Search - Band :: Across the Great Divide

A fine retrospective collection.

C. Stormont | New York | 08/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You get all the great Band songs here, plus a third cd with some rocking rarities like Slippin and Slidin. I'm glad they have the songs from the Last Waltz (Evangeline and The Weight in particular) included here. When I'm in the mood for The Last Waltz, I watch the film. Now I can hear those songs independently without buying that cd. My only complaint is that Jawbone, one of my favorite Band songs, from the second album, isn't included. These guys were great; if you're not familiar with their music, it's your loss. True Americana."

The Band plays on...and you should be listening.

Vandelay Industries | Augusta, GA USA | 07/27/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've had a couple of friends who ended up getting into The Band because of this boxset. It might not have "everything" a diehard could hope for, but it's more than a satisfactory offering for a newcomer IMO. I'll dock it one star for some of the "un-rare rarities" on disc 3, but that shouldn't have much bearing on the average listener. If you haven't heard much from The Band, this boxset is a good starting point. By the end of the third disc, part of you will feel like you've known 'em all along...like others have said, "Americana" indeed. Highly recommended."

Solid but flawed retrospective

jeu8478 | Dallas, TX | 04/25/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As an introduction to the Band, that paradox of a group (a rootsy Americana group from the psychadelic 60's, made up of mostly Canadians) with a confusing name, the boxed set Across the Great Divide works pretty well. The first two discs concentrate on the Band's first recording career (I'll be ignoring the late-Eighties comeback), and lean mostly on the first two albums, Music from Big Pink and The Band. The song selection is well done, and you get a good sense of the Band's different singers, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, and Rick Danko. Plus, you get the classics "Across the Great Divide", "I Shall Be Released", "The Weight", "Up on Cripple Creek" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", as well as some late-career gems.The main problem I have with the album is the third disc, containing rarities. This has some good songs, like some pre-Band Hawks recordings and some Last Waltz material. The only problem I have with it is that some of it doesn't qualify as rare- the Last Waltz stuff is not rare at all and some of the other tracks are available in other forms on the Basement Tapes collection. The Last Waltz is important to the legend of the Band, and should be sequenced in a way that makes it more of a part of their history. As it is, it resides at the end of the third disc, after all the rarities. It seems like a small quibble, but a confusing picture is painted as a result. Still, not a bad set, and a most enjoyable listen and introduction to the group."