On Nov 14, 8:05 am, Babs <bambiemo...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Enjoyed your review.
I have to say I found the review to be rather manufactured, for lack
of a better term. It could easily have been written by anyone familiar
with The Band's history, given the following caveat:
"Assume Levon Helm is the only pure, inspired musician of The Band,
then believe he hasn't produced anything useful since The Band's
second album, and treat his latest album (in 25 years!) as the
vindication for living the last 40 years of his life."
Sure, it's quite dramatic to lay down a dismal string of events,
placing Levon in shambles, only to be saved by this latest work. And I
know the WGA is on strike, so there's a tendency to dramatize ordinary
events...
But COME ON. There were liberties taken in that article that seem
rather trite for someone with such a history of exposure to The Band,
and only exist to further the glory of Dirt Farmer:
"...'The Weight.' The song was at once out front but also vague and
mysterious in a Dylan-esque sort of way." Poor reference, implies
Dylan was responsible for the success of that song (written by
Robertson).
"The first Levon Helm & the RCO All-Stars looked great on paper...In
concert, they appeared unrehearsed..." I thought they sound amazing,
and the recently released live album doesn't speak to the implied
sloppiness. Of course, I'm not ruling out some creative mixing.
"Insanely overweight, [Rick Danko] died in his sleep in 1999." Who are
we to say?
"For those fans of The Band, who've been waiting, perhaps since the
second Band album for a return to the feel..." That's quite a while.
In short, I've no doubt the new album is great. But I've also no doubt
that this album is a continuation, not a miraculous upwelling, of
Levon's talent.
-KingHarvest
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