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| Walhello -> Knowledge Base -> CDs -> B -> Band Moondog Matinee |
| Band - Moondog Matinee Band: Band Tracks: - Ain't Got No Home - Holy Cow - Share Your Love - Mystery Train - Third Man Theme - Promised Land - The Great Pretender - I'm Ready - Saved - A Change Is Gonna Come - Didn't It Rain (outtake) - Crying Heart Blues (outtake) - Shakin' (outtake) - What Am I Living For (outtake) - Going Back To Memphis (outtake) - Endless Highway (Studio Version) Greatness finally vindicated. In its truncated first pressing, Moondog Matinee was easily dismissed as a lightweight oldies stopgap - a warning sign that The Band had reached creative stagnation. However, the (remastered) reissue adds a handful of extra tracks that were originally recorded for the album but were cut for god-only-knows-what-reason, and the truth has finally been bared. Moondog Matinee is an amazing covers album, with The Band matching or improving on the original versions of each track. It's wonderful to hear the usually dour band in such a rollicking mood. They rock, they boogie, they cry in their beer, and they bring their unmatched emotional depth to an absolutely pristine collection of songs. Quite possibly one of the most underrated albums in rock history. Richard Manuel's Glory Days As I listen more closely to the Band's music on this and their other albums, a sense of tragedy and missed opportunity Shadows the experience. In the mid-1980s, we lost one of America's greatest singers when Richard Manuel died. As wonderful as Danko and Helm are, Manuel was described by Levon Helm as "the lead singer" of The Band, and by all rights should have had a brilliant solo career either during or after his service with what had become a somewhat dysfunctional unit beset by problems of money, ego and Substance abuse. This album serves to make the point by allowing his incredible voice and unique, soul-based style an opportunity to fully entertain us with his stunningly beautiful renditions of "The Great Pretender" and "Share Your Love" and his vivid, comic take on "Saved." Like the other Band singers, Manuel had the ability to fully inhabit the character "narrating" the song. But with Manuel, the stakes always seem a little higher. He was the most personal singer, the one who could make you cry as well as laugh. In the Band's earlier days, he offered songs like "Katie's Been Gone" and "Orange Juice Blues" (on The Basement Tapes w/Dylan), and of course on those first three, classic disks, he gave us the timeless "Tears of Rage," "In A Station," "King Harvest," "I Shall Be Released," "Lonesome Suzie," "Across the Great Divide," "Whispering Pines," "Sleeping" and "The Shape I'm In." In my mind, I've been putting together a "Best of Richard Manuel" album -- it would also include songs like "She Knows," a stunning 1980s performance that is on the "Across the Great Divide" compilation, "Country Boy," which the reformed Band put on Jericho, and of course some of his later, great Band performances like "Right as Rain" "Rags and Bones" "Hobo Jungle" and his version of "Georgia on My Mind." The Richard Manuel cuts on this album would have an honored place, and are one major reason why one might consider this album an essential purchase. And what will occur to you, perhaps, is that maybe it wasn't the best thing that Richard Manuel was a part of this outfit -- as great as they were, there was something destructive about membership in this Band, and Manuel was its first and most tragic victim. When I see Rod Stewart, a great singer but surely not the equal of Richard Manuel, prancing around on David Letterman singing a Sinatra standard, it's hard not to think of the rich American music, whether written by Robbie Robertson, Bob Dylan or any other songwriter in America, that will never be performed to its fullest glory because Richard Manuel is now silent. extra tracks make this an absolute must own If you're a fan of The Band, this is a great listen. Robbie Robertson put his ego aside and admitted he wasn't coming up with the big songs (Cahoots proves so) and let the group play their own lesser known R&B faves. The exception is 'The Great Pretender', sung so well by Richard Manuel that it had to be included. The three singers were in their prime; Manuel nails all three of his numbers and Helm is almost as good. Listen especially for Manuel on 'Saved' and Helm on the extra track 'Back to Memphis'. The production and playing are both wonderful. Few rock n roll bands had instrumentalists as creative as Robertson and Garth Hudson. Hudson's all over this record, playing more than his usual piano as well as organ and saxophone. It was a great idea to play these covers and it's even a better album now with the bonus tracks. Buy Band Moondog Matinee at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.comJamster - the latest ringtones for your phone! |
