Customer Reviews

The Best Of The Band

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Let me explain this three star rating:

Capitol released ten years ago, To Kingdom Come: The Definitive Collection. This was an expanded greatest hits that featured key album tracks, and unreleased material (with no detail in the liner notes, unfortunately).

Then Capitol decided to delete this and replace it with a three CD boxed set: Across The Great Divide. This featured newly remastered sound, and a number of rarities.

Unfortunately, this too was deleted early this year. What is not known is who asked for its deletion, was it the current Band members, Robbie Robertson, the record company?

Whoever is responsible has left the group and its fans with no respectful anthology, only this skimpy, mid-eighties remastered low budget affair! That is, unless you want to hunt down To Kingdom Come as an import.

What is here is classic, but the three stars is for what is NOT here: No "Acadia Driftwood", "Mystery Train", "Across The Great Divide", "Get Up Jake," no early material, no rarities, etc.

Suggestion: flood the offices of Capitol with tons of protest mail. Maybe then we can once again enjoy a boxed set treatment from a group who desperately deserves one, not this CD

Anyone who loves the classic rock of the Band knows the title of this "hits" collection is a misnomer. Their first two albums, "Music From Big Pink" and "The Band" feature songs so well-written and sturdy that they sounded -- the first time you heard them - like they were sung 150 years ago on wagon trains. (If you doubt, play the majestic funeral march "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" for a high school student and ask him when he thinks the song was written.)

Some of those classics ("The Weight," "Tears of Rage" featuring solos by the late Richard Manuel) are featured here. Also, you get a minor Motown cover hit("Don't Do It" with great horn charts by Allen Toussaint); "Life is A Carnival," and "Ophelia" which beat Little Feat at their own Cajun funk game; the painful but thrillng title track of "Stage Fright." All of them carry the musical and lyrical details that make great writing on disc or printed page. This is an easy introduction to a group so overlooked on radio and everywhere else. Collections other than this are hard to find, but the Band's first two albums are still in print and essential.

The sole purpose of this review is to shed light on the track `Twilight.' This song would be the only reason to buy this compilation, but fortunately `Twilight' was included in remastered form on the 2001 re-issue of "Islands," the last studio album released by the original line-up, so a compilation isn't necessary to acquire this track. (If you're looking to start out with a compilation, 2000's "Greatest Hits" would be a nice affair, as it is a handy preview of the Band Remaster Series.) But back to `Twilight.'
This song was released as a single in 1976, probably to promote "The Best Of" album, but it also coincided with the release of the highly successful film "The Last Waltz," the original line-up's final concert. `Twilight' seemed to embody all of the sadness and reflection of times past, which was pretty much the personal state of The Band at that time. This one song alone expressed all of these things just as well as the entire "Last Waltz" film. The Band's motivation was fading, and so was their creative flame (in the eyes of critics anyway). Though they had loose intentions to release more studio albums after the Waltz, it was obvious they were nearing an end. Which makes Rick Danko's vocal all the more moving as he sings "Don't put me in a frame upon the mantle, for memories turn dusty old and grey." And the following lines are subtle but devastating "Don't leave me alone in the twilight, `cause twilight is the loneliest time of day." The musical backdrop of the song meanwhile would have fit perfectly on the "Islands" album; a catchy, rhythmic-almost tropical-beat provides the backbone for one of Danko's most effective vocals (the `Twilight' formula can be compared to `Amazon (River Of Dreams)' from The Band's reunion album "Jericho," which featured an exotic, almost funky beat topped off by a vocal full of melancholy and heartache). The feelings generated by `Twilight' were those of a lost, ever-fading era of joy. The Band were almost done, but they didn't want to be placed in "a frame upon the mantle"...which in hindsight, is exactly what all of the "best of" releases did.
The only logical reason for `Twilight' being excluded from the original release of "Islands" is that perhaps the personell thought it would boost sales for "The Best Of" (if so, it only propelled the record to Number 51). But by that logic, it would have been more important to promote "Islands" than it would have been for a compilation (the song also seemed to match that record's album cover). Available on the 2001 re-release of "Islands," and an equally stirring early version is a bonus track on the re-release of "Northern Lights-Southern Cross."

while maybe not for diehards, this collection has everything a new fan could possibly want, and is a good purchase if you can still find it cheap. it has a lot of southern flavored rock songs, mellow and well arranged, which is just good music without any pretensions. They would later be ruined by the guitarist's ego trip on The Last Waltz, but these tunes show them at a time when they were equals and friends who made great music. This cd is highly recommended for anyone even remotely interested in hearing The Band's unassuming yet adorned music.

