled another milestone, the goal of doing an honest-to-God blues album (which dated from the group's tragically brief liaison with Sonny Boy Williamson in 1965), producing and/or playing on what ended up being a Grammy-winning LP by Muddy Waters, the Woodstock Album. It was time to make some of their own music again, and Robbie Robertson obliged by showing up with a bumper crop of great new compositions. Northern Lights-Southern Cross totals eight songs in all, and he and the rest of the group rose to the occasion, luxuriating in the range afforded by the studio (christened Shangri-La, a reference to the idyllic haven for art and civilization in James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon -- the vibes were that good). On this album the Band explore new timbres, utilizing 24 tracks and what was (then) new synthesizer technology, and also opening out their sound in some unexpected ways. After years of restrained, economical playing Robbie Robertson -- who was practically the Count Basie of rock guitarists in terms of following a less-is-more philosophy -- stepped out in front with flashy, extroverted playing on "Forbidden Fruit," a semi-autobiographical (about the group) cautionary rock ballad; his elegant trills and flourishes on "Hobo Jungle"; his twanging and twisting away behind Hudson's beautiful, complex brass and horn parts on "Ophelia", a close relative of "W.S. Walcott Medicine Show" from Stage Fright, which captured the kind of old-timey New Orleans sound that the group had also embraced, in the form of covers, on Moondog Matinee. Robertson and Hudson seem to feed off one another's presence throughout, perhaps best of all on "Ring Your Bell," which also restores the group's trademarked shared vocals. "It Makes No Difference" might be the best romantic ballad ever done by the group, while the ebullient "Jupiter Hollow" is an exceptional track three times over, a brilliant showcase for keyboards (and not just by Hudson -- Robertson forsakes the guitar here for a clavinet), as well as offering Levon Helm and Richard Manuel tripling up on percussion with a drum machine. "Rags and Bones" is one of Robertson's most deceptively personal songs, and features the most elaborate keyboard sounds of any recording in the group's history. "Acadian Driftwood" stands out as one of Robertson's finest compositions, equal to anything else the Band ever recorded, and a slightly more complex and ambitious (and successful) down-north analog to "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." The vocals by Helm, Manuel, and Rick Danko were all spot-on as well, on this last great musical statement from the group, and the fact that it only made number 26 on the charts is much more indicative of the state of music radio and Capitol's marketing department (which was only really good at selling Beatles and Beach Boys reissues at the time), than any flaws in the record. [The 2001 reissue offers exceptional sound, upgraded to 24-bit mastering, and extends the running time by seven delightful minutes with the addition of a pair of bonus tracks, an early run-through of "Twilight," which was released as a single in the wake of the LP, and a stripped down, upbeat rehearsal version of "Christmas Must Be Tonight"; but either version one gets of Northern Lights-Southern Cross, is worth owning]. ---Rob Bowman, allmusic.com

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The Band – Jericho (1993)

2010-09-09T13:19:37Z

The Band – Jericho (1993)


01-Remedy
02-Blind Willie McTell
03-The Caves Of Jericho
04-Atlantic City
05-Too Soon Gone
06-Country Boy
07-Move To Japan
08-Amazon (River Of Dreams)
09-Stuff You Gotta Watch
10-Same Thing
11-Shine A Light
12-Blues Stay Away From Me

The Band: 
Levon Helm (vocals, drums); 
Garth Hudson (various instruments, organ, keyboards); 
Jim Weider (guitar); 
Richard Bell, Richard Manuel (keyboards); 
Rick Danko (bass, vocals); 
Randy Ciarlante (drums).

