The Band Guestbook, March 2015

Entered at Tue Mar 31 22:15:03 CEST 2015 from (131.137.34.245)

sadavid

Bill M: lucky you. This version really tickles me; there's a sinewy confidence in the vocals -- and in Ms. Edwards's fiddle -- that's very Bandian. But I think Mr. H. sat this one out?

Entered at Tue Mar 31 21:53:03 CEST 2015 from (68.232.68.198)

Bill M

sadavid: Thanks. Garth Hudson was BARK's guest keyboardist for the evening. The comments make it seem that that's the only recording from the evening to survive, which seems unlikely as the CBC, as noted, taped the whole thing (which I attended) and subsequently broadcasted it at least once.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 20:49:23 CEST 2015 from (131.137.34.245)

sadavid

Subject: acadian driftwood washes up in Torontario

Bill M: this one's probably been posted before, but worth a listen even if.
It's what I was holding when I emerged from the Matt Andersen rabbit hole - for which, thanks.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 20:49:27 CEST 2015 from (86.169.200.214)

Dunc

Thanks Bill M. Still into BARK,

Ian Tyson, 81! Still play Ian and Sylvia's greatest hits. 'Four Strong Winds' is a brilliant song.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 18:05:11 CEST 2015 from (68.232.68.198)

Bill M

Subject: Matt Andersen does Bruce Springsteen

Al E: sadavid's link led me to a couple of terrific versions of Bwuce's "I'm On Fire" by Matt Andersen, one of which is linked here. Dunc might appreciate the follow-on link to Andersen singing "Willie's Diamond Joe", which he'll know from the BARK version.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 18:01:09 CEST 2015 from (87.144.162.140)

Norbert

Bill thanks ;-) Peter too.

On a serious note the GB survival: ‘Does this GB has a problem? Answer: ‘No. This GB has an opportunity!’

Anyway McKinsey has almost completed our GB mission and vision statement. However for their stakeholders SWOT matrix they have two survey questions left (to send to jh, tomorrow before 11.59pm Greenwich):

1) Have you ever dated a musician?

2) Do you cook to music?

Interim measurements for now:

- A post should at least contain 16 characters.

- New posters should be welcomed (not bullied or making fun of).

- Post free of bullshit.

To survive in future this GB will contain more and more graphics & animation, less text ……. at the end all text will disappear totally.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 17:51:07 CEST 2015 from (99.249.67.189)

GregD

It could also be Strawberry Wine,based on the date of the pictures, which appear to be from 1971. Levon of course also co-wrote it and they switched instruments on it, with Richard on drums.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 17:18:28 CEST 2015 from (72.73.121.247)

Far East Man

Subject: Levon on guitar...

Wallsend - I'm thinking Jemima Surrender...I think he wrote the riff.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 16:56:20 CEST 2015 from (131.137.34.245)

sadavid

Subject: guitar heroes on Vancouver Island

Bill M: Holger should get a medal, if he hasn't already . . . exciting news about the Burton / Garrett / Lee / Wilcox summit . . . I trolled the Inets for a taste, the only thing I could find was [My link], the good bit starts around 3:03 . . . .

Entered at Tue Mar 31 15:19:12 CEST 2015 from (68.232.68.198)

Bill M

The newsletter at the link tells of an upcoming live CD by James Burton, Amos Garrett, Albert Lee and David Wilcox. And a new one by Ian Tyson (who's now 81 - time flies).

Speaking of David Wilcox, on the weekend learned that that "O-Dough-Dee-O" song by the guy who sounds just like Wilcox is really "Budapest" by George Ezra. I love it nonetheless. And just this morning I learned that the one that sounds like early Robert Palmer with the Alan Bown Set is really Bruno Mars. Radio so often doesn't bother telling you what they're playing anymore.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 10:51:41 CEST 2015 from (92.18.198.53)

Solomon

Subject: TIDAL

It's been all over the news today: The first music streaming service that combines the best High Fidelity sound quality.I might try the one month free trial.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 08:28:03 CEST 2015 from (173.245.209.36)

BMGeorge

Subject: Syria Mosque B & P

Adam

I'd like to volunteer to act as the Australian staging post for the Syria Mosque B&P. I've done this sort of thing many times. Many years ago my friend John Eylander and I created the "After the Waltz" set you can find on the discography on this site and distributed it this way.

