The Band - Greatest Hits
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Free Music Notes for Greatest Hits
Free Music Review: excellent album of hits by The Band
Hit: 5 Stars
The Band finally struck real gold in the late 1960s; and from there on in they produced some pretty awesome music. Although die hard fans will never be pleased with this single CD tribute; many people will like it very much anyway. It also makes a great introduction to The Band for newcomers.
The track set begins with "The Weight." After a brief but solid guitar intro, the singers come in and "The Weight" takes off like a jet! The arrangement blends rock with just a twist of country to produce a great sound; and they sing this number flawlessly! "Chest Fever" opens with some awesome electric guitar playing; and the organ helps to bolster this number also. "Chest Fever" is a solid rock piece that features The Band singing at their very best; they sing of a man spurned by a woman who's a pretty tough cookie and the pain he continues to experience at her loss even after time passes.
"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" showcases The Band performing a great country ballad about life during the Civil War. Their use of the guitars, drums and percussion really works well on "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." In addition, "Rag Mama Rag" displays their versatility with a country ballad. "Rag Mama Rag" is about a man dumped by his woman--but he remains hopeful that their relationship will resume anyway.
"Stage Fright" has an elegant piano intro and the electric guitars bolster the melody well. I predict you will also enjoy "Stage Fright." "When I Paint My Masterpiece" starts with an accordion that gradually gets louder before the vocals start; and this song is about a man who wants to be alone together with his woman and have a happy life in the future. Awesome number! Listen also for "Arcadian Driftwood;" this number sports a country flavor with flute, guitar and some awesome vocals! "Arcadian Driftwood" explores how tough life can be for some people.
The liner notes include a very lengthy, informative essay by Rob Bowman; and the artwork is very good. We get the song credits, too.
Just one listen to this CD proves beyond doubt that The Band was remarkably talented. We are better off for their sharing their fine artistry with us; and thank goodness we can still buy their fine albums in our times.
Great job, guys! Hope you regroup soon--and rock on !!!
Free Music Review: A Great Justice to the Year 2000 Remastered Series
Hit: 5 Stars
The Band's "Greatest Hits" is one of the very few compilation albums that those interested in the group would be fortunate to buy before actually buying the original albums themselves. The reason for that is solely because this Greatest Hits package is from the Band Remaster series of 2000; each track here represents the amazingly sharp and high quality job the sound engineers did in restoring The Band's original catalog of work. Each track here will prove to new fans that, if they're interested in dipping into the career of this remarkable group, they should definitely choose the CD's from the 2000 editions. This is most notable on the tracks from "Stage Fright"--'The Shape I'm In' and that album's title track far outweigh the relatively flat sound heard on earlier remastering attempts. To be specific, Garth Hudson's wildly immaculate keyboards, the effects on Rick Danko's vocals, and Robbie Robertson's unusual guitar work are finally heard the way they were meant to be. But other than that, it has to be said that the track selection is classic--but predictable. The sequencing is a bit uneven as well...in other words, Richard Manuel's glorious, hymn-like vocal and piano on 'I Shall Be Released' somehow doesn't fit placed between the wonderfully bizarre 'Chest Fever' and the "drunkard's dream" 'Up On Cripple Creek' (which was ironically The Band's only Top 30 hit in the US). Also, the relatively mediocre 'Time To Kill' was obviously only included because it was a minor hit for "Stage Fright." Perhaps it could have been better replaced by 'The Rumor.' The classic duet between Manuel and Van Morrison on '4% Pantomime' (from "Cahoots") is missing, and the albums "Moondog Matinee" and even the swan song "Islands" could have been represented much better.
But in the end, despite the standard compilation album bringdowns, "Greatest Hits" serves best as a clue to new fans that the 2000 Remastered Editions are the best way to go.
Free Music Review: A Greatest Hits-compilation that does justice to its subject
Hit: 5 Stars
Opening with one of The Band's very best songs, the superb acoustic folk-rock narrative "The Weight", this collection does an excellent job of collecting most of the seminal, idiosyncratic Canadian-American ensemble's best songs.
