Recorded during the Band's hiatus from the road, the guys convene during early spring of 1973 and at first, decide to do their old club act from the early-mid 60's before they were synonymous with Dylan when he went electric. Instead of rehashing old setlists, they pick songs that strike their interest spanning from Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Sam Cooke, Allen Toussaint and also, the Platters. While critically panned at the time of its release, I actually enjoy the feel and flow of the record and despite the fact that its a covers album, The Band sounds great from their time away and haven't lost any of their distinctiveness or familiar ensemble dynamics. Opening with "Frogman" Henry's "Ain't Got No Home", "Moondog Matinee" gets off to a good start with Levon handling the vocals and the tempo is quick and upbeat with a warmth attached via the Band's collective sound. Throughout the duration of the record, one feels this warmth in each and every interpretative version. Richard Manuel takes the lead vocals on the next two numbers, "Holy Cow"(Allen Toussaint) and "Share Your Love with Me", rendered wonderfully by Richard, especially "Share Your Love" in its sentimental qualities. "Mystery Train" chugs along at a slinky pace textured by keyboardist Garth Hudson whom conjures up some voodoo organ and electric piano to give this number a darker feel.

 

 

"Promised Land" by Chuck Berry, like "Ain't Got No Home", boogies along at a quick, but easy pace, sung lead by Levon and comes off alright. "The Great Pretender", sung by Richard, seems like an unlikely choice, but once you hear his vulnerable tenor, an amazing cover is realized. Fats Domino's "I'm Ready" is one of the gems of the collection, in my opinion and features a great shuffle rhythm with a smooth, but husky vocal from Levon. Rick Danko sings on the closing numbers "Saved"(done by Billy Fury) and Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come"; with "Change is Gonna Come", he really emulates a bit of Richard Manuel's falsetto during the opening lines of the tune, but the overall rendition backed by a soulfully mellow ensemble, crowns the record with a special lining. The 2001 remaster offers 5 unreleased numbers which didn't make the cut, namely, "Didn't it Rain", "Crying Heart Blues", "Shakin'", "What Am I Living For" and "Going Back to Memphis". Out of the 5, "Goin Back to Memphis", "Shakin'" and "Crying Heart Blues" are the most of interest here, with a lesser nod to the Chuck Willis' cover, sung by Levon, in "What Am I Living For". Also included is an outtake of Band original, "Endless Highway" originating from the "Cahoots" album and sung by Richard Manuel briefly, until Danko's vocal as heard here, would adorn the definitive version in future concerts and would be featured in live form on the Dylan and Band collaborative live set, "Before the Flood".

 

 

All in all, "Moondog Matinee" is a must for serious fans of The Band, casual listeners may not find the merits of this release as wanting; and as I posted earlier, its pretty cool to hear the Band playing "off the cuff" covers of some buried nuggets that have gotten lost within the Great American Songbook. In this light, "Moondog Matinee" serves as an old reminder of what great musicians could do with the music they grew up with and make it their own.

 

Rating Grade- B+