Published on Mar 31, 1997
The Band has always been an acquired taste, as well as a
“best-kept” secret. They don’t get much airplay these days, though
the songs they’re best known for are regarded as some of the best
of their era. They broke up in 1976 (and reunited only a few years
ago minus deceased keyboardist Richard Manuel and guitarist holdout
Robbie Robertson), but their live album
The Last Waltz is regarded as one of the best live works
ever. (Believe it or not, I have never listened to it – it is
sitting in the Pierce Memorial Archives awaiting its turn on the
stereo.)
(Editor’s note: This was corrected when The Last Waltz
was reviewed in May 1998.)
Their first live effort,
Rock Of Ages, was recorded at their 1971 New Year’s Eve
concert, the last they would play for over a year. (There
apparently was some word that this album was really recorded at the
previous evening’s soundcheck; I won’t get involved in the
speculation.) And after several listenings, one thing is very clear
to me: I chose the wrong Band album to review, ’cause this is, for
the most part, awful.
Oh, sure, the opening funk of “Don’t Do It” gets my attention,
and the performance of “Stage Fright,” one of my favorite Band
songs of all time, shines. Even “Get Up Jake,” a song that was
previously only a b-side, is an interesting piece of work that
impressed me.
The problem is that the performances otherwise is boring as hell
– this was recorded on New Year’s Eve, a party night, for Jah’s
sake? Please – I’ve been to wakes that had more life.
Perfect example: “The Shape I’m In,” a song that has the
possibility to incite spontaneous dancing in the aisles, but
instead sits there and causes yawns. (Side note: The Band opened
for The Grateful Dead at their last show, and as much as I thought
the reunion was a terrible idea, this song did shine during their
set.)
Even “The Weight,” one of The Band’s best-known cuts, fails to
impress this time around. The performance drags on a song that,
admittedly, is not a fast-tempo number. I don’t know what the
problem is with this version – though Greil Marcus’s liner notes
seem to suggest that The Band was hardly a band around the time
this was recorded.
What about other “greatest hits”? Well, I’ve never been a fan of
“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” and this version does
nothing to change my mind. “Across The Great Divide” takes on the
air of a polka on Valium, while “Life Is A Carnival” loses
something from the controlled confusion that made the studio
version such a wonderful track.
The closing track, “{I Don’t Want To}Hang Up My Rock And Roll
Shoes”… oh, what the hell, I don’t feel like taking a cheap
shot.
Rock Of Ages is just not a lot of fun to listen to, and
that’s one of the biggest downfalls of any rock album. If it sounds
like the group is bored, the listener will surely be bored. Robbie
Robertson and crew were capable of much greater work than this.