The band

[Lonelysea30]

Anyone here into them? I love their stuff, especially their first three albums.  Very underrated music, very talented musicians, kinda  like the beach boys they could all sing and play, and they had an understanding of chords, arrangements and their story is cool.  Besides brian Wilson, I think Richard Manuel had a very close falsetto and beautiful voice.  Anyway just bored and was curious if anyone here are into The Band.

[SMiLE Brian]

I love the band, their albums are a big part of my life.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

One of my very favourites. I love the first three that you mention, but I also love The Last Waltz and Northern Lights - Southern Cross. There's good stuff on Cahoots too though for some reason, while they are doing all the things they do on, say, Stage Fright, it just doesn't come off as well. The melodies weren't there, or something.

[I. Spaceman]

Big, big fan.

[SMiLE Brian]

The Basement Tapes are another crowning moment for them.

[Lonelysea30]

Yea great stuff, whispering pines, lonesome Suzy, I shall be released.  Richard Manuel knew how to belt out a high note with a lot of soul.  Love the others, helm, dankos.  But yea I like norther lights a lot, last waltz is great.  I would of loved to of heard Brian  Wilson circa 67 belt out I shall be released.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

A great underrated Manuel number is Sleeping. Really, really beautiful song.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Whenever I come across The Last Waltz on TV, I have to watch it. I also like their Christmas song, "Christmas Must Be Tonight". There is going to be a special tribute to Levon Helm telecast on The Grammys this Sunday night.

[Lonelysea30]

What album is sleeping off of??

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Stage Fright

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRQGgzN4TPc

[Lonelysea30]

Sound almost like dennis...very good, I didn't know this song

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Amazing band wrecked by Robbie Robertson's ego/Dylan hang-up... He wanted to get credit for everything and to write everything but he just didn't have the goods beyond maybe a half an album of stuff, helped along by Richard Manuel and Dylan.... Once it was all Robbie songs, it got stale, but with some good stuff here and there. Guy was damn lucky he had the bandmates he did who could beef his stuff up with flair and authenticity.

[I. Spaceman]

Amazing band wrecked by Robbie Robertson's ego/Dylan hang-up... He wanted to get credit for everything and to write everything but he just didn't have the goods beyond maybe a half an album of stuff, helped along by Richard Manuel and Dylan.... Once it was all Robbie songs, it got stale, but with some good stuff here and there. Guy was damn lucky he had the bandmates he did who could beef his stuff up with flair and authenticity.

I completely disagree, on every level imaginable. You are entirely wrong about Robbie. And his writing has plenty enough authenticity. That is why his songs can be interpreted so well by other artists.

These songs are all absolutely brilliant:

To Kingdom Come
Caledonia Mission
The Weight
Chest Fever
Across The Great Divide
Rag Mama Rag
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Up On Cripple Creek
Rockin' Chair
Look Out Cleveland
Unfaithful Servant
King Harvest
Get Up Jake
Time To Kill
All La Glory
The Shape I'm In
The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
Daniel And The Sacred Harp
Stage Fright
The Rumor
The Moon Struck One
The River Hymn
Yazoo Street Scandal
Ophelia
Acadian Driftwood
It Makes No Difference


That is a great, great list of compositions. Add up the great songs written by Manuel, Danko and Helm (and they did write some), and see if it matches up. The others could possibly have matched Robbie, if they hadn't been too busy with heroin, leaving Robbie to take the sole artistic reins of the band, which he didn't want to happen.

[Lonelysea30]

Facts are facts...

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Facts?

Opinions!

I can only make out maybe 8 great songs from that list. The rest go from just OK to merely passable but were generally saved by the singing, playing, and arrangements.

But hey, even 8 great songs is no small feat.

[Lonelysea30]

Sorry opinion..u are right, but there are some good songs there..IMO..

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Actually: make that only 5 great songs

The Weight
It Makes No Difference
Ophelia
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Life Is A Carnival (not on the list I'm quoting from)

Just my opinion. And I still love Robbie. He's a genius guitar player as well.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

The Moon Struck One
The River Hymn

Nice. Those are, for me, the definite highlights on Cahoots. "Moon Struck One" just coincidentally came on my personally-crafted Random list on my iPod (yeah, I said it) ten minutes ago and was reminded again what a great song it is.

[Lonelysea30]

Twilight, love that song

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Tears Of Rage takes the cake for me.

Richard's vocal on that is one for the ages..... I went though this protracted period in my early 20's where I couldn't leave the house without playing that first track from Big Pink at least once.

[I. Spaceman]

Actually: make that only 5 great songs

The Weight
It Makes No Difference
Ophelia
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Life Is A Carnival (not on the list I'm quoting from)

Just my opinion. And I still love Robbie. He's a genius guitar player as well.

KING HARVEST is not a great song?? That is the best song they ever did, with the best vocal Richard Manuel ever put down. You're not a fan of The Band, nothing more to see here. Kthxbye.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Oh, stop! I LOVE the band! I just can't help feeling (due to just my own brain chemistry) that their material, for the most part, was the weakest link....

I have to reconsider King Harvest after just watching that live version clip from the recording of "The Band" .... Great song! Even better performance.

[I. Spaceman]

OK, OK, there may be hope for you!

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

and I absolutely freaking love "Somewhere Down The Crazy Rive", so c'mon! 

[I. Spaceman]

Me too. Give a listen to the brown self-titled album again. Rockin' Chair, man. Tears me up every time.