50th Anniversary The Band s/t album.

I just received notice from the Band’s website of the upcoming release of 50th anniversary editions of their second, self-titled (aka "brown") album. A deluxe boxset, a 2-LP package, 2-CD package, and a 2-LP colored LP package. Remixed and mastered by Bob Clearmountain from, the notice claims, the master tapes. As those tapes have for years been missing, I’m doubtful.

When discussing the 50th anniversary reissue of Music From Big Pink , I wondered aloud if Capitol would do the same for this album. While MFBP is somewhat hard for many people to relate to (it took me a year to "get" it), the brown album is very assessable. The album had a profound effect on every musician I knew in 1969, and many I didn’t (Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson, John Hiatt, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, many others). While contemporaneous albums by Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath captured the attention of the mass audience, this album did the same for the underground, back-to-roots movement taking place below the surface.

Release of the year, if not decade!