High On the Hog

After 1993's Jericho proved that the reunited version of the Band could function in the studio without the input of Robbie Robertson, they offered up more new material three years later with High on the Hog. While Jericho enjoyed the benefits of low expectations — frankly, most fans had little idea going in what the Band would sound like on record without Robertson's songs and lead guitar work — High on the Hog wasn't as strong a record, and it suffers more in comparison with the group's original body of work. The best moments on here have a looser and funkier feel than Jericho; the horn charts on "Stand Up" and "Back to Memphis" conjure up the feel of Allen Toussaint's arrangements on Cahoots and Rock of Ages, and while En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" sounds more than a little odd sung by Levon Helm, he's certainly game, the players cut an admirable groove and it's an unexpected high point of the set. But most of the other covers pale in comparison with the originals, especially the new recording of "Forever Young," which sounds tired and timid next to Bob Dylan's version on Planet Waves which had the Band backing him up. And the closing track of the original edition, "Ramble Jungle," is an unfocused jam that was, significantly, one of only two songs written by a then-current member of the group. Finally, the addition of a 1986 live recording of Richard Manuel singing "She Knows" feels too much like reaching to remind listeners of the Band's noble legacy, fine as it is. While there are enough strong performances on High on the Hog to prove these guys were still fine musicians, from a creative standpoint it documents a seminal act just treading water. The 2006 CD reissue includes two bonus tracks — covers of "Young Blood" and "Chain Gang" that sound more inspired than many of the tracks that made the original running order.