Northern Lights – Southern Cross

Northern Lights – Southern Cross is the sixth studio album by Canadian-American rock band the Band, released in November 1975. It was the first album to be recorded at their new California studio, Shangri-La, and the first album of all new material since 1971's Cahoots. It was recorded using a 24-track tape recorder, which allowed Garth Hudson to include multiple layers of keyboards on several tracks, and it is the only Band album where all songs are credited as compositions of guitarist Robbie Robertson.

Three songs from the album – "It Makes No Difference", "Ophelia" and "Acadian Driftwood" – were performed at The Last Waltz, the group's 1976 penultimate stage performance of all five members. "It Makes No Difference" and "Ophelia" were included in the film and on the original 1978 soundtrack album, and "Acadian Driftwood" was included in the 2002 extended re-release of the soundtrack album. These songs in particular have enjoyed subsequent revivals and cover versions. "Acadian Driftwood" was featured in a 1984 CBC-TV special titled Murray McLauchlan's Floating Over Canada. The only Band member to appear in the sequence was Levon Helm. In this presentation of the song, Levon, his wife Sandy Helm, and Murray McLauchlan depict the expulsion of Acadian citizens by British forces.

The album was well-received critically: Rolling Stone declared that the Band had kicked "a field goal", and, while he was put off by the sentimentality of the lyrics, Robert Christgau wrote "the pure comeliness of every melody on this album led to an immediate infatuation." John Bauldie in Q Magazine called the album "glossy and slick" and lamented that the close-knit aspect of the group playing together had disappeared.

Track listing

All songs written by Robbie Robertson.

Side one

Side two

Bonus track listing from 2001 re-release

Personnel

The Band

Rick Danko – bass, guitar, violin, harmonica, vocals, mixing
Levon Helm – drums, guitar, percussion, vocals
Garth Hudson – organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophones, synthesizers, piccolo, brass, woodwind, chanter, bass, mixing
Richard Manuel – acoustic and electric piano, keyboards, organ, drums, clavinet, percussion, vocals
Robbie Robertson – guitars, piano, clavinet, melodica, percussion, mixing