Only one vote for Richard Manuel so far? You damn savages.

Yeah, a lesson on what not to do when you play guitar in a band 

It's annoying, tbh - Robbie spent most of The Band's career being a perfect accompaniment on guitar. Placing his solos properly in the context of the arrangement, neat chord voicings, playing for the song, etc. Never too much of anything. Gives everyone room.

And on The Last Waltz he's just soloing all the damn time, regardless. Cocaine's a hell of a drug.

Also, did Robbie ever play anything but guitar in the band? For all the instrument swapping that went on in the group, I can't place a song where Robbie doesn't play guitar.... he's static on the first two, at least.

RE: Cahoots, yeah any album with Life Is A Carnival and When I Paint My Masterpiece on it isn't dreadful. And I quite like The Moon Struck One, in it's way. The River Hymn sounds amazing but I couldn't sing anything but the backing vocals to you if asked. And the rest sorta plods, I listened to it twice over the weekend and I can barely remember anything about the album apart from the weirdo chimes in the Chinatown song and that annoying effect they keep putting on Danko's voice.

Oh yes. Written by His Royal Bobness. So beautiful. I haven't voted yet, but that's the sort of thing that would tip it for Richard.

Thinkin about Music From Big Pink, it's all about Manuel's tunes for me - The Weight excepted - and it makes me think what kind of band they would have been if Manuel had taken the lead in songwriting. He and Robertson are equal in songwriting credits on that record. We may have been saved the snooze that is Cahoots.

My vote is Richard.

There was a time in college where I'd just HAVE to play Tears Of Rage (Big Pink version) each and every morning before heading out to class.

Oh my god, what a vocal. He just wrenches out some of those lines.

It's a toss up between Richard and the rhythm section, I gave Danko too short shrift in the original post. I guess it all depends on which one I'm listening to at the time...

Uh... what the hell is this? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2934150/

 

Oh yes. Written by His Royal Bobness. So beautiful. I haven't voted yet, but that's the sort of thing that would tip it for Richard.

Thinkin about Music From Big Pink, it's all about Manuel's tunes for me - The Weight excepted - and it makes me think what kind of band they would have been if Manuel had taken the lead in songwriting. He and Robertson are equal in songwriting credits on that record. We may have been saved the snooze that is Cahoots.

Does the average fan even know or care who Blondie Chaplin is? He guested on one song that's well-liked by hardcore fans, but wasn't a big hit for the band. I don't see it as any indication of bigger things for the Brian/Beach Boys divide, other than that Blondie is making a lot less money now that the Rolling Stones fired him (mostly likely because they wanted to give his part of the budget to rehiring Mick Taylor), so he could use the money right now. I'm glad he got the gig and while I'm sure it pays less, one hopes he'll be paid something. He's also a better singer than Brian for "Sail On."

Ah come on, it's a nice gesture! And he is actually a Beach Boy, as MIC attests.

Or, The Artists Formerly Known As The Crackers.


Robbie Robertson

Classic case of great talent marred by a repugnant personality. Mean guitarist, when he shuts up - less is more, which makes The Last Waltz a tad grating. Then again, his personality makes The Last Waltz a bit grating. His lack of a singing voice is the greatest service he did for us all, given that he had to get the three greatest singers in rock to sing his songs. And he did start a song with 'The management are very sorry for the inconvenience', which is possibly the least rock and roll lyric in the history of the medium. But then he did write The Weight, Up On Cripple Creek, It Makes No Difference, etc etc.

Beard rating: 4/10. Not feeling the John Lennon schtick.

Richard Manuel.

Poor bastard. Voice of an angel, a wasted songwriting talent (the guy knew a way around a spectral ballad). Does a mean Ray Charles, even with his voice charred by Gran Marnier and cocaine, and despite being barely conscious as in The Last Waltz. Possibly my favourite singer in The Band - the longing and emotion he gives a song like Rockin Chair is just.... goshdarn. His drumming is also great.

Beard Rating: 6/10.  Haggard. Unkempt. Mesmerising. Indicative of the man.

Rick Danko

Locked in perpetual battle with Manuel to sing the most heartbreaking ballad, but there is no shame in defeat here. Major props for throwing down serious moves on the bass. A goof, it seems in The Last Waltz, yet sounds like he gargles gravel on the first lines of the movie. Plays a mean fiddle.

Beard rating: 3/10. In a band of beards he just does not suit them. A tragedy.

Garth Hudson

Oh yes. Mad genius Garth. Favourite anecdote from the Barney Hoskyns book is where someone interviews the group, not expecting much from Garth until one question to him prompts a 40 minute lecture on the history of jazz piano. If more bands had Garth Hudson figures we'd have world peace. Beat Stevie to the clavinet. Plays mad honky tonk piano next to anglican hymns. Writes obit notices in all caps. Restores church organs. Doesn't cash $25,000 cheques. Nigh on monosyllabic in The Last Waltz, which adds to his zen qualities.

Beard Rating: 9/10. Flawless execution with flailing trails of hair during excessive organ playing is on the next level beard game and we mortals must simply look on in awe.

Levon Helm.

