No. 45: The Band

Band: The Band
Album: The Band
Why Rolling Stone gets it right: Despite being 4/5 Canadian, The Band made a record that explores American history while sounding explicitly American.
Why Rolling Stone gets it wrong: Why have two Band records in the top 50?
Best song: "Up On Cripple Creek" is the most popular, but "King Harvest" is probably a better song in the "storytelling" aspct.
Worst song: "Rag Mama Rag" isn't fantastic.
Is it awesome?: It is pretty good, but hardly great.

It's not really easy to write 20th century rock and roll songs about the Great Depression, the Civil War or the frontier era. It's probably a lot harder if you're Canadian.

It has been speculated that "The Band" is a Tocqueville-esque concept album with songs that focus on the varying "peoples, places and traditions associated with an older version of Americana."

"The Band" isn't terrible on every level. It's a good record, but it speaks to -- I think -- the biases inherent in this list. Because the Rolling Stone editors (and whoever else compiled the list) exist in a boomer-centric/Dylan-worshipping world, The Band gets the bias runoff. I can see the thoughts running through their heads: "Well, Dylan is great, his ex-backing band must be great, too!"

Again, that's not to say that "The Band" stinks. It doesn't. "King Harvest" is among the Band's best songs. The storytelling aspect of it is unparallelled among their catalog.

No. 34: Music From Big Pink

Band: The Band
Album: Music From Big Pink
Why Rolling Stone gets it right: In an interesting contrast to the fake British stuff going on at the time (hello, "Beggar's Banquet!"), the Band gets roots-rock right. Dylan co-wrote three songs on the record, but the non-Dylan songs sound like a jam session between amazing musicians who know how to work off one another.
Why Rolling Stone gets it wrong: I like this rating. It's not a great, super-influential album, but it is great American rock and roll that touches on many different musical styles.
Best song: Come on. "The Weight" is it. You knew that.
Worst song: I actually like "Tears of Rage" the least of any song on this album.
Is it awesome?: Yes, it is.

It's nice to be able to write about Dylan's backing band as the center stage situation. The Band (originally The Hawks) were exactly the type of roots rock band that needs to exist in America; They build slow, they hold tempo and they're soulful. They didn't screw around trying to be Robert Johnson or Bob Dylan or both, they took from each side and they created something familiar, yet new.

"Music From Big Pink" is that. Recorded while dicking around doing "The Basement Tapes," The Band's debut contains a number of fantastic tracks. Their cover of country standard "Long Black Veil" meanders around the organ, while the lyrics from "Kingdom Come" seep with spirituality.

Of course, in classic Americana tradition, the classic "The Weight" is a fantastic road song. Telling the tale of a man traveling through Pennsylvania, evoking religious imagery in the town of Nazareth. The seminal refrain of "Take a load off Fannie, take a load for free" has become a classic among classics. Few songs have been covered by bands ranging including Dionne Warwick, The Grateful Dead, The Temptations, The Decemberists and The Wallflowers.