Discography / Cahoots
Cahoots
Released September 15, 1971, on Capitol Records. Self-produced, recorded and mixed at Albert Grossman's newly built Bearsville Sound Studio near Woodstock. The group's last album of original material for four years. The full story is covered in Stage Fright & Cahoots (1970–1971); this page covers the record itself.
Track listing
| Side | Track | Writer(s) | Lead vocal |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Life Is a Carnival | Helm, Danko, Robertson | Helm |
| A | When I Paint My Masterpiece | Bob Dylan | Helm |
| A | Last of the Blacksmiths | Robbie Robertson | traded |
| A | Where Do We Go from Here? | Robbie Robertson | traded |
| A | 4% Pantomime | Robertson, Van Morrison | Manuel, with Van Morrison |
| B | Shoot Out in Chinatown | Robbie Robertson | Manuel, Danko |
| B | Thinkin' Out Loud | Robbie Robertson | Manuel |
| B | Volcano | Robbie Robertson | Danko |
| B | The Moon Struck One | Robbie Robertson | traded |
| B | Smoke Signal | Robbie Robertson | Danko |
| B | The River Hymn | Robbie Robertson | Helm, Manuel |
"Life Is a Carnival" carries a horn arrangement by New Orleans producer Allen Toussaint, his first work with the group. "The River Hymn" includes uncredited backing vocals from Libby Titus, Helm's partner at the time and mother of their daughter Amy, the first time a woman appeared on a Band record.
Personnel
- Rick Danko: bass, vocals
- Levon Helm: drums, vocals
- Garth Hudson: organ, piano, saxophone
- Richard Manuel: piano, vocals
- Robbie Robertson: guitar, vocals
- Van Morrison: guest vocal, "4% Pantomime"
- Allen Toussaint: horn arrangement, "Life Is a Carnival"
Chart performance
Peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200, a step down from Stage Fright's No. 5. No singles were released to promote it.
Critical standing
Reviews were mixed at the time and have stayed divided since. Rolling Stone's Jon Landau wrote that the record felt filled with a tinge of extinction, a line that turned out to anticipate the four-year gap before the group's next album of original songs. Robert Christgau gave it a B-minus. Later reassessments have been kinder to individual tracks, especially "Life Is a Carnival" and "4% Pantomime," while mostly agreeing the record as a whole marked a real drop from the first three albums.
Packaging
Front cover painting by Gilbert Stone; back cover portrait photograph by Richard Avedon.