Music From Big Pink

Apparently some people like this. P.S. Natalie played me three covers of songs from this album. Each one was better than the original, and even these I wouldn’t play again.

An unparalleled fresh and original sound in 1968 with strong ties to the American song tradition, and which served as a huge inspiration for countless acts to follow. The ties to Bob Dylan are strong, but it's incredible for The Band to create a record which sounds wholeheartedly different than what they did while acting as Dylan's backing band. Music From Big Pink is charming with a production making it sound like it was actually recorded in a basement. The vocal harmonies are raw but authentic, and the highlights are plenty: 'Caledonia Mission', the swinging 'We Can Talk', 'Lonesome Suzie', 'This Wheel's On Fire' and of course 'The Weight'.

more like the bland etc

I've never been familiar with The Band but this really got me. Obviously 'The Weight' is a classic, but 'Tears of Rage' 'To Kingdom Come' and 'I Shall be Released' were also favorites for me. The whole album has an amazing feel, and it's wild to realize it was all recorded in just two weeks. || What really struck me with this album was the forging of rock, soul, and sorrowful old country western into an Americana Alloy. Its beautiful American wanderlust. I love it.

What a rich and earthy album from such a mythic era. So much soul it aches. This is the personification of musical brotherhood to me. I think that most all of them share on the vocals is part of this feeling. It's funny cause many times I tend to shy away from rootsy music but this is the genuine article and I can't help but be drawn in to it. "The Weight" is one for the ages. Always loved "Chest Fever" too.

I love this album so much. I had this vinyl for so long and it broke in my move from UT to CA and broke my heart. Tears of Rage and The Weight are two of my favorite comfort songs. I can’t say anything about this album except to say it is sacred and lovely and you should listen to it often.

40. Music from the Big Pink - The Band 20 tracks. This seems to be a collection of tracks rather than an album. There is no flow. Some amazing tracks surrounded by some real fillers that detract from the whole. 3/5

Classic album, warm and soulful and a delight to listen to. The Band makes it seem very effortless and laid back, like the album just emerged out of some jam session. This is part of their brilliance. This is a group of highly skilled musicians performing at their peak, clearly having a ball crafting music they love. 100 years from now people will still be drawn to these songs. Fave songs: Tears of Rage, The Weight, I Shall Be Released

An amazing debut from the little band that could These guys combination of folk and excellent vocals caused the whole late 60’s rock scene turn their head and look at what these guys were doing. Hell the album make Cream break up due to it being that damn good.

I knew The Weight going into this. I really enjoyed it. I don't really have a track by track breakdown or anything specific to call out. It just felt like a really complete record where all the songs were evenly matched, with The Weight being a standout. Very happy I listened to this.

Wasn't it the guy behind The Cleveland Show who once said that the Band's music was like listening to someone sitting on an accordion? Quite mean, and his dumbass cartoon sucks, but there's a kernel of truth. There's a pleasantly wheezy feel to proceedings that evokes an old timey sensibility, even if the music was (then) modern. What strikes me, especially in our age, is just how cohesive not just the separate songs are, but also the musicians themselves between each other. It's very comfy and organic, true, but there's also a generosity at its heart. No big stars, just a collective of lovely instrumentation knitted together to form the overall whole. Special stuff.

What’s left to say?..a critical moment in the evolution of rock, Americana, alt-country…take your pick…also a demonstration of what can happen when you allow a group of musicians to percolate and figure out what they want to play and how they want to play it…

Love this. Listened 2 times and coulda done more.

Greatest Album of All Time? Country, Rock, Soul, R&B? It's got it all.

5 stars for The Weight alone, but the rest is great too.

I hear every genre in this lp. I also hear the influence this album had on so many bands since 1968. Wonderful and inspiring music.

A masterpiece. Each song is great in its own right, and having multiple band members have lead vocals throughout the album adds to the overall greatness of this album. It’s just so good. 5/5 Listen often

Brilliant record. No notes.

Good Sunday listening. Went well with today's sunshine 🌞

Clasisc

This is a great album. The best by the band.

Pure songwriting and arranging magic. Love letting this album swarm all around me.

