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Takes one to know one

I find what one artist has to say about another fascinating. Here's what Eric Clapton has to say about one such:

"I met the genius of that outfit, who was Richard Manuel. He was as close to genius as I've ever met in a white guy---all the other geniuses I've met have been black Blues players, like B.B. and Buddy Guy. The reason I say they're geniuses is that they do what they do effortlessly with a gift that is so powerful that they don't need to engage in any kind of thinking to pursue it."

I would add Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, and even Robbie Robertson (somewhat begrudgingly ;-), the other members of The Band, to the list of geniuses. There has never been, and never again will be, a Group containing so much talent. I listen to their music every single day of my life, and have done so for years. Their debut and second album are in my Top 10 albums of all-time list. Both are available on LP and SACD from Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs. Ignore them at the cost of your own musical wealth!

128x128bdp24
wharfy's avatar
wharfy
352 posts
 
Thanks for starting this thread, bdp24!!!

My all time favorite band. I ask rhetorically how could they NOT be great? The work they did with Dylan, before they went out on their own shaped their song writing and their sound. Anyone remember they were on the cover of Time Magazine?

The first two albums are just so great. I can’t think of a debut album that surpasses Big Pink. And the Brown Album is even better than the first, IMO. Every song is a masterpiece. Garth’s synth work on songs like Whispering Pines is evocative of wind in the woods, and on King Harvest underscore the desperation in the narrators'/singers' words and voices.

And what happened to Richard and Rick Danko after 1977, due to drug abuse, is awful. Like many musicians and bands of the time, they were casualties of the era.
analogluvr
859 posts
 
@bdp24 I just read the testimony of the book about Robbie Robertson's life. It gave the impression that he was the driving creative force behind the lyric song writing of the band.   He definitely portrays that all members were equal in the creating of the actual song melodies and rhythm but often mentions that he wrote such and such song for so-and-so and so on… He mentions that he gave writing credits to others often even though they didn't actually help him write the lyrics.  I don't profess to be an expert on the band so is this not correct?Also you mentioned or someone mentioned they be grudgingly gave Robbie Robertson on the title of genius. I have ran across this before, others not liking him. Why is that?
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,319 posts
 
I’ll defer to input from bdp here. From what I’ve read, at a point in their lives when the other members were struggling financially, Robbie came around and bought their individual rights to The Band’s music "for a pittance" as the expression goes. Kind of the old Jacob stealing Esau’s birthright story in a different form. Though no one forced them to sell, Robbie is seen as taking advantage of them. At least some of the bitterness towards him stems from that. On top of this, I think Levon had his own issues with Robbie over group "ownership and leadership" conflicts.

Robbie did write a lot of The Band lyrics. Seems like he was well read (and gifted)...leastways that is my impression; consequently, lotta grist for the mill. According to Wikipedia, the lyric of Whispering Pines is a case in point. Richard wrote that beautiful music, Robbie contributed lyrics that, to my mind, are a mirror on Richard’s soul and that ain’t no simple parlor trick. There are many, many others too, like the excellent Acadian Driftwood and one of my favorites, below...

I tend to think...maybe more than working with Dylan, it was during their time with Ronnie Hawkins when they really learned their chops (not to take anything away from time with Dylan, of course).
http://theband.hiof.no/history/part_2.html

@bdp24 - Like yourself, Levon also expressed great admiration for Richard’s singing (as well as his drumming!). Anyway, this isn’t meant as "one ups manship" at all because, while I love those 2 songs by Richard, for me from a singing/performance point of view, this is the one that always knocks me out. It’s Rick from Live in Japan. Just put this on repeat. What a fantastic song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSHzODm-Ik8

If you want to turn this into some kind of "The Band for Aficionados", I’m there.

Okay...done (for) now. :-)

bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,949 posts
 

Thanks everyone for joining me in celebrating this most unusual and amazing group of writers, singers, and players. I added the joke about Robbie against my better judgment; the subject of his actions is a matter of great contention, and if it weren’t for the fact that they played a major role in the contributing to The Band’s downward spiral (both professionally and personally) I could let it go. I won’t go into it here, but one ends up taking either Levon’s side of the story, or Robbie’s.

I haven’t read Robbie’s book, but I have a copy of Levon’s, autographed by he on the day of it’s release at the book release event held at Book Soup on Sunset Blvd. Ringo was there too, and got his copy autographed as well. In response to the claims made by Levon, John Simon (producer of the first two albums, and writer of the horn arrangements for The Last Waltz), and others, Robbie made this statement: "I did what I had to do." ’Bout says it all, don’t it?

onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,256 posts
 
One of the best business decisions a band can make is to give writing credits to everyone in the band.  Check out the early Van Halen.  Do you really think David Lee Roth co-wrote "Eruption"?  The entire band credit is not a cure all, but it removes a serious money issue for bandmates.  For The Band it was a key and divisive issue.  A similar situation was The Who.  Townsend, as the songwriter, made the serious money and other members would have to beg him to tour so that they could make money too.  Pete Brown, the lyricist, made more money than Clapton or Baker did with Cream.  Think about what it must be like to have been a member of the Kinks or the Rolling Stones and not be Jagger/Richards or Ray Davies.  They have estates in France and Switzerland and drive exotic sports cars, and you got a weekly check.

When push comes to shove it's a business.  Do you really begrudge Robertson for being both talented and smart?
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