# Music by Genre > Rock, Folk Rock, Roots Rock, Rockabilly >  Levon Helm's new one

## David

For Levon fans out there, he just dropped a new release, "Electric Dirt," to follow up the fantastic "Dirt Farmer" from a couple years ago.  The disc features lots of Levon's nice mandolin backup and bluesy picking among the rock, dixieland, gospel, and country numbers.  His version of the Grateful Dead's "Tennessee Jed" alone is worth the price of admission.  

The making of Electric Dirt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZDCGCtloQ4

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## journeybear

Rolling Stone says the same about "Tennessee Jed" in the current issue's Hot List, calling it "achingly perfect." You can hear the song at that link, and the review is here.

Levon will be on Letterman next Thusday, 7/9.

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## mandopops

How much Mandolin content on Levon's 2 "Dirt" CD's?

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## Spruce

> How much Mandolin content on Levon's 2 "Dirt" CD's?



The first one had some nice rhythm playing by Levon, and I think some by Larry Campbell as well...
No hot leads or anything...
Haven't heard the new one...

Anyone who is interested in studying how recordings are made should grab "Dirt Farmer", though.  

It's an engineering touchstone for anyone wanting to incorporate drums into an entirely acoustic mix--a very difficult thing to do...
And the way the instruments lay in the mix is pure genious, IMHO...

I think that recording will highly regarded 50 years from now...

Sorry to see Levon still smoking in that YouTube clip.  
You'd think throat cancer would change your ways...   :Frown:

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## woodwizard

I know people that have had multiple heart surgery's and still smoke. Go figure. 

Levon Helm is a really cool Arkansas boy.

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## onassis

"Dirt Farmer" has to be one of my favorite releases of the last five years. And you nailed it, Spruce. The blend of acoustic instrumentation with a drumkit is the best I've ever heard. I've recently come to the conclusion that Levon was by far the brightest star in The Band. Without him, nobody would know who Robbie Robertson and the rest of those guys were.

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## Spruce

> The blend of acoustic instrumentation with a drumkit is the best I've ever heard.


Yep...




> I've recently come to the conclusion that Levon was by far the brightest star in The Band. Without him, nobody would know who Robbie Robertson and the rest of those guys were.


I dunno...
They were one of the best ensembles that ever existed, really, in _any_ genre.

Watch (In my case 20-30 times) this amazing clip of the Band playing "King Harvest".

The interplay, the fills, the tradeoffs on the vocals, the understated guitar solo, hell, _everything_ is just _perfect_...

Can you tell I love this clip?    :Wink:

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## journeybear

> How much Mandolin content on Levon's 2 "Dirt" CD's?


Dunno, but there's a lot in the "Making of Electric Dirt" video, including his daughter Amy on mandolin ...  :Mandosmiley:

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## Fretbear

Check out his cameo role as a Tennessee gunsmith in "Shooter" with Mark Wahlberg. He's a good actor. He was the only non-Canadian member of The Band. The rest were all from Ontario.

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## hank

Thanks for the heads up David & Journeybear.  I can't agree more Spruce no one else even comes close.  There sound really anchors down a point in time for me, a very pleasant one that is often revisited.

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## journeybear

> The interplay, the fills, the tradeoffs on the vocals, the understated guitar solo, hell, _everything_ is just _perfect_...
> 
> Can you tell I love this clip?


Kinda got that impression, yep!  :Laughing: 

That's from Festival Express? I _have_ that DVD - gotta dig it out and give it another run-through. Great solo by Robbie. How he squeezes all that out of his guitar so effortlessly is beyond me. Shows how well he has learned his instrument, his level of craftsmanship. And Richard Manuel - what a singer, what a tragic loss. His suicide really shook me up, the first death of someone in rock to affect me so since that bad run in 1970-71.

Back in the 60s, for a while my top three was The Band, Jethro Tull, and Traffic. This list changed over the years, but I always remember that lineup for some reason. Out of that list, I'll still take The Band. Learning their songs' chord progressions taught me more about songwriting than anyone else's repertoire, maybe even The Beatles. Big thrill for me, opening for them in the 90s - the reunited version - and also for Rick Danko, who was using an amp stencilled "Paul Butterfield Band." Easy to talk with, no airs or ego. Hard to grasp, sometimes, that they're really just people ...

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## Spruce

> Kinda got that impression, yep! 
> 
> That's from Festival Express?


No.
I'm not sure _where_ it's from.

There's an incomplete version of "Cripple Creek" from the same session that appeared on one of the documentaries on the Band, and that's about it.

I have no idea where the source of that film footage originates, and I've tried pretty hard to track it down....

The beauty of YouTube...  
There's some really rare gems on there....

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## journeybear

> ... The beauty of YouTube...  
> There's some really rare gems on there....


Yeah, I see now I read that wrong - the guy who put it up on youtube said "great video of the band playing king harvest has surely come in woodstock studio in 1970 and Long Black Veil from Festival Express."