Iconic album, changed music forever

We should talk about the all-time best singing drummers. Any list worth a shit will have the following: Don Henley: He's mainly a lead singer who just happened to play drums. Henley will never be considered one of the best drummers, but we're not listing or ranking best drummers here, but singing drummers. Phil Collins: Similar to Henley in that he's a lead singer who played the drums, but Collins gets a little too much credit for his drumming because his drumming sound in the '80's was so distinct. There's also the whole "In The Air Tonight" drum moment people get a little too excited over. Shelia E.: The best drummer on this short list, and it's not even close. Apparently her career was cut shorter than it should have been because she preferred drumming while wearing high heels. Levon Helm: His drumming style is actually quite similar to Henley's, but he's thought of as a much better drummer than Henley. He didn't have Henley's vocal chops, but his voice was still incredibly distinct, and it's Levon's voice I think of the most when I think of The Band. It's Levon singing lead on my favorite Band songs (none of which are on this album, for what it's worth). Bonus points for being adept at playing the mandolin. These are really the best four, and your mileage may vary on where you rank them. Anyone who is just trying to be cute will include Karen Carpenter (she COULD drum, but sort of gave it up after a while, but she gets props every now and then for people discovering old videos of her playing drums well while wearing a T-Shirt that says "Lead Sister"), the dude from the Romantics (who lucked out by singing lead on their most beloved song), Peter Criss (only because he sang on a handful of songs, although I'd listen to an argument for him being the best lead singer of Kiss, which is sort of like claiming to be the world's tallest midget), Roger Taylor (disqualified for singing a song about being in love with his car), Mickey Dolenz (we're not even sure how much drumming he was truly responsible for), Ringo Starr (as John Lennon once famously noted, he wasn't even the best drummer in The Beatles), Dave Grohl (no, also gave up the drums once he became a lead singer), Kelly Keagy (from Night Ranger, but the only people bringing him up are relatives of Kelly Keagy).

Some obvious classics. But (unpopular opinion) The Band doesn't particularly stick out to me as a talented collective. I have heard covers of their hits that are better than the originals.

Just okay, nothing really special.

I just can't care about this jangly ass jamming. Love chest fever though.

another album that i cannot be unbiased about. i adore this album. not only was it extremely groundbreaking at the time, the songwriting and the musicianship here is great. i don't expect everyone will like this. the vocals here are a bit rough around the edges, the sound is very laid back. but i love it. robbie robertson's songwriting is great, but also all of them are great and underrated musicians in their own right. it doesn't get much better than this!

I love this album with my whole heart, though I always think about the look they must have had on their faces when Bob Dylan popped in saying "Hey I made this painting for the cover! You guys like it? You can be honest with me!"

This album is not quite my style but I honestly enjoyed it a lot. Their voices are nice and I think each song has a great flow and rhythm. I like "chest fever" a lot the vocals really stick out to me. I think overall this is a great album but not something I usually listen to

Sorry ‘Muricans but this is just tedious. Take A Load Off is decent and I recognise Wheels On Fre from Ab Fab (that version is more tuneful though. The rest just trundles along in a rather dull manner

The Band is everything and now there are no more members remaining. Even if every song isn't a 5/5, this album is a 5/5. I can't in good conscience give anything released before Moondog Matinee less than a 5. It's quite a feat to have a band where technical vocal power isn't really the point, and yet have three great singers (Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel) each bringing something different to the table. Took me way too long to learn that it's Richard Manuel's voice (a rare falsetto turn from him) on I Shall Be Released, as opposed to Rick Danko, who just sounded like that normally. Tears of Rage has that Danko ache and is the perfect opener. Other highlights are We Can Talk, Chest Fever (Garth Hudson's playing!), This Wheel's on Fire, and of course The Weight and I Shall Be Released. I Shall Be Released is a religious experience and I've turned to it in difficult times before, and will probably do so again.

Really enjoyed this, will be listening again! Manages to be chill background music while also being interesting to listen to.

Banging album, could see this being played at a sad afters back in the 70s - fav song the weight - least fav this wheel’s on fire

9/10

Folk rock with a really rootsy feeling to it, wonderful song writing, love the live feel and raw vocals and harmonies.

this album is stunning front to back, and i really think The Band deserves the level of notoriety given to The Beatles. such a defining and influential band.

A really good album without The Weight , but definitely 5 stars or A with it.

One of the few albums that changed the course of rock history. It made eight-minute blues-rock solos and french horn sections suddenly seem passé.

