Rock of Ages

by The Band

Overview

Released on the heels of the stilted, static Cahoots, the double-album Rock of Ages occupies a curious yet important place in Band history. Recorded at a spectacular New Years Eve 1971 gig, the show and album were intended to be a farewell of sorts before the Band took an extended break in 1972, but it turned out to be a last hurrah in many different ways, closing the chapter on the first stage of their career, when they were among the biggest and most important rock & roll bands. That sense of importance had started to creep into their music, turning their studio albums after The Band into self-conscious affairs, and even the wildly acclaimed first two albums seemed to float out of time, existing in a sphere of their own and never having the kick of a rock & roll band. Rock of Ages has that kick in spades, and it captures that road warrior side of the band that was yet unheard on record. Since this band -- or more accurately its leader, Robbie Robertson -- was acutely aware of image and myth, this record didn't merely capture an everyday gig, it captured a spectacular, in retrospect almost a dry run for the legendary Last Waltz. New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint was hired to write horn charts and conduct them, helping to open up the familiar tunes, which in turn helped turn this music into a warm, loose, big-hearted party. And that's what's so splendid about Rock of Ages: sure, the tightness of the Band as a performing unit is on display, but there's also a wild, rowdy heart pumping away in the backbeat of this music, something that the otherwise superb studio albums do not have. Simply put, this is a joy to hear, which may have been especially true after the dour, messy Cahoots, but even stripped of that context Rock of Ages has a spirit quite unlike any other Band album. Indeed, it could be argued that it captured the spirit of the Band at the time in a way none of their other albums do. [Rock of Ages was re-released on LP in 2015.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	07/31/2015
Label:	Capitol
UPC:	0602547206619
Rank:	38456

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Introduction by Robertson
2. Don't Do It
3. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)
4. Caledonia Mission
5. Get Up Joke
6. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
7. Stage Fright
8. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
9. Across the Great Divide
10. This Wheel's on Fire
11. Rag Mama Rag

Disc 2

12. The Weight
13. The Shape I'm In
14. The Unfaithful Servant
15. Life Is a Carnival
16. The Genetic Method
17. Chest Fever
18. (I Don't Want To) Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Band   Primary Artist
Bob Dylan   Primary Artist
Garth Hudson   Organ,Sax (Tenor),Sax (Alto),Sax (Soprano)
Levon Helm   Vocals,Drums
Howard Johnson   Sax (Baritone)
J.D. Parran   Sax (Alto),Clarinet
Rick Danko   Vocals
Joe Farrell   Sax (Tenor),Horn (English),Sax (Soprano)
Richard Manuel   Vocals,Piano
Robbie Robertson   Vocals,Guitar
Earl McIntyre   Trombone
J.D. Parron   E Flat Clarinet,Sax (Alto)
Snooky Young   Trumpet,Flugelhorn

Technical Credits

Mark Harman   Audio Engineer,Engineer
Greil Marcus   Liner Notes
The Band   Audio Production
Phil Ramone   Audio Engineer,Engineer
Robbie Robertson   Composer
Rob Bowman   Liner Notes
Ron McMaster   Mastering
Rick Danko   Composer
Peter Grant   Reissue Art Director
Brian Holland   Composer
Stevie Wonder   Composer
Dan Gellert   Remixing
Levon Helm   Composer
Kate Wolf   Composer
Garth Hudson   Composer
William Stevenson   Composer
Spoken Word   Composer
C. Willis   Composer
Fred Lombardi   Photography
Darren Wong   Reissue Director
Ernst Haas   Photography
Chuck Willis   Composer
Cheryl Pawelski   Reissue Compilation,Producer
Lamont Dozier   Composer
Ivy Jo Hunter   Composer
Bob Dylan   Musician,Composer
Andrew Sandoval   Reissue Compilation,Mastering,Producer
Allen Toussaint   Horn Arrangements