Keep up the wonderful work.

George

Entered at Tue Mar 31 06:10:34 CEST 2015 from (32.216.242.116)

Todd

Subject: REM

Al Edge, I quite enjoyed your REM post. REM holds a place near and dear to my heart, as they essentially sprouted during my college years. When I was a freshman they were not yet mainstream and the place where I first heard them, was on my college's radio station where some of my friends had overnight DJ rotations.

By my senior year they were playing arenas, and it was truly something to see a band rise from relative obscurity to the big leagues.

I understand the reasons for possibly dismissing the Chronic Town EP as not necessarily essential, and moving right on to Murmur, but I can't agree, as I feel it is just as essential in getting to know the music, attitude, and tone they projected. In fact the song 'Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)' remains as essential to me in understanding and appreciating REM, as 'Tears of Rage' rates as essential to understanding and appreciating the music of The Band. Plus 'Box Cars' is still one of the rare songs from those days that I can still manage to crank out on the guitar. ;-)

I've collected most of the REM releases over the years, and have everything on vinyl up until Document. After that, I switched over to CD, and while there are several things that I enjoy from all phases of their career, it's the first batch of albums that seem more special in some way.

And don't despair completely about the youth of today. My teenage daughters both primarily listen to iTunes sourced music on portable devices out of convenience, but I was playing some music for one of my daughters recently and I asked her if she wanted to listen to a CD or and LP. Her response was that she would rather play the record (vinyl) because it was "more fun". Another one of my daughter's friends asked for a turntable for a Christmas present this past holiday season.

So while I used to be seen as some sort of dinosaur, (even by people in my own age group), I seem to have acquired some sort of cachet as an aging hipster among the youths who know me, by basically doing "nothing", and never ditching my vinyl collection.

Really enjoyed the REM post, and thanks for spurring some memories!

Wallsend, my guess for Levon on Tele would be 'Strawberry Wine' or 'Look Out Cleveland'.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 06:05:43 CEST 2015 from (108.36.197.190)

Peter M.

Described as "The Wilhelm Scream" of music.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 05:49:52 CEST 2015 from (58.104.26.21)

Wallsend

Does anyone know what song The Band performed with Levon playing a Telecaster?

Entered at Tue Mar 31 05:36:43 CEST 2015 from (67.84.79.139)

Jeff A.

Entered at Tue Mar 31 01:20:27 CEST 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

We have the standard trading "Blanks & Postage" system. Everyone in the U.S. will mail out an envelope, and inside that is my return envelope, stamped to mail back, addresses written out, and 1cdr/1dvdr included for me to burn on. This makes it as easy as possible for me to get it, and quickly send it right back out.

Anyone not in the U.S., we will try to arrange for one person in each country to receive the B+P, and then that person can then receive B+Ps and make copies for anyone else in their country.

Entered at Mon Mar 30 23:53:08 CEST 2015 from (24.222.133.194)

joe j

Can I just email you $20 or whatever?

Entered at Mon Mar 30 22:26:50 CEST 2015 from (68.232.68.198)

Bill M

Norbert: The link's to another highly prized drum beat - from "Automatic Man" by Brahman, featuring drummer Duris Maxwell. A twice-removed Band link in that organist Robbie King (whose song this is) and guitarist Ed Patterson were both doing the Ontario circuit with the Hawks, perhaps most notably the Good Shepherds (who played at JT's father's Concord Tavern).

Entered at Mon Mar 30 19:33:53 CEST 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

What an incredibly kind and generous offer that I'd love to have.Thanks Adam! But,how would I get you my address? Or email? here we go again.