That's the _danger_ of youtube - gotta read carefully and judge accordingly.  :Wink:  There wouldn't be much reason to include that footage in a movie about a series of concerts in Canada.

Perhaps it's possible to contact him through his youtube channel's user page?

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## MikeEdgerton

> ...They were one of the best ensembles that ever existed, really, in _any_ genre...


Agreed, and the entire group seemed to have their part in every recording. If you read about how and why each member was brought in you kind of see the pieces that created the magic that was The Band. Not to take anything away from Levon, I love the guy, but without all the players the music wouldn't have been the same.

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## mandopete

Ironically I watched "The Last Waltz" a couple of nights ago and was impressed by how great a backup band these guys were.  As all of the rock luminaries such as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Van Morrison came on, The Band changed their sound to back up the performer.

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## onassis

Upon further reflection, I might have been a little hard on the rest of the Band. Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel are both pretty amazing, and the depth and complexity they bring to the sound is absolutely remarkable. The kinetic energy and enthusiasm of Rick Danko was also a big part of the mix. I guess I just really don't get into Robbie Robertson, though. Hard to say why. He just doesn't do it for me.

But, honestly, for me the quintessential thing that IS the Band for me is the voice of Levon. All the songs that relly speak to me, they're sung in that voice. And since that time, none of the other guys has done anything that has resonated with me like the work that Levon has done. I guess that's why, for me, Band-wise, Levon is the man!

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## MikeEdgerton

I think one of the things that made The Band's sound was the fact that they switched voices all over the place and nobody noticed.

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## Spruce

> I think one of the things that made The Band's sound was the fact that they switched voices all over the place and nobody noticed.


Man, I sure did...    :Wink: 

I remember listening to Big Pink about 20 times in a row trying to figure out how they were laying out their vocals...

Back then we didn't know who-was-who in The Band anyway, so trying to figure out who-was-singing-what was damn near impossible...
They stacked their vocals kinda like a good-singing bluegrass band (on acid), and--as haphazzard as those vocals sound--they were _very_ worked out.

I remember seeing them for the first time in '69 at Winterland, and things became clearer as to who-was-singing-what...

Those early days were _really_ cool because you didn't know who was playing what instrument, either.
Richard played drums _a lot_, Levon would move over to mandolin, Rick would be on fiddle, etc.

For you fans, there's a _killer_ recording of the Band (AKA The Hawks) from the Onyx Club in OK City, OK, from early '66 that just _kills_.
The ultimate bar band, with Richard as their main singer.

Garth going off on "A Theme From A Summer Place" is memorable...   :Wink:

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## journeybear

> I think one of the things that made The Band's sound was the fact that they switched voices all over the place and nobody noticed.


Huh?  :Disbelief:  Their voices are pretty distinct - maybe not quite as distinct as John, Paul, and George's, but still ... once you matched up the voices with the names, it was pretty easy to tell who was who. You're right that they switched off the lead singing duties a lot, so there wasn't one clear lead singer (though Richard was arguably the best), and a lot of the time one person wouldn't be the lead singer for a whole song. For instance, in that video of "King Harvest," you see that Levon sings the refrains, but Richard sings the verses. But they had unique vocal characteristics, and though I don't know how they figured out who would sing what, they were very good at pairing singers to material. Listen how suited Levon was to "Rag Mama Rag," Richard to "Whispering Pines," Rick to "Stage Fright."




> Upon further reflection, I might have been a little hard on the rest of the Band. Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel are both pretty amazing, and the depth and complexity they bring to the sound is absolutely remarkable. The kinetic energy and enthusiasm of Rick Danko was also a big part of the mix. I guess I just really don't get into Robbie Robertson, though. Hard to say why. He just doesn't do it for me.


One thing about The Band that gets overlooked by the guitar-lovin' world i that they had _two_ keyboard players, with very different styles, and though they were sometimes down in the mix a little, they were a key component in their sound. Turning again to that "King Harvest" video (loveit, too), see how Garth hardly ever plays a chord? He's free to do that because Richar is holding it together, so Garth can throw in arpeggios and fills and all that good stuff. It's the equivalent of having rhythm and lead _keyboard_  players. I don't think there were many other bands with two keyboard players till New Wave came along.

As to Robbie ... I think he's one of the all-time great ensemble lead guitarists, in that he didn't dominate, but when it was his time to shine, he'd get it all done in his allotted time, then step back for the next guy's turn. Back then, I was into the flashier guitar gods - Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Jerry, Jorma, Alvin Lee, Jeff Beck, and the like - but as I matured, I gravitated toward team players. It was really Mike Campbell of The Heartbreakers who showed me this, and since then I've noticed how well this approach works, even with Elton John's guitarist Davey Johnstone, who really surprised me with how well he'd hit his eight or sixteen bars, when I finally saw EJ in the late 90s. That said, I found Robbie really annoying in "The Last Waltz." He seemed to be hogging the spotlight, commanding the interview segments, just generally being kind of egotistical. What was the deal with that scarf, anyway?  :Confused:  I found out later that he and Martin Scorsese were roommates, so I suppose that may explain this somewhat, and this impression may not even have been gotten through his doing, but the director's.