Originally known as Bob Dylan's backing group, The Band, once they finally debuted on record in the summer of '68, played an instantly recognizable and utterly unique blend of rock, R&B, country and various folk music styles, creating a dense, muscular sound dominated by Robbie Robertson's weaving guitar, Garth Hudson's icy, majestic Lowrey organ, and Levon Helm's supple drumming. With Robertson as the main composer, Helm shared lead vocals with pianist Richard Manuel and bass player Rick Danko (as is evident on songs like "The Weight and the epic "Acadian Driftwood", where the role of lead vocalist passes between two or three musicians).
This compilation also includes the AOR-standart "Up On Cripple Creek", the grand ballad "Tears Of Rage", the up-tempo rocker "Rag, Mama, Rag", Richard Manuel's inimitable falsetto rendition of "I Shall Be Released", the swinging "Saga Of Pepote Rouge", and Robbie Robertson's classic "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", a song which is in every respect so much like an immortal folk-evergreen that it is hard to believe it has been around for only 35 years.
There are some wonderful lesser-known songs here as well, like the tough rocker "Time To Kill", the New Orleans-styled R&B of "Ophelia", and a wonderfully melodic, superbly arranged take on Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece".
The Band's three first albums, and 1975's "Northern Lights, Southern Cross", are all classics among modern popular music, and all of them deserve a listen. But this is a fine sampler, and a terrific place to start.
Free Music Review: A unique musical selection
Hit: 5 Stars
From their beginning as Ronnie Hawkins' backing band to their days touring with Dylan and on their own, the four Canadians and one American who made up "The Band" forged a connection between country and rock that was unique in its purity and complexity. The Band didn't go for the obvious "rock band trying to be country" approach of Gram Parsons' projects. Instead, they fused their love of roots with the emerging sound of first rockabilly and then pop. And when they were done in 1976, they had become a force to be reckoned with.
This collection culls some of (but not all) the best from the Band's discography, with the qustionable selection of the last two tunes coloring an otherwise excellent collection. The hits are spaced out with other selections that might not be so familar (for example, the beautiful "Tears of Rage", "Time to Kill", "King Harvest", etc). The overall effect reads like a great tribute to the music that these innovative men created over their career.
The sound is fantastic as well. You really feel like the music has been lovingly treated so the listener can get the best out of it. If anyone wants to know what all the fuss is about, you could probably play about five or so tracks off this collection and win a new convert to the Band.
So pick this up if you want to get some of the best American music ever recorded. Nothing beats the organ intro to "Chest Fever", the horns on "Ophelia", or the musicianship on "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down". And "It Makes No Difference" is quite possibly the most beautiful torch song ever penned. Just ignore the last two tracks (which are okay but not spectacular enough to merit inclusion), and you'll enjoy every minute of this splendid album.
Free Music Review: One of the finest compilation albums on the market
Hit: 5 Stars
If you're a casual fan of The Band, and just want one disc in your collection, this is for you. And if you're looking for a place to start, well, this is it as well.
Not a literal hits compilation, "Greatest Hits" brings together 77 minutes of highlights from The Band's classic albums (released 1968-1975).
The Band were an idiosyncratic outfit, blending folk, rock, country, R&B and a little bit of soul and gospel, and their tenure as Bob Dylan's legendary touring band made them a supremely tight and versatile ensemble. And this disc includes all of their best-known recordings, from the surreal folk-rock narraive "The Weight" to the vivid "Saga Of Pepote Rouge".
This is all highlights, really. The Band's wonderfully evocative cover of Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece", all acoustic guitars, violins and ringing mandolins, is worth the price of admission by itself, and originals like "Acadian Driftwood", "Up On Cripple Creek" and "The Shape I'm In" are equally spellbinding.
And the musical variety is amazing, spanning gospel-flavoured New Orleans soul, country & western, straight-ahead R&B, and of course the vivid folk pastiche "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", a song which must have come to Robbie Robertson straight out of the 19th century.
This is one of the finest compilations on any artist. The quality of the music assembled here is unbelievable, and everybody with any interest in music owe it to themselves to get acquainted with The Band.
Five stars easy. Very highly recommended.