Garth shed his mortal coil this past Tuesday, he was 87.
Over the years, I have seen The Band countless times. In 1984, I saw the post Robbie Roberson lineup, here in Manhattan at the sorely missed Lone Star Cafe (left). After their late set, I had the honor and privilege of speaking with Garth and Richard Manuel, both of whom were warm and charming gentlemen. Richard was a goofy (in a good way), fun-loving man, who cracked very smart and very funny jokes, many of them at his own expense. Garth on the other hand was a quiet and gentle soul. He was obviously introverted, but opened up, when I broached the subject of playing the keyboards and saxophone. Turned out, he was a big fan of Charlie Parker and also Johnny Hodges. For an hour or so we traded stories, rumors, and myths about Bird, while my husband Jerry got ripped with Richard on Grand Marnier.
Today's freeload is a 7CD set from Japan. They are limited edition remastered SHM-CDs with bonus tracks.
Music From Big Pink
With bonus tracks:
Yazoo Street Scandal (Outtake
Tears Of Rage (Alternate Take)
Katie's Been Gone (Outtake)
If I Lose (Outtake)
If I Lose (Outtake)
Long Distance Operator (Outtake)
Lonesome Suzie (Alternate Take)
Orange Juice Blue (Blues For Breakfast) (Outtake / Demo)
Key To The Highway (Outtake)
Ferdinand The Imposter (Outtake / Demo)
With bonus tracks:
Get Up Jake (Outtake / Stereo Mix)
Rag Mama Rag (Alternate Vocal Take / Rough Mix)
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Alternate Mix)
Up On Cripple Creek (Alternate Take)
Whispering Pines (Alternate Take)
Jemima Surrender (Alternate Take)
King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (Alternate Performance)
With bonus tracks:
Daniel And The Sacred Harp (Alternate Take)
Time To Kill (Alternate Mix)
The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show (Alternate Mix)
Radio Commercial
With bonus tracks:
Endless Highway (Early Studio Take)
When I Paint My Masterpiece (Alternate Take)
Bessie Smith (Outtake)
Don't Do It (Outtake / Studio Version)
Radio Commercial
With bonus tracks:
Didn't It Rain (Outtake)
Crying Heart Blues (Outtake)
Shakin' (Outtake)
What Am I Living For (Outtake)
Going Back To Memphis (Outtake)
Endless Highway (Studio Version)
With bonus tracks:
Twilight (Early Alternate Version)
Christmas Must Be Tonight (Alternate Version)
With bonus tracks:
Twilight (Single Version)
Georgia On My Mind (Alternate Take)
For the freeload, answer the following two questions:
1. What's your favorite Band album(s)?
2. What are some of your favorite Band songs?
1. What's your favorite Band album(s)?
2. What are some of your favorite Band songs?
Favorite albums; Big Pink, The Band & The Last Waltz.
ReplyDeleteFavorite songs: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, King Harvest, The Weight, Evangeline and a few dozen more...
Only saw them once at a festival a few months prior to The Last Waltz. Of course they were outstanding!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAlso Time To Kill- greatness!
DeleteFavorite Album: Rock Of Ages. I have one of the giant promotional posters that came out at the same time and had it on my wall throughout most of my days in college. Love the version of Don't Do It that opens the album.
DeleteFavorite Songs: Stage Fright, WS Walcott Medicine Show, The Rumor, Rag Mama Rag, Long Black Veil come to mind immediately, but I'm sure I'm missing several others.
Rock Of Ages, with those Allen Toussaint horn arrangements. That version of Don't Do It gets me every time. Time To Kill and Strawberry Wine are lovely.
DeleteAllen Toussaint knows what he's doing.
DeleteMy younger brother brought home Big Pink when it came out, I've since listened to it the most so it probably is my favourite (although, if I have company I'll put on Live At The Academy of Music, so that must be my real favourite). Favourite songs change all the time, but what about It Makes No Difference or Twilight?
ReplyDeleteFavorite album - The Band
ReplyDeleteMany, many songs, Up On Cripple Creek, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, The Weight, Stage Fright, Ophelia, It Makes No Difference, Acadian Driftwood, others already named too. Thanks Babs
Favorite albums: 1. The Band, 2. Stage Fright, 3. Northern Lights Southern Cross.
ReplyDeleteFavorite Songs: The Rumor, King Harvest has Surely Come, Life is a Carnaval, Whispering Pines, Rags and Bones
Gbrand
First two for sure and I could pick any track from them as a favourite but they lost a little bit of their rustic charm afterwards.Oh and of course the Basement Tapes.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon, my absolute favored Album from the Band is "The Basement Tapes" followed from "Music From The Big Pink" & "The Band". My favored Songs are "It Makes No Difference", "Don't Do It", "The Weight" & "Cripple Creek"
ReplyDeleteKindly regards and many thanks for your effort & time, Mike
Favorite lp of their's was Rock of Ages - little more energetic than their studio lps. But, for the studio lps, really like Big Pink - was just so different when it first hit the airwaves.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about favourite, but interesting to see on the extended Moondog M the Chuck Willis song "What Am I Living For". In England at least this was the A side of "Rock n Roll Shoes".
