And The Answer Is. . . 18
Up On Cripple Creek by The Band. The choice was inspired by my watching The Last Waltz, Martin Scorsese's film of the group's final concert on Thanksgiving 1976. I confess that I decided to have a little fun with this one. The clue left by Robbie R (that's defacto band leader Robbie Robertson for people not familiar with The Band's line-up) was actually left by me and references another Band song, The Shape I'm In.
When I put up the posting, I didn't know that much about the history of The Band, but after a little research, I learned that they were much more than Bob Dylan's back-up group before making a name for themselves. They started life as The Hawks, the back-up group for singer Ronnie Hawkins. They outgrew their partnership with Hawkins and eventually struck out on their own before teaming up with Dylan for his 1965-1966 concert that marked his shift from acoustic to electric music. That shift was not embraced by fans, who booed Dylan for "selling out" and felt The Hawks were a "corny" back-up group.
Ultimately, The Band decided to make its own music, beginning with 1968's Music From The Big Pink, a reference to the house they rented in Saugerties, New York. The album was a critical if not commercial success and marked their emergence as one of the premier groups of the time. It included my personal favorite The Weight. The Band was of such significance that they were able to command a star-studded line-up to accompany them in The Last Waltz. Aside from a reunion with Dylan, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Hawkins, and many more were featured in the sensational concert.
After the break-up, The Band reformed in the 1980s, sans Robbie Robertson, and continued to perform together up until the death of bass guitarist Rick Danko in 1999. They released three well-received albums in the 1990s, and just this year, Robbie Robertson released a 5-disc compendium of their work dating back to their days as The Hawks. Something that I plan on picking up as a Chanukah gift from some member of the family. (It's on my Amazon wish list as my number one choice.) I have always loved the music of The Band and can't wait to hear music from their other incarnations.