“Rock of Ages” - The Band

Today we look at another of my favorite live albums. Definitely in my top five. Compiled from three shows at the New York Academy of Music on the eve of 1972. This album contains nearly all their gems from the first four Band studio albums. For these shows Robbie Robertson brought in some of the best horn players in New York and asked Allen Toussaint to compose the charts for them. The result is a much more broad presentation of the music, befitting a live recording like this.

As I mentioned in the video below this one was brought to Terri and me by her sister Karen (may she RIP). She influenced us over and over with her music collection from ‘74 on and this might be my favorite of her contributions. We were able to see The Band in concert at “Day on the Green” in July of ‘74, sharing the bill with CSNY, Joe Walsh and Jesse Collin Young. Needless to say, that was a special day.

From “The Last Waltz” - included on Rock of Ages 2000 reissue

When ever I listen to this I’m reminded of the power that The Band had in shaping American music. In my opinion they litterly created a genre with these songs. Eric Clapton has the same opinion and once famously said “Now this is what music should sound like”. Shortly there after, the power trio “Cream” broke up. Call it Americana, call it Roots, call it whatever you want. But from ‘68-’71 four Canadians and a Dirt Farmer from Arkansas changed the rock and roll landscape forever. It’s all captured in “Rock of Ages”.