"Rock of Ages: The Band in Concert" is a live album by The Band, released in 1972. It captures performances from their series of shows at the Academy of Music in New York City, which took place from December 28 to December 31, 1971. The album showcases The Band's distinctive blend of rock, folk, and Americana.
The album was well-received and achieved significant commercial success, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart. It was also certified gold by the RIAA, reflecting its strong sales.
In 2013, an expanded edition of these recordings, titled Live at the Academy of Music 1971, was released. This expanded release provided additional material from the same series of performances, offering fans a deeper dive into these historic concerts and further highlighting the energy and musicianship of The Band during that period.
The Band's residency at the Academy of Music in New York City at the end of 1971 was a significant event in their career, culminating in a New Year's Eve performance. The concerts took place from December 28 through December 31, and the shows were recorded for what would become the live album Rock of Ages.
For these performances, Robbie Robertson enlisted New Orleans songwriter and arranger Allen Toussaint to create horn charts for their recent single, "Life Is a Carnival," from the album Cahoots. Toussaint initially composed these charts in New Orleans, but they were lost during travel. Consequently, he had to create a new set in a cabin near Robertson's home in Woodstock. Eleven songs from the concert series were arranged with horn sections, though not all tracks from the Rock of Ages album received this treatment. Notably, "Get Up Jake," "Stage Fright," "This Wheel's on Fire," "The Weight," "The Shape I'm In," and "The Genetic Method" were among those excluded.
The repertoire for the concerts included material from all four of The Band's studio albums up to that point, along with a new original song, "Get Up Jake," and several covers. They performed Motown classics like Marvin Gaye's 1964 hit "Baby Don't You Do It" and the Four Tops' 1966 single "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever." They also included Chuck Willis' b-side "Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes."
The New Year's Eve show featured a memorable surprise when Bob Dylan, The Band's former collaborator, joined them on stage. Dylan played the final four songs of the set, including "Down in the Flood" and "Rolling Stone," with the horn section adding spontaneous and lively accents to the performance. This impromptu appearance by Dylan added a special and unexpected highlight to the residency and the live recordings.
