I’ve been listening to The Band’s “Tears of Rage” a lot closer as of late. And, I’m beginning to think that could be the best song they ever recorded.
The song, as the legend goes, was written by Richard Manuel and Bob Dylan during the infamous Basement Tape era. A Bob Dylan version of the song appears on the album The Basement Tapes. But, The Band’s version, sung by Manuel, is the opening track of Music From Big Pink. As such, the very first notes one hears from The Band are the best they ever committed to tape.
Therefore, listening to The Band’s discography from beginning to end starts out at the high point and declines. But, of course, this is The Band, so their worst recordings are better than 75 percent of most music ever recorded.