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## KanMando

Speaking of Robbie Robertson and "The Last Waltz" - how about that Gibson semi-hollow body guitar/mandolin double neck he's playing on "The Weight"?  The guitar even has a Bigsby.  Incredible.  Has anyone ever seen another like it?

Bob

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## journeybear

This has come up before. Is this it?  

According to this blogger:

Gibson EMS 1235 Double Mandolin ( 1958 - 1968 )

The Gibson Double Mandolin, despite its name, is not a mandolin at all. it was a double cutaway and it had a shortscale guitar neck (see pic to the right ) tuned one octave higher than standard pitch, it had one-piece mahogany necks with adjustable truss rods and rosewood fingerboards, both necks were 6 strings.

The Gibson EMS 1235 double mandolins were also introduced in 1958 and were thinline hollow bodies until 61, in 1962 till 1968 they made them in sg style solidbodies.

Later on in 1962 gibson introduced another double cut sg type solid body with a bass neck and guitar neck and called it the gibson ebs-1250.

Vintage Prices For 2008 :
1958 - 1961 > $17 000 to $20 000 ( Hollow Body)
1962 - 1964 > $12 500 to $16 000 ( sg body )
1965 - 1968 > $8 000 to $12 000


I beg to disagree, and whoever posted that and pointed to the picture, must not have looked at the picture, as that is an eight-string mandolin neck. The instrument he's talking about is on the right.

I haven't seen "The Last Waltz" in years, but I believe this is what he was playing on "The Weight." I remember being struck by two things: how cool that instrument was, and how odd it was that he didn't use the mandolin neck on the one song in the movie that featured this instrument!  :Disbelief: 

That reminds me - months ago on another thread I was sure I'd seen this occur in the Led Zep movie. I was mistaken; this is what I meant. Sorry for any confusion, if anyone noticed, or cared.  :Redface:  I haven't seen either movie in a long time, and my memory is not a completely reliable source.  :Whistling:

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## MikeEdgerton

> Huh?  Their voices are pretty distinct -....


I'm sorry to have put you in a state of disbelief. It's not real pretty to get old and sometimes I feel pretty stupid about all this but having followed these guys since Big Pink came out before anybody really knew who they were (I was a Dylan fan and saw them early and still have the well worn vinyl copy), and having performed these songs for about 40 years (still have the recordings), I pretty much feel that I can make the observation that they switched voices and that most casual listeners didn't realize there was a switch going on because they did it so well, and yes, they have very distinct voices. There are times when we must realize that others might know as much as we do on these things and just nod our heads.

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## James P

My respect for Larry Campbell as a musician/producer has just gone thru the roof w/ these two records.

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## journeybear

> ... I can make the observation that they switched voices and that most casual listeners didn't realize there was a switch going on because they did it so well ...


OK, I see what you mean, or meant to mean. :Wink:  And it is true - most people think of bands as having one lead singer (Stones) or maybe two (Beatles), but the thought of there being _three_, or that the lead singing might be done by more than one singer in a song, is pretty foreign to most. Even with bands having two, like The Beatles, one person would usually sing lead for an entire song. Before George fans get all wound up, in the context of this discussion, bands with occasionally featured singers, or mostly harmony singing approaches, are other subjects.  :Smile:

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## Larry S Sherman

> My respect for Larry Campbell as a musician/producer has just gone thru the roof w/ these two records.


He's awesome. Amazing work playing with Bob Dylan too.



Larry

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## mandopete

> Speaking of Robbie Robertson and "The Last Waltz" - how about that Gibson semi-hollow body guitar/mandolin double neck he's playing on "The Weight"?  The guitar even has a Bigsby.  Incredible.  Has anyone ever seen another like it?


I saw something like it many years ago at Guitar Center in San Francisco.  It was a mandolin / 12-string guitar version made by Gibson.  I think that combination would make great sense for a electric guitar when you wanted to have a higher pitched sound.

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## Dan Hoover

well,i just dig "The Band"...to me,they could do it all,a group of guy's who blended together in every way,playing,singing..one very tight unit..each one a major talent on their chosen instrument...real music...that's something most bands can't get..today or yesterday...it's pretty obvious from almost any video of them....i know there's a lot of really great band's that can do it,but i have to think pretty hard to come up with one to match these guy's...man,they were good...thanks for the heads up on letterman,i'll be tuning in...

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## journeybear

Also, most of them were multi-instrumentalists, and accomplished on everything they played. I'm not sure if that's the result of being born with a gift, spending so much time backing up Ronnie Hawkins and then Dylan, or being stuck in a big pink house in upstate New York with not much else to do and plenty of time to do it, or all of the above and more  :Wink:  but the rest of us can look at and listen to the results.

