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TUMBLING DICE - 1972
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"...Sweeter Than Ever..."
You were nowhere in Rock if
you hadn't had a double live album by 1972 - and debuted since 1968 - The Band
struck on a cool idea to make their first foray into the obligatory 2LP arena
circuit souvenir stand out.
Fresh from an invigorating
recording experience with New Orleans Soul Man and Brass Arranger Allen
Toussaint on their September 1971 "Cahoots" album with the Little
Feat-funky "Life Is A Carnival" – the much-respected Toussaint
prepped horn charts for their forthcoming end of year concerts in 1971 at the
Academy Of Music in New York. The Band did four nights with the shows split in
two. So after the intermission, the five-piece group of Robbie Robertson, Levon
Helm, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson would come back on stage –
but this time bolstered up by a five-strong brass section consisting of Snooky
Young, Howard Johnson, Joe Farrell, Earl McIntyre and J.D. Parson. And so along
with a smattering of cleverly re-arranged cover versions, old tunes and
familiar melodies were made new again and that collaborative magic was captured
on "Rock Of Ages: The Band In Concert" finally issued August 1972.
This 'Expanded Edition' 2CD
Reissue and Remaster only compounds that triumph with 10 Previously Unreleased
tracks - the final four of which feature special guest and musical soulmate Bob
Dylan. To the lighted candles...
UK released 8 May 2001 - "Rock Of Ages: The Band In Concert" by THE BAND
on Capitol Records 530 1812 (Barcode 724353018122) is an Expanded Edition 2CD
Reissue and Remaster of the 1972 2LP Live Album with 10 Previously Unreleased
Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows:
CD1 (79:53 minutes):
1. Introduction [Side 1]
2. Don't Do It
3. King Harvest (Has Surely
Come)
4. Caledonia Mission
5. Get Up Jake
6. The W.S. Walcott Medicine
Show
7. Stage Fright [Side 2]
8. The Night They Drove Old
Dixie Down
9. Across The Great Divide
10. This Wheel's On Fire
11. Rag Mama Rag
12. The Weight [Side 3]
13. The Shape I'm In
14. Unfaithful Servant
15. Life Is A Carnival
16. The Genetic Method [Side
4]
17. Chest Fever
18. (I Don't Want To) Hang
Up My Rock And Roll Shoes
Tracks 1 to 18 are the
double-album "Rock Of Ages: The Band In Concert" - released August
1972 in the USA on Capitol SABB 11045 and November 1972 in the UK on Capitol
E-STSP 11. Peaked at No. 6 in the US LP charts (didn’t chart UK)
CD2 Previously Unreleased
Bonus Tracks (45:14 minutes):
1. Loving You Is Sweeter Than
Ever
2. I Shall Be Released
3. Up On Cripple Creek
4. The Rumor
5. Rockin' Chair
6. Time To Kill
7. Down In The Flood - THE
BAND with BOB DYLAN
8. When I Paint My
Masterpiece - THE BAND with BOB DYLAN
9. Don't Ya Tell Henry - THE
BAND with BOB DYLAN
10. Like A Rolling Stone -
THE BAND with BOB DYLAN
With liner notes penned by
ROB BOWMAN in January 2001 - the 20-page booklet reproduces all the artwork of
the original tri-gatefold double album as well as providing new interviews with
key players (Toussaint still alive when the reissue was being compiled). It's a
superbly detailed read – guest musician backgrounds, song choices discussed etc
- and also shows repro promo labels of the two US 45s issued from the 2LP set -
September 1972's "Don't Do It" b/w "Rag Mama Rag" on
Capitol 3433 and December 1972's "(I Don't Want To Hang Up) My Rock And
Roll Shoes" b/w "Caledonia Mission" on Capitol 3500. There is
even a Tracking Sheet for "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" as well
as the usual in-depth reissue compilation credits (Cheryl Pawelski and Andrew
Sandoval). This set of liner notes actually deals with the item in hand and
doesn’t fill 75% of its pages with a history of the group.
All Tracks are 24-Bit
Digital Remasters by RON McMASTER and ANDREW SANDOVAL - both names familiar
Audio Engineers on both The Band and The Kinks catalogues. The Audio is
stunning, lifting up material I once thought I knew too well. To the shows and
the music...
"W'’re gonna try
something we've never tried before..." - Robbie Robertson announces as
they arrive back on stage and he introduces the pumping newcomers. Horn Section
Leader and Flugelhorn player Snooky Young had cut his teeth with some huge big
band names – Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton and Benny Carter –
while Baritone Saxophonist Howard Johnson had sessioned and recorded with Ray
Charles, Miles Davis, Gil Evans and new kid on the Blues Rock/Americana block -
Taj Mahal. So first up is a cover version and what a smart choice it is. Marvin
Gaye's barnstorming September 1964 Tamla R&B smash "Baby Don't You Do
It" gets reduced in name to "Don't Do It" – the
Holland-Dozier-Holland winner a standout before we even get to Band material.
