1 I Shall Be Released -- Jack Johnson
2 The Weight -- Lee Ann Womack
3 Makes No Difference -- My Morning Jacket
4 When I Paint My Masterpiece -- Josh Turner
5 Unfaithful Servant -- Roseanne Cash
6 Rockin' Chair -- Death Cab for Cutie
7 King Harvest -- Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers
8 Whispering Pines -- Jakob Dylan w/ Lizz Wright
9 Chest Fever -- Widespread Panic
10 Lookout Cleveland -- Jackie Greene
11 Wheel's on Fire -- Guster
12 Up on Cripple Creek -- Gomez
13 Stage Fright -- Steve Reynolds
14 Night They Drove Old Dixie Down -- Allman Bros. Band
15 Rag Mama Rag -- Blues Traveler
16 Life Is A Carnival -- Trevor Hall
17 Acadian Driftwood -- The Roches

From Amazon.com

A fresh listening experience

 Album Rating: (4 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: I usually avoid tribute albums like the plague. Oh, some have their merit and are good for a song or two, but sometimes you wonder if the participants drew the short straw. This is a very good tribute album, with artists who obviously know the songs of The Band. A varied cast of bands like Death Cab For Cutie, Rosanne Cash, Guster, Bruce Hornsby, Modest Mouse and others keep this effort from sound boring.

I have to agree with the person who wrote here that The Allman Bros version of Night They Drove Old Dixie Down should have been scrapped, even though the sound, for a live performance, is steller. However, its Warren Haynes (according to allmusicguide) that stumbles over the words in two places. It would have been nice if they could have gotten a clean take, as it was the right band for the job.

And while Jack Johnson's version of I Shall Be Released is competant, it is milktoast. Considering its a prison song, it could have been a tad more authentic sounding. I wasn't bolwed over by Lee Ann Womack's countrified version of The Weight, which by the way, Bruce Hornsby used to do a killer version of in concert.

Still, its great to hear these songs again, with fresh voices, by artists who have a true appreciation for the music, which distinguishes this effort from most tributes.

Bears repeating often

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: You'll never get tired of listening to these renditions of the music of the Band

Great effort, but I'd still prefer the original Band CDs

 Album Rating: (4 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: Some of my favorites, "Cripple Creek" by Gomez, "Unfaithful Servant" by Roseanne Cash, "Whispering Pines" with Jakob Dylan and Lizz Wright, and "Weight" with Lee Ann Womack. These are all different enough from the original music that they're interesting. Still, nobody does the Band like the Band no matter how under-appreciated this group is. So, buy the Band if you don't have them and get this CD if you're interested in hearing covers of their music afterward.

Worth the purchase but not all is gold

 Album Rating: (3 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: I do like this album a good deal but let me start with the low points.

The Lows:

The Allmans: A band I love but Greg, learn the words brother. He clearly forgets a bunch of vocals on "The Night They Drove Ole Dixe Down". I can't believe they even put this version on the album.

Gomez: Don't know much about this group but their version of "Up On Cripple Creek" is crapola.

Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers: A solid attempt by Bruce but the band is missing the low end groove that really makes "King Harvest" the great song that it is. Listenable but doesn't do justice to an incredible song.

The Highs:

The Roches: Beautiful harmonies on Acadian Driftwood. My favorite cover on this album.

Death Cab for Cutie: I've heard a lot about these guys and I think it's time for me to check them out. Excellent rendition of Rockin' Chair.

Jack Johnson: I read someone say that his vocals are weak on "I Shall Be Released" but I disagree. I think this song is a case of the right singer for the right song.

Outside of that the rest of the album is pretty solid. I don't regret shelling out 10 clams for it.

"A Few Good Songs"

 Album Rating: (3 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: My Morning Jacket's take on "It Makes No Difference" may well be worth the cost of the album, and the body of work captured in the disc validates the powerful and influential song writing of The Band. Unfortunately, the disc is a collection of artists whose interpretations may find you fumbling quickly for the skip button as the performances range from pleasant, to dull, and then irritating. Now you'll have an incentive to sit down and learn how to create a play list for your player.