Thursday, May 15, 2008

The Band


The Band is one of those old groups that I really never was a big fan of, I always thought they were too old, no longer relevant to a hip young dude like me, and I thought i was more evolved than a band that would call themselves The Band. I never gave them a chance, just swept them under the rug and thought they were a Lynyrd Skynard knockoff, Bob Dylan backup musicians, or Allman Brothers revisited.

After watching Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz I feel very foolish for thinking those things...

The songs i did know were their mega-hits like The Weight, Drove Old Dixie Down, and Cripple Creek and still dont know if I'll ever like those songs, but I do know I really like their less popular stuff...and it makes me realize why many consider them one of the most influential bands ever. My Morning Jacket and Wilco, to name a few could be considered descendants of this band (among many other great bands) .


I'm especially liking Don't Do It and The Shape I'm In (which are streaming in the box to the right).


Watch this video if you arent buying anything I'm saying....

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Talk about a band with history and historic players. Danko, Manual, Robertson, Helm and Hudson....all legends in their own right. To me, there isnt a better band who personifies the sound of classic americana. The Band is a result of what happens when the best of the best musicians unite. The Last Waltz is considered one of the best music documentaries of all time and its for good reason. Just watching Levon Helm rock the vocals behind his kit is inspiration enough. Am I gushing...yes...but this band deserves to be gushed over. In my mind they represent the excess of the 70s without having to try. Other bands showed it by painting face makeup or by setting their gong on fire...The Band did it with their music alone...and it didnt hurt that they had Dylan in their back court. If you want some great footage of Rick Danko, check out the film "Festival Express"...you wont be disappointed.

Garrett Sorrels said...

Hey Rueger,
Please continue to "gush on" my man. I had a thought that you may be a giant fan of these guys and I feel even more educated on them now, based on your response.

I will have to check out Festival Express..

Are you a big fan of Robbie Robertson guitar playing?

Anonymous said...

my favorite bits are the interviews. a little spinal tappy in a great way. and i love the clapton appearance. here you are, watching a legendary band, and then clapton appears and makes the rest look like humans. which I guess does make some sense since clapton is god.

Anonymous said...

by the way, if you like last waltz, check out The Kids are Alright.

Garrett Sorrels said...

anon,
If this is who i think it is, i was able to watch about half of The Kids aer Alright at your place. I really want to watch the rest of it.
Thanks for the reminder on that.

Anonymous said...

RuegDog definitely approves Robbie Roberston's guitar playing. The funny thing about Robbie is that he was probably the main contributor in the realm songwriting to the band...yet he had a 'not so legendary' voice. It's rumored that the sound engineer would pull his vocals way down in the mix to avoid any foul tones. But indeed, he is a great guitar player.