An absolute classic, and very soulful. Five stars and an addition to my Tidal library.

I will be forever grateful that Bob Dylan chose not to sing on this record. The Band is such an incredible band, and the fact that they were able to develop their own style and share vocal duties amongst themselves really led to something special. As someone who has always loved The Band, and watched the Last Waltz multiple times, I’m really glad this record came up. It’s this wonderful combination of blues, folk, and rock n roll. There’s so many other influences sprinkled throughout, but it’s really hard to describe as anything other than just “The Band”. In my opinion Robbie Robertson is incredibly underrated as a guitar player, and I think this album is a really good example of how talented he was. The solo on “To Kingdom Come” alone is enough to push him into the upper echelons of 60’s and 70’s guitarists. I’m really happy to have listened to this album again, and I’m also very happy that it exists. 5*

Woah. Just, great shit, truly. This album is just like, pure concentrated Americana right into the veins that scratches your soul juuust right. The Weight is obviously the creme de la creme, but We Can Talk and Chest Fever just fucking rock, man. Hell, they're all great! Can't pick just one. I know a lot of people think that the Band doesn't stand out much in this day and age, but that's because they did it first, who the hell wasn't inspired by their music? That's why its everywhere. Listening to this album start to finish, I can't help but here all of the great songs that came after as well, from all the people who heard this album, and loved it, too. Beautiful stuff.

Good fall music

Good stuff if you're sad in a bar. A sad bar full of sad people with music that only makes them sadder. The bartender is sad and so is the cat.

Very glad I had headphones for this album. Loved the way the songs built into The Weight. Especially on my second listen through. The story of both the album and The Band are amazing as well. The fact that both are considered so influential but take their name from the fact they were the backing band for Boy Dylan and then where they recorded most of these songs show the focus on the music rather than the marketability of the group.

When Bob Dylan's band first stepped out from his shadows to record their own material, they made a name for themselves as a creative force in their own rite, and helped popularize the emerging Americana movement. The sounds stood as a refreshing contrast (for some) to the psychedelic rock that dominated popular music of this era. Dylan himself wisely took a back seat on this one, contributing only a few songs and an album cover but no actual performances. It was a smart move as it really let the others shine. I do think there's a unique energy to this album and I kind of love that it was made. But it's also not one that I'd probably return to often, apart from the stunning "The Weight" is stands far above the rest of the tracks. I'm glad I heard it though, as it's a good album and a nice piece of music history.

When Paul McCartney said this was one of the 3 best albums he ever listened to, I came into this with HUGE expectations. And i've gotta say, Paul, if you told me Rebecca Black was a generational Female vocalist, i'd believe you. Some people you just dont question their musical opinions. However, in this case. I think me and Paul just have different tastes (hence why he's a musical icon and im here writing reviews lol). I like the instrumentation on this album, and this guy is a cool vocalist to listen to. But i cant ever see myself revisting this album routinely, other than "The Weight" 3/5

“The Weight” is an all-timer, the rest is a warm, enveloping bath of roots rock.

This was a new one for me. Not bad but didn't sustain my interest.

I love The Weight so I expected to love this, but the killer to filler ratio was a bit off. It probably didn’t help that what I’d always assumed was a comedy “crazy Chester” voice in The Weight might just be how Rick Danko sings?

Their other record on the list is better, but I think I gave it the same score.

There's a groove here. Solid listen of some slow folksy rock. Girl Talk used The Weight in Feed the Animals.

Just boring Americana

Generic dad rock.

I had a big Band phase about 20 years ago, must admit I've not gone near them in a long time. The Brown album was a particular favourite over Big PInk, but I bookended both of them. Sad to say it doesn't really hold up. There are some fine moments, Tears of Rage etc, but surprisingly a lot of the vocals are variable at best. The songwriting is all over the place and I think reflects a lot of the nurdling around that went on with the basement tapes. I'm genuinely surprised by how ordinary it is, odd. But let's leaven this critique with a concessive; what's good about it is really good.

Loved how a couple songs were named for the idea, not an actual line or phrase in it. Took me back to the time when music was less succinct and more fluid. Sounded like it was fun to make. Easy enjoyable listening if you're in the mood for some older feels.

