AMG Review of Live at Watkins Glen

Richie Unterberger
All Music Guide

Along with the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead, the Band were a featured act at the 1973 ~Watkins Glen festival, a half-forgotten event that attracted half a million spectators. This rather brief (ten-song) excerpt from their set may be of interest to Band fans, but it's really rather unnecessary in light of a much better live album (Rock of Ages) and the fact that the performance itself wasn't anything spectacular. It does have a couple of surprising covers (Chuck Berry's "Back to Memphis" and the Four Tops' "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever"), and a couple of jams, including one of Garth Hudson's patented strange instrumental organ interludes.