The Band - Collection 1968-1977 [7 Japanese (mini LP) SHM-CD Reissues Ltd., 2013]

For roughly half a decade, from 1968 through 1975, the Band was one of the most popular and influential rock groups in the world, their music embraced by critics (and, to a somewhat lesser degree, the public) as seriously as the music of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Their albums were analyzed and reviewed as intensely as any records by their one-time employer and sometime mentor Bob Dylan. Although the Band retired from touring after The Last Waltz and disbanded several years later, their legacy thrived for decades, perpetuated by the bandmates' respective solo careers as well as the enduring strength of the Band's catalog.

Music from Big Pink is the debut studio album by The Band. Released in 1968, it employs a distinctive blend of country, rock, folk, classical, R&B, and soul. The music was composed partly in "Big Pink", a house shared by Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson in West Saugerties, New York. The album itself was recorded in studios in New York and Los Angeles in 1968, and followed the band's backing of Bob Dylan on his 1966 tour (as The Hawks) and time spent together in upstate New York recording material that was officially released in 1975 as The Basement Tapes, also with Dylan.

Track Listing

01. Tears Of Rage (5:23)
02. To Kingdom Come (3:22)
03. In A Station (3:34)
04. Caledonia Mission (2:59)
05. The Weight (4:38)
06. We Can Talk (3:06)
07. Long Black Veil (3:06)
08. Chest Fever (5:18)
09. Lonesome Suzie (4:04)
10. This Wheel's On Fire (3:14)
11. I Shall Be Released (3:19)

Bonus Tracks
12. Yazoo Street Scandal (Outtake) (4:01)
13. Tears Of Rage (Alternate Take) (5:32)
14. Katie's Been Gone (Outtake) (2:46)
15. If I Lose (Outtake) (2:29)
16. Long Distance Operator (Outtake) (3:58)
17. Lonesone Suzie (Alternate Take) (3:00)
18. Orange Juice Blues (Blues For Breakfast) (Outtake / Demo) (3:40)
19. Key To The Highway (Outtake) (2:28)
20. Ferdinand The Imposter (Outtake / Demo) (3:59)

Produced by John Simon

The Band

• Rick Danko - bass guitar, fiddle, vocals
• Levon Helm - drums, tambourine, vocals
• Garth Hudson - electronic organ, piano, clavinet, soprano and tenor saxophone
• Richard Manuel - piano, organ, drums, vocals
• Robbie Robertson - electric and acoustic guitars, vocals

*****
John Simon - baritone horn, tenor saxophone, piano

The Band is the eponymous second studio album by The Band, released on September 22, 1969. It is also known as The Brown Album. According to Rob Bowman's liner notes for the 2000 reissue, The Band has been viewed as a concept album, with the songs focusing on people, places and traditions associated with an older version of Americana. Thus, the songs on this album draw from historic themes for "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "King Harvest (Has Surely Come)" and Richard Manuel's "Jawbone" (which was composed in the unusual 6/4 time signature.)

Track Listing

01. Across The Great Divide (2:54)
02. Rag Mama Rag (3:04)
03. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (3:33)
04. When You Awake (3:13)
05. Up On Cripple Creek (4:34)
06. Whispering Pines (3:58)
07. Jemima Surrender (3:31)
08. Rockin' Chair (3:43)
09. Look Out Cleveland (3:09)
10. Jawbone (4:20)
11. The Unfaithful Servant (4:17)
12. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (3:39)

Bonus Tracks
13. Get Up Jake (2:17)
14. Rag Mama Rag (3:05)
15. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (4:16)
16. Up On Cripple Creek (4:54)
17. Whispering Pines (5:06)
18. Jemima Surrender (3:48)
19. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (4:29)

Produced by John Simon

The Band

• Rick Danko - bass guitar, fiddle, trombone, vocals
• Levon Helm - drums, mandolin, rhythm guitar, vocals
• Garth Hudson - electronic organ; clavinet; acoustic piano; accordion; melodica; soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones; slide trumpet; bass pedals
• Richard Manuel - acoustic piano, drums, baritone saxophone, harmonica, vocals
• Robbie Robertson - electric and acoustic guitars, engineer