We loved you, brother. The Band was very influential and important in the history of rock music. And you were a part of it. I saw The Band in, I think, 1986 playing at The Cinema & Drafthouse in Clearwater Florida. It was a sparsely attended but still enthusiastic crowd; and The Band were excellent. It wasn't but maybe a few weeks later that Richard Manuel committed suicide. It may have only been days, I can't remember specifics. That was a long time ago with a lot happening in between. I do recall a very real sense of loss with Richard's untimely death and now, with Rick's passing, I feel it all over again. When famous and important musicians die, it affects all of us who follow music. We may agree to disagree, and we always shall. But when a great musician such as Rick Danko passes, we manage to come together, and we do it with nothing if not love. Rick, we love you brother. You gave us great music, may you rest in peace.

The Band never got the recognition it deserved, but this collection portrays all their laid back vocals and musical qualities. Stand out cuts are, "Up On Cripple Creek" (a classic), "The Weight' (one of the best songs to come out of the band) and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", a moving song made hugely famous by Joan Baez's rendition. Put the disc in and hear the memories just flow right back out.

The Band wrote some of the greatest rock-n-roll songs ever written, and many of them are in this collection. With songs like "The Weight" and " The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" this album showcases some absolutely briliant music. The collection is worth buying for those two songs alone, but they are just two examples of the rare song writing ability that was the Band. Perhaps the only drawback of this album and on the work of the Band as a whole is the crude nature of thier recordings. I have heard many times that Robbie Robbertson is a great guitar player, but that certainly is not the case in this collection. Not to say that Robbie could not play, because that is not the case. Jimi Page is another guitar player who gets more credit as a guitar player than he deserves, if the criteria is the infamous guitar solo. Nither Jimi nor Robbie has solo chops to write home about, but they are both phenominal writers. So take this: this album has great music, but not always great playing and the recordings are less than state of the art. Yet it does not overshadow the songs. I would not give it such a high recomendadion if it did.

I added this title to my wish list because I didn't have my Christmas gift card to redeem at the time. Came back a couple of days later to buy it and the price had changed. According to the email I received, the prices were supposed to be good until January 31st. I sent an email to Amazon (contact us)and they answered my question with a question. I'm now deleting the titles that the price changed on.

THE BAND-THE BEST OF THE BAND: The Band was composed of five uniquely talented roots-rock musicians who, among other things, could play everything from traditional rock instruments to mandolin, tuba, accordian and nearly anything else between them. Their legacy can only be scratched by this too brief anthology. Guitarist Robbie Robertson penned all of their americana classics, though sticksman Levon Helm, bass player Rick Danko and keyboardist Richard Manuel provided the group's earthy, everyman vocals, and heavenly three part harmonies. This is not to leave out organ whiz Garth Hudson, who rounded out their instantly identifiable sound with rich, subliminal textures. Country, rock, gospel, blooze, RNB, jazz, and more were all part of the Band's basic blend. Witness their "hits" THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN (AM radio listeners, think Joan Baez' cover), UP ON CRIPPLE CREEK, and THE WEIGHT, some of the most poignant, hardest to categorize story songs in all of pop. From Danko's lovely, quavering vocal on TEARS OF RAGE to Helm's funky twang on THE SHAPE I'M IN, this ex backup group for Dylan stood head and shoulders above their competition, sounding just as vital today as they did thirty years ago. How many other "bands" can say that?

RATING: FIVE EASY PIECES

Finest collection from one of Canada's musical acts of all-time in rock history. Great songs with a few favorites on this CD throughout their years together ever since they were back-up musicians for Bob Dylan once I think don't know for sure?