I am no longer sure whether it was The Band's "Rag Mama Rag" from their second album or Ry Cooder's "Going To Brownsville" from his first album that first turned me on to mandolin, but I don't remember hearing mandolin before. "The Band" came out first, and "Rag Mama Rag" wigged me out for sure, but that stunning mandolin work by Ry - wow! But that could be another thread entirely ...  :Mandosmiley: 

Looking through billboard.com, I found this really nice review of their first album, much of which echoes a lot of what has been said here:

None of the Band's previous work gave much of a clue about how they would sound when they released their first album in July 1968. As it was, Music from Big Pink came as a surprise. At first blush, the group seemed to affect the sound of a loose jam session, alternating emphasis on different instruments, while the lead and harmony vocals passed back and forth as if the singers were making up their blend on the spot. In retrospect, especially as the lyrics sank in, the arrangements seemed far more considered and crafted to support a group of songs that took family, faith, and rural life as their subjects and proceeded to imbue their values with uncertainty. Some songs took on the theme of declining institutions less clearly than others, but the points were made musically as much as lyrically. Tenor Richard Manuel's haunting, lonely voice gave the album much of its frightening aspect, while Rick Danko's and Levon Helm's rough-hewn styles reinforced the songs' rustic fervor. The dominant instrument was Garth Hudson's often icy and majestic organ, while Robbie Robertson's unusual guitar work further destabilized the sound. The result was an album that reflected the turmoil of the late '60s in a way that emphasized the tragedy inherent in the conflicts. Music from Big Pink came off as a shockingly divergent musical statement only a year after the ornate productions of Sgt. Pepper, and initially attracted attention because of the three songs Bob Dylan had either written or co-written. However, as soon as "The Weight" became a minor singles chart entry, the album and the group made their own impact, influencing a movement toward roots styles and country elements in rock. Over time, Music from Big Pink came to be regarded as a watershed work in the history of rock, one that introduced new tones and approaches to the constantly evolving genre. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

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## Mike Bromley

> I am no longer sure whether it was The Band's "Rag Mama Rag" from their second album or Ry Cooder's "Going To Brownsville" from his first album that first turned me on to mandolin, but I don't remember hearing mandolin before. "The Band" came out first, and "Rag Mama Rag" wigged me out for sure, but that stunning mandolin work by Ry - wow! But that could be another thread entirely ...


"Rag Mama Rag" was a hit, for sure.  Featuring Levon on his F4, and Rick Danko sawing on a low-tuned fiddle (FCGD) to get that famously scratchy droning F.

I'm going to have to get a video of one of my (infamous) performances of "Ophelia" on mandolin....one of my fave Band songs for its over the top Levon vocal timing "Please darken my DOOR"....

As for Big Pink, it even influenced the Beatles....Sir Paul and George were big fans.

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## journeybear

> ... I'm going to have to get a video of one of my (infamous) performances of "Ophelia" on mandolin....one of my fave Band songs for its over the top Levon vocal timing "Please darken my DOOR"....


Funny you should mention that ... "Ophelia" came up in practice today. Never played it before, but I knew it right away. Very cool progression. Those guys ...  :Mandosmiley: 

I am really scratching my head trying to think of an earlier time for me hearing a mandolin on record. Growing up in New England I heard little country and no bluegrass till later. Since I got my first mandolin in May 1968 I wouldn't have noticed mandolin music before then. "Music From Big Pink" was released 7/1/68, "The Band" 9/22/69, and I don't think there was any mandolin on "Big Pink," so ...

The clip they ran promoting The Late Show and Levon's appearance showed him playing an A model. I thought they taped the show in the afternoon of the same day they broadcast, so I don't know what if anything that means. But I'm hoping ...  :Mandosmiley:

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## Alex Orr

> I'm going to have to get a video of one of my (infamous) performances of "Ophelia" on mandolin....one of my fave Band songs for its over the top Levon vocal timing "Please darken my DOOR".....


I think it's the Gibson Brothers who do a fantastic bluegrass version of that song.

Oh yeah, just to add to the praise, I heard _Electric Dirt_ yesterday and loved it.  The thing sounds so close to what a full-blown Band album would sound like circa 2009 that it's a bit spooky at times.  This will easily be in my top 10 albums of the year.

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## AlanN

Yep, the Gibson boys with Marc McGlashan playing that mando solo.

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## SternART

Anyone else read "This Wheels on Fire" published in '93.......Levon's book on the story of The Band. This book took some of the shine off for me.......as great as the music was.....and it "was" great, they took success hard & eventually it became a dysfunctional family, with serious hard drug problems, leading to infighting, even suicide. I saw all the Bay Area shows, from the early Fillmore/Winterland days, to tours backing Dylan, co-bills playing outside in Palo Alto with the Dead, The Last Waltz, even the Paramount Oakland show, the first post Robbie Robertson tour.  I was a big fan.......still am.......what a truly great ensemble of musicians!  Levon's book is a good read if you want to know the real story of The Band.

