Don't think there was a better, more talented rock n roll interpreter of the American experiment than Levon, Robbie and the Boys circa late 60's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sLeKq5u4vU

Greg Ham, guitarist for 80s band Men at Work, also dead.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-57416430-10391698/men-at-work-musician-greg-ham-dead-at-58/

These things seem to happen in threes so . . .

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Still my favorite band...

Now, Dick Clark is a much bigger celebrity than these two, but he was associated with music. This whole "rule of three's" is macabre at best, really tasteless at worst, but anecdotally true. If one were to keep strictly with musicians, the third could be Ronnie Montrose, who tragically took his own life recently.

and now Helm. The Band's second album is one of the all time greats as far as song writing. Have a great album of he playing with the Dixie Humminbirds in gospel. Garth plays too.

In 1974 Bob Dylan had his first tour in a long time, in conjunction with The Band, and I was able to see them at the Oakland Coliseum, great seats, right on the floor. Dylan was OK, more a case of seeing an icon than anything else, but I was really there for The Band. As a guitar player I played their stuff (I can still roll out of bed half asleep and play The Weight) and they really put on a good concert. Now three of their originals are gone, but Robbie Robertson pops up fairly frequently. Like the Grateful Dead, no one else really sounded like them.

Scorcese's movie, "The Last Waltz" remains one of the best rock concert movies. The version of The Weight with the Staples Singers is still the one I listen to.

I was a Freshman in the dorms. My roomate asked me if I wanted to go into The City and see the final concert for The Band. I asked, "Who's The Band?" To which he relplied, "You know, "Bob Dylan and the Band. They were Dylan's back up band". I asked, "Will Dylan be there?". "I don't know", he responded. "Nah, I don't want to go".

I was listening to a lot of Dylan at the time, and didn't really realize the special nature of The Band at that moment. If Dylan wasn't playing, I wasn't interested.

I ended up going to Winterland a number of times, but still kick myself everytime I see "The Last Waltz", thinking, I should have been there.

ps--I had a second big Dylan phase after becoming a Born Again Christian with the album, "Slow Train Coming". Awesome album, especially for those who view life from that perspective.

johtwe1;738932 said:

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I was a Freshman in the dorms. My roomate asked me if I wanted to go into The City and see the final concert for The Band. I asked, "Who's The Band?" To which he relplied, "You know, "Bob Dylan and the Band. They were Dylan's back up band". I asked, "Will Dylan be there?". "I don't know", he responded. "Nah, I don't want to go".

I was listening to a lot of Dylan at the time, and didn't really realize the special nature of The Band at that moment. If Dylan wasn't playing, I wasn't interested.

I ended up going to Winterland a number of times, but still kick myself everytime I see "The Last Waltz", thinking, I should have been there.

ps--I had a second big Dylan phase after becoming a Born Again Christian with the album, "Slow Train Coming". Awesome album, especially for those who view life from that perspective.

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Even worse for you he was playing at the concert.

GB54;738933 said:

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Even worse for you he was playing at the concert.

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I'm a big Joni Mitchell and Neil Young fan. That concert film really turned me on to Van Morrison also. And of course, I have a huge respect for Clapton.

Who wasn't there?

johtwe1;738937 said:

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Who wasn't there?

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I wasn't....due to flu.
If I knew it was going to be epic, I would have anyway......oh well

Cheers!
GO BEARS!!

Great concert. Normally I don't go to big venues. Saw Joni Mitchell in Philly. Am going tomorrow to see Joan Baez. I feel like I am back in the 60's.

I am going to by The Band's greatest hits tonight in his honor.

may be the best lavon* song ya never heard ~ rip














:Monty:tedford

prospeCt;739097 said:

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may be the best lavon* song ya never heard ~ rip














:Monty:tedford

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Good one. Here is another one, best cover of the Springsteen tune

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0eZwpHtcK4

wonderful, listened to it yesterday












:beer:

Big loss, but he beat the odds to even make it to 71 before he passed.

You guys that almost went to the Last Waltz concert are killing me. I would love to have seen that show live (even the Neil Diamond number), but the fact that I was in 7th grade at the time made that impossible -- especially for a concert held on Thanksgiving.

Another Levon Helm performance in that concert I really enjoyed was "Ophelia." He had a great voice and his performance in that show was remarkable, given that it must have been fairly taxing from a physical standpoint.

I read in one of the obituaries that Robbie Robertson had a nice visit with Levon in the hospital before he passed. I hope that's true...the bad blood between the two was a bummer.

..... when I first heard of Levon's passing:



Simple song with his voice on full display over some basic rhythm (and pseudo jew's harp) in the background.

I, too, missed the Last Waltz (don't ask) but did finally see them, in their first get together since that (minus RR, of course), at the Saddle Rack in San Jose.

Good Chron article on Levon by Selvin.

http://m.sfgate.com/sfchron/db_41699/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=c3vdcM4k