Editing Robbie Robertson (section)

====1969–1973: Expansion and acclaim ====
[[File:The Band (1969).png|right|thumb|The Band in 1969, Robertson is second from the right]]
In early 1969, the Band rented a home from [[Sammy Davis Jr.]] in [[Hollywood Hills]], and converted the pool house behind it into a studio to recreate the "clubhouse" atmosphere that they had previously enjoyed at Big Pink. The band began recording every day in the pool house studio, working on a tight schedule to complete the album.<ref name=band_bio />{{rp|176–178}} An additional three tracks were recorded at [[The Hit Factory]] in New York in April 1969.<ref name=hoskyns_2000_liner_notes/> Robertson did most of the audio engineering on the album.<ref name=band_box_2005/>{{rp|41}}

The Band began performing regularly in spring 1969, with their first live dates as the Band taking place at the [[Winterland Ballroom]] in San Francisco.<ref name="band_concerts">{{cite web|title=Late Dec. 2013 Updated Concert List|url=http://theband.hiof.no/concerts/LATE_DEC_2013_UPDATED_BAND_CONCERT_LIST.pdf|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=March 14, 2016|date=December 31, 2013}}</ref> Their most notable performances that year were at the 1969 [[Woodstock|Woodstock Festival]] and the UK [[Isle of Wight Festival 1969|Isle of Wight Festival]] with Bob Dylan in August.<ref name=band_bio/>{{rp|201–245}}

The Band's album ''[[The Band (album)|The Band]]'' was released in September 1969, and became a critical and commercial success. The album received almost universal critical praise, peaked at No. 9 on the U.S. pop charts, and stayed on the Top 40 for 24 weeks.<ref name="billboard_book">{{cite book|last1=Whitburn|first1=Joel|title=The Billboard Book of Top 40 Albums|url=https://archive.org/details/billboardbookoft00whit|url-access=registration|date=1995|publisher=Billboard Books (Watson-Guptill Publications)|location=New York|isbn=0823076318|edition=Third}}</ref>{{rp|25}} ''The Band'' works as a loose concept album of [[Americana (music)|Americana]] themes,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hoskyns|first1=Barney|title=Liner notes for the Band 2000 remasters. The Band: ''The Band'' (Capitol)|url=http://theband.hiof.no/articles/hoskyns_ln_remasters.html#tb|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=28 June 2016|date=October 2000}}</ref> and was instrumental in the creation of the Americana music genre.<ref name=hoskyns_2000_liner_notes/> It was included in the [[Library of Congress]]' [[National Recording Registry]] in 2009.<ref name="loc_natl_recording_registry">{{cite web|title=Complete National Recording Registry Listing|url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/complete-national-recording-registry-listing|website=Library of Congress Website|publisher=Library of Congress|access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref> The song from this album that had the strongest cultural influence was "[[The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down]]". The song explores a [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] man's life after defeat of the South following the [[American Civil War]]. It incorporates historical events to create a larger American mythos. Although the Band's original version was only released as the B side of the single "[[Up on Cripple Creek]]", a cover version by [[Joan Baez]] went to No. 3 on the charts in 1971 and helped to popularize the song.<ref name=band_bio/>{{rp|192–193}}<ref name="dixie_viney">{{cite web|last1=Viney|first1=Pete|title=The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (revisited)|url=http://theband.hiof.no/articles/dixie_viney.html|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=June 28, 2016|date=2000}}</ref>

Several other tracks from ''The Band'' received significant radio airplay, and became staples in the group's concert appearances. "[[Up on Cripple Creek]]" peaked at No. 25 in late 1969 in the United States, and was their only Top 30 hit there.<ref name="bowman_band_bio_6">{{cite web|last1=Bowman|first1=Rob|author-link1=Rob Bowman (music writer)|title=The History of The Band: The Masterpiece|url=http://theband.hiof.no/history/part_6.html|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref> "[[Rag Mama Rag]]" reached No. 16 in the UK in April 1970, the highest chart position of any single by the group in that country.<ref name=official_charts_band/> [[Whispering Pines (The Band song)|"Whispering Pines"]], co-written by Richard Manuel, was released as a single in France in 1970,<ref>{{cite web|title=Record Details: The Band "Whispering Pines" b/w "Lonesome Suzie"|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/2c00680447m|website=45cat.com|access-date=28 June 2016}}</ref> and was later the title of a 2009 book about Canadian contributions to the Americana music genre by Jason Schneider.<ref name=whispering_pines/> On November 2, 1969, the Band appeared on the ''[[Ed Sullivan Show]]'', one of only two television appearances they made.<ref name=band_box_2005/>{{rp|45}}

