Northern Lights – Southern Cross

Northern Lights – Southern Cross
Northern Lights – Southern Cross
Studio album by the Band
Released	November 1975
Recorded	Spring–Summer 1975
Studio	Shangri-La Studio, Zuma Beach, California
Genre	Roots rock; folk rock; country rock; Americana;
Length	40:40
Label	Capitol
Producer	The Band
The Band chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	B+^[2]
MusicHound	^[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[4]
Uncut	8/10^[5]

Northern Lights – Southern Cross is the sixth studio album by Canadian-American rock band the Band, released in November 1975. It was the first album to be recorded at their new California studio, Shangri-La, and the first album of all new material since 1971's Cahoots. It was recorded using a 24-track tape recorder, which allowed Garth Hudson to include multiple layers of keyboards on several tracks, and it is the only Band album where all songs are credited as compositions of guitarist Robbie Robertson.

Three songs from the album – "It Makes No Difference", "Ophelia" and "Acadian Driftwood" – were performed at The Last Waltz, the group's 1976 penultimate stage performance of all five members. "It Makes No Difference" and "Ophelia" were included in the film and on the original 1978 soundtrack album, and "Acadian Driftwood" was included in the 2002 extended re-release of the soundtrack album. These songs in particular have enjoyed subsequent revivals and cover versions. "Acadian Driftwood" was featured in a 1984 CBC-TV special titled Murray McLauchlan's Floating Over Canada. The only Band member to appear in the sequence was Levon Helm. In this presentation of the song, Levon, his wife Sandy Helm, and Murray McLauchlan depict the expulsion of Acadian citizens by British forces.

The album was well-received critically: Rolling Stone declared that the Band had kicked "a field goal",^[6] and, while he was put off by the sentimentality of the lyrics, Robert Christgau wrote "the pure comeliness of every melody on this album led to an immediate infatuation."^[7] John Bauldie in Q Magazine called the album "glossy and slick" and lamented that the close-knit aspect of the group playing together had disappeared.^[8]

Track listing

All songs written by Robbie Robertson.

Side one
No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Forbidden Fruit"	Levon Helm	5:59
2.	"Hobo Jungle"	Richard Manuel	4:15
3.	"Ophelia"	Helm	3:32
4.	"Acadian Driftwood"	Manuel, Helm, Rick Danko	6:42

Side two
No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Ring Your Bell"	Danko, Manuel, Helm	3:55
2.	"It Makes No Difference"	Danko	6:34
3.	"Jupiter Hollow"	Helm, Manuel	5:20
4.	"Rags and Bones"	Manuel	4:46

Bonus tracks (2001 reissue)
No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
9.	"Twilight" (early alternate version)	Helm, Danko	3:13
10.	"Christmas Must Be Tonight" (alternate version)	Danko	3:01

Personnel

The Band ^[9]

Rick Danko – bass, guitar, violin, harmonica, vocals, mixing
Levon Helm – drums, guitar, percussion, vocals
Garth Hudson – organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophones, synthesizers, piccolo, brass, woodwind, chanter, bass, mixing
Richard Manuel – acoustic and electric piano, keyboards, organ, drums, clavinet, percussion, vocals
Robbie Robertson – guitars, piano, clavinet, melodica, percussion, mixing

Additional personnel

Byron Berline – fiddle on "Acadian Driftwood"
Nat Jeffrey – engineer, mixing
Rob Fraboni – engineer, mixing
Ed Anderson – engineer

Charts

Album - Billboard (United States)

Year	Chart	Position
1976	Billboard 200	26

Singles - Billboard (United States)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1976	"Ophelia"	Hot 100	62^[10]

External links

[1] – Peter Viney's article on "Acadian Driftwood" at theband.hiof.no
[2] – Peter Viney's article on "Jupiter Hollow" at theband.hiof.no

References

^ Northern Lights – Southern Cross at AllMusic
^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 72. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
^ Brackett, Nathan, with Hoard, Christian (eds) (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th edn). New York, NY: Fireside. p. 42. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
^ "Robbie Robertson: Buyer's Guide". Uncut. November 2023. p. 90.
^ "Northern Lights, Southern Cross". Rolling Stone. 29 January 1976.
^ "Robert Christgau: CG: The Band".
^ Bauldrie, John (5 March 1991). "Northern Lights - Southern Cross re-issue review". Q Magazine. 55: 84.
^ "Northern Lights - Southern Cross".
^ "The Band Albums (Top Albums) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 2012-03-03.

[1] Northern Lights – Southern Cross at AllMusic

[2] Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 21, 2019.

[3] Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 72. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.

[4] Brackett, Nathan, with Hoard, Christian (eds) (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th edn). New York, NY: Fireside. p. 42. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.

[5] "Robbie Robertson: Buyer's Guide". Uncut. November 2023. p. 90.

[6] "Northern Lights, Southern Cross". Rolling Stone. 29 January 1976.

[7] "Robert Christgau: CG: The Band".

[:0-8] Bauldrie, John (5 March 1991). "Northern Lights - Southern Cross re-issue review". Q Magazine. 55: 84.

[9] "Northern Lights - Southern Cross".

[10] "The Band Albums (Top Albums) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 2012-03-03.

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