Entered at Mon Mar 30 19:22:33 CEST 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I was in HMV this morning, picking up the ecstatically reviewed "Carrie & Lowell" by Sufjan Stevens. As ever, you can buy a selected CD or DVD off the counter for £2.99 with any full-price purchase, and today they had "Sounds Like Nashville" I glanced and it looked a nice compilation for the car. When I got home I noticed those esteemed Tennessee recording stars "The Band" were on Track 5, Long Black Veil. It's "From The Album" according to the notes, "Bob Dylan's backing group, The Band, step forward with their emotive cover of Lefty Frizell's Long Black Veil."

I guess "Nashville" is fair for Marijohn Wilkins and Danny Dill, but I might have mentioned them. And Robbie did get to record in Nashville for Blonde on Blonde.

Entered at Mon Mar 30 19:08:04 CEST 2015 from (87.144.162.140)

Norbert

Subject: Adam & The Amen Break

Adam, great thank you sir!

The Amen Break; the story of the most famous drum solo in history ever: covered 1500 times!

The Amen Break is a 5.2 second (4 bar) drum solo of 16 beats, performed by Gregory Coleman in The Winstons’ song "Amen, Brother" in the 1960s. It was released as a B-side..... It has been covered more than 1500 times! “Neither the performer, drummer G. C. Coleman, nor the copyright owner Richard L. Spencer have ever received any royalties or clearance fees for the use of the sample, nor has either sought royalties.” Spencer is 72 now and has cancer (some British DJ’s try to raise money though).....

Frosties: I almost let it slip, but for what it’s worth …this morning, I received an email regarding The Band’s Frosties ad. It claims to be from the retired Kellogg’s archivist from up on Battle Creek MI. He lives in an elderly home now and isn’t allowed out anymore. In the 1960s there were a wide range of new product introductions he stated and although his memory shrinks he still has his good moments and then he remembers the Frosties, Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Bran Buds and the Pop-Tarts with tears in his eyes....

Anyway just before he retired, he had taken some of the Kellogg’s archive with him home (“to save it from the claws of the shredder”). His wife died more than twenty years ago, from his five children only one survived and she doesn’t speak to him anymore.... The only person he is in contact with is his hardened older sister Mary Lou, who was never married and lives alone in a sub south of Battle Creek. She visits him ones every year and she has taken over his beloved Kellogg’s world. This Wednesday her annual visit is due and she will bring along some 'critical documents' regarding The Band’s Frosties ad connection....

Entered at Mon Mar 30 18:47:48 CEST 2015 from (92.18.218.139)

Toffee

I did download a Band torrent once that was over 1GB in size. The problem was who ever made the torrent must have been a huge Robbie fan because it had more Robbie videos and solo appearances than Band stuff. I did do my duty and seed it for all Band fans all over the world.

Entered at Mon Mar 30 17:48:28 CEST 2015 from (32.216.242.116)

Todd

Subject: B&P

Adam, Thanks for the offer that you've made. I would also be interested when the time comes. I like the idea of Blanks & Postage.

Years ago I tried bit torrent for live shows (never officially released stuff) but I got caught up in the idea that you would have to seed whatever you had downloaded, which took a lot of time, so that by the time the file was done, in many cases I had lost interest in actually listening to whatever it was I had downloaded. As a result, it became more about collecting files rather than actually listening to them. And in many cases the sound quality from audience sourced "field recordings" was subpar, so I ended up stopping.

One of the bands I used to collect live recordings from was Wilco, as they were very taper friendly, and thus many shows exist for them. But once Wilco released a couple of excellent live albums on their own, I found that the sound quality of the official stuff was so much better, that I don't go back to the audience sourced stuff very often.

But the Syria Mosque show by The Band sounds very appealing, and captures a very special time in their trajectory, that doessn't seem to be adequately represented by official releases at this time, so it's definitely something to look forward to.

Thanks Bro!

Entered at Mon Mar 30 15:57:48 CEST 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

You get all the luck mate. Not only did you get to see them but you also manage to get intimate with a strange woman.

