The debut album from The Band. Music From Big Pink.
First of all, Big Pink is a real thing. It was the house in West Saugerties, NY near Woodstock where Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel lived. In the basement they set up a recording studio. It's where the Basement Tapes were recorded before they set down on tape this beauty of an album.
It still exists as is and can be rented out as an Air BnB.
The album itself shook the music world. At a time when other artists were segueing into psychedelic music and prog rock, Robbie Robertson and his brothers (check out Once Were Brothers on Hulu) produced stripped down to the roots, music that told stories. It was the talk of the music industry insiders even before it was released. Eric Clapton was given an advanced pressing to listen to which he immediately set aside. But Eric was getting increasingly frustrated with the sometimes violent fights between Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker; his cohorts in Cream. One night he had had enough after a concert and went back to his hotel room to decompress. Decided he needed to listen to some new music and put this on his turntable. That was it. One listen and he decided Cream was done. Just hearing this music, he realized that this was what he wanted to do. So, he announced he was leaving as soon as contracts could be fulfilled.
Once they were, he immediately flew to NY to go to Big Pink and ask to join The Band. Except when he got there, he looked at them in their blue jeans and mountain hats and fringed leather jackets and then looked at himself with his striped bell bottoms and frilly shirt and he realized that he would never fit in. Plus, once he saw them play in person, he realized that he could never penetrate the tightness of that group. So he never asked.
But he wanted to still do roots rock. So he decided that he would do the same for British music and called up Steve Winwood to see if he might be interested. Steve was so they agreed to form a band...Blind Faith. When Eric showed up though, he was in for a surprise as Steve had invited Ginger Baker to join. hence, Blind Faith was born and died almost the same day. One album. One concert and poof.
But Big Pink and the Band changed music forever.
And here's the greatest song ever written:
