Rock of Ages (album) - Definition and Overview

Rock of Ages was The Band's fifth album. A live disc chronicling their New Year's shows at New York City's Academy of Music, it combines several of their hits with enthusiastic covers of songs originally performed by the likes of Marvin Gaye and Chuck Willis and features a wild organ improvisation by organist Garth Hudson recorded as 1971 turned to 1972.

Though it is rumored that most takes were actually taken from the soundchecks prior to the actual concerts, the performances are strong, and the augmentation of the group by a horn section (especially on the track "Rag Mama Rag") was to an advantage. As for The Band, their own playing is as strong as ever.

These concerts served to close the second chapter of The Band (the first being closed with the recording of Music From Big Pink), and to pave the way to 1976's "The Last Waltz".

Track listing

1. Introduction / Don't Do It (Holland, Dozier and Holland; 4:20)
2. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (Robertson; 3:38)
3. Caledonia Mission (Robertson; 3:11)
4. Get Up Jake (Robertson; 3:08)
5. The W. S. Walcott Medicine Show (Robertson; 3:41)
6. Stage Fright (Robertson; 4:11)
7. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Robertson; 4:44)
8. Across The Great Divide (Robertson; 3:19)
9. This Wheel's On Fire (Danko and Dylan; 3:40)
10. Rag Mama Rag (Robertson; 3:45)
11. The Weight (Robertson; 5:22)
12. The Shape I'm In (Robertson; 3:40)
13. The Unfaithful Servant (Robertson; 4:19)
14. Life Is A Carnival (Danko, Helm and Robertson; 3:52)
15. The Genetic Method (Hudson; 7:29)
16. Chest Fever (Robertson; 4:38)
17. (I Don't Want To) Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes (Willis; 4:14)

Group members and other participants

• The Band - producers
• Rick Danko - bass, violin, vocals
• Levon Helm - drums, mandolin, vocals
• Garth Hudson - organ, piano, accordion, tenor and soprano saxophones
• Richard Manuel - piano, organ, clavinet, drums, vocals
• Robbie Robertson - guitars, introduction
• Allen Toussaint - horn arrangements
• Howard Johnson - tuba, euphonium, baritone saxophone
• Snooky Young - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Joe Farrell - tenor and soprano saxophones, English horn
• Earl McIntyre - trombone
• J. D. Parron - alto saxophone and E-flat clarinet
• Phil Ramone - engineer
• Mark Harman - engineer