Funkiest white boy in rock. The only American in a band primarily concerned with the place. Sang like a frog. According to a Toronto prostitute, was hung like a horse. Watching The Last Waltz schools most drummers and the guy was playing for 4 hours with bleeding hands, sometimes on songs he barely knew. Ain't no thang for him to play with Joni Mitchell and Muddy Waters on the same night. Sang that country cool. Pretty much defines the group by the fact he sang The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. Mandolin is a bitch to play. Fought bitterly to get Muddy Waters on The Last Waltz, which is a public service. Buddy Rich's favourite rock drummer.

Beard Rating 6/10. Simple, well executed and yet has no 'X Factor' to elevate it to a Garth.

Boy, this tour really sounds like it's going to be pretty special. It would be a real shame if all of us somehow forget posted policies and we all brought along our best recording devices and hit the big red button by accident while aiming them carefully and not coughing or laughing in a weird way by the mic. A real shame.

Yeah, that would be so awful.

Sweeeeeeeeet

.

Zach,
I saw it! Have been swamped again/feeling v uncreative, am just not feeling music these past few weeks.

BTW It's easily changed, as i wanted to re-record the guitar part anyway. Or most of the fuckin' thing. We'll see how we go.

Do I audition for this.... I am in the right age bracket....

Just FYI, it does blend.

 

Sorry this is so long, but i feel there's a lot to say in response to what i see as dismissive replies...

This is spot on. Very well said. Glad you mentioned the Please Let Me Wonder stereo remix -  that one is slathered with reverb. Like "opera house" mode on an AV receiver. Sounds closer to Getcha Back than anything from 1965. Miles away from the excellent mixing on the Pet Sounds box. Reverb aside the mix is so narrow it might as well be a mono. Shut Down on SOS is worse....witness the massive phasing in the intro.

I have listened to Please Let Me Wonder about five times in a row and I can't hear any excessive reverb at all. The track is untouched, the vocals have a nice spread to them....


I don't know what to make of this thread  

It is my hope that one day a "purist" is appointed to handle the Beach Boys catalogue and future reissues -- someone who will make it a point to present the music in the most faithful way possible with no interference or their own personal artistic liberties, someone who understands that they should be in the backseat, playing as minimal a role as possible, when presenting historical recordings that they had nothing to do with originally. You'd think that would be a given.

The problem with being a "purist" and trying to stick with the original historical recording decisions, is that the biggest of those historical recording decisions was not to ever release the song.

Cheers,
Jon Blum

Really?

You're right. That's a great point. I've now changed my mind -- unreleased songs should never be released. Glad that problem's solved.

What do we talk about now?

It's not the most terrible point in the world. You want a purist in there? We should never have heard Soulful Old Man Sunshine because Carl specifically didn't want it released. To pick one example. Alan disagreed and it came out on Endless Harmony. Is he not a purist?

You are talking about the two people who are employed to sort out The Beach Boys vaults, and get it past the bastards at Capitol. They have just given us the 74 Cali Feelin' demo unadulterated. And WIBNTLA (by god, do I hate that acronym), which they've been trying to do for at least six years.

And because they put some reverb on a vocal you want them fired? Come on.

In the MIC book, where was the big Sunflower era pic taken? Where were Mike and his robes? And who let Carl wear those ridiculous trousers?

Srs answer now - if you like session recordings, the Smile Sessions is worth the investment because you get to hear Brian making the greatest music ever made. As I'm sure you know from the second disc of your Smile set, but there's more and it's incredible.

However, the rare stuff on MIC is an eyeopener (ignore the bitching around the board, it speaks volumes that they only have problems with a perceived treble problem and about the mixing on two other songs). And the stereo mixes are really cool, especially if you've got a few mono mixes already. But the smile set held the most revelations for me personally.

It depends how invested you are in Smile. If you think Smile rules.... you need TSS.

 

I have the feeling I've asked this before .....


On the Cotton Fields single mix, there's some strange clicking sound during the second chorus - it turns up on the stereo mix most prominently, but it's on the boot of the backing track too and also on the mono mix. It sounds faintly digital, (if it's on the mono mix, can it be?) but it just keeps bugging me. Anyone else hear it?

SCORE!!!




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Yeah, heaven forbid someone should put reverb on a Spector cover.

Dude called Brian Wilson didn't (well, at least not that much) back in fall 1976. My 1983 cassette copy was taken from a safety master, and sure it's hissy, but it sounds... better.

Ah, I was wondering about where the mix came from! Obviously it's a bit different if there was something approximating a finished mix. Still no reason to say Mark & Alan are bad at their jobs and should be replaced by 'purists' like some people here. It's some reverb on a vocal.

I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry by Hank Williams is obviously the saddest song ever written. So much sheer despair in so few words.

I love this set so much. Really wonderful performances. Gives a bit of credence to Dylan's admission that he just released a tonne of the crappest stuff with ridiculous overdubs on it to piss off his audience, though. The basic tracks just rule, why send them off to Nashville to get string overdubs?

I will stand by Copper Kettle's overdubs though, if only because I kinda love Bob giving a ridic impassioned performance of how to properly build a fire over soaring strings. And All The Tired Horses, because it's All The Tired Horses. Dylan's 'Our Prayer'.

The Isle Of Wight gig is wonderful too - I'd never heard it before in full, some really great stuff from Bob, like John Wesley Harding tracks. The version of It Ain't Me, Babe features possibly his best vocals ever laid down on tape, Bob Dylan could sing, goddammit.