Weighting

by Greg Prato

There was a two-year period between the Rollins Band's most renowned albums -- 1992's The End of Silence and 1994's Weight -- but that's not to say the bandmembers just sat on their bums and did nothing. Of course, there was the mammoth tour in support of Silence, which saw the group share the stage with the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beastie Boys, but the Rollins Band also had to regroup after the exit of bassist Andrew Weiss and work in new member Melvin Gibbs. The group wound up penning a healthy amount of material for Weight, resulting in several tracks that fell through the cracks -- either appearing as B-sides, on movie soundtracks, or shelved entirely. But come 2004, a comp of these rarely heard tracks was issued as Weighting, which includes such outtakes as "Fall Guy," "I See Through," and "Right Here Too Much," as well as bonus live cuts -- "Liar," "Volume 4," etc. However, several tracks featuring respected free jazz saxophonist Charles Gayle are the real attractions of this set. The Rollins Band always had roots deep in jazz, but this is where they finally "went for it," as evidenced by such standouts as "Miles Jam #2." While certainly not a substitute for Weight, Weighting is a worthy companion piece that hardcore fans will want to investigate.