The tape was a paradox. Four-fifths Canadian, they nonetheless managed to embody a rural American myth like no one before or since, their evocation of an imaginary past rooted in a narrative tradition of country, blues, R&B, gospel, soul and rockabilly.
Equally contradictory was the fact that they were an intensely private band, driven primarily by the need to create, who became unwitting superstars in their adopted United States, retiring with one of rock’s greatest shows. stars of all time.
“It was a crazy ride, an incredible ride”, songwriter and lead guitarist Robbie Robertson said classic rock in 2019, looking back on The Band’s sometimes troubled journey. “And a dangerous race.”
This journey began in the early 60s, when the young quintet – Robertson, Helm, guitarist Rick Danko, pianist Richard Manuel and organist Garth Hudson, billed as The Hawks – toured the stands and bars of the Canada with rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins.
In 1965 they were Bob Dylanis the backing band. The relationship continued in informal jams at Woodstock (later published as The basement strips), before The Band went it alone with 1968 Music by Big Pink. This album set the pattern for their entire career: unrivaled ensemble playing, local grooves, three distinct lead vocals.
They peaked early; The 1969 self-titled album was an almost perfect expression of The Band’s creative vision. But this has a price. Its huge success brought fame and wealth, along with the attendant insecurities, control issues, and (for at least three members) A-grade habits.
The following years are mixed. As relations continue to sour and sales slump, the band has gathered strength for one last hurrah in the studio, the formidable 1975. Northern Lights – Southern Cross. A year later, they retired from live performance, at The last Waltz, a huge live blowout with a celebrity guest call. The band reunited, minus Robertson, in 1983.
Three years later, Manuel, still struggling with addiction, committed suicide. The remaining members eventually regrouped with auxiliary players later that decade and went on to make three more studio albums before finally calling time after 1998. Jubilation.
“At best, The Band was unlike anything else in the world, so it became something with its own identity and character,” Robertson explained. “That’s what we were aiming for.”
…and one to avoid
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