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## Paul Merlo

The book "This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band" is a must read for any Levon Helm fan.  It is basically Levon's musical autobiography and really gave me great appreciation for him.  Without this book, he would probably still be "just another drummer" to me in rock and roll history, however it opened me up to so much more of his work and Lord knows how great I think "Dirt Farmer" is.

Check out http://www.npr.org/ and search Levon Helm, you can find and listen to lots of cool interviews in the archives with him talking about Dirt Farmer and much more.

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## blacksmith

Levon Helm scheduled to be on Letterman tonight.

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## MikeEdgerton

> Anyone else read "This Wheels on Fire" published in '93.......


Yup.

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## Alex Orr

> they took success hard & eventually it became a dysfunctional family, with serious hard drug problems, leading to infighting, even suicide.


I think the Drive-By Truckers are one of the best rock bands out there...heck, one of the best ever.  On their album _The Dirty South_, former Trucker Jason Isbell has a fantastic song called "Danko/Manuel" that ponders their legacy.  Basically it's a rumination on whether it was worth it for those guys - the Band, the influence, the fame and success, all the great music - if in the end it led to overdoses and suicide once they no longer were The Band.  

I vaguely recall an interview where he talked about a scene in _The Last Waltz_ where Scorcese asked Danko and Robertson what they would be doing once it was all over, considering that they had been together, mostly on the road, for almost half their lives.  Isbell pointed out that after the question was asked they didn't answer very quickly and there was a look on their faces that was something like total emptiness and confusion, as if it was not just a matter of what to do with the time ahead but how they would even be able to define themselves outside of the context in which they had lived for so long.  The end of The Band was a complete existential crisis for those guys and they ended up filling it with drugs and booze, and it did two of them in fairly quickly.

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## Mike Scott

> Check out his cameo role as a Tennessee gunsmith in "Shooter" with Mark Wahlberg. He's a good actor. He was the only non-Canadian member of The Band. The rest were all from Ontario.


Amazing now that you bring that up.  I didn't even realize that was him until I read your post   :Disbelief: . You're right though-he is a good actor.  That was a great part to the movie.

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## Jim Ferguson

Being Canadian....:-)........I have to throw in a little love for the Band as all of them, except for Levon Helms, were from Canada.  It is interesting to note (at least from my experience) that when I hear many of my fellow Canadians talking about the best group/band/musicians to come out of Canada years back, these guys are seldom mentioned.  When people ask me......they are among the FIRST I mention.  As one earlier poster noted.....they were amazing and versatile musicians.  I love the Band's music.  So raw and rich and gritty.  I have seen the Last Waltz so many times and never grow tired of watching that concert.....one of many highlights being Levon singing the Night they drove old Dixie Down........wow!!!!!!!!

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## journeybear

You know, as broadcast time approached, it occurred to me that they would be doing "Tennessee Jed," so Levon would be playing drums, not mandolin. Sho nuff. Still, it was a good version, and there was indeed someone named Helm playing mandolin - his daughter Amy.  :Mandosmiley:  Of course, it couldn't be heard, suffering the same fate that acoustic instruments usually receive on TV, along with the rhythm guitar and standup bass. But Larry Campbell did a fine job on slide, so there was that.  :Wink:

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## David M.

It was good on Letterman last night, but you're right about the mix not there.  I could hear the horns pretty well, though.  Levon looked and seemed good.  Larry played well as usual.

BY the way, he was a good "preacherman" in Segal's "Fire Down Below" movie filmed in Central Kentucky a while back.

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## Alex Orr

He was also excellent in _The Three Burials of Melqiuades Estrada_ , which is an overlooked masterpiece of a movie.

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## journeybear

> ... Larry played well as usual.
> 
> By the way, he was a good "preacherman" in Segal's "Fire Down Below" movie filmed in Central Kentucky a while back.


Funny you should mention that - I accidentally happened to see part of that movie a couple of days ago. Accidentally because I didn't know I had the movie, nor what it was. What does that mean?  :Confused:  Well, I'll tell you.

A few months ago I picked up some used VHS tapes at our library's monthly book sale - yes, I still have a VCR, and you can have it when you pry the remote from my cold, dead fingers  :Mad:  - figuring I would just tape over whatever was on there. The other night I taped something for later viewing, and when watching, after my show was over, I noticed Marty Stuart playing guitar. I said, "What?"   :Disbelief:  Turns out it was this movie, and also Randy Travis and Travis Tritt and Jerry Douglas and maybe Randy Scruggs are in it. I'm not saying this is any kind of cinematic triumph, and I must say I was a bit perturbed seeing Seagal playing and singing and his name in the music credits,  :Disbelief:  and I may very well not watch it before taping over the rest of it, even if Marg Helgenberger is in it ... but there it is. And I was thinking of mentioning this movie's existence to Café denizens, but I knew that would have meant that first I'd have to watch it. And I haven't worked up the interest to do that yet!  :Laughing:

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## David M.

