Music from Big Pink
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Music From Big Pink is the 1968 debut album by the folk-rock band The Band. It features one of their best known songs, "The Weight."
With a rough sound, seemingly chaotic arrangements, and a distinctive blend of country, rock and folk, Music From Big Pink is generally considered one of the best albums by the Band, along with their 1969 sophomore release The Band. The initial critical reception of the album was generally positive, though sales were slim; Al Kooper's rave review of the LP in Rolling Stone helped draw public attention to it. The fact that Bob Dylan (who the Band, performing as The Hawks, had accompanied on tour in 1966 and with whom they had recorded the famous Basement Tapes in 1967) had composed three of the songs also helped to increase sales.
At the time, "The Weight" peaked at #63 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart (North America). The album peaked at #30 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart in 1968, and then recharted as a #8 hit on the Top Internet Albums chart in 2000 (see 2000 in music). The song "The Weight" has gained widespread popularity, in spite of its dismal chart ranking, due partially to its inclusion in the cult favorite film Easy Rider, though it was left off of the soundtrack.
Track listing
- "Tears of Rage" – 5:23 (Dylan/Manuel)
- "To Kingdom Come" – 3:22 (Robertson)
- "In a Station" – 3:34 (Manuel)
- "Caledonia Mission" – 2:59 (Robertson)
- "The Weight" – 4:38 (Robertson)
- "We Can Talk" – 3:06 (Manuel)
- "Long Black Veil" – 3:06 (Wilkin/Dill)
- "Chest Fever" – 5:18 (Robertson)
- "Lonesome Suzie" – 4:04 (Manuel)
- "This Wheel's on Fire" – 3:14 (Danko/Dylan)
- "I Shall Be Released" – 3:19 (Dylan)
Personnel
- Rick Danko – bass, fiddle, vocals
- Levon Helm – drums, acoustic guitar, percussion, vocals
- Garth Hudson – organ, piano, clavinet, soprano and tenor saxophones
- Richard Manuel – piano, organ, drums, vocals
- Jaime Robbie Robertson – guitars, vocals
- John Simon – producer, baritone horn, tenor saxophone, piano
- Don Hahn – engineer
- Tony May – engineer
- Shelly Yakus – engineer
- Bob Dylan – cover painting
- Elliott Landy – photography
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Pop Albums | 30 |
| 2000 | Top Internet Albums | 8 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | The Weight" | Pop Singles | 63 |