Levon Helm Bands Three Classic Albums Together

I’ll be honest: outside of The Last Waltz, there’s not a whole lot I know about The Band. The influential and short-lived folk outfit certainly cast a wide net on a particular musical culture, but it’s not one that’s ensnared your catalogue correspondent just yet.

But I am bizarrely intrigued at Three of a Kind, a new release from former Band mate Levon Helm available on his Web site. From the looks of it, this set is a straight, three-for-one reissue of the group’s first three Capitol LPs, Music from Big Pink, The Band and Stage Fright. That’s it. Nothing else.

Now this isn’t a terrible idea – heaven knows we’ve all bought no-frills packages that collect multiple albums by our favorite artists in one spot. But previous editions of these albums – notably, remasters from 2000 – had heaps of bonus tracks, none of which appear here. It’s also pretty surprising that Capitol would license these albums from their vaults for an admittedly simple release such as this, rather than put it out directly under their own banner. Was Helm trying to snipe Robbie Robertson or something?

It’s not cheap, either – $34.95 standard and $99.95 with Helm’s autograph. But it’s here, should you want it. And the track lists are below.

The Band, Three of a Kind (LevonHelm.com, 2011)

Disc 1: Music from Big Pink (originally released as Capitol SKAO-2955, 1968)

1. Tears of Rage
2. To Kingdome Come
3. In a Station
4. Caledonia Mission
5. The Weight
6. We Can Talk
7. Long Black Veil
8. Chest Fever
9. Lonesome Suzie
10. This Wheel’s on Fire
11. I Shall Be Released

Disc 2: The Band (originally released as Capitol STAO-132, 1969)

1. Across the Great Divide
2. Rag Mama Rag
3. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
4. When You Awake
5. Up on Cripple Creek
6. Whispering Pines
7. Jemima Surrender
8. Rockin’ Chair
9. Look Out, Cleveland
10. Jawbone
11. The Unfaithful Servant
12. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

Disc 3: Stage Fright (originally released as Capitol SW-425, 1970)

1. Strawberry Wine
2. Sleeping
3. Time to Kill
4. Just Another Whistle Stop
5. All La Glory
6. The Shape I’m In
7. W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
8. Daniel & The Sacred Harp
9. Stage Fright
10. The Rumor