Okay, so the downside is she looked a bit like me. Still, its better than my own vomit covered encounter which was with a man in a raincoat on a bumpy flight back from the Isle of Man.

:-0)

Entered at Mon Mar 30 14:04:22 CEST 2015 from (65.93.116.167)

Mike Nomad

Entered at Mon Mar 30 13:45:51 CEST 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Mon Mar 30 10:25:11 CEST 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Mon Mar 30 10:17:56 CEST 2015 from (67.87.216.25)

Jeff A.

We've all been googlee googled.

Even a finacial/legal wiz would need a fucking scorecard, ' Google buying Spotify for 4.1 billion dollars.. Hey, if it was 4.1 billion anything, even peanuts, that's a lot.

Entered at Mon Mar 30 08:36:30 CEST 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Mon Mar 30 05:49:41 CEST 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Mon Mar 30 05:48:23 CEST 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

ut remember, it's not finished yet. I'm consulting with a great audio guy friend of mine before I finish polishing it up. Just to be clear to anyone official, this is NOT for sale/profit/bootlegging and is for fans who buy the official releases and support the artists.

I'll say when it's finished, and then everyone can email me.

Entered at Mon Mar 30 03:17:12 CEST 2015 from (68.171.246.133)

Bill M

Entered at Mon Mar 30 01:31:39 CEST 2015 from (65.93.116.167)

Mike Nomad

Entered at Sun Mar 29 23:20:18 CEST 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Sun Mar 29 22:18:42 CEST 2015 from (65.93.116.167)

Mike Nomad

Subject: Richard's scholarship fund

Wallsend: Above link should assist you.

I'd like to be added to Adam's list. Will happily pay costs thereof.

Entered at Sun Mar 29 22:14:12 CEST 2015 from (174.1.247.160)

Lisa

I'd love to have one too, Adam. You'll let us know when it's done, how we can contact you and reimburse you?

Entered at Sun Mar 29 21:51:48 CEST 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Sun Mar 29 21:31:11 CEST 2015 from (58.104.5.203)

Wallsend

I wonder if anyone here knows the contact details of the people organising this scholarship in Richard's name. I wouldn't mind kicking in a few dollars given the listening pleasure The Band has given me over all these years.

Entered at Sun Mar 29 20:54:05 CEST 2015 from (108.36.197.190)

Peter M.

Subject: um, ouch...

This dinosaur double posted. At least I properly addressed the second one to patron of the arts, Adam.

Entered at Sun Mar 29 20:51:17 CEST 2015 from (108.36.197.190)

Peter M.

Subject: Syria Mosque

Hey hey Adam, On this warm springlike afternoon, I put my powerful little Bose computer speakers on a headphone extension cord and placed them on the kitchen window sill. While doing my unfavorite task, washing the dishes, I am so enjoying your labor of love. And when I take a break and visit my cigar out on the deck, this auditory treat follows me. Thank you SO much, man ! I'd heard an awful version of this years ago, but what a delight to hear what you've done with it!

Entered at Sun Mar 29 20:50:03 CEST 2015 from (108.36.197.190)

Peter M.

Subject: Syria Mosque

On this warm springlike afternoon, I put my powerful little Bose computer speakers on a headphone extension cord and placed them on the kitchen window sill. While doing my unfavorite task, washing the dishes, I am so enjoying your labor of love. And when I take a break and visit my cigar out on the deck, this auditory treat follows me. Thank you SO much, man ! I'd heard an awful version of this years ago, but what a delight to hear what you've done with it!

Entered at Sun Mar 29 20:26:26 CEST 2015 from (108.41.170.168)

Joan

Adam I would love to have a copy just let me know what is going to cost postage and other shipping costs. My email address is as follows motus2 aterolsdotcom. Thank you in advance. You are doing amazing work

Entered at Sun Mar 29 20:18:35 CEST 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Sun Mar 29 19:26:46 CEST 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Also the word "Frosties" has to be pronounced with a Billy Connelly style Glaswegian accent or else it doesn't work.

