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Music from Big Pink is the 1968 debut album by folk rock band The Band. It features one of their best-known songs, "The Weight."
With a rough sound, seemingly chaotic arrangements, and a distinctive blend of country, rock, folk, classical, R&B, and soul, Music From Big Pink is generally considered one of the best albums by the Band, along with their 1969 second album The Band. The album follows the band's backing of Bob Dylan on his 1966 tour (as The Hawks) and time spent at a shared house in upstate New York recording what would become the Basement Tapes, also with Dylan. The shared house, in Saugerties near Woodstock, was painted pink, providing the title for the album.
The initial critical reception of the album was generally positive, though sales were slim; Al Kooper's rave review of the LP in Rolling Stone helped draw public attention to it. The fact that Bob Dylan had composed three of the songs also helped to increase sales.
At the time, "The Weight" peaked at #63 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart (North America). The album peaked at #30 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart in 1968, and then recharted as a #8 hit on the Top Internet Albums chart in 2000 (see 2000 in music). The song "The Weight" has gained widespread popularity, in spite of its dismal chart ranking, due partially to its inclusion in the cult favorite film Easy Rider, though it was left off of the soundtrack due to a licensing issue (a cover version by the band Smith was included on the soundtrack album instead).
In 2003, the album was ranked number 34 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The laid-back feel of the album drew the attention of many other artists. For example, Eric Clapton cites the album's roots rock style as what convinced him to quit Cream, and pursue the styles of Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie and his debut album. George Harrison also took note of this style as well as the down-home camaraderie as he was becoming more disgruntled with the constant rifts between The Beatles at the time.Reunited with Helm, the Hawks began writing their own songs in a rented large pink house in West Saugerties (near Woodstock). When they went into the recording studio, they still didn't have a name for themselves. They wanted to call themselves either "The Honkies" or "The Crackers", but these names were vetoed by their record label, who dubbed them "The Band" on the first pressings of Big Pink. Initially, they disliked the moniker, but eventually grew to like it, thinking it both humble and presumptuous.
Their first album, Music from Big Pink (1968) was widely acclaimed. The album included three songs written or co-written by Dylan ("This Wheel's on Fire," "Tears of Rage," and "I Shall Be Released") as well as "The Weight," the use of which in the film Easy Rider would make it probably their best known song. While a continuity certainly ran through the music, there were stylistic leanings in a number of directions. Never a specifically "psychedelic" group, the Band's first record did contain at least one song ("Chest Fever") demonstrating some similarities with that genre. In contrast to his guitar playing with Dylan, Robertson opted for a more subdued, riff-oriented approach.
After the success of Big Pink, the band went on tour, including a performance at the Woodstock Festival (which was not included in the famed Woodstock film due to legal complications) and an appearance with Dylan at the UK Isle of Wight Festival (several songs from which were subsequently included on Dylan's Self Portrait album). That same year, they left for Los Angeles to record their follow up, The Band (1969). From their deliberately rustic appearance on the cover, to the songs and arrangements within, the album stood in contrast to other popular music of the day. Although it should be noted that, by this point, several acts, notably Dylan - on John Wesley Harding - and The Byrds - with Sweetheart of the Rodeo - had made similar stylistic moves. The Band featured songs that evoked oldtime rural America, from the civil war ("The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down") to unionization of farm workers ("King Harvest Has Surely Come").
These first two records were produced by John Simon, who was practically a group member: He aided in arrangements, and played occasional instruments (piano or tuba). Simon reported that he was often asked about the distinctive horn sections featured so effectively on the first two albums; people wanted to know how they had achieved such memorable sounds. Simon was slightly embarrassed to admit that, besides Hudson (an accomplished saxophonist), the others had only rudimentary horn skills, and achieved their sound simply by creatively utilizing their limited technique.
