141: The Band - Music from Big Pink (1968)
“The Band was rebelling against the rebellion.”
—Robbie Robertson
Get ready for some classic Americana, brought to you by four Canadians (and one American), discussed by four Americans (including one living in Canada). Because Neil Young and Joni Mitchell weren't enough, Ben goes back to the frozen north for the Band's 1968 debut album, Music From Big Pink. Ben discusses why he loves the Band and Music From Big Pink, joined by Amanda, Dan, and Mike.
Miscellany
Music from Big Pink was released before the Band even had a name, which added to their mystique. The record label just listed all the band members underneath the title. This is why some contemporary reviews of the album refer to them as “the Band from Big Pink.”
As an extra example of this album’s wide-ranging influence, the album cover makes a cameo appearance in the music video for ABBA’s “One of Us.”
Technically, the version of “This Wheel’s on Fire” used in Absolutely Fabulous is a re-recording that Julie Driscoll made in 1990 featuring Adrian Edmondson of The Young Ones, so our British fans can rest easy knowing that we are already aware of this.
Other links
The Band's official website and store (officialtheband.com)
Stream The Last Waltz for free (tubitv.com)
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings with Old Crow Medicine Show - “The Weight” (YouTube)
Discord & Rhyme’s merch store (TeePublic)
Discord & Rhyme Roll Call
Ben Marlin (host)
Mike DeFabio (moderator)
Amanda Rodgers
Dan Watkins
Music from Big Pink tracklist
Tears of Rage
To Kingdom Come
In a Station
Caledonia Mission
The Weight
We Can Talk
Long Black Veil
Chest Fever
Lonesome Suzie
This Wheel’s on Fire
I Shall Be Released
Other clips used
The Band:
Up on Cripple Creek
The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
Stagefright [The Last Waltz version]
The Weight [The Last Waltz version]
Lonesome Suzie [alternate take]
Twilight
Ophelia [The Last Waltz version]
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
The Unfaithful Servant
The Shape I'm In
King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (Live at the Royal Albert Hall)
The Genetic Method/Chest Fever [The Last Waltz version]
Others:
John C. Reilly (as Dewey Cox) - Take My Hand
Bob Dylan - Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?
Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues
Elton John - Levon
Steely Dan - Pearl of the Quarter
Elton John - Burn Down the Mission
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Panic! At the Disco - The Weight
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings with Old Crow Medicine Show - The Weight
Lefty Frizzell - Long Black Veil
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)
Dave Matthews Band - Long Black Veil
Camper Van Beethoven - Interlude
Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity - This Wheel's on Fire
Kylie Minogue - This Wheel's on Fire
Bob Dylan & The Band - Big Dog
Band/album personnel
Rick Danko – bass guitar, fiddle, vocals
Levon Helm – drums, tambourine, vocals
Garth Hudson – organ, piano, clavinet, soprano and tenor saxophones
Richard Manuel – piano, organ, vocals
Robbie Robertson – electric and acoustic guitars, vocals
John Simon – producer, baritone horn, tenor saxophone, piano, tambourine
Don Hahn – engineer
Tony May – engineer
Shelly Yakus – engineer
Credits
“Discord & Rhyme (theme),” composed by the Other Leading Brand, contains elements of:
Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
Amon Düül II - Dehypnotized Toothpaste
The Dukes of Stratosphear - What in the World?? ...
Faith No More - Midlife Crisis
Herbie Hancock - Hornets
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen
The Band - Chest Fever (this episode only)
You can buy or stream Music from Big Pink and other albums by the Band at officialtheband.com, your local record store, or the usual suspects such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon. Follow Discord & Rhyme on Instagram @DiscordPod for news, updates, and other random stuff. Editing is by Rich Bunnell, and special thanks to our own Mike DeFabio, the Other Leading Brand, for production and original music. See you next album, and keep as cool as you can.