Dunc is best to advise on this but it's kind of like "Frurrsties". Basically the short 'o' is replaced by a long drawn out 'urr"

Over to you Dunc.

:-0)

BTW Adam - I'll be all over it mate - whatever it cots!! You little belter you!!

:-0)

Entered at Sun Mar 29 19:13:36 CEST 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Sun Mar 29 18:05:36 CEST 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Sun Mar 29 17:22:45 CEST 2015 from (108.36.197.190)

Peter M.

When I read the lyrics to the Frosties commercial, I thought they sounded very familiar. I went to YouTube and searched "snap, crackle, pop old rice krispies commercial". It's the same one I remember as a child, except that they say Rice Krispies instead of Frosties. I tried searching the same title, except substituting the name frosties. Found nothing.

Entered at Sun Mar 29 16:25:26 CEST 2015 from (76.69.46.166)

JT

Subject: Serial cereals

Norbert: What were Frosties? I am aware of the 'snap, crackle,pop' standard and characters for Kellogg's Rice Crispies. I am aware of the Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (Tony the Tiger was the face of this brand). I am not aware of Frosties? If you have further information on this and related Levon and the Hawks ad, please inform? Thanks

Entered at Sun Mar 29 14:40:07 CEST 2015 from (86.169.200.214)

Dunc

Subject: Weather

Hey North West Coaster, I've had a two week summer holiday in Helsinki. Great weather with the whole nation washing their carpets outside down at the docks!

Bought a Roary Gallagher colllection in a great wee CD shop.

Entered at Sun Mar 29 13:32:46 CEST 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

In my comprehensive Band Excel spreadsheet, under JS448, there is a grey field with no name;

A right mouse click leads to a quadrant of four cells -- click on MYSTERIES (red field under left) -- 1963 -- LEVON AND THE HAWKS -- FINANCE -- COMMERCIALS -- TO CHECK -- and finaly hit: THE LOST ADD:

Now there is a wider numeric field with eight names : Frosties, Bruce Bruno, Jerry Penfound, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson.

Underneath it is a text field:

“On the WWW hovers this stubbornly romur; There is a commercial made by the Band in October of 1963. It ran in several countries and under the condition that they would not be identified as The Band playing. Back then, "selling out" was considered a deadly sin among rockers. But they needed money. It probably helps that the commercial was so bad it was rarely seen.”

Here it is:

"Snap, what a happy sound/ Snap is the happiest sound I found

You may clap, rap, tap, slap, but Snap makes the world go round

Snap, crackle, pop – Frosties!"

Crackle: "I say it's Crackle, the frosty sound/ You gotta have Crackle or the clock's not wound

Geese cackle, feathers tickle, belts buckle, beets pickle, but Crackle makes the world go round

Snap, crackle, pop – Frosties!"

Pop: "I insist that Pop's the sound/ The best is missed unless Pop's around

You can't stop hoppin' when the cereal's poppin'/ Pop makes the world go round/ Snap, crackle, pop – Frosties!"

Not to start a new feud here, but I’m just curious who wrote this?

Entered at Sun Mar 29 13:09:43 CEST 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

It's pissing down here too with what sounds like a force 8!!!

:-0)

Entered at Sun Mar 29 13:07:38 CEST 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

My snatches of Nat King Cole, Peggy lee, Frank Sinatra and Leapy Lee look a bit threadbare now I've just had a quick look!!

:-0)

And as you say P, we should be far more tolerant and understanding of a Magpie's fanatic than any more normal soul I guess

:-0)

Entered at Sun Mar 29 13:07:19 CEST 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I wouldn't worry too much about Scandinavia. It's like that on the South Coast now, so either it moved our way or there's just a lot of it!

Entered at Sun Mar 29 12:45:59 CEST 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Sun Mar 29 12:43:20 CEST 2015 from (83.249.132.27)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: You don't need a weatherman to tell you when the wind blows- no, because we have Dunc here!