Rolling Stone magazine lavished praise on the Band in this era, giving them more attention than perhaps any other group in the magazine's history; Greil Marcus's articles in particular contributed greatly to the Band's mystique. The Band was also featured on the cover of Time Magazine's January 12, 1970 issue.A critical and commercial triumph, The Band, along with works by The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, established a musical template (sometimes dubbed country rock) that later would be taken to even greater levels of commercial, if not artistic, success by such artists as Eagles. Both Big Pink and The Band also influenced their musical contemporaries, with both Eric Clapton and George Harrison citing the Band as a major influence on their musical direction in the late 1960s and early 70s. Indeed, Clapton later revealed that he had wanted to join the group.
The Band has influenced countless bands, songwriters, and performers. "The Weight," in particular, has been covered numerous times, and in various musical styles.
In the nineties, a new generation of bands influenced by the Band began to gain popularity, including Counting Crows and The Black Crowes. Counting Crows indicated this influence with their tribute to the late Richard Manuel, "If I Could Give All My Love (Richard Manuel Is Dead)", and by covering Band songs during live performances. The Black Crowes would often play some of the Band's most popular songs during concerts, including "The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down", which appears on the band's DVD Freak 'n' Roll into the Fog.
Chicago's Umphrey's McGee has covered both "Ophelia" and "Don't Do It". Both were covered for the first time at their DVD-released New Years Eve concert from 2004 Wrapped Around Chicago. "Ophelia" appears on that release. They have also covered "The Weight," twice with Huey Lewis on vocals.
Southern-based "jam band" Widespread Panic has covered "Ophelia" consistently from 1987 to 2007, and in 2006 they began covering "Chest Fever" as well. In 2004 southern rock-revivalists Drive-By Truckers released the track "Danko/Manuel" on the album The Dirty South. My Morning Jacket's southern rock/alt-country sound is often compared to the Band, especially in songs such as "Lay Low" and "Just Because I Do".
In 2006 it was announced that a tribute album was in the works including My Morning Jacket covering "It Makes No Difference", Death Cab for Cutie covering "Rockin' Chair", and Gomez covering "Up on Cripple Creek." Released on 30 January 2007, the compilation album, entitled Endless Highway: The Music of The Band, included contributions by Guster, Bruce Hornsby, Jack Johnson and ALO, Leanne Womack, The Allman Brothers Band, Blues Traveler, Jakob Dylan, and Rosanne Cash amongst others.
The Band Time Line 1967–1976:
- Robbie Robertson – guitar, vocals
- Rick Danko – bass, vocals
- Levon Helm – drums, vocals
- Richard Manuel – keyboards, vocals, drums
- Garth Hudson – keyboards, saxophone
Singles:
"Uh-Uh-Uh"/"Leave Me Alone" (1965 single, as The Canadian Squires)
"The Stones I Throw"/"He Don't Love You" (1965 single, as Levon and the Hawks)
"Go Go Liza Jane"/"He Don't Love You" ((1968 single, as Levon and the Hawks)
01."Tears of Rage" (Bob Dylan, Richard Manuel) – 5:23
02."To Kingdom Come" (Robbie Robertson) – 3:22
03."In a Station" (Manuel) – 3:34
04."Caledonia Mission" (Robertson) – 2:59
05."The Weight" (Robertson) – 4:38
06."We Can Talk" (Manuel) – 3:06
07."Long Black Veil" (Marijohn Wilkin, Danny Dill) – 3:06
08."Chest Fever" (Robertson) – 5:18
09."Lonesome Suzie" (Manuel) – 4:04
10."This Wheel's on Fire" (Dylan, Rick Danko) – 3:14
11."I Shall Be Released" (Dylan) – 3:19
Bonus:
12."Yazoo Street Scandal" (Robertson) – 4:01
13."Tears of Rage" (Dylan, Manuel) – 5:32
14."Katie's Been Gone" (Manuel, Robertson) – 2:46
15."If I Lose" (Ralph Stanley) – 2:29
16."Long Distance Operator" (Dylan) – 3:58
17."Lonesome Suzie" (Manuel) – 3:00
18."Orange Juice Blues (Blues for Breakfast)" (Manuel) – 3:40
19."Key to the Highway" (Big Bill Broonzy) – 2:28
20."Ferdinand the Imposter" (Robertson) – 3:59
Part 1: http://sharebee.com/eb116c49
Part 2: http://sharebee.com/545cfcc9
