Description
Unreleased home recordings and a live set accompany this anniversary reissue.

The Band's third LP doesn't quite have the cohesion of their first two near-faultless records, a reflection of the group's slow splintering, but it's still a fine example of their virtuosity. Robertson dominated the writing and his view seemed to have turned inwards, channeling some of the brow-beating spirit of CSN on tracks like "The Shape I'm In", "Time To Kill" and "Stage Fright". The bonus material include studio outtakes and previously unreleased recordings: tracks like Johnny Rivers' "Rockin' Penumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu" and Bo Diddley's "Before You Accuse Me". There's also a second live album from the Royal Albert Hall in 1971.

Extras: Bonus tracks, "Time to Kill" 7" repro, photo booklet with notes by Robbie Robertson.

Tracklist
TBA

Super Deluxe Edition (shown above)
US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LN5KPYB/?tag=imwan-20
CA - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08LN5KPYB/?tag=imwanca-20
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08LN5KPYB/?tag=imwan-21

2CD Deluxe Edition
US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JB1MVTT/?tag=imwan-20
CA - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08JB1MVTT/?tag=imwanca-20
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08JB1MVTT/?tag=imwan-21

Originally scheduled for 2020 (the actual 50th anniversary of the album), but now pushed into 2021 because of COVID-19. The initial solicitation from Universal says the big box includes a Blu-ray with hi-res stereo and surround mixes that will not be available separately. (This follows the pattern of the previous Band boxes.) A firm release date and pre-order links are coming soon.

Here's an audio preview:

Thank you Linda.

All configurations have now been scheduled for February 12th. The 2CD Deluxe Edition is available for pre-order in the USA:

Description
Stage Fright is the third studio album by Canadian American group the Band, released on August 17, 1970. Engineered by Todd Rundgren and Glyn Johns, it features two of the group's best-known songs, "The Shape I'm In" and "Stage Fright," both of which showcased inspired lead vocal performances (by Richard Manuel and Rick Danko, respectively) and became staples in the group's live shows. 50th Anniversary Edition 2CD has been remixed and remastered + bonus tracks + Royal Albert Hall performance.

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JB1MVTT/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon Canada
Available for pre-order soon:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08JB1MVTT/?tag=imwanca-20

Amazon UK
Available for pre-order soon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08JB1MVTT/?tag=imwan-21

... and the big Super Deluxe box set has become pre-orderable in the USA as well. Check the link in the first post.

Amazon currently lists the box as "2CD/DVD/LP/7-Inch Single", and their description supports that, but Universal is still saying it's a Blu-ray not a DVD. We'll see.

Great news and nice to see the catalogue getting this kind of treatment.

I hope all the classic albums are done.

Robbie Robertson changed the order of the tracks on "Stage Fright" for this edition. He says that this is the original order that he envisioned for the album. During the recording, he says he was trying to get the others involved in the songwriting and he was only partially successful. When he first sequenced the record, the others complained that their songs were consigned to side B of the record. So he rearranged them to the order we have known for years:

All songs written by Robbie Robertson unless otherwise indicated.

Side A
Strawberry Wine (Helm-Robertson)
Sleeping (Manuel-Robertson)
Time To Kill
Just Another Whistle Stop (Manuel-Robertson)
All La Glory

Side B
The Shape I'm In
The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
Daniel and the Sacred Harp
Stage Fright
The Rumor

For the 2021 edition:

Side A
The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
The Shape I'm In
Daniel and the Sacred Harp
Stage Fright
The Rumor

Side B
Time To Kill
Just Another Whistle Stop (Manuel-Robertson)
All La Glory
Strawberry Wine (Helm-Robertson)
Sleeping (Manuel-Robertson)

So he basically switched sides A and B and tinkered with the order a bit on each side.

After one listen, I think Robertson was right to change the order. It feels odd to have the record end with "Sleeping" instead of "The Rumor" but I think it works better.

There are two "alternate mix" recordings following this. "Strawberry Wine" has Levon Helm singing with Robertson, I assume, on guitar. "Sleeping" has Richard Manuel singing and, I assume, playing piano with maybe some harmony singing from someone, maybe Rick Danko. They aren't essential, but I like them.

The rest of the first disc is from a hotel room in Calgary with Robertson, Danko, and Manuel. They are somewhat interesting and it would have been fun to sit in that room listening to them play.

The second disc is a 1971 20-song performance recorded at Royal Albert Hall. The Band sounds very good and you can hear a good bit from Garth Hudson, which I like as he sometimes got lost in other Band live recordings. It was recorded to four-track, so Bob Clearmountain had limited sources to deal with and the enormous hall's acoustics don't help much, but it sounds good and The Band was working well together as a group in the performance. I enjoyed it.

Here's an interview with Robertson about the reissue ("Cahoots" may be next):

https://www.theoaklandpress.com/enterta ... 447bd.html

It's so sad that three of them, the singers, are dead. I saw a video with Levon Helm a year or so ago recorded well after The Band's breakup. He said that there was only one singer with the group. He said that he and Rick Danko just waited until it was their turn to sing a song. I don't agree with that, but admire the sentiment and his respect for Richard Manuel's voice.

Listening to the 2 CD set, the remix is fantastic. Next up will be the live concert.