The most impudence poster here is Dunc from Scotland. Let's take his latest post: "Yesterday was a horrendous day. Cold and sheet rain." The thing is that the Scottish weather will hit Scandinavian coast always 24 hours later. Dunc's posts make me nervous. I shut all the windows and doors and wait for the worst.

Entered at Sun Mar 29 12:42:22 CEST 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

I've only been listening to one thing lately. Thanks to Pete who copied me in as soon as he saw the gap in my collection. And I'm sure you don't need me to elaborate on what it is.

For me it is such an incredible piece of listening I simply don't want to - by my own weird sensibilities - tarnish it or detract from it in any way, shape of form by listening to anything else at all just now.

Each listen brings tears to my eyes as I hear those matchless vocals. No disrespect to Levon but because his vocal delivery remained intact and was even quality after his illness/operation, it has been the emotion wrapped qualities of Rick and Richard's vocals that have beguiled and enchanted me on this recording. Levon is merely delivering in the way he always has done but the subsequent lessening of quality in Rick and Richard's outputs as time wore on is making me savour so much what their deliveries on this record are providing.

When you throw in the absurdly incredible song quality, the peerless musicianship from Levon's punch drumming to Robbie's outrageous guitar intricacy, the magical background piano rides of er hmmph...Garth and Richard, Rick's interloping bass precision then it's little wonder after all these decades being denied these delights alive and kicking that I simply cannot keep away.

I only ever had two opportunities to see our heroes in their original form - IOW in 1970 and Albert hall in 1971. I missed both. Both were down in Pete and Roger's neck of the woods and there were good reasons why I couldn't make it on both occasions.

Of course, I regret not going like crazy but I refuse to beat myself up about it. Yet if there's some things you wish you'd done differently then for me going to at least one of those performances but especially '71 would sure be one of them. I never made it to Rome in '77 for Liverpool's first European Cup - again with good reason. But 'looking back missing 'summer '71 at the Albert Hall even comes above that. And as Dunc, Rog, Pete, Fred and kev all know that really does speak volumes.

So I read yet another of Pat's wonderful insights about how he was blown away as he saw them in '69 switching instruments like kids swap comics and I take immense joy from it and I close my eyes and hear Rick informing us that 'we're still one and the same, just you and me' and I swear I'm there alongside Pat. Mouth ajar. Watching in awe. Tears of joy welling.

:-0)

Entered at Sun Mar 29 12:09:26 CEST 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

It's a difficult one in one sense Pete. I mean some folks don't want to have things complicated. They just want the easily accessible samples done for them without the bother of exploring an artist. It's fair enough. It's their prerogative. I guess to an extent we've all done it at one time or another.

In this instance, however, the reason I felt compelled to dive in and sound off was the almost contemptuous way he was regarding what will always rank for me as a major artist in such a throwaway fashion as if they were Westlife whilst at the same time seeming to dismiss the way us arl arses used to acquire our music. And all the time celebrating the ease of the MP3 age where you can cherry pick at will.

:-0)

Entered at Sun Mar 29 11:55:48 CEST 2015 from (86.169.200.214)

Dunc

Subject: Yesterday

Yesterday was a horrendous day. Cold and sheet rain. For the first time in many years I don't have a link to a youth football team, which makes you get out on a Saturday. I spent the afternoon playing albums.

Seen many crazy drunks. But in the past you didn't have to watch yourself on you tube.

Interesting post, Al. But I've read (including links on this site) that's a fundemental difference in the way the younger generations collect. Also, you might find if what I've read is true, that one day in the future he'll dump all the REM.

I was a colector, but I was a careless collector. I got Melody Maker every week, but it's only in the last twenty years I've read extensively on music.

I spent too much time on football, Al.

Also, I think my collecting suffered maybe because of too Catholic tastes - really like too many genres of music, but it's all good quality.