*****
John Simon - tuba, electric piano, baritone horn, tenor saxophone

Stage Fright is the third studio album by Canadian-American group The Band released in 1970. Much more of a rock album than its predecessors, it was a departure from their previous two efforts in that its tone was darker and featured less of the harmony vocal blend that had been a centerpiece of those two albums. It also included the last two recordings by The Band of new songs credited to pianist Richard Manuel; both were co-written with guitarist Robbie Robertson, who would continue to be the group's dominant lyricist until the group disbanded in 1976. Nonetheless, the tradition of switching instruments that had begun on the previous album continued here, with each musician contributing instrumental parts on at least two different instruments.

Track Listing

01. Strawberry Wine (2:37)
02. Sleeping (3:17)
03. Time To Kill (3:28)
04. Just Another Whistle Stop (3:54)
05. All La Glory (3:35)
06. The Shape I'm In (4:00)
07. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show (3:00)
08. Daniel and the Sacred Harp (4:13)
09. Stage Fright (3:43)
10. The Rumor (4:16)

Bonus Tracks
11. Daniel and the Sacred Harp (Alternate Take) (5:01)
12. Time To Kill (Alternate Mix) (3:26)
13. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show (Alternate Mix) (3:04)
14. Radio Commercial (1:04)

Produced by The Band

The Band

• Rick Danko - bass, fiddle, vocals
• Levon Helm - drums, guitar, percussion, vocals
• Garth Hudson - organ, electric piano, accordion, tenor saxophone
• Richard Manuel - piano, organ, drums, clavinet, vocals
• Robbie Robertson - guitars, autoharp

*****
John Simon - baritone saxophone on "The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show"

Cahoots is the fourth studio album by Canadian/American rock group The Band released in 1971 and was their last all-original studio album for four years. It received only mixed reviews when it first appeared. Robbie Robertson wrote or co-wrote all but one of the album tracks, Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece". Robertson's occasional co-writers include Danko and Helm on "Life is a Carnival", and Van Morrison on "4% Pantomime". The album's front cover was painted by New York artist/illustrator Gilbert Stone, while the back cover features a photograph portrait of the group by Richard Avedon.

Track Listing

01. Life Is A Carnival (4:00)
02. When I Paint My Masterpiece (4:21)
03. Last Of The Blacksmiths (3:41)
04. Where Do We Go From Here? (3:50)
05. 4% Pantmime (4:33)
06. Shoot Out In Chinatown (2:54)
07. The Moon Struck One (4:09)
08. Thinkin' Out Loud (3:20)
09. Smoke Signal (5:10)
10. Volcano (3:04)
11. The River Hymn (4:39)

Bonus Tracks
12. Endless Highway (Early Studio Take) (3:46)
13. When I Paint My Masterpiece (Alternate Take) (3:57)
14. Bessie Smith (Outtake) (4:18)
15. Don't Do It (Outtake / Studio Version) (3:54)
16. Radio Commercial (1:02)

Produced by The Band

The Band

• 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"
Libby Titus - backing vocals on "The River Hymn"

Moondog Matinee is the fifth studio album by Canadian/American rock group The Band released in 1973. It consists entirely of cover material taken from the group's love of R&B and blues music, with one exception in their interpretation of the theme from the film The Third Man.

Track Listing

01. Ain't Got No Home (3:24)
02. Holy Cow (3:22)
03. Share Your Love (2:54)
04. Mystery Train (5:40)
05. Third Man Theme (2:47)
06. Promised Land (3:01)
07. The Great Pretender (3:10)
08. I'm Ready (3:28)
09. Saved (3:50)
10. A Change Is Gonna Come (4:19)

Bonus Tracks
11. Didn't It Rain (Outtake) (3:16)
12. Crying Heart Blues (Outtake) (3:29)
13. Shakin' (Outtake) (3:31)
14. What Am I Living For (Outtake) (5:03)
15. Going Back To Memphis (Outtake) (5:02)
16. Endless Highway (Studio Version) (5:08)

