Music from Big Pink

The title refers to Big Pink, the house in West Saugerties, New York, shared by Danko, Manuel and Hudson. After Albert Grossman secured a deal with Capitol, the group met the producer John Simon and began recording at A&R Studios at 799 7th Avenue in early 1968. Tears of Rage, Chest Fever, We Can Talk, This Wheel's on Fire and The Weight came from two sessions there. Capitol then moved them to Los Angeles, where they cut In a Station, To Kingdom Come, Lonesome Suzie, Long Black Veil and I Shall Be Released. Robertson has told how the group insisted on removing the studio baffles so they could play face to face. Dylan wrote one song and co-wrote two, and painted the cover. Elliott Landy photographed the Danko, Manuel, Robertson and Hudson families on the Danko chicken farm near Toronto, and a photo of Helm's relatives in Arkansas was captioned Next of Kin.

The album peaked at 30 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart and at 18 in Canada. Al Kooper's Rolling Stone review helped bring it attention. Rolling Stone placed it 34th on its 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums, and the 50th anniversary edition holds a Metacritic score of 99. Pitchfork's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote in 2018 that it makes roots music sound as impressionistic and idiosyncratic as any other rock and roll, though he disliked the new Bob Clearmountain remix made for that edition. Robertson said he never finished the words to Chest Fever. A 2000 reissue added nine bonus tracks.