Bobby Charles

Bobby Charles, released in 1972, sounds like Randy Newman fronting the Band circa '69. That's a wonderful compliment but also an insult. The Cajun was fusing southern RnB, country, and folksy sentiment long before both legends -- back in the '50s, in fact. A huge fan, the Band bassist Rick Danko and producer John Simon help give barbed social criticism like "All the Money" and "Small Town Talk" the kind of melted roots rock sound so prevalent on Music From the Big Pink. This is an American classic.