The Band – The Band

The Band is the second album from The Band. Although too young to see The Band on their first time around (except in the film version of The Last Waltz), we did catch them twice in their 1990s incarnation, both times with Sue and Dave Henrich, at the Woodstock show (with the infamous beach ball incident) and at Lulu's Roadhouse (with dancing).

The Band was (and is) heaped with well-deserved praise from the critics:

• AllMusic gave it a perfect 5 stars, noting that "the arrangements were simultaneously loose and assured, giving the songs a timeless appeal, while the lyrics continued to paint portraits of 19th century rural life"
• Robert Christgau rated it A+, calling it even better than Abbey Road (see "Los Angeles, Early October" in "In Memory of the Dave Clark Five")
• Rolling Stone said "it's good for what ails you and it gives you what you haven't got" in a 1969 review, and gave it a perfect 5 stars in the album guides

The Band is included in virtually all lists of the greatest albums of all-time:

• CBC Radio ranked it sixth in its list of the 100 Greatest Canadian Albums
• Chart magazine placed it in all three of its Great Canadian Music Polls: #22 in 1996, #11 in 2000 and #9 in 2005
• Robert Christgau included it in a basic record library (in Rock Albums of the '70s) and in a rock library before 1980 (in Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s)
• Paul Gambaccini rated it #13 in 1977 and #24 in 1987 in The Top 100 Rock 'n' Roll Albums of All Time
• Mar*Star ranked it #1 in 1992 and #10 in 2011 in its polls of great Canadian albums
• Bob Mersereau ranked it #7 in The Top 100 Canadian Albums in 2007
• Rolling Stone placed it 45th in its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003

Two singles were released from the album, "Up on Cripple Creek" / "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (both sides of which are classics) and "Rag Mama Rag."

Click on a heading below to toggle more information.

Track Listing

1. "Across the Great Divide" (Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 2:53
2. "Rag Mama Rag" (Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 3:02
3. "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 3:30
4. "When You Awake" (Richard Manuel, Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 3:10
5. "Up on Cripple Creek" (Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 4:29
6. "Whispering Pines" (Richard Manuel, Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 3:55
7. "Jemima Surrender" (Levon Helm, Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 3:30
8. "Rockin' Chair" (Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 3:40
9. "Look Out Cleveland" (Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 3:07
10. "Jawbone" (Richard Manuel, Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 4:17
11. "The Unfaithful Servant" (Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 4:15
12. "King Harvest (Has Surely Come)" (Jaime Robbie Robertson) – 3:35

Personnel

• Band – Music from Big Pink (album)
• The Band – The Last Waltz (album)
• The Band – The Weight (song)
• The Band – Acadian Driftwood (song)
• The Band – Up On Cripple Creek (song)
• The Band – The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (song)