The Band - The Band

Perhaps one of the greatest albums ever?

Ah, the brown album. There is so much one could say about this utterly perfect album. It lyrics conjure visions of lonely country sides, and brisk cold winds. It's music defies categorization. It's cover...pricelss. What an image, what a band, well they are The Band!

1. Across The Great Divide - The best way to open this album, big! It establishes many of the selling points to this fine album. Dig the uber unique drum sound, and Manuel's perfectly honed vocal.
2. Rag Mama Rag - A great ragtime jam, Manuel's loose, sloppy drums, and Rick's screechy violin add to the "basement" aura. A great jam.
3. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Robbie's perfect story of a confederate soldiers recollections of the months after the civil war. Levon's voice is PERFECT. You belive the words he's saying.
4. When You Awake - One of the many songs that talks of the good ole days. A great Robertson/Manuel composition. Beautiful keyboards.
5. Up On Cripple Creek - The first Band song i grew to love. Everyone talks about Hudson's wha-wha clavanet "mouth-harp", well it's just that cool!
6. Whispering Pines - Manuel's pseudo sequal to "Lonesome Suzie". A heartbreaking balled with a just achingly perfect vocal.
7. Jemima Surrender - Levon's rollicking rocker, the definition of an up-beat Band song.
8. Rockin' Chair - My favorite! Love the story of a aging mariner and his friend "ragtime" Willy, Recalling memories of old. A great great song. Love the accordion.
9. Look Out Cleveland - More of a traditional rock song, but a great one none the less!
10. The Unfaithful Servent - My favorite Danko song. A truely beautiful lyric and a wonderfully performed song.
11. - King's Harvest - A killer song. The story of a union man, and his trials in the field. Manuel kills this song!
12. Get Up Jake - A single, but a great one. A sing-along, as if the last eleven weren't.

October 24, 2008

Blast from the past

We wore out our vinyl copy and needed to replace it. This is classic Band with some welcome additions. The "greatest hits" releases just don't do this group justice. Robbie Robertson is and always will be wonderful. September 8, 2008

Simply put....WOW. Amazing. Timeless masterpiece...

Well..i've never written a review on AMZN before. I am an absolute music afficianado and am a Grateful Dead fanatic. I would say that I have in my collection every single important 60's and 70's albums created (from Zep, Beatles, Floyd, all Dylan, Stones, Who, Allmans, Neil, Hendrix, Dead, and the zillion other important contributions worldwide).

THIS ALBUM BLOWS THEM ALL AWAY!

It is without question the most impressive studio album ever recorded and should be a part of any and all music fans collection. Most people know very little about the members of this group and their importance to the music industry. While R.Robertson gets the credit for most of their work.....this band MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER is truly A BAND effort. Levon Helm is simply put one of the finest southern singers ever. R.Manuel's voice is the most hauntingly beautiful male vocal ever heard. Period. Bar none. The musical genius of G.Hudson and Danko's sick bass lines are legendary.

I cannot say enuf good things here. From start to finish, this album will blow you away. Obviously, the timeless classics we all know, like "Dixie" and "Cripple Creek" deserve their Hall of Fame mention.
But the remaining tracks are what make this album the king of all albums.

"King Harvest" is basically the beginning of funk country americana rock and just blisters your ears off. I LOVE the added "Get Up Jake" bonus track (my vote for best bonus track on any remastered album ever). It's really a waste of time to comment on individual songs as I really believe this album is the most consistent, start-to-finish 'rock' album of all time. Period.
It's kind of amusing that Crosby, Stills and Nash and/or Simon/garfunkel are always regarded as the best male harmonies put on vinyl. Try getting LEVON HELM, RICHARD MANUEL and RICK DANKO in their prime!! The beautiful 3 vocalists stack their throaty sound on this album like nothing ever heard before.

AGAIN....THIS ALBUM SHOULD BE #1 on anyone's list. Period. When might you ask was this album made? Could be 1850, could be 1920, could be 1970. It is truly a timeless classic. It is the Wuthering Heights or To Kill a Mockingbird of the music industry.

BUY NOW without hesitation and listen to this album over and over. It takes months if not years to really HERE what this amazing group of musicians has created.
Once you have mastered this one, add Music From Big Pink for an earlier, more 60's sounding masterpiece as well. Chest Fever will blow a hole right thru you. August 2, 2008

My Favorite

This one is my favorite of all their earlier albums. They were totally different as a live act. I was fortunate enough to see them in their Prime in the early Seventies. I really don't care about the arguments whether Big Pink was better. Just enjoy them both.
My favorite bit of trivia about the Brown Album. Someone else mentioned this in another review. It was recorded in Hollywood, CA in Sammy Davis JR's pool house. I can just picture Sammy Tap Dancin' to Rag Mama Rag. July 24, 2008

One of the greatest albums ever

The Band is the BAND and this is their best album. Every song is a gem. I almost regret that this version of the album, with added tracks, has been issued since the original with its 12 perfect songs doesn't need any additions. But don't let that stop you. From rollicking good time music like Rag Mama Rag and Jemima Surrender to the melancholy of Whispering Pines and Rocking Chair the Band does something very few albums or novels can do well: bring to a life a cast of characters from another time and make them human.

While every song is great, King Harvest stands at the top of the Band's work with its desperate farmer pleading for nature to save his crops. The ensemble playing is incredible. The highest achievement in songwriting and performance. June 13, 2008

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