The Band - Rock of Ages

Released on the heels of the stilted, static Cahoots, the double-album Rock of Ages occupies a curious yet important place in Band history. Recorded at a spectacular New Years Eve 1971 gig, the show and album were intended to be a farewell of sorts before the Band took an extended break in 1972, but it turned out to be a last hurrah in many different ways, closing the chapter on the first stage of their career, when they were among the biggest and most important rock & roll bands. That sense of importance had started to creep into their music, turning their studio albums after The Band into self-conscious affairs, and even the wildly acclaimed first two albums seemed to float out of time, existing in a sphere of their own and never having the kick of a rock & roll band. Rock of Ages has that kick in spades, and it captures that road warrior side of the band that was yet unheard on record. Since this band -- or more accurately its leader, Robbie Robertson -- was acutely aware of image and myth, this record didn't merely capture an everyday gig, it captured a spectacular, in retrospect almost a dry run for the legendary Last Waltz. New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint was hired to write horn charts and conduct them, helping to open up the familiar tunes, which in turn helped turn this music into a warm, loose, big-hearted party. And that's what's so splendid about Rock of Ages: sure, the tightness of the Band as a performing unit is on display, but there's also a wild, rowdy heart pumping away in the backbeat of this music, something that the otherwise superb studio albums do not have. Simply put, this is a joy to hear, which may have been especially true after the dour, messy Cahoots, but even stripped of that context Rock of Ages has a spirit quite unlike any other Band album. Indeed, it could be argued that it captured the spirit of the Band at the time in a way none of their other albums do. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Allen Toussaint Horn Arrangements Bob Cato Design, Photography Earl McIntyre Trombone Ernst Haas Photography Fred Lombardi Photography Garth Hudson Sax (Tenor), Sax (Soprano) Greil Marcus Liner Notes Howard Johnson Tuba, Sax (Baritone), Euphonium J.D. Parron E Flat Clarinet, Sax (Alto) Joe Farrell Sax (Soprano), Horn (English), Sax (Tenor) John Scheele Photography Larry Walsh Remastering Mark Harman Engineer Phil Ramone Engineer Snooky Young Trumpet, Flugelhorn The Band Producer