The Band

Rag Mama Rag hit the airwaves in 1969 as a track on their second album The Band. I liked the song and bought the album and subsequently Music from Big Pink released the year before.  The music was identifiably rock but also had strong elements of blues and country.  Coming after the technical expertise of The Beatles and the raw energy of The Who, my principal teenage listening, it greatly expanded my horizons along with albums like The Cream’s Disraeli Gears.  It was a frequent resident on my tinny old record player during my early college years.

It could also be seen as a marker for the resurgence of American rock items in my collection that followed the UK’s domination during the 60’s. 

Sadly, with the passing of Jamie Robbie Roberston, The Band is down to just one member of the band that recorded those two albums: Garth Hudson, the music teacher that Ronnie Hawk paid to give the other members of The Band some basic musical concepts. As per Wikipedia, Garth Hudson still lives out in upstate New York near Woodstock.

After my university years I mostly lost track with music, including The Band’s subsequent albums but I guess it’s never too late.  I do still own a record player after all and there’s always Spotify.

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