On Nov 14, 6:36 pm, KingHarvest <a.c.jo...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> I have to say I found the review to be rather manufactured, for lack
> of a better term.
>
> 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).
I agree with much of the gist of your post, KingHarvest but I think
you're a bit hard on PSB here. The song is *very* Dylanesque. Not
surprising, considering how closely Robertson had been working with
Dylan in the basement period. PSB's remark does not imply Dylan was
'responsible' for the song's success, rather that the lyrics were
heavily influenced by Dylan's approach, which seems a fair comment to
me.
>
> "Insanely overweight, [Rick Danko] died in his sleep in 1999." Who are
> we to say?
Well said. "Insanely" is a poor word choice.
> "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.
Yes indeed. I, for one, find that most of Stage Fright, much of
Northern Lights, all of Moondog Matinee, much of Last Waltz, bits of
Islands, and many parts of many Band solo projects continue the story
told by the second album.
> 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
A good corrective to an often over-simplifying review. But, that said,
the review has a clear point to make and does it mostly very well.
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