The BANDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Overall Album Score: 9.8 out of 10

This is so weird. I've actually owned this album for a very long time. It was only now, now that I'm reviewing this for my Web site, until I noticed HOW MUCH OF A FREAKING BRILLIANT ALBUM THIS IS!!!!!!!!!!

My best guess is that I broadened my taste. I think I originally mistook this for a country-music album, probably, and I hated country-music ... still do. But this isn't country-music! This is AMERICANA MUSIC! And, wow, they are just completely excellent at it. Every single one of these songs is just GREAT. As I went through and scored the tracks, I just couldn't believe how intricately perfect most of these tracks are. The melodies are all very rich and gorgeous (and sometimes catchy). Needless to say, the vast majority of these songs scored 9s or 10s. There were only a handful of 8.5s. And those 8.5s are great, too. Everything is great. I love my life.

This is one of those albums that are so good that I don't have a whole lot to say about it. All I can say is this is America captured PERFECTLY. Bob Dylan did a great job doing that with John Wesley Harding. The Band is just another perfect album! ... And, I can't help but observe that this was probably The Kinks' main inspiration for their Muswell Hillbillies, which, along with that Dylan album, are among my favorite albums EVER. Of course, I didn't realize that when I reviewed Muswell Hillbillies, because I was a total idiot until now.

"Up On Cripple Creek," however, I always liked. That was the only song I truly liked listening to when I originally bought this. I gave it a 10plus I like it so much. I also enjoyed the first track "Across the Great Divide." ... Today, I like ALL of them.

I feel like I totally betrayed myself! I HAD THIS ALBUM FOR YEARS!!!!!!!!! ... Oh well ... at least I saved myself from having to go to the CD store tomorrow morning and having to buy it.

Overall Album Score: 9.8 out of 10 Simply put, this is an utterly priceless and treasurable piece of Americana ... even though most of the band members are from Canada ... Maybe this is also Canadiana! ... At any rate, this is one of the best freaking rock albums ever made.)

Average Song Score: 9.5 (Every song is either perfect or, at the very least, excellent. Not a dull moment whatsoever!!!)

Album Tilt: 10 (Just an absolutely spellbinding album. It has the perfect combination of slow, gorgeous atmospheric paces, and real upbeat happy songs! Everything was great. I loooooooooveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee this album.)

Artist Rating: 10 (NOTHING to complain about here. They sort of lose it a little bit toward the end of the album, but I honestly don't care much about that. They do this album PERFECTLY.)

Track Reviews

Across the Great Divide 10/10

This is just a great song ... there is no if's, and's or buttock's about it. The tune is just a 1960s Americana classic. Perfectly hooky, and ... Gggggggg!!!!! I hate these songs ... Because I have a hard time writing about them, they're so good! ... This is like a priceless painting ... you look at it and you're speechless! LISTEN TO THIS!!!! I love everything about it ... the horn section is perfectly placed and the instrumentation is flawless.

Rag Mama Rag 9.5/10

Danggggg! More of that excellent Americana music! It is fast paced (which makes it fun) and the string section that strikes up every once in awhile just gives this song a GREAT touch. What I like most about this song, though, is probably that superb piano performance. Absolutely spectacular.

The Night They Drove Down to Old Dixie Down 9/10

Those vocals always bothered me ... it sounds like a Muppet is singing this! But putting those vocals aside, I can hardly complain about the melody! Sure, this is a slower song and less dynamic than those stellar two previous tracks ... but this thing sure does have its heart in the right place. The atmosphere is very enticing indeed! (I love that accordion ... or whatever that is ... in the background ... parfait!)

When You Awake 9.5/10

Geeeezzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!! This is yet another song that I LOVE!!!! ... It doesn't even really seem like it ought to be a great song. It's mid-tempoed, undynamic ... I don't even think the melody is that great ... but this thing just seems PERFECT. I think I'm a fan of this band now.

Up On Cripple Creek 10plus/10

As I mentioned in the introduction section of this review, I had this album for quite awhile. When I first bought it, I didn't really like any of the songs ... EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE!!!! This, however, doesn't quite have the same sort of priceless, Americana feel that most of these other songs have ... this one is just a great 60s radio pop-rock song with one of the best melodies EVER. Seriously! Dylan himself was hardly ever able to come up with such catchy melodies as this.

