The Band poll

Who can pick?

an amazing batch of good songs. have chosen king harvest for its fabulous closure of the album.

Dixie, over King Harvest

Impossible, but, gun to head.....Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek - one of the funkiest songs by white boys ever.

gotta go w/ dixie

i love levon helm

Whispering Pines

yeah, "Whispering Pines" for me too; I love the double helix vocals in the "standing by the well" part

This going to be about a 6 way tie.

Yeah, for all of Robbie's studied Americana (which is at its best here imo), Whispering Pines kinda takes the cake as far as purely magical music making. It's really what the remainder of the Band albums are missing -- stuff that isn't so fussy and narrative-based. Whereas a lot of Robertson's songs are sort of *looking* at these American archetypes, Whispering Pines actually inhabits them. If that makes any sort of sense.

unfaithful servant - danko's voice is really moving

look out cleveland is quite a jam

this record is great

i can't choose

crazy thing about this record is how complex it is! every song has way out tricky tempos/weird chord changes ... and yet it sounds a fresh and pure as any old folk music.

thing with robbie, is that he's the "leader" and main songwriter but he's also the least interesting dude in the band....kinda like westerberg.

amazingly, I had never heard this whole thing until a few weeks ago

did you like it?

King Harvest for me.

oh I've always dug the Band I've just been lazy about actually getting their catalog.

oddly what spurred this on was the inclusion of "When I Paint My Masterpiece" in "Observe & Report"

I love their live versions of Rag Mama Rag but can't vote for it here. Cripple Creek for me.

Ended up going with "Across The Great Divide" but it really could have been anything, even "Jawbone."

I like everything on this album but "Cripple Creek"! But then I think "The Weight" is the worst thing on the 1st album, so what do I know? "Whispering Pines" for me.

I don't know anything here except 'Dixie', and that only from The Last Waltz, but I'm intrigued now - for me The Band are currently forbidden fruits, like Fleetwood Mac or Led Zeppelin once were. Tell me, is 'Rag Mama Rag' a trad/arr job on the tune by Blind Boy Fuller (and no doubt others)? Wikipedia credits it to Robertson.

I've never heard the Blind Boy Fuller tune, but I doubt it would be the same, Robbie probb'ly just nicked the title

Dixie for me but what a collection.

Dixie off of Last Waltz, but Cripple Creek here

Cripple Creek is such a great vocal performance. On more than one occasion i've found myself trying & failing to find something similar.

not enough love for 'unfaithful servant' (tho' the version on Rock of Ages has a gorgeous gtr solo) or 'rockin' chair'

Dang! Should have voted for "Rockin' Chair."

I've just checked this out. Quite unmodish stuff, this - has it been fashionable at any point since punk? It's nice and rich, though - it'll take a bit of work, but I think I could get into it.

On first listen 'Dixie' is the obvious standout. Beautiful tune and lyric, great performances especially the drumming - there's something new happening every second or so, just smashing.

they've been fashionable in indie rock since at least the mid-90s (cf Mercury Rev etc)

wherever there's a dude with a beard playin' guitar, ma, i'll be there

i prefer the last waltz' "dixie"; voting Whispering Pines 'cause i can't seem to find cause to overrule myself

Helm does sort of sing differently/strangely on the studio take of "Dixie" doesn't he? Think I prefer the live versions more as well.

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The correct answer.

My CD copy of this album (2000 reissue) has a bunch of eminently lame and forgettable alternate takes tacked on the end. A classic example of too many extras doing a disservice to the original.

oh man, the outtake "Get Up Jake" is right now my favorite thing on here.

yeah wld def take get up jake over jawbone or jemima surrender

yeah Get Up Jake is sweeeet. The alt of Whispering Pines is kinda nice too, with Richard's studio chatter. Glad that someone voted for When You Awake -- the sleeper of the album, imo.

2. Rag Mama Rag 1

robbed mama robbed