Levon Helm passed away this afternoon at age 71. Iconic member of the iconic band "The Band", later got throat cancer, couldn't sing, recovered, learned to sing again.
Unlike many old rockers, he didn't just keep playing the same old stuff from 1972, he wrote new stuff, inovated, covered some other folks, like his lost voice, regained, he reinvented himself. just get a copy of "Dirt Farmer" from 2007.
Levon Helm was Americana before there was Americana but labeling Levon in one genre would be a disservice.
Like YARN, his music was/is/always will be, honest.
If I go today and am fortunate enough to arrive at the pearly gates, I don't want no stinkin angels with harps, I want Levon, Richard Manual and Danko playing "The Weight" or "Up on Cripple Creek"
I got to see Levon and The Band in 1995 in Central Park. I can remember being pretty amazed at how much the switched instruments for different songs. This was the only time I got to see Levon in person, but am thankful I did get to see this American Treasure in person. The day after I saw this show Jerry Garcia died.
You got it RC... It was the first Ratdog show ever, and only one during Jerry's Lifetime. A beautiful night in the park. Probably the last show I saw in the city until Yarn a few weeks ago.:)
RIP LEVON.I spent last night on you tube checking out Levon w/Ronnie Hawkins,Dylan,The BAND among others.What an amazing artist.The BAND has been my favorite artist since I was a kid.The only comforting thought I have is the Levon revival over the last few years.I remember seeing THE BAND at Tradewinds in Sea Bright NJ in the early 90's and there were maybe 100 people there-this for a group that was on the cover of Time magazine so it's pretty heartening to see the incredible response in the media to his passing.To me THE BAND AND LEVON are the godfathers of this huge phenomena we call Amercana and the most impressive thing is the mans class and grace and all the tributes to his modesty and kindness.
I never got a chance to see him live except for on the Last Waltz or in other TV and internet videos. I was born in the wrong generation. However he was a favorite of mine for a long time. He will be missed. He’s now playing in that band up in the sky.
I’ve played the following Yarn show yesterday/today as a tribute to Levon. Considering Yarn does not have Piano/Organ players in there band they do a nice Yarn with the Band covers.
d1t01. Alone On The Weekend d1t02. new York City Found d1t03. Can't Slow Down d1t04. Bad Bad Man d1t05. Music's Only Outlaw d1t06. Strikes and Gutters d1t07. Nothing But Time To Give d1t08 No Future Together d1t09. Ten d1t10. Christopher Street
d2t01. Crippled Creek d2t02. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down > I Shall Be Released d2t03. Ophelia d2t04. Shape I'm In d2t05. The Weight d2t06. Down on Your Luck d2t07. Empty Pockets d2t08. Don't Break My Heart Again d2t09. Cat & Mouse
Ahhhh sweet show Earl thanks for sharing. This was the night before my first Yarn show in Raleigh ... NYE ... they played a lot of The Band that night in Raleigh too. Fell instantly in love with Yarn that night and the affair never ended. Remember thinking who the hell is that guy on mando?!! Wish someone taped that show...
When I first heard the news of Levon dying it was from a text message from my daughter... “Levon died :(“ I was in a meeting with some people at the time, and my daughter knew it, but I guess to her, it was worth interrupting. The next morning I opened my emails to find a message from an old friend I hadn’t heard from in a while, saying that his passing immediately brought her back to hours of listening to music with me so long ago. I thought about the time when my son had to fill out a form in music class with his “favorites”... for his favorite band, he wrote “The Band” He came home disgusted with his teacher who asked him “what band?” “Do you believe it?” he said, “a music teacher who doesn’t know The Band.” More recently, my son and I singing "Dirt Farmer" at the top of our lungs in the car on trips... All this made me realize exactly how much Levon had contributed to the soundtrack of my life. I was too young to know them in their early years, but I remember staying up late watching The Last Waltz every time it hit TV. I remember my excitement as a teen getting to see them (sans Robertson) when they got back together... The first time I saw them was with CSN on a beautiful warm summer night under the stars... it was really magic. I remember not only how much I loved their music, but how much you could see that they loved bringing it to us. As a teen I spent a lot of weekends up in the Catskills, every time I passed Saugerties, I considered going on a quest to find that pink house. Yes, the world has lost a great one. I am so happy to see the outpouring in the press, that he was recognized for his contributions to music, his courage, his strength, his character.... You do not have to die a rich man. You just have to stay true to yourself. You can bring people great joy by sharing what brings you great joy, whether it is to a stadium full of people, or a bunch of people in your garage... Levon leaves a legacy that will live on. There is a special place in heaven for true musicians... because while they suffer just like we all do, they bring us so much joy and take away our suffering... they carry us away with a voice, a chord, a beat... they carry our cares away on a song.
“It makes no difference where I turn I can't get over you and the flame still burns It makes no difference, night or day The shadow never seems to fade away
Dedicated to the memory of Landon Korabek (1/29/93-5/7/2010)
01. The Shape I'm In 02. Love Played a Game 03. Fannie Mae 04. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go 05. Long Black Veil 06. Something to Remember 07. Ophelia 08. Midnight Highway 09. Deep Elem Blues 10. Attics of My Life 11. Tennessee Jed 12. Mardi Gras 13. Everybody Loves a Winner 14. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning 15. Calvary 16. Makes No Difference 17. Chest Fever 18. The Weight
Levon Helm - drums, mandolin, vocals Larry Campbell - guitar, vocals Jim Weider- guitar Byron Isaacs - bass Amy Helm - vocals Teresa Williams - vocals Brian Mitchell - keyboards Clark Gayton - trombone Jay Collins - saxophone Steven Bernstein - trumpet Erik Lawrence -saxophone Howard Johnson -saxophone
This was a stealth job. It is pretty good given that limitation. These are hi-sens, un-modded mics and the vocal high notes are a bit crunchy at times. My buddy Dan gave me the ticket. When we met to ride down to Charlotte, he said he'd just found out his cousin Landon had tragically died that day. He was an emotional wreck and didn't feel like taping, so I put on my stealth rig and grabbed it for him. I shelved it for almost two years. After Levon died, Dan said he thought it was time to share it, so here it is. It sounds better than I remember, but it is not my best recording by far. Levon only sang Ophelia and about half of The Weight. His voice had been getting better by then but he must have fatigued it at Jazzfest.
Beautiful recordings, hopped! Not unlike the 4-16-11 house concert mentioned earlier today :) I was sorry to read of your friend's loss - a thank you to Dan for sharing these recordings. Attics of My Life is just breath-taking. Its suits my melancholy on this NC election day.
I recorded it. Dan was a wreck. I'm not much of a stealth taper, but I did it for a friend. So I didn't drink and sat perfectly still for almost two hours to get the show. That's why I don't like stealthing.