Whispering Pines 10/10

WHAT IS WITH THIS BAND??????? This is a slowwwwwwww song, and I'm supposed to hate slow songs ... BUT THIS THING IS JUST THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... The melody (which is simply gorgeous) sounds a lot like an old-timey hymnal, but that's not a bad thing ... after all, that's Americana. The highlight of this song, however, is that noodling organ! How lovely! This is such a great song ... ANOTHER great song from The Band. ... No wonder they were so popular ...

Jemima Surrender 9.5/10

Man! They even have a great grasp on what order to put these songs in! The beautiful, slow "Whispering Pines" sandwiched in between two excellent, fast poppy songs! This one is just about as fun as "Up On Cripple Creek," but ... you know ... it's just not as good. ... But, I don't care. I LOVE THIS ALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rockin' Chair 9.5/10

................................ MAN!!!!!!! ...........................

I can't believe I didn't like this album when I first got it! It's so good! ALL OF THESE SONGS!!!!!!!! This is another great song that just captures America at its essence. I love that accordion (or harmonium ... I don't know what it is ... I'm sure you know what I'm talking about though). The tune is YET another great, homely tune. MANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN.

Look Out Cleveland 8.5/10

Ohhhh... Finally, here's a song I'm not wild about. I think the rhythm section is a bit too choppy, and I don't really find the melody to be great. Nevertheless, this is a strong song! ... Ohhh, but their 9-scoring streak ended, didn't it? Aw!

Jawbone 9/10

Sweet! Another 9! ... This song might seem to be a little bit unfocused to me, but I enjoy this for its spirit. And SPIRIT IS GOOD! I like the piano work on this ... I like those pounding chords I hear after someone screams "and I dig it!" ... Mostly, this sounds like a much stronger version of one of those kinda boring songs that appeared on the Procol Harum debut album ... doesn't it sound like that to you?

The Unfaithful Servant 8.5/10

Oh................... This song doesn't totally impress me, either. While this song definitely has a lot of beauty in it and the melody is good, it's just not great. The horns are very nice, however. ... Maybe this one is a bit too dreary instead of beautiful.

King Harvest (Has Surely Come) 9.5/10

The groove of this one is simply excellent. That's by far this song's greatest draw ... GREEATTTTTTT!!! This is another entirely WONDERFUL little Americana tune (...and what could be more American than a song about a farm???...)

Get Up Jake 9.5/10

...the last song?? ... AWWWWWWW!!!! This, really, a VERY nice upbeat tune to close the album with. I love the beat A LOT and the melody is great. ... SUPER!!! ... It's too short, though. It's barely more than two minutes long ... they totally could have dragged this on for like five minutes! But, they're so awesome they didn't have to do such things ...

Smack my cheek with a rubber band with your stinging comments here!

slb23@shaw.ca (Simon B.) received Feb. 24, 2005

I first was aware of this album from watching a VH1 Classic Albums show a year or two ago that featured this album. That's what go me interested in this record. When i watched it, i had absolutely no idea who most of the people in the band (The Band) were. Except for Robbie Robertson, whose "Showdown at Big Sky" i had heard on the radio. It's really quite ironic that The Band is connected with Americana, since all of them were from Canada, except for Levon Helm, who was from the southern USA. I've just only recently started to like "Jemima Surrender", "Rocking Chair" and "Jawbone", so that's the reason for their slightly lower scores than the rest of the songs. Some (of the many) Highlights: "Across the Great Divide" is a great way to open the album. "Whispering Pines" which i think is one of the most darkly beautiful songs I've ever heard. "The Unfaithful Servant" is slow, sad, aching, lamentful, just plain great. [p.s. i got the reiussue with bonus tracks, which are neat to hear the tracks in different mixes and outtakes; and detailed, extended liner notes, which are full of neat info]
SONG RATINGS:
1. Across the Great Divide (9.5)
2. Rag Mama Rag (9.5)
3. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (9)
4. When You Awake (8.5)
5. Up On Cripple Creek (9.5)
6. Whispering Pines (10)
7. Jemima Surrender (8)
8. Rockin' Chair (7.5)
9. Look out Cleveland (9)
10. Jawbone (8)
11. The Unfaithful Servant (9.5)
12. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (9)
Album Cover (9.5)
TOTAL ALBUM RATING: 116.5/130 (90%)