Music from Big Pink (Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered)

by

The Band

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Before I bought this CD I had only heard The Weight and it was the main reason I bought this CD. To put it simply I was blown away by it. This album is the reason Eric Clapton disbanded cream and it is easy to see why. Every aspect of this album is beautiful and every song is great, not one stands out above the rest. I have since compiled a large collection of The Band, but this one will always be my favorite. The blending of the three voices is heard most on this album, with Richard Manuels standing out the most. In my opinion his voice is one of the most beautiful ever, and one listen of I shall be released should convince anyone of this. The album is a drastic departure from anything being recorded around the same time. It starts of with a slow song, Tears of Rage, very uncommon for the day. The songs all have a very old feel to them, and there is a lot of gospel flavor incoporated into them. It is basically the perfect album. Every band member was equally important to every song and each is one of the best at their respective instrument. In my opinion this is one of the best albums ever and this new remastered version is even better. The bonus tracks are pretty interesting especially if you don't already own the basement tapes. If you are looking to get into The Band start with this album and work your way through their catalog. It is the kind of album that gets better each time you listen to it and no music fan should be without it.

I know there are a lot of fans of The Band that disagree with me on this one. But, I really think the hype for this record has far exceeded the quality. I am a fan, but I really don't believe this release comes close to the quality of their follow-up self-titled release. There is no doubt that a number of the songs on this CD are outstanding and the playing overall is excellent. My major problem with it is the performances never seem to catch fire. It's almost too relaxed sounding. In other words, it gives new meaning to the term laid back. This is surprising when considering their history as a touring band.

I think most of the well known songs on the CD have been recorded more effectively either by other artists or The Band itself in live settings. This would be especially true of "This Wheels on Fire" and "I Shall Be Released". For example, both the Byrds and the Hollies released much better versions of "This Wheels on Fire" around the same time. A positive for this new remastered version of this CD is the overall excellent sound quality and bonus tracks. I'm sure Band fanatics will want to have this, but what about the casual fan or the newly initiated?

For new fans that want to economically experience The Band, I have 2 suggestions. One would be to purchase the remastered, extended release of their 2nd release simply called "The Band". It would be going too far to say this is all The Band you really need. But rather than picking up some of their other releases which have great moments mixed in with mediocrity, I would suggest the excellent 2 CD compilation, "To Kingdom Come" from about 15 years ago. It is a tremendous collection that truly negates the need to buy any other releases. Here you will get great songs such as "Life Is a Carnival" without having to listen to the filler surrounding it on the Cahoots CD. You will also get the best stuff from "Big Pink" such as "Chest Fever" and "The Weight", too! That's my honest take on this. I certainly don't dislike "Big Pink", but I do tend to view it as a warm-up for what was yet to come.