The Band
Album: Live at the Academy of Music 1971 - Deluxe Box Set
Label: Commercial Marketing
Tracks: 56
Website: http://theband.hiof.no/

Strange that it took a group of four Canadians (and one US - born drummer) to define the broad sweep of music which we now term Americana. But it is surely a fact that without the Band's infusion of styles into Bob Dylan's "Basement Tapes" explorations, the rich variety of period and regional styles now underpinning so much American Music would not be seen as a coherent heritage. The Band were not alone in their interest in this heritage - one could cite the Grateful Dead and the Byrds as other pioneers - but they clearly provided the catalyst to a trend, and were, for 10 years, its most consistent exponents.

This Box Set represents a reissue of the Band's live album of 1972 - "Rock of Ages", originally a 2-LP set - together with no less than 17 previously unreleased tracks and a DVD. As such it provides a perfect encapsulation of their work, featuring most of their best-loved songs in the format that they worked best: LIVE! The tracks all come from a 4-night stint at the New York Academy of Music venue at the close of 1971, ending with a New Year's Eve concert. Several songs feature an added horn section arranged by Allen Toussaint, and 4 tracks have a certain Bob Dylan on vocals. The sound is excellent by the standard of early-70's live recordings, and the tracks have been carefully re-mastered by Bob Clearmountain.

Several factors made the Band such an important part of the development of American music from the mid-sixties. They had already been a functioning live band for nearly 8 years before the release of their first album - 'Music from Big Pink' - in 1968, including 3 years backing Dylan. Most of the group played several instruments: Levon Helm could hand over drum duties to keyboard player Richard Manuel so he could play guitar; the other keyboard player, Garth Hudson, could play sax and trumpet in a brass section alongside Manuel (baritone sax) and bassist Rick Danko (trombone); or they could form a country line-up with Helm (mandolin) and Danko (fiddle) alongside guitarist Robbie Robertson. Helm, Danko and Manuel could all sustain lead vocals, as could Robertson on occasion. Finally, they had a wide and varied interest in music - early rock and roll was a big influence, as were country music and American folk-songs. These latter sources were, of course, most exhaustively explored with Dylan in the basement of the Band's rented house - the Big Pink - and at Dylan's own house at Woodstock during 1966-67. Hudson was a college-trained musician, Helm an influential drum stylist and Danko a funky bass-player when the mood took him; add the songwriting skills of Robertson, and the good-time piano of Manuel, and you have a heady brew indeed!

The songs on 'Rock of Ages' draw more or less equally from the Band's first three albums - 'Music from Big Pink', 'The Band' and 'Stage Fright' - with a couple of tracks from their fourth album, 'Cahoots', and a couple of non-album tracks. All of their strongest songs are featured, in spirited versions which benefit from the space available within live performance, and from the enthusiastic cheers of a highly festive audience. Stands out tracks are, unsurprisingly, the Band's best known numbers: 'The Weight', 'Rag Mama Rag', 'Up on Cripple Creek', 'Across the Great Divide' and 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down'. In part this is due to the very catchy, melodic nature of these tracks - even when the themes are sad or serious, these are good time tunes. The solid rhythms of Helm's drums and Danko's bass, and the rolling, soulful dual keyboards propel each tune along with huge energy, without detracting from the integrity of the lyrics.

Though not a band of soloists, the songs are embellished with short solo bursts, of Robertson's guitar and Hudson's organ in particular. All of the vocals are clear, though sometimes sounding strained: a result, in all probability of the inadequacy of stage monitor equipment of the time, making it hard for the vocalists to hear themselves against the volume of their instruments. The 4 tracks with Dylan are fun, but add little to the latter's discography - Bob's vocals sound harsh and rather lost in the mix. Probably the most surprising, and to me thrilling, track, however, is Garth Hudson's solo improvisation, 'The Genetic Method'; probably more than any other track, this displays the combination of musical skill and breadth of knowledge which underpins the magic of the Band at its best.

And, in many ways, this Box Set is "the Band at its best": their best tracks presented live in concert. Whether the unreleased bonus tracks warrant such a lavish re-issue is questionable, however: of the 27 tracks on the original CD release (17 on the LP's and 10 bonus tracks on the first CD release), no less than 23 are presented here in duplicate versions (possibly direct from the soundboard). And these 23 tracks are almost indistinguishable from the previously released versions, with the exception of Hudson's solo improvisation. There is only one new, previously unreleased track - a version of Strawberry Wine - and the 4 Dylan songs on Disc 4 appear to be the same versions as on Disc 2!

The DVD contains video of just 2 performances: 'King Harvest (Has Surely Come)' and 'The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show', plus the tracks from Discs 1 and 2 in 5.1 Surround. The whole set is presented in a lavish booklet with many rare photos. As such this is obviously a must for true fans and completists; but at nearly £58 this may be a bit expensive, when the bargain version of Discs 1 and 2 is available for only £12! As they say, you pays your money …….

Martin Price