Artist:   The Band
Song:   "Twilight"
Album: Northern Lights, Southern Cross
Label:   Capitol
Year:    1975

At such a late stage in The Band’s career, it was almost too much to hope for a song this good. But “Twilight” felt like it could have been on one of their early albums, those collections that not only defined what it felt like to be alive then, but also changed the course of rock & roll. Sung by Rick Danko, “Twilight” captures that moment at the end of the day—or life—when things can go either way. It is miles beyond melancholy, and Danko, while not losing his forceful pride, sounds like he knows it’s the last innings: “Don’t leave me alone in the twilight/because twilight is the loneliest time of day.” Back then, though, so much still seemed in front of everyone, coming out of the horror of the Vietnam War and the long, ugly dance of Richard Nixon’s downfall. Leave it to The Band to raise the flag of caution while everyone else was trying to break out the bells, because this is one bunch that was always wise way beyond their years, and wasn’t afraid to show it. It wasn’t long before they were taking a Last Waltz with all their friends, putting the icing on one of the greatest musical cakes ever baked. To hear it ending on “Twilight,” even if there was one more new album to come, isn’t sad as much as it is beautiful, reminding us all what we had and what we lost. Whew.