I'm fascinated by hearing about the big collections. I think Peter posted that he has everything he has collected a couple of years back. I really regret giving the singles away many years ago. I enjoyed looking at Jimmy Page's collection on You Tube, Although I'm not a Zep fan, I admired the fact he was still genuinely interested in music.

Retirement has given me the chance to take time with music and listen closely. I played several Band albums in a row recently, focusing on garth, hence my question to Pat. I know he's a genius, but because I'm not musician I want to know what makes him a genius.

Recently played all 17 Tom waits albums in a row. Brilliant. But there are gaps.

Away to my two year old grandson's football. Start them young up here.

Entered at Sun Mar 29 11:13:41 CEST 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Sun Mar 29 11:11:04 CEST 2015 from (219.89.46.52)

Rod

I think Robbie was a bit flustered after the Evangeline/LW Suite song.

Entered at Sun Mar 29 10:02:12 CEST 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Band link - they were likened to The Band by 'Q' magazine at the time of the marvellous Life's Rich Pageant which is what whetted the seeds of my subsequent passion for them.

:-0)

Anyroad, so I thought I'd post on here a response I've just done on an LFC site to a youngish fella who had discovered REM via MP3 downloads and was asking about them but at the same time was lampooning anybody who was stupid enough to purchase one of their 'CD's'. He thought the concept of vinyl albums was so archaic as to not warrant a second thought.

And so, feeling a mite irked, I wrote this impromptu response. I can't recall if anyone else but David P is into REM but the essence of what I wrote I think holds true for any artist of any quality.

""I feel like a bit of an anachronism reading your posts mate!!

I'd guess I'm around 10-15 years older than your arl fella to give you some context. So please take what I'm about to say in the right spirit.

Got to say I find it absolutely horrific to read the manner in which you go about exploring a band, nay a musical bedrock, such as REM. That's not to say what you're doing is wrong but from where I stand it just seems utterly ridiculous and self-defeating.

A group such as REM evolves over many years. To cherry pick songs from right across their 30 year long career is fine as an opening gambit but in reality it gives you no sense whatsoever of what they're actually about as an artistic entity. For me it's a lazy and shallow approach to music listening and simply smacks of a desperation for instant gratification.

There's only one way to begin listening to REM. As with any band who have had a musical career worthy of the name with REM you simply have to start at the beginning.

Chronic Town was their first recording. It was an EP and whilst a good indicator of what was to come I'd not class it as essential. Personally, I'd skip it for their debut album Murmur.

Murmur arguably still remains their finest recording. It perhaps lacks the maturity and later sophistication and commercial attractions of Out of Time and Automatic yet remains so startlingly inventive and innovative and with such amazing songs it still demands to be played front to back some 30 odd years on. It is a kind of hybrid crossover. It straddles a line between punk/garage band simplicity and genuine quality artistic songwriting/performing that few bands if any from the era can match and for me none have surpassed. And I include Costello and Weller in that.

From there you have a succession of absolutely cracking albums each of which borrow from the one preceeding yet mark out a career development which few bands come close to matching - Reckoning, Fables, Pageant, Document, Green by which time the secret of their majesty was out and culminated in their worldwide acclaim and the release of Out of Time and Automatic. At that point I think it could be safely said their development as artists ceased. Whilst releasing albums from then on which were always going to be 'decent' simply because of their qualities as artists the albums were never 'vital' as their opening onslaught of EIGHT truly outstanding recordings.

So there you go. You opened the thread and that's my fourpennyworth. Clearly there must have been a need inside me to do a piece on REM so it might as well be here as anywhere, I guess.

May I just say, though, the manner in which you seem to be going about acquiring an artist's music is for me no more than playing at it. By all means have your MP3 collections but fer fuck sake when you hit on any artist of quality at least afford them a modicum of respect and explore how they came to cut a piece of music that so happened to appeal to your particular sensibilities in the first place.

Oh - and good exploring yer geordie twat!!!

:-0)""

Seems from his response he took it all in good spirit.