> Funny you should mention that - I accidentally happened to see part of that movie a couple of days ago. Accidentally because I didn't know I had the movie, nor what it was. What does that mean?  Well, I'll tell you.
> 
> A few months ago I picked up some used VHS tapes at our library's monthly book sale - yes, I still have a VCR, and you can have it when you pry the remote from my cold, dead fingers  - figuring I would just tape over whatever was on there. The other night I taped something for later viewing, and when watching, after my show was over, I noticed Marty Stuart playing guitar. I said, "What?"   Turns out it was this movie, and also Randy Travis and Travis Tritt and Jerry Douglas and maybe Randy Scruggs are in it. I'm not saying this is any kind of cinematic triumph, and I must say I was a bit perturbed seeing Seagal playing and singing and his name in the music credits,  and I may very well not watch it before taping over the rest of it, even if Marg Helgenberger is in it ... but there it is. And I was thinking of mentioning this movie's existence to Café denizens, but I knew that would have meant that first I'd have to watch it. And I haven't worked up the interest to do that yet!


We watched it because we were living in Danville, KY at the time and it was filmed about 10 miles away up in Jessamine County.  One of my wife's co-workers QUIT her job to become an extra in the movie, hoping for greatness.  Wonder if she met Levon?

*QUESTION*:  What type of mando was Amy Helm playing last night?  F-style, but I couldn't make the headstock.

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## journeybear

> We watched it because we were living in Danville, KY at the time and it was filmed about 10 miles away up in Jessamine County.  One of my wife's co-workers QUIT her job to become an extra in the movie, hoping for greatness.  Wonder if she met Levon?
> 
> ... What type of mando was Amy Helm playing last night?  F-style, but I couldn't make the headstock.


I couldn't tell either - they never gave her a closeup. Maybe you can see in the "Making Of ..." video?

Hope your wife's friend's career change works out. Talk about a long shot ... Whew!

I always get a kick out of seeing places I recognize in a movie. The college scenes in the fourth Indiana Jones movie were filmed at Yale (which I didn't know having left there years ago), and it was a surprise and thrill to see those buildings and streets up on the big screen.

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## Mike Bromley

"Fire Down Below"  was not a cinematic barnburner, but Levon was a bright spot, as was Randy Travis, both of whose dramatic skills outshone Seagal's typical Bonoistic peevish moralism (causing environmental catastrophe while fighting the bad guys).

 :Popcorn:  :Grin:

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## Mike Bunting

> He was also excellent in _The Three Burials of Melqiuades Estrada_ , which is an overlooked masterpiece of a movie.


You got that right, it's way overlooked.

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## journeybear

> Speaking of Robbie Robertson and "The Last Waltz" - how about that Gibson semi-hollow body guitar/mandolin double neck he's playing on "The Weight"?





> This has come up before ... Is this it?


Yep (he said, answering his own question), that's the baby. I picked up a VHS tape of "The Last Waltz" at a yard sale today (best 50¢ I've spent in a while), which I haven't seen this century, and sho nuff, that's it. Great version of the song, our guys getting excellent backup from The Staple Singers, but why Robbie is playing the doubleneck is a mystery to me. I assume he used it on a song just before or after this that ended up on the cutting room floor, or maybe he just liked the way the guitar sounded for this song.  :Mandosmiley:  Anyway, it's one of the unexplained mysteries of the unexplained which make rock 'n' roll history an endless source of amusement,  :Grin:  confusion,  :Confused:  and conversation.  :Laughing:

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## Will Patton

Wow, not to pile on, but:
   Big Pink changed my life - I so remember listening and listening, with the layers unfolding one by one - thinking - "what IS this?"  And each succeeding album grew from the previous.  Both Richard and Rick Danko's deaths hit me really hard - such complicated emotive power, now stilled.
I was in a group that opened for Levon and the Barnburners about 6 or 7 yrs. ago... he was undergoing treatment for throat cancer, and Amy did all the singing.  I remember feeling that same feeling of loss, one of the great American voices gone.   So it's a very happy occasion to hear Levon out there again.  Big +1 for This Wheel's on Fire - honestly written account of an amazing musican's journey.
 -Will

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## Ronny Stecher

I'm a Levon Lover, been a fan since I knew what was good about music, I've seen him a few times over the years every opportunity from '86 to present. Larry Campbell joined the Black Crowes for recording their new album at Levon's Woodstock home for 5 nights in late feb/early March. 

Levon joined them on their closing night of the recording of the upcoming 9/1/09 release to be called "Before The Frost.... Until The Freeze", it's a throwback to the musical style of the Band & the Flying Burrito Brothers, but not limited to as to not put the new offering in a box. It has some rockers, but has a very deep woodsy feel. Larry played a lot of Lap Steel and Mandolin on the recordings.

Levon's been busy the last few years, he used to stay home and host his Ramble's on his Woodstock property. I highly recommend the journey, it's well worth the $150 per as it's a intimate setting as his studio only holds about 150 to 200 people. I caught a Ramble on 1/20/07 and it was a 4 hour affair. The Man is a national treasure.

Here's a few pic's I took at some other recent Levon sightings.


