Music From Big Pink

The album is a multifaced cube of character. Simply put, I haven't heard such a good album in a while that effortlessly plays with different directions and genres. Manuel's soulful vocals add an incredible dimension to the songs, making them evergreen, while the harmonization of Robertson, Rick, and Helm achieves the ultimate goal of creating infectious pop numbers, which shows the level of synergy these guys had, even if they didn't quite got on when the mics were turned off. Instrumentally, each member contributes in their own way: Garth Hudson might be the best organ player I've heard, which makes the bulk of my enjoyment of this album, while Levon's simple drumming style contrasts with the experimentation of the other members (who add a little bit of everything, from funk, garage rock licks, RnB and gospel), playing the role of a monolith around which the others revolve and creating the foundation for the songs.

Of course, lyrically, there are moments that touch upon some urban myths and American legends, but to a much lesser extent than what will be present on the next album. Mostly, the album resides in this intimate sphere, providing a brief glimpse into the atmosphere in which this album was created.

Summarizing what is found here could be precisely reduced to one word: intimacy. With this unique album, The Band shows us a side of music that wasn't particularly prevalent then, especially not in the mainstream, with its themes of heartache, resilience, and the human experience. I'm extremely pleased that this album has been recognized as a significant musical success, as one of America's most important musical achievements, and as an album that stands strong even today.

Knights in brown and denim . Country rock Americana . Well the Canadian version of that .

Okay but never great . Too many songs sound the same, even with different singers. Can we talk about how some of the songs are just terrible.

Pity the album does not live up to the cover . Sadly Dylan’s only contribution to this

Tears Of Rage - 90
To Kingdom Come - 84
In A Station - 82
Caledonia Mission - 78
The Weight - 94
We Can Talk - 84
Long Black Veil - 85
Chest Fever - 87
Lonesome Suzie - 86
This Wheel's On Fire - 91
I Shall Be Released - 92

Music From Big Pink - 88

Ah yes, my favorite southern rock band from Canada.

Super fun album. It was over surprisingly quick, which I guess means I enjoyed it a lot. I love Bob Dylan a lot, so I was expecting to like this album too.

The review from big listener.

Day 44

Imagine naming yourselves "The Band" and getting away with it for decades. Little pretentious douches...

Fav track: Chest Fever

I knew ‘The Weight’, obviously, but the rest is kinda boring to me. Dimery’s boner for 60s/70s folk rock is wearing very thin.
This might have squeaked in to a 3, but that final cover of I Shall Be Released is total shit, and I never want to hear it again. 2 stars

Very good album, just simply not my thing really

Music From Big Pink is one of those albums I can appreciate more in theory than I actually enjoy listening to. I understand why it’s considered an important record, and there’s something appealing about its loose, earthy sound, but it never really grabbed my attention.
The songs have a warm, almost lived-in quality, with that blend of folk, country, blues, and rock that The Band became known for. There are some genuinely nice moments, particularly in the vocals and the understated instrumentation, but for me it all felt a little too restrained. Nothing really demanded my attention.
In fact, the album was so easy to leave playing in the background that I didn’t even realise it had ended. It just seemed to blend into the room, which probably says more about my reaction to it than anything else. I wasn’t bored exactly, but I also wasn’t particularly engaged.
I can see why Music From Big Pink has such a strong reputation and why it was influential, but personally, I found it more pleasant than memorable. It’s an album I can respect without feeling much desire to return to it.

It's like "The Weight" was ripped from a much more emotive and better record. The other songs are okay, but the massive peak in quality with that track in comparison with the rest is honestly shocking

The Weight is an American classic, it’s one of those songs that’s risen past the artist into the zeitgeist. Everyone knows it, even if they don’t know who made it. The rest of the album was fine, there’s a few songs I liked and some duds.

Lo siento adelantado a su época. Jamás me hubiera imaginado que este álbum fuera de (finales) de los sesenta.

this was excellent

It's enjoyable, but a bit too mellow towards the end. Not for me.

I've never been the biggest fan of The Band, but this is a damn fine album. There's the song from Easy Rider, of course ("The Weight"), but I also really liked "We Can Talk" and "Chest Fever" . The gospel influence on this album is great. That organ in "Chest Fever"? Sublime.

Favorite track(s): Tears of Rage, In a Station, The Weight, Chest Fever, I Shall Be Released

I never really "got" the Band, and I still don't. But The Weight is an all-timer hippie anthem; extra points for Easy Rider.

Just a bit dull

I've struggled to have an opinion about this. It's fine. It weirdly made me think of the TV series Roseanne until it turned into the actual theme tune to Absolutely Fabulous.

2/5