"...To Kingdom Come..."
It's a measure of The Band's
musical impact that their debut album hit the shelves of American record stores
1 July 1968 and by the late August issue of the hugely influential Rolling
Stone magazine (26 August 1968, Al Kooper's famous article) - they were already
on the front cover. There they sat on a park-bench with their backs to us -
come to bring us all back to real tunes - looking like ramshackle
woodsmen-extras returned from the set of John Boorman's
"Deliverance". And it helped of course that the original Americana
troubadour Bob Dylan was a pal, painted the cover art and contributed the
occasional song classic too...
Capitol took their time with
this superbly presented 'Expanded Edition' CD of "Music From Big
Pink" and has stoked up the Stereo release with a slew of half-decent
extras actually worthy of the moniker 'Bonus Tracks'. Here are the weighty
details...
UK released September 2000
(August 2000 in the USA) - "Music From Big Pink" by THE BAND is an
'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue/Remaster on Capitol 525 3902 (Barcode
724352539024) and plays out as follows (74:03 minutes):
1. Tears Of Rage
2. To Kingdom Come
3. In A Station
4. Caledonia Mission
5. The Weight
6. We Can Talk [Side 2]
7. Long Black Veil
8. Chest Fever
9. Lonesome Suzie
10. This Wheel's On Fire
11. I Shall Be Released
Tracks 1 to 11 are their
debut album "Music From Big Pink" - released July 1968 in the USA on
Capitol Records SKAO-2955 and November 1968 in the UK on Capitol Records T 2955
(Mono) and Capitol ST 2955 (Stereo). The American STEREO Mix is used. Robbie
Robertson wrote "To Kingdom Come", "Caledonia Mission",
"The Weight" and "Chest Fever" - Richard Manuel wrote
"In A Station", "We Can talk" and "Lonesome Suzie and
co-wrote "Tears Of Rage" with BOB DYLAN - Dylan wrote "I Shall
Be Released" and co-wrote "This Wheel's On Fire" with Rick Danko.
"Long Black Veil" is a Marijohn Wilkin and Danny Dill song made
famous by Country Artists Lefty Frizzell and Johnny Cash. JOHN SIMON Produced.
BONUS TRACKS:
12. Yazoo Street Scandal
(Outtake)
13. Tears Of Rage (Alternate
Take)
14. Katie's Been Gone
(Outtake)
15. If I Lose (Outtake)
16. Long Distance Operator
(Outtake)
17. Lonesome Suzie
(Alternate Take)
18. Orange Juice Blues
(Blues For Breakfast) (Outtake – Demo)
19. Key To The Highway
(Outtake)
20. Ferdinand The Imposter
(Outtake – Demo)
THE BAND was:
GARTH HUDSON – Organ and
Vocals
RICHARD MANUEL – Piano and
Lead Vocals on Tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 11
ROBBIE ROBERTSON – Lead
Guitar and Duet Vocals with Manuel on Track 2
RICK DANKO – Bass and Lead
Vocals on Tracks 4, 7, and 10
LEVON HELM – Drums and Lead
Vocals on Track 5 a duet with Danko
Compiled by Cheryl Pawelski
and Andrew Sandoval - the 20-page booklet has fantastically comprehensive liner
notes by ROB BOWMAN that feature interviews stretching back twelve years (from
2000), photos of tracking sheets, mix instructions, the American 45 of
"The Weight" on Capitol 2269, trade adverts, the Rolling Stone cover,
outtake photos from the session, a Winterland Poster - and snaps of the home
‘Big Pink’ where most of the music was composed. It's very well done as befits
an album of this stature.
But the big news is a great
remaster by DAN HERSCH and ANDREW SANDOVAL. Notoriously far removed from
'audiophile' territory – the album was recorded in a
real-instruments/naturalistic feel kind of way. So some tunes like "I
Shall Be Released" and "Long Black Veil" have audible hiss
levels but you’d have to say that this remaster allows the whole lot to
'breathe' – no dampening nor tampering. On tracks like the wicked keyboard
extravaganza that is "Chest Fever" or Manuel's old-as-mountains
"In A Station" - the natural feel is thrilling - given space to
shine.
It opens with the decidedly
edgy "Tears Of Rage" - a slow opener that's all treated guitar and
croaked vocals about 'Independence Day' and a father not 'getting it'. Even
after all these years I still find the brass arrangements and that huge organ
sound in the background so moving - while Robertson pings away on those frets
as only he can. We up the pace for "To Kingdom Come" - a catchy
little mutt that bears repeated listening as he sings of being 'tarred and
feathered'. I loved what Karen Dalton did with Manuel's "In A
Station" on her "In My Own Time" album of cover version in 1971
on Just Sunshine Records (see separate review). You can hear why she was drawn
to its gravel heart - slightly off rhythms and production values - yet still
full of heart. Both of Robertson's Side 1 finishers "California
Mission" and "The Weight" practically defined The Band sound
from the outset. On Side 2 I like the strange funkiness of "This Wheel's
On Fire" but my crave is the heavy and wild keyboard soloing throughout
“Chest Fever”. It's so at odds with the rest of the record - yet it fits.
"Chest Fever" could even be an ELP rehearsal – an Atomic Rooster jam
– it's the kind of rock song you don't really expect from The Band -
brilliantly hooky yet ramshackle enough to remain real. "Chest..." is
followed by Levon's aching set of pipes on "Lonesome Suzie" – a slow
drawl of a song – and a tune that cries out to be covered - tap into the melody's
innate Soulfulness.
I had expected the Extras to
be largely filler - and some are rough ("If I Lose", "Orange
Juice Blues" and "Ferdinand The Imposter" are taken from 'best
available sources') - but the Outtakes are actually brill. "Yazoo Street
Scandal" actually feels like Dylan's force is strong with the
Robbie-one-Kenobi - but even tastier is
an 'Alternate Take' of "Tears Of Rage" that emphasises the Piano
more. It's a fabulous addition and stands up by itself. Both Robertson and
Manuel penned "Katie's Been Gone" and it's another genuinely great
discovery. "...This would be Take 400...rolling..." the Engineer
wittily intros "Long Distance Operator" - and again it feels like
your eavesdropping on creativity in full flow. You can hear why the quicker
"Lonesome Suzie" Alternate was dumped in favour of the much slower
and more soulful arrangement. "Keys To The Highway" is a cover of a
Big Bill Broonzy song with some great fuzzed-up guitar. Impressive stuff...
The Band's debut is often
described as patchy - seen as a group getting there - heading towards the
undeniable songwriting maturity of 1970's "The Band". But I'd argue
that even though you're told other albums are better - "Music From Big
Pink" is one of those records you keep returning too - and digging it more
and more each time you do.
Dirt cheap from most online
retailers - this is one of those occasions where you don't have to pay through
the CD nose to get that great combo of top music and quality sound. And if ever
a group deserved such a sweet outcome - then The Band are it.
"...I Shall Be
Released..." they sang back in the day. And with music in my heart – they
were right...
