The Band - Music from Big Pink
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Free Music Notes for Music from Big Pink
Free Music Review: One of the BEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME!
Hit: 5 Stars
For those who are unfamiliar with the Band, this album is a great start and what is in my opinion their best. Recorded in Woodstock, NY at their house "Big Pink", which they moved to to be closer to Dylan, it contains some of the best rock and roll I've ever heard. Rootsy, but not behind the times, it is a perfect segway into some of the more folk-oriented rock of the early 70's. And for Dylan fans, this album contains many songs written and co-written by the man himself, no to mention the cover which he painted. Bottom line, Buy this album! It is an amazing piece of rock and roll with some of the best songs ever!Free Music Review: ELUSIVE GREATNESS!!
Hit: 5 Stars
I bought this album when it first came out. What stood out (and still does) is its elusive quality which makes it impossible to categorize this music (the modern day "Americana" moniker provides a hint but doesn't nearly say enough). The album conjures up, for me, images of an abandoned old house in the country with empty rooms, open windows, faded peeling wall paper, wind gently whistling through the rooms, filling the house with memories of the people who lived there. The haunting music, combining fender electrics with acoustic instruments, evokes a strange gumbo of some country/folk/spiritual time which exists only in the imagination. The Band's minimalist approach to playing enhances the strange aura of the recording. Snippits of phrases played on different instruments, Levon Helm's deadened drums, and the quirky,impassioned vocals have an immediate impact on the listener. The sonic quality of the way these instrumental and vocal instruments work together are as original as work by the Beatles and Geoff Emerick on Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's. In fact, this could reasonably be called a "back to the roots" Revolver. This is music from a world strangely different, but also uncannily familiar, like some alternate past. I disagree that this is not psychedelic music. THIS IS psychedelic music (in the best, artistic sense) of the highest order. The imagery evoked in these songs are the most stunning, original and clearly conceived of the era (and arguably beyond). If Helen of Troy "launched a thousand ships", this album "launched a thousand musicians" to take a second look at America's great musical tradition. Think about it. Without the Band, there would have not been a Bruce Springsteen, REM, Tom Petty, Eagles, post cream Eric Clapton, etc. Come to think of it, the band saved American music from teflon and plastic, confirming the value of traditional musical textures like wood, bone and leather. Music From Big Pink was the mellow feel of "the morning after" a great acid trip. We will never see the likes of it again. God bless Levon, Robbie, Richard, Rick and Garth for this gift to all of us.Free Music Review: Music From Big Pink
Hit: 3 Stars
I grew up hearing The Band on my dad's "Best of the Band" cassette, which he played virtually every week of my childhood. I never really liked them. But in college, after having gotten really into Dylan, I gave them a second chance. Wow. I got "Greatest Hits" and "The Last Waltz" on CD and I was more than hooked.
The logical next step was to start buying the individual CDs. Since this one is so highly rated - and since "Chest Fever," "I Shall Be Released" and "The Weight," figure among my favorite songs of all time - I thought Big Pink would be a natural one to start with. I couldn't really help myself, and I ended up getting Stage Fright at the same time.
Well, they've been a little bit of a disappointment. Each of the two albums contained exactly one CLASSIC Band song I had never heard ("Long Black Veil" on this one and "Sleeping" on Stage Fright), but besides that, none of the stuff really stood out. In fact, some of it was surpirsingly weak-sounding next to songs like "The Weight" and "Chest Fever."
Look, there are songs on this album so good that you can't claim to know music until you've heard them. But with one exception, they are all on "Greatest Hits." I'll give this album 3 stars for the amazingly terrific "Long Black Veil," and of course the inclusion of the classics I already knew and loved, but other than that....you could argue that it's pretty much filler. As good as the Band were, I guess they were more of a "song" band than an "album" band.
P.S. If you do end up deciding against getting this, then you MUST get Greatest Hits or the Band box set instead. The songs here that are good, are GREAT.
Edit: now it's 4 stars...I gave it one more star for the amazingly awesome cover art by Dylan. ;-)
Free Music Review: Somewhat Over-Hyped and Over-Rated
Hit: 3 Stars
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.
Free Music Review: A little dated sounding classic rock - it takes time to get used to, but in the end you'll love it!
Hit: 5 Stars
At first I didn't like The Band's "Music From Big Pink" as it was noticably dated sounding since nobody follows this musical style anymore. I gave it several listens, though, and there are several reasons why it's a classic. Despite the fact that it was one of the first of its kind (how it sounds, I mean), it's extremely well produced, the lyrics are fantastic, the musicianship is great and Richard Manuel's voice is perfect! Unless you hate this style of music, there's no way you couldn't love this! Every song here is great, and some are even classic ("Chest Fever" and "The Weight" are some examples). The lyrics are a tad hard to make out, but when they're clear they're always deep and interesting to listen to. As I said before, the musicianship is perfect and you can hear every instrument that's being played (much like on a Jackson Browne record). Richard's voice is arguably the weakest part about the album, but he's certainly very very good. Overall, if you like The Band or classic rock, chances are that you're going to love this! Highly recommended!
Highlights include:
the entire album!