Levon @ BB Kings, NYC 11/26/08 w/Hubert Sumlin+

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## Ronny Stecher

Levon's tour opener @ Wellmont Theatre, NJ 2/7/09

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## Ronny Stecher

Levon @ Allman Brothers Beacon Opener, NYC 3/9/09  Pt. 1

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## Ronny Stecher

Levon & Taj @ Allman Brothers Beacon Opener, NYC 3/9/09   Pt. 2

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## journeybear

Man! Somethin' done been unleashed here!  :Laughing:  Thanks! I saw he original band but once, in Chicago during the "Stage Fright" tour, and obviously it was a great show, as much as I remember from 35 odd years ago ...  :Whistling:  Opened for the reunited band (ie, w/o Robbie), opened for Rick Danko, and these are also treasured memories.

As I was scanning through "The Last Waltz," it occurred to me ... These guys, being a part of their times, probably helped themselves to all manner of creativity chemistry, just as their peers did. But somehow it doesn't show in their music, apart from some imaginative chord progressions. What they produced was more solid, and durable, and timeless, but no less inventive and unprecedented, as the music produced by many of their contemporaries. That's not to disparage the musical output of Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Hendrix, Cream, The Doors, etc etc etc, which seem more obviously drug-induced (and I love, BTW), but somehow The Band's musical style was more down to earth than that of most everyone else at the time, with the exception of other roots-oriented bands like Creedence. These bands' music seems to have survived not only those tumultuous times, but all the changes popular music has undergone since then. 

Just thinking out loud, and in public. And that's what I get for thinking ...  :Wink:

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## David

Wow, I go away for a week vacation and come back to a mighty fine thread of Levon/Band lovin'.  Great stuff!  Electric Dirt made for a great soundtrack while hanging out in the South Carolina lowcountry and sea islands.  Now to go dig up the recent Letterman performance on Youtube that y'all mentioned...

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## Ronny Stecher

Electric Dirt is even more solid the Dirt Farmer, Great Disc!. Here's a link about an upcoming PBS TV broadcast from another site....

http://www.livedaily.com/news/19733.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVvlNJ4Kspc   = The Weight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQPV9CrDO3c   = Ophelia

I couldn't get the videos up so links included.

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## AlanN

Terrific photos.

And MJ wasn't the only Gloved One, I see.

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## Spiritinthesky

I'm going to buy this today.

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## hank

Wow, just getting back to this thread.  Great links and photo's and info. everybody thanks.   I see Sammie and John Hiatt got in on the fun at the Ramble At The Ryman.  IMO though nobody can sing Stage Fright like Rick used to do it.

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## journeybear

> IMO though nobody can sing Stage Fright like Rick used to do it.


Yeah, buddy. I think that performance is really emblematic of his style. That's why I mentioned it in an earlier post in this thread.  :Wink: 




> Now to go dig up the recent Letterman performance on Youtube that y'all mentioned ...


Actually, it's coming up as a rerun, this Monday!  :Mandosmiley:

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## KanMando

Here's a link to Happy Traum's article and interview with Levon Helm and Larry Campbell in the October issue of "Acoustic Guitar" magazine:

http://www.acguitar.com/article/defa...rticleid=24791

Bob

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## OKMike

Playing at the Cain's ballroom, can't wait. Should be a great show. Saw the info on Cain's website and also saw it in Acoustic guitar. Good article.

Mike

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## kyblue

That Ramble at the Ryman looks awesome.  Almost makes me wish I had cable.  

Doesn't Sam Bush get to have all kinds of fun?  

Paula

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## Alex Orr

I saw Levon and his band about ten days ago at Merriwether Post in Columbia, MD as part of the Route 29 Revue festival.  Really good show.  Levon looked fine and seemed to be having a blast behind the kit.  Sadly he was unable to sing.  According to Larry Campbell, who was playing guitar, singing, and essentially leading the band, Levon's doctors had told him to refrain from singing for several weeks.  Still a great show with a lovely cover of "Attics of My Life" being a real standout, as well as a rollicking runt through "Chest Fever".

BTW, for my money the best performance out of all six acts was from Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (http://www.myspace.com/gracepotterandthenocturnals).  I knew the name but had never seen them, nor heard any of their stuff.  HOLY COW!  Talk about a flat out rock 'n roll show with mountains of energy!  Every act on the bill was excellent but Grace and the Nocs just blew me away.  I've checked out their albums since then and they're good, but nowhere near as exciting and entertaining as their live show.  Looking forward to the new record they recorded with T-Bone Burnett that's set to drop in the fall.  Unfortunately they're not playing anywhere around here for the rest of the year, but hopefully they'll be hitting up DC sometime next year.  I can't wait to see them again.

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## Christian McKee

I'll pipe in here with another bump for Levon's book "Wheel's On Fire."  Then, if you're still in the mood to try and enjoy The Last Waltz, check out the DVD release from a few years back.  It's got audio commentary from Levon, Dr. John, Garth, Griel Marcus and others, as well as wonderful raw footage of the after concert blues jam.  