Few bands called it quits with more fanfare than the Band when they bowed out with the 1976 all-star concert famously preserved in LP and movie form as The Last Waltz. However, while guitarist, songwriter, and de facto leader Robbie Robertson may have been ready to retire the Band, it soon became clear that the other members of the group didn't feel the same way (especially Levon Helm and Rick Danko), and by 1982 a Robertson-less lineup had hit the road. While new recordings were planned, it wasn't until 1993, seven years after Richard Manuel was found dead in a Florida motel room, that a new album appeared from the Band, and while Jericho lacks the mythic resonance of their greatest work, it did unexpectedly prove that the Band could function very well without Robertson. While Jim Weider isn't as sharp a guitarist as Robertson and his input as a songwriter is also missed, Garth Hudson's epic keyboard arrangements, the lovely ache of Rick Danko's vocals, and especially Levon Helm's raw, soulful singing (as well as his drumming and mandolin work) still define this as the music of the Band. The material lacks the thematic reach of the Band's strongest period, but "The Caves of Jericho" (written by Helm with Richard Bell and John Simon) shows they can come up with worthy songs on their own, and covers of Bob Dylan's "Blind Willie McTell" and Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City" are superb choices (especially the latter, with Helm's vocals an unlikely but fine fit). And while the post-Robertson touring version of the Band seemed more interested in boogie than substance, there's no denying good-time numbers like "Remedy," "Stuff You Gotta Watch," and the gloriously weird "Move to Japan" make with the good groove. The addition of an unreleased Richard Manuel performance may seemed a bit ghoulish, but his take on "Country Boy" sounds fine and is a bittersweet tribute to his talents. Jericho may pale in comparison to such masterworks as Music from Big Pink and The Band, but there's little denying it's a stronger and more committed work than Islands or the studio side of The Last Waltz, showing this group still had something to offer besides hippie nostalgia. ---Mark Deming, AllMusic Review

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The Band – Music From Bing Pink (1968)

2009-10-12T21:25:27Z

The Band – Music From Bing Pink (1968)


1. "Tears of Rage" (Bob Dylan, Richard Manuel) – 5:23
2. "To Kingdom Come" (Robbie Robertson) – 3:22
3. "In a Station" (Manuel) – 3:34
4. "Caledonia Mission" (Robertson) – 2:59
5. "The Weight" (Robertson) – 4:38
6. "We Can Talk" (Manuel) – 3:06
7. "Long Black Veil" (Marijohn Wilkin, Danny Dill) – 3:06
8. "Chest Fever" (Robertson) – 5:18
9. "Lonesome Suzie" (Manuel) – 4:04
10. "This Wheel's on Fire" (Dylan, Rick Danko) – 3:14
11. "I Shall Be Released" (Dylan) – 3:19

Robbie Roberston - guitars & vocals
Rick Danko - bass & vocals
Levon Helm - drums, tambourine & vocals
Garth Hudson - electronic organ, piano, clavinet & saxophone
Richard Manuel - piano, organ, drums & vocals

None of the Band's previous work gave much of a clue about how they would sound when they released their first album in July 1968. As it was, Music from Big Pink came as a surprise. At first blush, the group seemed to affect the sound of a loose jam session, alternating emphasis on different instruments, while the lead and harmony vocals passed back and forth as if the singers were making up their blend on the spot. In retrospect, especially as the lyrics sank in, the arrangements seemed far more considered and crafted to support a group of songs that took family, faith, and rural life as their subjects and proceeded to imbue their values with uncertainty. Some songs took on the theme of declining institutions less clearly than others, but the points were made musically as much as lyrically. Tenor Richard Manuel's haunting, lonely voice gave the album much of its frightening aspect, while Rick Danko's and Levon Helm's rough-hewn styles reinforced the songs' rustic fervor. The dominant instrument was Garth Hudson's often icy and majestic organ, while Robbie Robertson's unusual guitar work further destabilized the sound. The result was an album that reflected the turmoil of the late '60s in a way that emphasized the tragedy inherent in the conflicts. Music from Big Pink came off as a shockingly divergent musical statement only a year after the ornate productions of Sgt. Pepper, and initially attracted attention because of the three songs Bob Dylan had either written or co-written. However, as soon as "The Weight" became a minor singles chart entry, the album and the group made their own impact, influencing a movement toward roots styles and country elements in rock. Over time, Music from Big Pink came to be regarded as a watershed work in the history of rock, one that introduced new tones and approaches to the constantly evolving genre. ---William Ruhlmann, AllMusic Review

