Justin_Cord's Full Review: Music from Big Pink [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster] by T...
Music from Big Pink is the debut album from The Band, and it's one of the best debuts in rock history.
Despite being comprised almost entirely of Canadians, The Band created a sound that was equal parts American roots music (think stuff from O Brother, Where Art Thou?), Dylanesque pop (appropriate since the group once toured with Dylan and recorded the famous Basement Tapes with him) and - thanks to the frequent vocals of Arkansas native Levon Helm - traditional country (think the No Depression stuff the group influenced or Hank Williams the first).
The resultant mix didn't sound like anything else from the late 1960s, and it STILL doesn't sound exactly like anything else, though - as noted - it's reminiscent of - or inspired - many musical genres.
It helped that each member of the group was among the best at his instrument. And many members could play more than one. Pianist Richard Manuel, for example, sometimes played drums in place of Helm, while Helm sawed on a fiddle.
The 11 songs on Music from Big Pink (the name of the New York house in which the songs were composed - and yes, it was big and pink) sound too assured to be on a band's debut album. But then again, most of the guys in The Band had played live together in bar bands since the 1950s.
Most songs were written by guitarist Robbie Robertson, although other members later would argue that Robertson was a credit hog who gave himself sole ownership of a song actually created out of musical jams that included all members. Sadly, it was Robertson's reluctance to share credit that was a major cause of the lackluster music that began to appear on subsequent albums. Who wants to work with a guy who hogs the spotlight?
Tracks include classic rock chestnut The Weight: "I pulled into Nazareth. I was feelin' 'bout half past dead...Take a load off Annie. Take a load for free. Take a load off Annie, and you put the load right on me."
Chest Fever begins with an amazing organ solo by keyboardist Garth Hudson.
One of the most beautiful tunes on the album is Manuel's In a Station, with its lush, swirling keyboards and dreamy vocals: "Once I climbed up the face of a mountain and ate the wild fruit there. Fell asleep until the moonlight woke me, and I could taste your hair."
For my money, Manuel is the "lead" singer of the group, even though most associate The Band with Helm's molasses-rich drawl. Manuel's voice is rich with emotion and has a vulnerable quality that I find very appealing.
Bob Dylan had a hand in several of Big Pink's songs (and drew the painting that adorns the album's cover): This Wheel's on Fire (written with bassist Rick Danko), I Shall Be Released and Tears of Rage (co-written with Manuel).
The Band officially broke up in the 1970s, and its "final" concert was filmed as The Last Waltz. I would not recommend the film because, once again, Robertson hogs the spotlight. It's not a good representation of the entire group.
Robertson left, but the others trudged on, playing increasingly smaller venues. Manuel killed himself in a Florida hotel. Danko died a few years ago. Helm has throat cancer and can no longer sing. Hudson has gone bankrupt.
But for two shining moments (Music from Big Pink and the group's follow-up, The Band), The Band created some of the best music of the rock era.
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