Cahoots

Limited Edition Japanese "Mini Vinyl" CD, faithfully reproduced using original LP artwork including the inner sleeve. Features most recently mastered audio including bonus tracks where applicable.

Here's where the Band stumbled. This 1971 lapse followed two consensus classics (Music from Big Pink and The Band) and the dicier but still worthy Stage Fright. Consequently, expectations were high. But, despite moments of excellence ("Life Is a Carnival," "When I Paint My Masterpiece," their first Dylan cover since their debut), primary songwriter Robbie Robertson repeatedly comes up short. "Last of the Blacksmiths," "Where Do We Go from Here," and "River Hymn" are overwrought attempts to recapture the unaffected longing for the past that marked the first two albums, while the likes of "Smoke Signal" and "Volcano" are merely forgettable. Still, Van Morrison's rambunctious duet with Richard Manuel on "4% Pantomime" and the weird "Moon Struck One" help make Cahoots a worthwhile curio for those interested in digging deep into the Band songbook. The remastered reissue includes four quality bonus songs as well as a vintage radio spot. --Steven Stolder