The Band To Release Live at the Academy of Music 1971 Comprehensive Box Set

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Before Tom Cruise ever donned leather pants and a bandana, Rock of Ages was a core 1972 double LP in the canon of a certain Band. First expanded with ten additional tracks in 2001, Capitol and Universal Records are upping the re-release ante, producing Live at the Academy of Music 1971, an uncut collection of The Band’s New Year’s Eve concerts from which highlights were drawn for Rock of Ages. Slated for September 17, it will feature four CDs, one DVD, one book plus original essays and liner notes.

And while the perks and goodies included may read like any other special edition – unreleased tracks, live cuts, 5.1 video – Live at the Academy Of Music 1971 so precisely captures a moment in The Band’s career. When guitarist and main songwriter Robbie Robertson performed at the Eric Clapton Crossroads concert, he performed “I Shall Be Released” in memory of late bandmates Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel. (Garth Hudson is still around and making music, recently performing with Wilco at their Americanarama stop in Sarasota Springs.) Robertson has been closely involved in the production of Live at the Academy of Music 1971, an essay of his is included in full, and described hearing those tracks again – “my Bandmates at the top of their game” – as deeply moving and powerful.

Yet the collection offers reflection from those not quite in the eye of the storm as well, in the form of the 48-page hardcover accompaniment book. In addition to unseen photos, the book includes the original Rolling Stone album review from co-founder Ralph J. Gleason as well as contributions from Mumford & Sons and Jim James.

As for the music, the set is nothing less than comprehensive: The first two discs feature every song played during the four concerts and the “New Year’s Eve soundboard mix” on discs three and four are uncut, unedited and straight from the masters. Check out the full track lists below and pre-order the box set through Amazon here.

Disc: 1

1. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show (Friday, December 31)
2. The Shape I’m In (Friday, December 31)
3. Caledonia Mission (Thursday, December 30)
4. Don’t Do It (Wednesday, December 29)
5. Stage Fright (Friday, December 31)
6. I Shall Be Released (Thursday, December 30)
7. Up On Cripple Creek (Thursday, December 30)
8. This Wheel’s On Fire (Wednesday, December 29)
9. Strawberry Wine (Tuesday, December 28) (Previously Unissued Performance)
10. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (Friday, December 31)
11. Time To Kill (Tuesday, December 28)
12. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Wednesday, December 29)
13. Across The Great Divide (Thursday, December 30)

Disc: 2

1. Life Is A Carnival (Thursday, December 30)
2. Get Up Jake (Thursday, December 30)
3. Rag Mama Rag (Friday, December 31)
4. Unfaithful Servant (Friday, December 31)
5. The Weight (Thursday, December 30)
6. Rockin’ Chair (Wednesday, December 29)
7. Smoke Signal (Tuesday, December 28)
8. The Rumor (Thursday, December 30)
9. The Genetic Method (Friday, December 31)
10. Chest Fever (Tuesday, December 28)
11. (I Don’t Want To) Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes (Wednesday, December 29)
12. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever (Wednesday, December 29)
13. Down In The Flood (The Band with Bob Dylan) (Friday, December 31)
14. When I Paint My Masterpiece (The Band with Bob Dylan) (Friday, December 31)
15. Don’t Ya Tell Henry (The Band with Bob Dylan) (Friday, December 31)
16. Like A Rolling Stone (The Band with Bob Dylan) (Friday, December 31)

Disc: 3 (New Year’s Eve At The Academy Of Music 1971 (The Soundboard Mix)

1. Up On Cripple Creek (Previously Unissued Performance)
2. The Shape I’m In
3. The Rumor (Previously Unissued Performance)
4. Time To Kill (Previously Unissued Performance)
5. Rockin’ Chair (Previously Unissued Performance)
6. This Wheel’s On Fire (Previously Unissued Performance)
7. Get Up Jake (Previously Unissued Performance)
8. Smoke Signal (Previously Unissued Performance)
9. I Shall Be Released (Previously Unissued Performance)
10. The Weight (Previously Unissued Performance)
11. Stage Fright

Disc: 4 New Year’s Eve At The Academy Of Music 1971 (The Soundboard Mix)

1. Life Is A Carnival (Previously Unissued Performance)
2. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)
3. Caledonia Mission (Previously Unissued Performance)
4. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
5. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Previously Unissued Performance)
6. Across The Great Divide (Previously Unissued Performance)
7. Unfaithful Servant
8. Don’t Do It (Previously Unissued Performance)
9. The Genetic Method
10. Chest Fever (Previously Unissued Performance)
11. Rag Mama Rag
12. (I Don’t Want To) Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes (Previously Unissued Performance)
13. Down In The Flood (with Bob Dylan)
14. When I Paint My Masterpiece (with Bob Dylan)
15. Don’t Ya Tell Henry (with Bob Dylan)
16. Like A Rolling Stone (with Bob Dylan)

Disc: 5 (DVD Live At The Academy Of Music 1971 in 5.1 Surround Sound.)

1. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show (DVD)
2. The Shape I’m In (DVD)
3. Caledonia Mission (DVD)
4. Don’t Do It (DVD)
5. Stage Fright (DVD)
6. I Shall Be Released (DVD)
7. Up On Cripple Creek (DVD)
8. The Wheel’s On Fire (DVD)
9. Strawberry Wine (Previously Unissued Performance)(DVD)
10. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)(DVD)
11. Time To Kill (DVD)
12. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (DVD)
13. Across The Great Divide (DVD)
14. Life Is A Carnival (DVD)
15. Get Up Jake (DVD)
16. Rag Mama Rag (DVD)
17. Unfaithful Servant (DVD)
18. The Weight (DVD)
19. Rockin’ Chair (DVD)
20. Smoke Signal (DVD)
21. The Rumor (DVD)
22. The Genetic Method (DVD)
23. Chest Fever (DVD)
24. (I Don’t Want To) Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes (DVD)
25. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever (DVD)
26. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (Previously Unissued Performance) (Archival Film Clips-December 30, 1971)(DVD)
27. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show (Previously Unissued Performance) (Archival Film Clips-December 30, 1971)(DVD)