Music From Big Pink – The Band
Originally posted on the S&R blog.
Two years ago, I settled into my seat on a train from DC to Philadelphia, leaned against the window, and immediately put on headphones given to me once by my ex-girlfriend’s sister. This would be the first Thanksgiving I’d have as a single person in nearly five years; my emotions were low, to say the least. As I tried to hide in my hoodie from the other passengers, I began listening to an album I’d found myself returning to recently, trying to figure out the appeal of. I felt if I could distract myself with that puzzle I’d make it to my hotel in Center City, and then the bar could take over. Suddenly, the mournful guitar of Robbie Robertson echoed in my ears, Richard Manuel pounded out his first piano chords on Tears of Rage, and I finally understood.
More important than understanding was the smile that immediately spread across my face. How was this mournful tune, grieving the loss of the American ideal (penned partially by Bob Dylan) change my entire perspective? The simple answer is that, in it’s sorrow, the song is unbelievably beautiful. The guitar wails, the organ drones, and the drums slowly but methodically keep time just so. Every aspect of this song was blending perfectly, even Manuel’s reaching but on-pitch vocals, created a whole greater than the sum of its parts. It hit me in just the right way at just the right moment.
As the train barreled through Baltimore, so did “Music from Big Pink” pass through my mind seamlessly as if on rails of its own. Every track more perfect than the last, with each its own heartbeat and soul. There is something magical about a group of musicians in perfect tune with each other, as if together they make one complex instrument all its own. By the time the album hits track 4, Caledonia Mission, it becomes clear that this is what happened in these recording sessions. It doesn’t matter if it’s Manuel, Levon Helm, or Rick Danko singing. It doesn’t matter if the song is driven more by piano, guitar, or even Garth Hudson’s masterful organ. Every time a new song came on the smile on my face remained.
To continue to do a piece by piece analysis would be a disservice to the totality of the greatness accomplished. Yes, side one’s closing track, The Weight, is probably The Band’s most popular song, but it is just a cog in a larger machine. Just as the musicians melded into a single unit, so do the songs on “Big Pink”. This album is both a collection of songs and a collection of moods. It is both relaxed and heavy. The songs seem polished but the production rough. These dichotomies are what make the album great, and it has to be experienced to understand. This is the album that inspired Pink Floyd to expand their sonic experiments and Eric Clapton to leave Cream for different musical soundscapes. It is the album that got me through a potentially tumultuous long weekend.
As with everything else in my life, this album will eventually become something I revisit on rare occasions. There is just too much music both new and old to discover to stop at the station that The Band built, but it would be a shame if I didn’t come back and visit often, especially when I need it. The album closed about half an hour before I reached Philly, but I didn’t want to listen to anything else. I just let it repeat and the wailing sounds of Tears of Rage began anew, reaffirming my new perspective. As I ascended into the grand atrium of 30th Street Station, the album’s final words echoed in my head on an endless loop; “I shall be released. “
Check out Music From Big Pink by the Band on Spotify or Apple Music.
And check out Mike Wohl on Spotify and Apple Music and Soundcloud!