The Band (Ultra Analog, Half-speed Mastering)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
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Rick Danko – bass guitar, fiddle, trombone, vocals
Levon Helm – drums, mandolin, rhythm guitar, vocals
Robbie Robertson – electric and acoustic guitars [click here to see more vinyl featuring Robbie Robertson]
Garth Hudson – organ, clavinet, piano, accordion, melodica, soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones, slide trumpet, bass pedals
Richard Manuel – piano, drums, baritone saxophone, harmonica, vocals
John Simon – tuba, electric piano, baritone horn, tenor saxophone, "high school and peck horns"
Written by Robbie Robertson (all tracks), Richard Manuel (A4, A6, B4), Levon Helm (B1)
1 LP, gatefold jacket
Limited numbered edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Half-speed Mastering
Gain 2™ Ultra Analog
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : RTI
Label : MOFI
Original Label : Capitol
Recorded 1968 – 1969 at Pool House (Los Angeles), The Hit Factory (New York City)
Engineered by Robbie Robertson, John Simon, Tony May, Joe Zagarino
Mixed by Joe Zagarino, Tony May
Produced by John Simon
Mastered by Krieg Wunderlich at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Sebastopol, CA
Photography by Elliott Landy
Originally released in September 1969
Reissued in 2013
Tracks:
Side A:
- Across The Great Divide
- Rag Mama Rag
- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
- When You Awake
- Up On Cripple Creek
- Whispering Pines
Side B:
- Jemima Surrender
- Rockin' Chair
- Look Out Cleveland
- Jawbone
- The Unfaithful Servant
- king Harvest (Has Surely Come)
Awards:
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time - Ranked 57/500
Rolling Stone magazine 245th-greatest song of all time for “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"
In 1998, Q magazine readers voted The Band the 76th greatest album of all time
Included in Time magazine 2006 list of the 100 greatest albums of all time
Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums – Ranked No. 45
Reviews :
“The Band's first album, Music from Big Pink, seemed to come out of nowhere, with its ramshackle musical blend and songs of rural tragedy. The Band, the group's second album, was a more deliberate and even more accomplished effort, partially because the players had become a more cohesive unit, and partially because guitarist Robbie Robertson had taken over the songwriting, writing or co-writing all 12 songs. Though a Canadian, Robertson focused on a series of American archetypes from the union worker in "King Harvest (Has Surely Come)" and the retired sailor in "Rockin' Chair" to, most famously, the Confederate Civil War observer Virgil Cane in "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." The album effectively mixed the kind of mournful songs that had dominated Music from Big Pink, here including "Whispering Pines" and "When You Awake" (both co-written by Richard Manuel), with rollicking up-tempo numbers like "Rag Mama Rag" and "Up on Cripple Creek" (both sung by Levon Helm and released as singles, with "Up on Cripple Creek" making the Top 40). As had been true of the first album, it was The Band's sound that stood out the most, from Helm's (and occasionally Manuel's) propulsive drumming to Robertson's distinctive guitar fills and the endlessly inventive keyboard textures of Garth Hudson, all topped by the rough, expressive singing of Manuel, Helm, and Rick Danko that mixed leads with harmonies. The arrangements were simultaneously loose and assured, giving the songs a timeless appeal, while the lyrics continued to paint portraits of 19th century rural life (especially Southern life, as references to Tennessee and Virginia made clear), its sometimes less savory aspects treated with warmth and humor.” AllMusic Review by William Ruhlmann
Ultra Analog™ : The GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ Series stems from the use of the Gain 2 system, mastered at half speed from the original master tapes where possible, capturing and uncovering as before undiscovered sonic information.
Half-speed mastering. In half-speed mastering, the whole process is slowed down to half of the original speed. A typical 33 1/3 rpm record is cut at 16 2/3 rpm. The source material is also slowed down (reducing the pitch in the process) meaning the final record will still sound normal when played back. Slowing the whole process down allows more time, which means the end result sounds better and is more efficient — allowing engineering to minimize the effects of inherent limitations within the vinyl format. The result is a more accurate and more open high-frequency response in the half speed vinyl when compared with a normal speed recording.
Ratings :
AllMusic : 5 / 5 ; Discogs : 4.69 / 5