As you say, Journeybear they were loaded.  Their good and bad experiences with drugs are well documented by Levon and others, for whatever it's worth.  I've always thought one of the big reasons people didn't associate their music (or them) with drugs is that for the most part, The Band didn't jam.  As players they were more Beatles than Stones, except when Dylan was fronting, when it was anybody's guess where it all would end up.  But they were so focused on The Song that stretching out in extended instrumental sections was not attractive to them.  Even the Chest Fever intro got to nearly THREE minutes in length - well, the Dead were still warming up to the first verse of Dark Star in three minutes of playing  :Wink:   But the outsider perspective and psychadelic craziness from any of the instrumental music played in San Fransisco, etc, was pretty well paralleled in the oddball stuff they did - like the Basement Tapes.  That's as weird and exploratory as you please, it's just not high gain, or improvised.  

Good thread!

Christian

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## Ronny Stecher

Here's a couple pic's from a fabulous double bill that featured Levon Helm Band and The Black Crowes. Both bands are supporting 2 crazy good discs, Levon's disc has been mentioned here, but The Black Crowes disc has some nice moments also. 

The new BC's discs (BTF & UTF) have it's normal share of legitimate quality rock blues, but also has that mountain still sounds of Marshall Tucker and some diverse tunes with fiddle, mando, banjo, & lap steel. It was recorded at Levon's Woodstock barn/studio with major contributions by Larry Campbell from LH's band. 

Great stuff with it's varied offerings, If you like mature solid music, it might be worth a visit, Here's a couple pic's from 8/29/09House Of Blues, AC, NJ. Chris Robinson of the BC's came out and sang Tennesse Jed of LH's new disc and brother Rich Robinson jumped in with CR for the Levon closing version of The Weight.

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## Spruce

> 


Whoa.....
Levon on a Tele...
That's too cool...

And was he singing??
Sure hope so...

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## Ronny Stecher

That's Jim Weider on Tele from Levon's band, He's been with him on & off for 20 something years. I had dreams of NFL merges and bought season tix to the World League Of American Football (WLAF), They drove out a flat bed stage and played to one side of Giants Stadium field parking it near the NY/NJ Knights bench. That was in '92 or '93 and he was there, He also was at the Dylan tribute w/the Band. 

I did and internet search and it says he's been with him '85, but my 1st Band show was in The Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ in ~'86 and I don't recall him there. I think it was Blondie Chaplin? The Band was opened by each of Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts solo bands. The guy I remember playing guitar that night wore one of those man dresses with a Casablanca bellboy hat (upside down glass with a tassle off the top?). 

Jim is a great player and has a biting tone. I posted a few pic's of the Levon & BC's shows over at the ABB site too.....

http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/mo...read&tid=97500

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## Ronny Stecher

The snow storm had the 2/26/10 Wellmont Theatre show postponed to 3/12 and that was the day of my son's wrestling dinner so I sadly had to miss Levon's show, but My kid brother was more than happy to sit in my 2nd Row seats, He took a couple pic's to show me the view of the room and I thought I'd share.....

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## Ronny Stecher



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## Ronny Stecher

Sweet show by Levon & Willie Nelson @ Radio City Music Hall 7/28/10, Did the dinner and a ferry ride to the freebie bus to midtown as Obama was local visiting a deli in NJ and then messing up traffic in the city for some democratic fund raisers, Sweet weather for a river crossing.
Levon's voice didn't cooperate fully, but his energy never waivered. The band shared along with his vocal duties as usual, Teresa, Amy, Larry, & Brian all jumped the mic for a song or two. Donald Fagan even sang a tune. Levon came out on mando for Deep Elum blues. Willie came out for the Levon set closer The Weight. When Willie & The Family came out I was happy to see a small band with he being the only guitarist. Some nylon country blues pickin'. I've only seen Willie once and that was part of the Bobfest Tribute where he only sang one tune. He played a very solid career spanning set that gave you all you needed to hear. Great Night Of Music.

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## Ronny Stecher



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## Larry S Sherman

Man, that Larry Campbell does a great job supporting living legends. I bet he can share some stories.

Larry

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## SternART

Thanks for the update!! Looks like an orchestra up there..........

I saw the Band numerous times, with and without Dylan, with and without Robbie, and was even at The Last Waltz.......and enjoyed it all.  Definitely a "the sum is greater than the individual parts" band !!!

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## Jim Ferguson

Man 'o man......looks like Willie got his ears lowered...:-)  Thanks to all for posting all these fantastic pics!!!!  Awesome!!!!
Re: the Band.....all but Levon were/are fellow Canadians & they are, in my estimation, one of the best bands ever.....such an interesting sound with such rich lyrics & music......all of them were/are musical geniuses.  Loved seeing Levon Helm's brief role in the Mark Wahlberg movie "Shooter" too......a multifaceted talent for sure.
Peace,
Jim

Gibson F-9

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