The Band The Band

The 50th anniversary edition of the Band’s eponymous second album offers a host of extras, some of which are making their debut on this set. Chief among the unheard material here is a new stereo mix by Bob Clearmountain, available both on CD and vinyl, the latter presented as a two-LP 45rpm pressing; there is also a new 5.1 mix on the Blu-ray. The second CD contains the Band’s complete Woodstock set, originally released as part of the Rhino box Back to the Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive, along with the seven bonus tracks from the expanded 2000 CD reissue The Band.

The 50th anniversary edition of the Band’s eponymous second album offers a host of extras, some of which are making their debut on this set. Chief among the unheard material here is a new stereo mix by Bob Clearmountain, available both on CD and vinyl, the latter presented as a two-LP 45rpm pressing; there is also a new 5.1 mix on the Blu-ray. The second CD contains the Band’s complete Woodstock set, originally released as part of the Rhino box Back to the Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive, along with the seven bonus tracks from the expanded 2000 CD reissue The Band.

The Band's first album, Music from Big Pink, seemed to come out of nowhere, with its ramshackle musical blend and songs of rural tragedy. The Band, the group's second album, was a more deliberate and even more accomplished effort, partially because the players had become a more cohesive unit, and partially because guitarist Robbie Robertson had taken over the songwriting, writing or co-writing all 12 songs. Though a Canadian, Robertson focused on a series of American archetypes from the union worker in "King Harvest (Has Surely Come)" and the retired sailor in "Rockin' Chair" to, most famously, the Confederate Civil War observer Virgil Cane in "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."

Released in 1969, this famous classic is popularly known as the “Brown Album”. This historic album put The Band in the mainstream consciousness and remains a timeless classic. The Band was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and this is the album that put them there. Their influence on the music scene started as the backup band for Bob Dylan on his 1965-66 world tour and when they started recording on their own with a contract from Capitol Records, this, their second album, was the top of their creative spark. The album features, “Up On Cripple Creek”, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”, “King Harvest”, “Rag Mama Rag” and many more including the Bonus Track, "Get Up Jake".

On Thanksgiving Day 1976, The Band took the stage for the very last time at the Winterland Theatre in San Francisco. The concert, aptly billed as The Last Waltz, has become one of the most revered performances of all time…