Free Records!!
The Band - Cahoots (1971) The Band's fourth album has more in common with its previous release Stage Fright (especially lyrically) then its first two albums, but still sounds like the Band. Having departed from the story telling of the first two albums, the themes on Cahoots are more personal, echoing where the band was at the time. Robbie Robertson was taking over as the main songwriter, taking sole credit on 8 of the 11 songs and co writing two others. The shared lead vocals of Richard Manuel, Levon Helm and Rick Danko are still there, as are the rich textures that Garth Hudson cons from his Lowrey and, as always, Robbie Robertson trying to find a way in with his guitar parts. Cooler than the B-3? Maybe, the beard does help. The lead track "Life Is A Carvinal" is the bands attack on the phony nature of show business. Helm and Danko get their only co-writing credits of the album here along side the Dixieland horn chart from Allen Toussaint. The highlight of