The Band is the second studio album by the Canadian-American rock band the Band, released in 1969. It is also known as The Brown Album. This album is a concept album, with the songs focusing on people, places and traditions associated with an older version of Americana. Thus, the songs on this album draw on historic themes for "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "King Harvest (Has Surely Come)" and "Jawbone" (which was composed in the unusual 6/4 time signature).
The album includes many of the Band's best-known and critically acclaimed songs, including "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", which Rolling Stone named the 245th-greatest song of all time in 2004 and the 249th-greatest song of all time in 2010. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 45 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list. In the 2020 update of that list, it was ranked No. 57. In 1998 Q magazine readers voted The Band the 76th greatest album of all time. Time magazine included it in their unranked 2006 list of the 100 greatest albums. Robert Christgau, having been disappointed with the Band's debut, had expected to dislike the record and even planned a column for the Village Voice to "castigate" their follow-up. Upon hearing the record, however, he declared it better than Abbey Road, which had been released four days following, writing that the Band's LP is an "A-plus record if I've ever rated one".
Black Double Vinyl Pressing
Tracklisting
Side A:
1. Across The Great Divide
2. Rag Mama Rag
3. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Side B:
1. When You Awake
2. Up On Cripple Creek
3. Whispering Pines
Side C:
1. Jemima Surrender
2. Rockin' Chair
3. Look Out Cleveland
Side D:
1. Jawbone
2. The Unfaithful Servant
3. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)