Some nice jams but nothing more than easy listening to me. Their live video gig is class. Worth a watch

I recognize this is more a failure of approaching a foundational work with the knowledge of what will come next, how people took what was original and expanded on it or altered it, and I'd ideally approach this album in a vacuum. But I don't like the folksy rock that spawned from this so I'm not loving this either. I think it's fine, but I know it leads to things like Clapton, Eagles, the less good parts of anyone involved in Crosby Stills Nash (sometimes) Young, so on. I'm also never going to get that excited about something with this much Dylan in it but at least he's not singing 2 or 3, won't be sure until it's time actually time to rate it. not adding to collection (but might revisit it later)

It puzzled me why I don't know this very well, but all became clear within minutes. It's so ploddingly dull, the vocals grate, the music somniferizes (hey, AI tells me that's a word). The Band really are just that - a backing band with no presence. The Dylan songs are marginally better than the rest, but have nothing really to recommend them; there's a good version of "I Shall Be Released" on the Rolling Thunder bootleg with Joan Baez and Mick Ronson, that's about the only positive I can give. The Basement Tapes suck too.

I don't know if it's the remaster but I can barely hear the vocals. This album feels like a more organized Grateful Dead project but without the Bohemian spirit. There are definitely some progressive elements for the time but they try to do too much in every song rather than showcasing the variety of styles and techniques across multiple songs.

"Wait. Let’s try this again. Do you see the band on stage?" "No, I don’t see The Band, that’s a different group entirely!" "On stage, Skippy! Look, see the band?" "No I don’t!" "Get rid of those John Lennon glasses and look! There, there’s the band!" "No, that’s not The Band! The Band is performing later on. Who is onstage." Beautifully engineered, very impressive as it was recorded without overdubs. Full of 60s rock flourishes that harken back to some of its roots in gospel, boogie, country, and rockabilly - loads of piano, Hammond organ, call and response vocals, counterpoint harmonies. The bass bounces about with a vintage thud. However, it all feels less than the sum of its parts. I can see why critics and other artists raved about them; doesn't mean I have to like it.

Quaalude-soaked bluesy-country-rock, eh? The Weight is one of those classic rock staples, but the remainder of this album felt like a hazy Sunday afternoon that’ll leave a hangover on Monday. Beautiful as it happens, but the details aren’t distinctly memorable and you’ve got a strange taste in your mouth the next day.

Not super memorable, feel like I’ve listened to this album 20 times at this point. 2.2

Great album. Americana at its best or rather Canadiana.

Holds up

This is a really special album to me. It was one of my dad's absolute favourites, it was playing constantly. And it's really good. I'll always love the Band and this might be their best.

Really awesome

Real Americana music that is really deeply invigorating and original. This album has everything the mid 60's enthusiast wants without all the pretensions and you can feel the earth under your feet and know you have found nirvana.

Loved it

Absolutely one of my favorite albums from one of my favorite bands. Who knew a Canadian band could be so good at capturing the American sentiment so well.

I am not Nigel.

I fucking love The Band.

Amazing album, definitely worth listening to again

Just magnificent. The Weight is among the greatest songs ever recorded, and then throw in the likes of Tears of Rage, Chest Fever and Long Black Veil and you’re on to a winner.

I have to do a backward exercise, putting myself in the late 60s, and then I realize how this album would be one of the first to mix genres like country, rock, folk, blues, and so on. Some tracks feature distinctive storytelling and a musical style that defies genre boundaries. "The Weight," "I Shall Be Released," "The Long Black Veil," and "We Can Talk" offer different narratives that evoke emotional and social themes. "Tears of Rage" was co-written with Bob Dylan. In fact, The Band emerged as a distinct group after backing Bob Dylan on his 1966 tour. Finally, I'm not going to pick a favorite because what I really liked about this album was the rich vocal harmonies, versatile instrumentation, and the mix of genres. A curiosity: The album includes the iconic song "The Weight" (track number 5), which gained greater popularity after The Band’s performance at Woodstock and its inclusion in the film "Easy Rider." Wow!

Nice swing in "Tears of Rage", pretty moving! In a Station is a superb ballad too, I'm really digging this album. It was cheesy but it is for sure a classic, I'm glad I found this album out. Way better than their self titled.

Love it. Own it.

One of the best of all time

Not having listened to this in a long time I was struck by how it really sounds like a bunch of friends just jamming and having fun playing music together. The Weight is obviously a classic. But there’s more to this record than that - Tears of Rage, We Can Talk About It and Long Black Veil are the other standouts for me.

