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"The Band: The Rock to Come"

Publish: February 10, 2025

Writer Profile

  • Haruyuki Ikegami

    Other : Critic

    ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ alumni

    Haruyuki Ikegami

    Other : Critic

    ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ alumni

I graduated from the Department of French Literature in the Faculty of Letters in 1984 and worked for a publishing house. While I was working as an editor, perhaps due to some psychological mechanism, I didn't feel like writing anything, but as soon as I left the editing job, I felt the urge to write "something."

However, much like Futabatei Shimei, I had nothing I "wanted to write." Having no choice, I consulted a friend, who advised me, "Why don't you write about The Band, since you like them?" and so I decided to write a treatise on The Band.

The Band was a so-called American rock band that was active from 1968 to 1978. They are generally known as Bob Dylan's backing band, and their farewell concert was made into the film "The Last Waltz" by director Martin Scorsese. I first heard The Band's album "Northern Lights ¨C Southern Cross" when I was a high school freshman, and I became obsessed with the charm of their music. For over 45 years, I have listened to The Band's music almost every day.

That said, it's not that I particularly like "rock" in general; for the past 10 years or so, the only concerts I've attended have been classical and contemporary music. I prefer the Ensemble Intercontemporain, my favorite conductor is Marek Janowski, and my favorite orchestra is the Staatskapelle Dresden.

The Band is a mysterious group that isn't very well-liked by people who enjoy typical rock music. Just recently, when I recommended my book to someone who likes the Beatles, they told me, "Sorry, but The Band just doesn't resonate with me."

However, once someone is captivated by their charm, they will undoubtedly continue to listen to The Band for the rest of their life.

The 2023 performance in Japan by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Kirill Petrenko was a wonderful performance. I was particularly moved by Berg's "Three Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6." However, when I returned home, what I listened to that day was once again The Band's "Northern Lights ¨C Southern Cross." I went to sleep reaffirming that while the Berlin Philharmonic is certainly amazing, they still can't compete with The Band.

If you want to know the reason why, please read this book.

Haruyuki Ikegami

Sayusha

280 pages, 1,980 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations and titles are those at the time of publication.

Writing Notes