The Band - 1969-10-26 - Philadelphia, PA (AUD/FLAC)

(Audience FLAC)

The Band
Philadelphia Academy Of Music
Philadelphia, PA
October 26, 1969

1st generation reel-to-reel > CD-R > CD-R (trade) > FLAC

01. This Wheel's On Fire (5:03)
02. We Can Talk (2:47)
03. Don't Ya Tell Henry (3:26)
04. Caledonia Mission (3:48)
05. Chest Fever (5:44)
06. I Shall Be Released (3:27)
07. Lovin' You (3:36)
08. The Weight (4:20)
09. Long Black Veil (2:51)
10. Tears Of Rage (5:27)
11. Don't Do It (4:12)
12. Unfaithful Servant (4:18)
13. Up On Cripple Creek (3:57)
14. Slippin' and Slidin' (3:35)
15. Look Out Cleveland (3:26)
16. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (4:02)

This one is absolutely essential for any Band fans - recorded a month after the release of the second album, the band is in fine form. The recording itself is remarkable for a mono audience tape from the late sixties. All the instruments are well balanced and clear, and the audience is present but never overpowers the music. Spectral analysis shows that it is lossless and as far as I know it's never been shared in any form before. I got the show in a private trade over a decade ago - apparently, my source got it from the original taper who was concerned about possible bootlegging and requested that the recording keep a low profile. I've abided by that request for years, but this show is too great to keep it hidden for any longer.

If anyone wants to make cover art or a remaster, go nuts. If you want to convert it to MP3, keep it to yourself. Support the Band by buying official releases. Look both ways before crossing the street.

It’s a good sounding mono audience recording. It’s a fair distance from the stage, but the audience are well behaved, not interfering with the music at all. There is slight distortion in the lower frequencies, but otherwise it’s an enjoyable recording of a very rare show.

At the start of the tape an mc named “Herman” tells the audience to stick around after the show for some big announcements before introducing The Band, who start off with a scorching “This Wheel’s On Fire.” Their second album The Band was released only a month prior, but the first half of the show is devoted from songs from their first album Music From Big Pink.

One of the highlights of the show is a gorgeous performance of “Caledonia Mission.” Except for the December 1971 performance at the Academy Of Music in New York (and documented on the official live album Rock Of Ages), this is the only other known live performance before its sudden revival in 1994.

In the middle of the set they play “The Weight,” which also receives one of the biggest response of the night. After “Don’t Do It” they devote most of the rest of the set to the newer songs, starting with “The Unfaithful Servant.”

It’s obvious most of the audience are already familiar with the new songs. “Up On Cripple Creek” raises the energy in the venue and the band are rewarded with a standing ovation. They follow with an almost spontaneous cover of Little Richard’s “Slippin’ And Slidin'” which gets the audience on their feet, clapping and (presumably) dancing along.

The tape (and the show) ends with a perfunctory run-through of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” In most performances it is a majestic piece, but it sounds very rushed, as if the band were under a curfew. There is no segue into “Across The Great Divide” and no evidence of an encore.