The Band - The Band

For a time, everything was psychedelic. Cream were at their peak, Hendrix was lord of all he surveyed and, according to His Holy Bobness, Everybody Must Get Stoned. Then Bob fell off his bike and disappeared for a while...He spent months knocking around in Woodstock with his touring band, regrouping and rediscovering strange songs and folk tales from the 'old, weird America'. Dylan's next record would be the sparse 'John Wesley Harding'. The backing band, now calling themselves simply THE BAND would release their debut 'Music From Big Pink', consolidating their growing reputation with this, their second album. 'The Band' is the definitive statement in American roots ...  Read the complete review

Following the incredible Music From Big Pink comes this album, often referred to as the Brown Album, which is even better than the last one, encompassing more of a laid back feel and getting bakc even further to roots rock. This for me is the defining The Band album, as it showcases their talents of creating a perfect soundscape for the lyrics and vocals that they create. The vocals themselves should also be commented on, as they are made to be almost non-harmonics, with each voice given its own space and not necessarily falling into one, which often happens and leads to a loss of singularity and becomes false. This album comes with a collection of outtakes ...  Read the complete review

I discovered The Band through being a fan of Bob Dylan. The story goes that one night they were at a venue and were asked who they were, and they answered, "We're The Band," as they were still with Dylan at the time. This is a nice foray into traditional American, semi-country music with a very homely feel and some really moving and profound lyrics. It's easy to listen to but also stimulating and thought provoking. The song which introduced me to their music was The Night They Drove Old Dixie down, and when I started listening to this album, I realised there were a few other tracks I know and I suspect the same would apply to most people ...  Read the complete review