Produced by The Band

The Band

• Rick Danko - bass guitar, rhythm guitar, vocals
• Levon Helm - drums, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, vocals
• Garth Hudson - organ, piano, accordion, synthesizer, clavinet, tenor saxophone
• Richard Manuel - acoustic and electric piano, drums, vocals
• Robbie Robertson - guitars

*****
Billy Mundi - drums on "Mystery Train"
Ben Keith - pedal steel guitar on "The Promised Land"

Northern Lights – Southern Cross is the sixth studio album by Canadian-American rock group The Band released in 1975. It was the first album to be recorded at their new California studio, Shangri-La, and the first album of all new material since 1971's Cahoots. All eight songs are credited as compositions of guitarist Robbie Robertson. Northern Lights - Southern Cross was recorded using a 24-track console, which allowed Garth Hudson to include multiple layers of keyboards on several tracks.

Track Listing

01. Forbidden Fruit (5:59)
02. Hobo Jungle (4:15)
03. Ophelia (3:32)
04. Acadian Driftwood (6:42)
05. Ring Your Bell (3:55)
06. It Makes No Difference (6:34)
07. Jupiter Hollow (5:20)
08. Rags & Bones (4:45)

Bonus Tracks
09. Twilight (Early Alternate Version) (3:13)
10. Christmas Must Be Tonight (Alternate Version) (3:01)

Produced by The Band & Cheryl Pawelski

The Band

• Rick Danko - Bass, guitar, fiddle, harmonica, trombone, vocals
• Levon Helm - drums, guitars, mandolin, piano, keyboards, vocals
• Garth Hudson - Organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophones, synthesizers, brass, chants, woodwind, bass
• Richard Manuel - Acoustic and electric piano, keyboards, congas, Hammond organ, clavinet, drums, vocals
• Robbie Robertson - Guitars, bass, piano, keyboards, clavinet

*****
Byron Berline - fiddle on "Acadian Driftwood"

Islands is the seventh studio album by the Canadian-American rock group The Band. Released in 1977 to mixed reviews, it is the final studio album from the group's original lineup.

Primarily composed of previously unreleased songs from The Band's career (including their 1976 cover of "Georgia on My Mind", which was recorded to aid Jimmy Carter in his presidential bid), Islands was released to fulfill the group's contract with Capitol Records, so that the soundtrack to their film The Last Waltz could be released on Warner Bros. Records. In the CD liner notes, Robbie Robertson compares the album to The Who's Odds & Sods.

Track Listing

01. Right As Rain (3:55)
02. Street Walker (3:16)
03. Let The Night Fall (3:12)
04. Ain't That A Lot Of Love (3:09)
05. Christmas Must Be Tonight (3:38)
06. Islands (3:54)
07. The Saga Of Pepote Rouge (4:14)
08. Georgia On My Mind (3:09)
09. Knockin' Lost John (3:51)
10. Livin' In A Dream (2:52)

Bonus Tracks
11. Twilight (Single Version) (3:17)
12. Georgia On My Mind (Alternate Take) (3:51)

Produced by The Band

The Band

• Rick Danko - bass guitar, vocals
• Levon Helm - drums, vocals
• Garth Hudson - organ, synthesizer, accordion, piccolo, tenor, alto, and baritone saxophones
• Richard Manuel - acoustic and electric pianos, vocals
• Robbie Robertson - guitars, vocals

*****
James Gordon - flute on "Islands"
Tom Malone - trombone on "Islands"
John Simon - alto saxophone on "Islands"
Larry Packer - violin on "Islands"



Notes

Cardboard sleeve reissue series from THE BAND features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player). Includes bonus track. Cardboard sleeve (gatefold) faithfully replicates the original analog album and obi. Part of seven-album THE BAND cardboard sleeve reissue series features the albums "Islands," "Cahoots," "The Band," "Stage Fright," "Music From Big Pink," "Moondog Matinee," and "Northern Lights - Southern Cross."

Many thanks to the original uploader: ALLexxess

SEE also:
Robbie Robertson 2016 Testimony