"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down".

OMG, I detest Duran Duran. But I love the debut album by ABC (The Lexicon Of Love), who plowed basically the same field as DD.

I find it kind of amusing how Robert Plant is now involved in music somewhat related to The Band’s kind of music. Why amusing? Because during the time Led Zeppelin were taking over the world of Rock ’n’ Roll, The Band were viewed as an antidote to Led Zeppelin and their ilk.

I can’t speak for any of LZ’s other members, but Plant has long been a fan of Rockabilly, Jump Blues, and other strains of Roots Rock music. He and Dave Edmunds are close friends, and Plant personally signed Edmunds to his Swan Song Records contract. If you haven’t heard Dave’s 1970’s-80’s Swan Song albums, you are in for a treat when you do. Start with Get It, his debut on the label (he has two precious albums on other labels, also fantastic).

@bdp24 

We agree on Dave Edmunds. I think he's great.

Just heard yesterday on Sirius / XM a liver version of “ Don’t Do It”  -outstanding!

The re -mastered  2nd “brown album” on Qobuz is also excellent!  It’s a simple & very good recording with the real tone & power of Levon Helm’s drum kit shining through & really nice layered background vocals especially on “ Up on Cripple Creek ”. 

I don’t think to really appreciate the Band, you need a system that has a full bottom end & can play pretty loud. As with many bands, the bass guitar & drums drive the music & this is especially true w/ Rick Danko & Levon.  What a uniquely talented group of artists! 

@jonwolfpell: Yeah, that live recording of "Don’t Do It"---which is the opening track on The Band’s double live album Rock Of Ages---is killer. There’s a studio recording of the song, but it appeared only as the B-side of the "Rag Mama Rag" 45 RPM single.

The song was written by the famous Motown team of Holland/Dozier/Holland, and originally recorded by Marvin Gaye. Prior to hooking up with Dylan, The Hawks were more of an R & B bar band than anything else. It was only during their year (all of 1967, except for Levon, who had quit the Dylan World Tour in late-’65. He went to the Gulf and worked on an oil rig!) in the basement of Big Pink---being tutored by Dylan in all American musical styles---that The Hawks evolved into The Band.

Pianist Richard Manuel did most of the drumming heard on the Basement Tapes recordings, and on about half the songs on the s/t brown album. His drumming style is very hip, and full of intentional, sly humour. Levon was enticed back when bassist Rick Danko called him and said Capitol Records had offered them a million bucks to make an album. By then Levon was in Los Angeles, hanging with Leon Russell, Jesse Ed Davis, and the rest of the Tulsa crowd. Levon was giving drum lessons to the guy who ended up drumming in Linda Ronstadt’s original band.

"Lexicon Of Love" is one of the all-time great pop recordings!  I lump Duran Duran with INXS.  Both had their own sound and wrote catchy tunes, well performed.  Neither were great, but they could be quite enjoyable.