THE BAND'S 'STAGE FRIGHT'

GUITARIST ROBBIE ROBERTSON SUPERVISES THE REISSUE OF THE BAND’S THIRD ALBUM, STAGE FRIGHT, AS IT HITS THE 50-YEAR MARK.

- RAY CHELSTOWSKI

Stage Fright, the third studio album by The Band, has grown over time to be regarded by some as their most impressive studio release. But at the time, it was often misunderstood by those in the media. It was recorded in 1970 at the Woodstock Playhouse after a concert the group had offered to host as a peace offering to the town fell apart. They decided to take the batch of songs they had intended to debut at that show and record their next album, on the Playhouse stage, without an audience. At this point the brotherhood was being tested. The musicians were no longer living together in Big Pink, and the demons that would ultimately undo some of them began to emerge more often. To make the recording process more complex, they also decided to take a breather from John Simon, who had produced the first two albums, and take those duties on themselves. That meant bringing in Todd Rundgren and Glyn Johns to engineer and mix the record. Those results were uneven, and in the end, band member Robbie Robertson jumped in to save the day and preserve a record that truly is one for the ages.

Now as Stage Fright turns 50, Robert son and collaborator Bob Clearmountain have revisited the record, remastering it, resequencing its tracks and adding stunning live material from the Calgary Hotel and from the stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In total, the package presents a musical moment that defines the group’s inherent greatness and opens a view into how remarkable their musical connection to each other really was.