Rock of Ages (album)

Infobox Album | Name = Rock of Ages
Type = Live album
Artist = The Band


Released = August 15, 1972
Recorded = December 1971
Genre = Rock
Length = 78:19
Label = Capitol
Producer = The Band
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:qx1uak2k5m3z link]
* Robert Christgau (B) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=The+Band link]
*"Rolling Stone" (Not Rated) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/theband/albums/album/248085/review/5945220/rock_of_ages link]
Last album = "Cahoots"
(1971)
This album = "Rock of Ages"
(1972)
Next album = "Moondog Matinee"
(1973)

"Rock of Ages: The Band in Concert" is The Band's fifth album. A live disc chronicling their series of shows at New York City's Academy of Music from December 28-31, 1971, it combines several of their hits with enthusiastic covers of songs originally performed by the likes of Marvin Gaye and Chuck Willis and features a wild organ improvisation by organist Garth Hudson, recorded as 1971 turned to 1972.

Originally released in 1972 as a double album, it was reissued in 1980 as two separate LPs (titled "Rock of Ages, Vol. 1" and "Rock of Ages, Vol. 2"). The first CD edition, in 1987, was widely panned for the editing of several tracks to fit the program onto a single disc; an unedited 2-CD version followed in 1990.

2001 saw the release of a substantially revised and expanded 2-CD edition of the album, including ten additional songs from the same concert series (four of which featured performances by surprise "guest star" Bob Dylan).

The 2005 retrospective Band box set "A Musical History" contains several "Rock of Ages" tracks newly remixed from the multitrack tapes, as well as a previously-unissued performance of the song "Smoke Signal" from the December 28 show.

Track listing

Original album

#"Introduction" – 1:22
#"Don't Do It" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 5:00
#"King Harvest (Has Surely Come)" (Robertson) – 4:04
#"Caledonia Mission" (Robertson) – 3:38
#"Get Up Jake" (Robertson) – 3:33
#"The W. S. Walcott Medicine Show" (Robertson) – 3:54
#"Stage Fright" (Robertson) – 4:38
#"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (Robertson) – 4:34
#"Across The Great Divide" (Robertson) – 3:59
#"This Wheel's On Fire" (Danko, Bob Dylan) – 4:07
#"Rag Mama Rag" (Robertson) – 4:33
#"The Weight" (Robertson) – 5:32
#"The Shape I'm In" (Robertson) – 4:14
#"The Unfaithful Servant" (Robertson) – 4:48
#"Life Is a Carnival" (Danko, Helm, Robertson) – 4:17
#"The Genetic Method" (Hudson) – 7:48
#"Chest Fever" (Robertson) – 5:24
#"(I Don't Want To) Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes" (C. Willis) – 4:20

2001 reissue

Disc one

#"Introduction" – 1:22
#"Don't Do It" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 5:00
#"King Harvest (Has Surely Come)" (Robertson) – 4:04
#"Caledonia Mission" (Robertson) – 3:38
#"Get Up Jake" (Robertson) – 3:33
#"The W. S. Walcott Medicine Show" (Robertson) – 3:54
#"Stage Fright" (Robertson) – 4:38
#"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (Robertson) – 4:34
#"Across The Great Divide" (Robertson) – 3:59
#"This Wheel's On Fire (Danko, Dylan) – 4:07
#"Rag Mama Rag" (Robertson) – 4:33
#"The Weight" (Robertson) – 5:32
#"The Shape I'm In" (Robertson) – 4:14
#"The Unfaithful Servant" (Robertson) – 4:48
#"Life Is A Carnival" (Danko, Helm, Robertson) – 4:17
#"The Genetic Method" (Hudson) – 7:48
#"Chest Fever" (Robertson) – 5:24
#"(I Don't Want To) Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes" (Willis) – 4:20

Disc two

#"Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" (Stevie Wonder, Ivy Jo Hunter) – 3:28
#"I Shall Be Released" (Dylan) – 4:03
#"Up On Cripple Creek" (Robertson) – 4:38
#"The Rumor" (Robertson) – 5:02
#"Rockin' Chair" (Robertson) – 4:06
#"Time To Kill" (Robertson) – 4:07
#"Down in the Flood (Dylan) – 5:25
#"When I Paint My Masterpiece" (Dylan) – 4:17
#"Don't Ya Tell Henry" (Dylan) – 4:38
#"Like a Rolling Stone" (Dylan) – 5:24
#* Tracks 7-10 on Disc 2 feature Bob Dylan during 31 December1971 performance

Credits

*Rick Danko - bass, violin, vocals
*Levon Helm - drums, mandolin, vocals
*Garth Hudson - organ, piano, accordion, tenor and soprano saxophones
*Richard Manuel - piano, organ, clavinet, drums, vocals
*Robbie Robertson - guitar, vocals, introduction
*Allen Toussaint - horn arrangements
*Howard Johnson - tuba, euphonium, baritone saxophone
*Snooky Young - trumpet, flugelhorn
*Joe Farrell - tenor and soprano saxophones, English horn
*Earl McIntyre - trombone
*J. D. Parron - alto saxophone and E-flat clarinet
*Bob Dylan - guitar, vocals (2001 Reissue, Disc 2, tracks 7-10 only)
*Phil Ramone - engineer
*Mark Harman - engineer

Charts

Singles - Billboard (North America)