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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
schubert
7,386 posts
 
It's not written in stone but I've noticed the better educated you are the better the music you favor is .

I' don't mean formal education , the most educated person I know went to
8th grade , but has over 10,000 punches on her library card.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Oh, in that case I’m a big classical music fan. Especially Schubert. 🤡
bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,966 posts
 

Good points, one and all. onhwy61, all The Band albums are quality, but the first two get all the attention because they were so revolutionary and ground-breaking. Plus, they had no filler songs---it was all Grade A material. The last album had only eight songs, four per LP side---not a good sign from a band known, in the age of overly-long jam songs, for short, concise songs. There were some great songs on it, but some not-so-great. Some of them just meandered on, filling space.

They did a fun album of the material they had played in their Bar Band days---Moondog Matinee, all 1950’s-type songs. And a great live album, plus one when they accompanied Dylan on the road in ’74. The 3rd and 4th have some fantastic songs---Richard’s duet with Van Morrison on "4% Pantomime" kills.

But Richard was developing a drinking problem, and was finding himself unable to write anymore. Levon was harboring a lot of resentment towards Robbie, which affected band morale. Robbie’s lyrics were becoming self-conscious and calculated, and, just like The Beatles, it felt like they went on past their "sell by" date; it felt like the wind was no longer in their sails, they were just going through the motions. They sounded tired, which they may have been---Garth was over 40 years old, the others not much younger. Rock ’n’ Roll is a young man’s game. I’m just thankful they’re not up there making fools of themselves as are Mick and Keith ;-).

They sure left a legacy, didn’t they? All the people in the Americana movement and scene acknowledge The Band as their model for how to make music. All my favorite writers, singers, and musicians work in The Band’s shadow, benefitting from their excellence. Nick Lowe said his band Brinsley Schwartz was an attempt---a poor one, in his opinion---to be England’s The Band. Neil Young’s Harvest album was an obvious attempt to make an album like The Band’s 2nd/Brown album. You also hear The Band in Workingman’s Dead; problem was, nobody in The Dead could sing!

tostadosunidos's avatar
tostadosunidos
1,197 posts
 
The first two albums are fantastic as are select songs from the later releases. Great art transports you to places you could not otherwise go to and that’s what so many of their songs do. MFBP and "the Band" LP’s are high on my list of all-time greatest releases.

Squabbles about band members not getting paid for their contributions are common. Think about how much of the "Kind of Blue" album has nothing to do with Miles’ original tunes--but that’s the way it is and always has been. Legally the music is the melody and lyric, when there is one. Not the arrangement. I had heard some in the Band were unhappy that Robbie would listen to Levon’s dad’s stories and weave them into songs. Well, that’s what writers do. Robbie sat down and did the work, not the other guys. How much they contributed beyond their parts I do not know. I know that people in the studio sometimes contributed a line or two, uncredited to Beatles tunes. Mal Evans co-wrote some of the McCartney tunes on Sgt. Pepper’s and never received credit or royalties. Anyway, the guy who actually writes the melody and lyric gets the bread. Period.

I wish the Band could have maintained the magic of the first two albums but it was not to be. I was fortunate enough to meet Richard once and Rick twice in later years and even got to play a couple of tunes behind Rick in a club (he sat in with our band). It’s a shame they left us too soon. I did see/hear Levon on his last tour and marveled at how strong a drummer he still was (in his 70’s). What a great voice and spirit he had. Collectively they gave us a lot of great music that still holds up. IMO it doesn’t get any better .
bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,966 posts
 

Great post, @tostadosunidos. I met Levon only once, at his book signing. He was the last man on Earth who would have "gotten above his raisin'". I saw him with his own band at The House Of Blues after his throat surgery (for the cancer---he was a heavy smoker---which eventually killed him), unable to sing. He had his daughter on stage with him, and she's a fine singer herself.

You got to play with Rick Danko! I'm green with envy. There is a girl doing a "Friends Of Rick Danko" Facebook page, and a guy doing one for Richard. They both are posting all kinds of pictures and videos, really cool stuff.

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