In the midst of all the psych rock/Beatles hoopla,the Band,as well as Creedence,Canned Heat,Janis and the Holding Company among others,were quite astute in laying down tunes that maybe weren't so much on the esoteric side,but were down with tremendous soul and passion.If the singer/band has the right certain level of artistic expertise,even tracks that might have been less worthwhile if recorded by others can be quite effective for the listener.It's all about soul.I mean real at least nearly gut wrenching soul that pushes the more motivated ones to new heights of individual expression.The Band certainly greatly exemplified that fancy studio wizardy and high concept themes and arrangements that were prevalent at the time were hardly necessary in the creation of a great rock record.This period also marked the birth of country rock in the form of the Byrds' "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" and "Gilded Palace" of Sin" by Byrds spinoff band Flying Burrito Brothers,featuring Byrds bassist Chris Hillman and I think one of the future Eagles,who,of course,contributed to other further developments in the country rock genre..................