The Band - Band [Rhino Video #1] (VHS)

All Music Guide

The Band's second album (The Band) is usually considered their best and most fully realized statement. This 75-minute documentary on the conception and execution of the record may not have many major revelations for those familiar with The Band's history, but it is an accomplished and entertaining overview. Each of the surviving members of the group (Richard Manuel committed suicide in the mid-'80s) is interviewed about the songs and the recording, although Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm get far more screen time than Garth Hudson (whose footage mostly consists of him playing keyboards) and Rick Danko; there are also a few vintage film clips of The Band. Other key figures such as producer John Simon speak as well, and there are comments on the album's significance by Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and critic Greil Marcus, among others. Audiophiles will thrill to the scenes of Simon and Helm separating and analyzing components of certain tracks, as well as Robertson illustrating some co...ncepts on his guitar. As for as interesting trivia, some of the more interesting morsels that might surprise viewers include how the album, for all its rustic nature, was recorded in a former home of Sammy Davis Jr. in the Hollywood Hills; how "Rag Mama Rag" was improbably considered as a possible smash single; details of how Hudson used the clavinet on "Up on Cripple Creek"; and the citation of the Staple Singers as a particularly key influence upon The Band's vocal approach. - Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide Read more Less