It’s been fifty years since The Band released their self-title album, lovingly referred to by fans as “The Brown Album.” To celebrate the anniversary of the pioneering release, The Band will be reissued in a variety of expanded editions on November 15.  These follow last year’s similar reissues of the group’s debut, Music from Big Pink.

While The Band was primarily recorded in Hollywood – in Sammy Davis, Jr.’s pool house, no less! – the feel was decidedly rustic.  The sessions took on a Basement Tapes-like quality, with Robbie Robertson as inspired as Bob Dylan had been during that seminal period.  Robertson wrote or co-wrote every song on the album, including future standards “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Up on Cripple Creek,” while lead vocals were taken by his bandmates Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, and Rick Danko.  All five bandmates – including organist/multi-instrumentalist Garth Hudson – conjured an authentic vision of Americana that was powerful, raw, and funky.  (And it didn’t matter that 4/5 of the group was Canadian!)  Produced by John Simon, The Band was a top 10 success, and “Up on Cripple Creek” a top 30 single.  Joan Baez would take her version of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” to No. 1 AC/No. 3 Pop in 1971.

Capitol first released The Band on CD in 1987 and expanded it in 2000 with seven bonus tracks, including a non-LP B-side, “Get Up Jake,” and six alternate takes. These bonus tracks have all been retained on the new box set.  In 2009, Audio Fidelity released a Gold CD mastered by Steve Hoffman which featured “Get Up Jake” as a bonus track.  This box is the first to vastly expand the album beyond the 2000 edition. 

First up is the 2-CD/2-LP/Blu-ray/7″ Super Deluxe edition, which is packed with audio delights. CD 1 features a new stereo mix of the album by Bob Clearmountain sourced from the original analog masters. The stereo mix is also spread across two 45-rpm LPs in the box set. CD 2 includes The Band’s complete Woodstock 1969 performance and 13 bonus tracks, six of which are previously unreleased. There’s also a Blu-ray disc that boasts the new stereo mix in hi-res 24/96 audio, a 5.1 surround mix of the album, and the Classic Albums documentary about the making of the album. The box also features a hardbound book with an essay by Anthony DeCurtis and photographs by Elliott Landy, and a 7″ single of “Rag Mama Rag” b/w “The Unfaithful Servant.”

The 50th Anniversary Editions will also arrive in slimmer configurations: 2-CD, 2-LP on black vinyl, or 2-LP on limited-edition “Tiger’s Eye” swirl vinyl.

Though Amazon links have yet to go live, you can pre-order the anniversary editions of The Band direct from their official webstore at the links below.  We’ll be updating the page with more information as it becomes available.  In the meantime, you can enjoy a preview of the box set – an alternate version of “Rag Mama Rag” – below!

The Band, The Band (50th Anniversary Editions) (UMe, 2019)

2-CD/2-LP/Blu-ray/7″: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Band Online Shop
2-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Band Online Shop
2-LP black vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Band Online Shop
2-LP Tiger’s Eye swirl vinyl: The Band Online Shop

CD1 (Tracks 1-12 originally released as Capitol STAO-132, 1969)

1. Across The Great Divide
2. Rag Mama Rag
3. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
4. When You Awake
5. Up On Cripple Creek
6. Whispering Pines
7. Jemima Surrender
8. Rockin’ Chair
9. Look Out Cleveland
10. Jawbone
11. The Unfaithful Servant
12. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

Bonus Tracks:

13. Up On Cripple Creek (Earlier Take) *
14. Rag Mama Rag (Alternate Version) *
15. The Unfaithful Servant (Alternate Version) *
16. Look Out Cleveland (Instrumental Mix) *
17. Rockin’ Chair (A Cappella / Stripped Down) *
18. Up On Cripple Creek (Instrumental Mix) *

* previously unreleased

CD 2

Live At Woodstock, 1969 (Original Rough Mixes)

1. Chest Fever
2. Tears Of Rage
3. We Can Talk
4. Don’t Ya Tell Henry
5. Baby Don’t You Do It
6. Ain’t No More Cane On The Brazos
7. Long Black Veil
8. This Wheel’s On Fire
9. I Shall Be Released
10. The Weight
11. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever

Additional Studio Bonus Tracks:

12. Get Up Jake (Outtake – Stereo Mix)
13. Rag Mama Rag (Alternate Vocal Take – Rough Mix)
14. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Alternate Mix)
15. Up On Cripple Creek (Alternate Take)
16. Whispering Pines (Alternate Take)
17. Jemima Surrender (Alternate Take)
18. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (Alternate Performance)

Blu-ray (Stereo and 5.1 Surround – High Resolution Audio: 96 kHz/24 bit)

1. Across The Great Divide
2. Rag Mama Rag
3. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
4. When You Awake
5. Up On Cripple Creek
6. Whispering Pines
7. Jemima Surrender
8. Rockin’ Chair
9. Look Out Cleveland
10. Jawbone
11. The Unfaithful Servant
12. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

Bonus Tracks:

13. Up On Cripple Creek (Earlier Version)
14. Rag Mama Rag (Alternate Version)
15. The Unfaithful Servant Alternate Version)
16. Look Out Cleveland (Instrumental Mix)
17. Rockin’ Chair (A Cappella / Stripped Down)
18. Up On Cripple Creek (Instrumental Mix)

“Classic Albums – The Band” (Documentary)

2LP (45 RPM)

180g black vinyl (included in the box set and available individually); ltd. edition 180g pink vinyl (available individually)

Side One

1. Across The Great Divide
2. Rag Mama Rag
3. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

Side Two

1. When You Awake
2. Up On Cripple Creek
3. Whispering Pines

Side Three

1. Jemima Surrender
2. Rockin’ Chair
3. Look Out Cleveland

Side Four

1. Jawbone
2. The Unfaithful Servant
3. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

“Rag Mama Rag” (Original 1969 7″ Capitol Single)

1. Rag Mama Rag
2. The Unfaithful Servant