ReplyDeleteMoondog Matinee for some reason gets a bad rap.
DeleteI wore my 8-track copy of Moondog Matinee out!
DeleteLike many here, the first two LPs are for me the bees knees. I think The Last Waltz is best seen in its movie form—the DVD version has very good sound and the commentary tracks are full of fascinating insights into the staging and performances. Aside from the many titles mentioned above I'd add the mournful Unfaithful Servant as well as the brilliant performance of The Weight by the Staple Singers that's also on the Last Waltz DVD. It's very cool you got to hang with Hudson and Manuel.
ReplyDeleteI agree that The Last Waltz DVD is a better experience. Especially with the Staples & Emmylou Harris, but Neil Diamond...?
DeleteVan Morrison's performance was also excellent. But what was he thinking with that awful brown pants suit speckled with sequins, that made him look anemic? And those leg kicks! Talk about unintentional hilarity.
DeleteVan the man!
DeleteFav LPs - the 1st two and Northern Lights
ReplyDeleteFav tracks - King Harvest (love the southern funk groove and politics)
I mixed the band when the original members took over Rick Danko's second set at the Roxy. Apparently the last time they all played together. 3/78.
Link 1
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/yjr6fhX4sHL
Link 2
https://workupload.com/file/4WbNXQaMPFz
Getting ripped on Grand Marnier? Yuck.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. However, if Richard Manuel handed me a glass of Grand Marnier, I would have clinked glasses with him and said, “santé!” Which is pretty much what Jerry did.
DeleteI understand. I once drank several poorly-made Mai Tai's because Tom Hayden was picking up the tab.
DeleteHey, I once got drunk on Southern Comfort, because its what Stephen Stills was drinking and he was buying. Might be the last time I ever had Southern Comfort.
DeleteBonus Band "Boot"
ReplyDeleteThe Band
August 1, 1973
Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ
Opened for Grateful Dead
CD1
01: Back To Memphis
02: Lovin' You
03: The Shape I'm In
04:The Weight
05: Stage Fright
06: 06 I Shall Be Released
07: Don't Do It
08: Endless Highway
CD2
01: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down>
02: Across The Great Divide
03: Jammyland
04: This Wheel's On Fire
05: Life is A Carnival
06: Share Your Love
07: Up On Cripple Creek
08: The Genetic Method>
09: Chest Fever
10: The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
Link
https://workupload.com/file/uQNA9ujC56T
Favorite album: Music From Big Pink.
ReplyDeleteThe second one is more polished and everyone has found their roles, but I like that on the first one they're still looking a bit for everyone to find their place...
Favorite song:
All the classics are probably already mentioned, so I change to 'most underrated songs'.
"The Saga Of Pepote Rouge" comes from the not very good Islands album which works against it, but I think it's a great, memorable tune.
Also: their cover of Bruce's "Atlantic City" from the Jericho comeback album...
Favorite album is and always will be The Brown Album. It's been one of the 2-3 LPs that consistently make my All-Time Top-10 Albums list. Songs? Dixie; Rag Mama; Stage Fright; Chest Fever... et al.
ReplyDeleteThinking about this thread, I listened to the first two albuls this morning back to back, and I gotta revise my decision. Music From Big Pink does sound a little patchy, while the band (uh, I mean The Band) has really found their groove and style on the sophomore album. So self-titled 'brown' album for me it is also...
ReplyDeleteSoftest spot is for Big Pink, yet The Band and Rock of Ages are equal in my estimation.
ReplyDeleteState Fright, Tears of Rage, I Shall Be Released, Up On Cripple Creek, Life Is a Carnival. +
Alas, I saw them but once in Vermont in 1976 and they put on a desultory, even shambolic, performance.
Picking a favorite album is impossible, at least ranking them is hard. "Big Pink," the Brown album, and "Stage Fright" are probably my all-time faves, but "Cahoots" and "Northern Lights" have their moments. I wore the grooves off "Jericho," which is quite a feat considering it's a CD.
ReplyDeleteTracks are even harder to pick, but "Daniel & the Sacred Harp" & the covers of "Atlantic City" & "Blind WIllie McTell" are special faves. Every track on the Brown album, too. And I can't leave out "Acadian Driftwood."
Saw them three times: Dylan's 1974 tour, the last tour (1976, I think) & the last time as the reformed group in the late 80s at Hard Rock in New Orleans.