The Band: A History

“Everybody had been so easily satisfied before and then it got harder to do what we did at ease… The feeling that the group had become what we’d rebelled against… that’s what a lot of the music after The Band was about.'' Robbie Robertson reflected in 1982 on the Rock of Ages period in The Band's history.

It had felt like a while since The Band actually felt like a well-oiled unit. Truth be told, The Band’s success was like a mousetrap, it had finally sprung, and they were now stuck in more ways than one. Each group member was going through their own personal struggles in one way or another. Each member had their own life with their wives, children and friends. It seems like they didn’t know how to communicate or to stop the ever-moving freight train from taking a second to slow down and come up with a plan on how to move forward in their new environment. 

After “Cahoots,” there was a momentary sigh of relief. It was a desperate attempt at keeping it all together. Collectively, The Band’s two leaders, Levon and Robbie, realized that it was finally time to put a stop to it. Their success led them to take more lead in directing their career. To help and maybe try and reclaim what they had felt what they had when they were making music alone in the mountains of Woodstock with the world not caring about them making music. But they wouldn’t go out with a whimper but with a bang. 

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