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The Band – The Last Waltz (1978)

2009-10-12T21:15:05Z

The Band – The Last Waltz (1978)

The Last Waltz - Disc 1
•	01 The Band - Theme From The Last Waltz
•	02 The Band - Up On Cripple Creek
•	03 The Band - Who Do You Love
•	04 The Band - Helpless
•	05 The Band – Stagefright
•	06 The Band – Coyote
•	07 The Band - Dry Your Eyes
•	08 The Band - It Makes No Difference
•	09 The Band - Such A Night
•	10 The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
•	11 The Band - Mystery Train
•	12 The Band - Mannish Boy
•	13 The Band - Further On Up The Road

The Last Waltz Disc 2
•	01 The Band - Shape I'm In
•	02 The Band - Down South In New Orleans
•	03 The Band - Ophelia
•	04 The Band - Tura Tura Tural (That's An Irish Lullaby)
•	05 The Band - Caravan
•	06 The Band - Life Is A Carnival
•	07 The Band - Baby Let Me Follow You Down
•	08 The Band - I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
•	09 The Band - Forever Young
•	10 The Band - Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Reprise)
•	11 The Band - I Shall Be Released
•	12 The Band - The Well
•	13 The Band - Evangeline
•	14 The Band - Out Of The Blue
•	15 The Band - The Weight
•	16 The Band - The Last Waltz Refrain
•	17 The Band - Theme From The Last Waltz (with Orchestra)

The Band members:
    Rick Danko – vocals, bass, fiddle
    Levon Helm – vocals, drums, mandolin
    Garth Hudson – organ, accordion, synthesizer, saxophones
    Richard Manuel – vocals, piano, drums, organ, clavinet, dobro
    Robbie Robertson – guitars, piano, backing vocals

As a film, The Last Waltz was a triumph -- one of the first (and still one of the few) rock concert documentaries that was directed by a filmmaker who understood both the look and the sound of rock & roll, and executed with enough technical craft to capture all the nooks and crannies of a great live show. But as an album, The Last Waltz soundtrack had to compete with the Band's earlier live album, Rock of Ages, with which it bears a certain superficial resemblance -- both found the group trying to create something grander than the standard-issue live double, and both featured the group beefed up by additional musicians. While Rock of Ages found the Band swinging along with the help of a horn section arranged by Allen Toussaint, The Last Waltz boasts a horn section (using Toussaint's earlier arrangements on a few cuts) and more than a baker's dozen guest stars, ranging from old cohorts Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan to contemporaries Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Van Morrison. The Band are in fine if not exceptional form here; on most cuts, they don't sound quite as fiery as they did on Rock of Ages, though their performances are never less than expert, and the high points are dazzling, especially an impassioned version of "It Makes No Difference" and blazing readings of "Up on Cripple Creek" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (Levon Helm has made no secret that he felt breaking up the Band was a bad idea, and here it sounds if he was determined to prove how much they still had to offer). Ultimately, it's the Band's "special guests" who really make this set stand out -- Muddy Waters' ferocious version of "Mannish Boy" would have been a wonder from a man half his age, Van Morrison sounds positively joyous on "Caravan," Neil Young and Joni Mitchell do well for their Canadian brethren, and Bob Dylan's closing set finds him in admirably loose and rollicking form. (One question remains -- what exactly is Neil Diamond doing here?) And while the closing studio-recorded "Last Waltz Suite" sounds like padding, the contributions from Emmylou Harris and the Staple Singers are beautiful indeed. It could be argued that you're better off watching The Last Waltz on video than listening to it on CD, but either way it's a show well worth checking out. ---Mark Deming, AllMusic Review

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