It's clear within seconds that the whole ensemble is tight – Levon Helm whacking
the drums and signing with gusto while Rick Danko plucks that Bass with
precision. Capitol edited it down for a 45 that made No 34 on the US singles
charts.
Next up is a Soulful take on
"King Harvest (Has Surely Come)" - the bass lovely in the remaster.
Their particular Soul-Rock sound emerges again in Robbie's "Caledonia
Mission" - can't get to you through your garden gate - him channelling
Otis Redding in this great tune. Both "Get Up Jake" and the rocking
Side 1 finisher "The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show" benefit from the
oomph the brass section adds them.
Side 2's "Stage
Fright" comes from the first half of the show (minus the brass) and acts
as perfect lead-in for "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" - that
trumpet adding a sense of history to an already loaded song. The crowd cheers
the lyrics "Standing by your window...a pistol in your hand..." as
they launch into "Across The Great Divide". More cheers for the Bob
Dylan/Rick Danko written "This Wheel's On Fire" while "Rag Mama
Rag" explodes out of familiarity into something exciting and new with the
brass boys going all New Orleans on its Americana ass.
Take a load off Fanny, take
a load for free, and put the load right on me - "The Weight" feeling
epic even in 1971. One of my faves is the Little Feat Funk of "The Shape
I'm In" – again filled out by a band cooking and enjoying themselves.
Things get plaintive with "Unfaithful Servant" – gotta be sent away –
left her key – gone to pack. Back to Soul-Rock with the fantastic "Life Is
A Carnival" – the Horn Section elevating The Band sound into Little Feat
live. We romp to the end with a church organ vs. synth solo for seven minutes
of "The Genetic Method" – then go into a lethal one-two pair of
enders – the fantastic "Chest Fever" with stunning Toussaint brass
jabs and the crowd pleaser "(I Don't Want To) Hang Up My Rock And Roll
Shoes".
For many CD2 will call to
them - feel warm and fuzzy like a chance meeting with a friend you haven't seen
since collage. Shocking is a word that jumps to mind when you think how good
these are. It opens with a cover of the Four Tops Tamla hit penned by Ivy
Hunter and Stevie Wonder "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever". Things
mellow big time with the Soulful "I Shall Be Released" – that squeaky
vocal strangely beautiful and drug-haunted in ways. Funky returns with "Up
On Cripple Creek" and so misused song "The Rumor" could easily
have been on the album or even a B-side of one of the single. Out comes the Harmonica
for the whole-life-at-sea song "Rockin' Chair" - take me home to
sooth away the rest of my years. Dylan had just released "Greatest Hits
Volume II" (a month before the concerts) with five new cuts on it - one of
them was the excellent "Down In The Flood" (a Basement Tapes tune)
while a second was the now much-loved "When I Paint My Masterpiece" -
both versions given throaty versions his Bobness. Levon Helm duets with Dylan
on "Don't Ya Tell Henry" - while Robbie Robertson lets rip too. The
crowd get a cracking Band/Dylan version of "Like A Rolling Stone" -
huge cheers - the tune still fresh to 1971 ears.
A cracking great live
double-album bolstered up with ten Bonus Tracks actually worthy of the moniker
- no longer a complete unknown. "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" -
ain't that the truth...
THE BAND on Capitol Records 1968 to
1977
UK Series of Expanded
Edition CD Reissues and Remasters
(September 2000 and May 2001 Release Dates)
1. Songs From Big Pink (July
1968 Debut Album) – Sept 2000 on Capitol 525 3902 (Barcode 724352539024)
2. The Band (September 1969
USA, January 1970 UK) - Sept 2000 on Capitol 525 3892 (Barcode 724352538928)
3. Stage Fright (August
1970) - Sept 2000 UK CD on Capitol 525 3952 (Barcode 724352539529)
4. Cahoots (October 1971) –
Sept 2000 UK CD on Capitol 525 3912 (Barcode 724352539123)
5. Rock Of Ages: The Band In
Concert (August 1972 2LP Live Set) – May 2001 UK 2CD Set on Capitol 530 1812
(Barcode 724353018122)
6. Moondog Matinee (October
1973) – May 2001 UK CD on Capitol 525 3932 (Barcode 724352539321)
7. Northern Lights-Southern
Cross (November 1975) – May 2001 UK CD on Capitol 525 3942 (Barcode
724352539420)
8. Islands (March 1977) –
May 2001 UK CD on Capitol 525 3922 (Barcode 724352539222)
