A Musical History
| A Musical History | ||||
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| Box set by The Band | ||||
| Released | September 27, 2005 | |||
| Recorded | September 1961 – May 1977 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 422:49 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | Henry Glover, Jan Haust, Bob Johnson, Cheryl Pawelski, Robbie Robertson, Andrew Sandoval, John Simon, Peter J. Moore | |||
| The Band chronology | ||||
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |
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| Rolling Stone |
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A Musical History is the second box set to anthologize Canadian-American rock group The Band. Released by Capitol Records on September 27, 2005, it features 111 tracks spread over five compact discs and one DVD. Roughly spanning the group's journey from 1961 to 1977, from their days behind Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan through the departure of Robbie Robertson and the first disbanding of the group. The set includes highlights from each of the group's first seven studio albums and both major live recordings and nearly forty rare or previously unreleased performances.
For those unwilling or unable to shell out for the full Box Set, Capitol released a single CD+DVD abridged version titled The Best of A Musical History in 2007. It included a selection of what the compilers felt were the best tracks of the five CDs, as well as a shorter version of the DVD.
The first disc focuses on the period from 1961 through 1968, giving the first legitimate release on compact disc to four of five single sides the group recorded in 1965, the fifth previously released on 1994's Across the Great Divide. Opening with two tracks featuring an early incarnation of the group featuring Danko, Robertson and Helm (with Manuel on one track) backing Ronnie Hawkins, the disc goes into the first recordings of the group without Hawkins, with Helm assuming lead vocal duties. From there come the earliest tracks featuring the classic line-up, mostly 12-bar blues material, including the group's single sides, the earlier sides recorded as The Canadian Squires, the later sides as Levon and the Hawks. Sessions with Bob Dylan (mostly without Helm) and demo recordings close the disc. These recordings constitute one part of a larger set that will be released as From Bacon Fat to Judgement Day, chronicling the group's journey from 1957 to 1967.
Disc two focuses on 1968, featuring all but one track either in its original or in an alternate or extended version from the group's debut album, as well as several outtakes, a few of which are new to the set. A number with Dylan recorded at a Woody Guthrie tribute concert (where the group performed as "The Crackers") and a few of the group's tracks from The Basement Tapes round out the disc.
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