Come on now

This is one of my favourite albums. Discovering the plaintive, folk-drenched sounds of The Band crystalized my lifelong love of roots/folk-rock/Americana (or preferentially, Canadiana, on this side of the border). It was life-altering in the subtle way that art improves and undergirds our lives. This is another record that I shouldn't rhapsodize too much -- there's been enough ink spilt on its account. Just give this a listen. Keep an ear out for the harmonies and for the strains of each band member's contributions bleeding through: Levon's traditional folk from the South; Garth Hudson's conservatory training; Robbie's fire; Rick Danko's obvious R&B influences (and his utterly unique vocal timbre) and the pure, uncut sadness of Richard Manuel. It's not easy to write a standard. They've written several -- two ('The Weight', 'This Wheel's On Fire' with Dylan) and stole a third ('I Shall Be Released' is a Dylan composition but it belongs to The Band and Richard Manuel in particular) on this record alone. If you've ever heard some lazy, jangly bullshit, it was probably trying to get to this place.

I rode into Nazareth.

A staple of the Band's catalogue. Oh, and the origin of the Ab Fab theme!

I listened to this on a drive from Tallahassee to Jacksonville after a weekend of visiting a friend. The only song I had heard before was “The Weight.” How I didn’t know any of the others is anyone’s guess, because this was fantastic. I keep mental notes of my favorite songs per album, and each song here could have been my favorite.

Fuck yeah love this album shoot your load on Annie for free

One of my favorites and really enjoyed revisiting it again

Depth of no ordinary work of art

One of my favorite records of all time

The greatest.

I guess it's not my favourite album by The Band but it'll do!

Classic!

Jag bara älskar den. Kanske skulle "the Weight" eller "Long black veil" ligga först, (eller "Chest fever"), men oavsett, det här är MÄNSKLIG MUSIK, musik av människor för människor.

Garage Americana. If not the best debut album, certainly top 3. I’ll let you know the others if/when they generate

A defining album of roots rock. 5 stars

In the first few seconds of this album The Band demonstrate their signature skill - the ability to make something completely new and make it sound so familiar and natural. On Tears of Rage, Robbie's guitar effect sounds unlike anything I've heard before and, despite hearing the song 1000 times had never asked myself, until yesterday, "what instrument is that? how did he get that effect?" Another stunning debut, no blemishes. I will hear arguments against their cover of I Shall Be Released. Hard to be objective on this one but what stood out is Danko was basically the lead singer. I've always thought of Danko as the sort of goofy, off speed pitch, and Helm as the true great vocalist. Helms talent definitely pops when the Weight hits. Apologies for another Sean/Frank story - we went to a party in Providence when we were probably 19. After a long night of partying we played The Weight in a small room to roaring applause (from two guys) and I looked down and the guitar I was borrowing was covered in blood from not using a pick. The next morning we left early and shortly after our departure the house got robbed at gun point. Great album!

I'm at a work event here I'm supposed to be networking but instead Im hiding in the corner just to say that I think 'the weight' is probably, measure for measure, my favorite song. I don't know why - the lyrics are hard to parse, the structure is repetitive and the progression is basic, but something about that song just gets me every time. I think it's either the floor tom right before 'put the load put the load on me' or the falsetto vamping after 'put the load on me' - something in that whole interchange is just buried in my soul. Rest of this album similarly great - especially 'tears of rage' and 'chest fever.' Somehow both loose and idiosyncratic while also never seeming like a note is out of place.

Prior to the first album we heard (The Band) I had only done the greatest hits - have really been missing out. This is one of my favorite new discoveries so far. Such an impressive debut - no skips for me. Interesting to read that Dylan did the artwork - he had offered to sing but wanted them to stand alone musically. And they sure do!

Timeless. Classic.

A personal favorite for decades. It's absolutely foundational to the music in my life. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

This is a favorite of mine. This was the only album of The Band that I'd heard for the longest time. Obviously, they have a ton of great songs on other albums, but this one is almost a "best of" for me, personally. Everything just sounds great here. There's a bit of a ramshackle feel to it, but everything is exactly where it needs to be. Standout Track(s): Tears of Rage, To Kingdom Come, The Weight (duh), Chest Fever, I Shall Be Released