On January 12, 1970, the Band was featured on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine.<ref name="band_time">{{cite magazine|last=Cocks|first=Jay|date=January 12, 1970|title=Down To Old Dixie and Back|url=http://theband.hiof.no/articles/time_1970.html|magazine=Time|location=New York|publisher=Time Inc.|access-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref> This was the first time a North American rock band had been featured on the cover of the magazine.<ref name="rr_site_bio">{{cite web|title=Robbie Robertson Biography|url=http://robbie-robertson.com/biography|website=Robbie Robertson official website|access-date=March 14, 2016}}</ref> The Band rented The [[Woodstock Playhouse]] in Woodstock, New York with the intent of recording a new live album there, but the city council voted against it, so they recorded on location, but without an audience. Robertson handled most of the songwriting duties as before.<ref name=band_bio/>{{rp|235–236}} Robertson brought in [[Todd Rundgren]] to engineer the album which was recorded in two weeks' time.<ref name="bowman_band_bio_7">{{cite web|last1=Bowman|first1=Rob|author-link1=Rob Bowman (music writer)|title=The History of The Band: ''Stage Fright'' and ''Cahoots''|url=http://theband.hiof.no/history/part_7.html|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref> These sessions became their third album, ''[[Stage Fright (album)|Stage Fright]]'', which became the Band's highest-charting album, peaking at No. 5 on September 5 and staying on the Billboard Top 40 for 14 weeks.<ref name=billboard_book/>{{rp|25}}

[[File:The_Band_-_2005710007.jpg|left|thumb|Robertson performing live with the Band in 1971]]
The Band's next album, ''[[Cahoots (album)|Cahoots]]'', was recorded at Albert Grossman's newly built [[Bearsville Studios]] and was released in October 1971. The album received mixed reviews, and peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard charts,<ref name=band_box_2005/>{{rp|54–58}} only remaining on the Billboard Top 40 for five weeks.<ref name=billboard_book/>{{rp|25}} ''Cahoots'' is notable for its cover of Bob Dylan's "[[When I Paint My Masterpiece]]", as well as for featuring the concert favourite "[[Life Is a Carnival]]". The inclusion of "When I Paint My Masterpiece" came about when Dylan stopped by Robertson's home during the recording of ''Cahoots'' and Robertson asked if he might have any songs to contribute. That led to Dylan playing an unfinished version of "When I Paint My Masterpiece" for him. Dylan soon completed the song and the Band recorded it for the album. "Life Is a Carnival" features horn parts written by producer and arranger [[Allen Toussaint]]. It was the only track from ''Cahoots'' the Band kept in their set list through to ''The Last Waltz'' concert and film.<ref name=band_box_2005/>{{rp|54–55}}

The Band continued to tour throughout 1970–71.<ref name=band_concerts/> A live album recorded at a series of shows at the [[Palladium (New York City)|Academy of Music]] in New York City between December 28–31, 1971,<ref name=band_concerts/> was released in 1972 as the double album ''[[Rock of Ages (The Band album)|Rock Of Ages]]''.<ref name="bowman_band_bio_8">{{cite web|last1=Bowman|first1=Rob|author-link1=Rob Bowman (music writer)|title=The History of The Band: The "In Between" Years|url=http://theband.hiof.no/history/part_8.html|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref> ''Rock of Ages'' peaked at No. 6, and remained in the Top 40 for 14 weeks.<ref name=billboard_book/>{{rp|25}}

After the Academy of Music shows, the Band again retreated from performing live. They returned to the stage on July 28, 1973,<ref name=band_concerts/> to play the [[Summer Jam at Watkins Glen]] alongside [[the Allman Brothers Band]] and [[the Grateful Dead]]. A recording of the Band's performance was released by Capitol Records as the album ''[[Live at Watkins Glen]]'' in 1995.<ref name="watkins_glen_album">{{cite web|title=Live at Watkins Glen|url=http://theband.hiof.no/albums/live_at_watkins_glen.html|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=March 14, 2016}}</ref> With over 600,000 people in attendance,<ref name="noise_addicts_record_concerts">{{cite web|title=Concerts with Record Attendance|url=http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/08/concerts-with-record-attendance|website=Noiseaddicts.com|date=August 20, 2009 |access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref> the festival set a record for "Pop Festival Attendance" in the [[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of World Records]]. The record was first published in the 1976 edition of the book.<ref name="gbowr_1976">{{cite book|last1=McWhirther|first1=Norris|last2=McWhirther|first2=Ross|title=Guinness Book of World Records|year=1975|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company|location=New York|isbn=0806900156|page=221|edition=1976}}</ref> In October 1973, the Band released an album of [[Cover version|cover songs]] entitled ''[[Moondog Matinee]]'',<ref name=band_box_2005/>{{rp|69}}<ref name=bowman_band_bio_8/> which peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard charts.<ref name=billboard_book/>{{rp|25}} Around the time of the recording of ''Moondog Matinee'', Robertson began working on an ambitious project entitled ''Works'' that was never finished or released. One lyric from the ''Works'' project, "Lay a flower in the snow", was used in Robertson's song "[[Robbie Robertson (album)#"Fallen Angel"|Fallen Angel]]", which appeared on his 1987 [[Robbie Robertson (album)|self-titled solo album]].<ref name=bowman_band_bio_8/>