:-0)

Entered at Sat Mar 28 21:04:55 CET 2015 from (76.98.218.136)

Carmen

Subject: Billie Holiday

interesting read

Entered at Sat Mar 28 21:01:29 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

I think I got the link I need,but most kind of you-I'd still be hesitant-my Internet thing!

Entered at Sat Mar 28 18:42:59 CET 2015 from (108.41.170.168)

Joan

As I learned here you can give your email address by writing it out and it will be less likely to be scanned or used by somebody unauthorized. Mine would be motus2aterolsdotcom. Don't know if somebody had already answered this but in not here it is

Entered at Sat Mar 28 17:35:49 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Al E, here is a rather ungainly example of the instrument switch. Richard is standing at the piano when the song starts. He rushes back to the organ and Garth wends his way to the piano.

Entered at Sat Mar 28 17:32:20 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I must say that last night (England v Lithuania) had me yawning and wandering off to make a cup of tea - not because anyone played badly, but it was just inevitability from the first kick.

Entered at Sat Mar 28 17:29:44 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Later I saw Levon play bass.

As the years went by, they did that less and less.

Entered at Sat Mar 28 17:26:45 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

My last five played albums (though really “Duets” would be three times in two days).:

Van Morrison Duets

Sam Lee & Friends: The Fade in Time – actually pretty heavy going. It’s like a traditional folk Zappa or Beefheart at first listen through. Not very “accessible” in spite of good reviews, but I’ll persevere.

Sticks & Stones: The Sue Label Story – disc one.

Tracker: Mark Knopfler.

Respect: Jimmy Smith (1967 LP)

Interestingly we both have Van Morrison, and "Respect" is on Otis Blue as well as (obviously) on Jimmy Smith's "Respect" album.

Entered at Sat Mar 28 17:10:25 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Subject: Dunc

Dunc - you might enjoy this. Standard "post skinful" walking in Liverpool and Glasgow!!!

And no - it isn't me though it does look suspiciously like a young fella who sits in fron of us at the match. I love the way the lads filming it can't control their laughins halway through. Gets me each time I watch it.

:-0)

Entered at Sat Mar 28 17:07:07 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

Subject: Music I listen to right now.....

Youtube: Elmore James - Dust my broom (link). Loud on my litle great Bose PC table speakes, we're swinging along around the table, just for dinner ...... Saturday evening in Germany ;-).

Entered at Sat Mar 28 16:43:36 CET 2015 from (86.169.200.214)

Dunc

Subject: Last five albums

What's the last five albums you have played. Here's mine.

The Who Live at Leeds

Van Morrison Astral Weeks

Tom Waits Rain Dogs

Maura O'Connell first album

Otis Redding sings soul Otis Blue

A truly Catholic taste!

Entered at Sat Mar 28 16:36:55 CET 2015 from (86.169.200.214)

Dunc

Subject: Thanks

Thanks, Adam.

Thanks, Wallsend. Great read, well written article.

Enjoyable tale, Peter. Dancing was huge in Glasgow. And as we discussed several years ago on the GB, if a band was to break Scotland, the music had to be able to be danced to.

Entered at Sat Mar 28 15:32:10 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Never been my strongest suit....

:-0)

It's all slotted together now though. Thanks to Pat and Adam [and Pete with the Victoria Wood comment] for bearing with me. If I tell you that the missing piece of the jigsaw concerned the distinction between upright and mini grand piano, promise to go easy on me! Better late than never - and when all's said and done it did help generate some amazing posting.

:-0)

Entered at Sat Mar 28 14:45:40 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Here is photographic evidence of "Caledonia Mission" 1969!

Entered at Sat Mar 28 14:43:19 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Sat Mar 28 14:39:11 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

As for how I know some of this, it just comes from: 1) being completely in love and obsessed with The Band's music, 2) listening to every detail in the recordings, and 3) repeat. lol.

Entered at Sat Mar 28 13:56:19 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Edge :-0)

Jed - I think I'm correct in saying it is one and the same. And boy do we give thanks to Adam for it.

The thing is the more I listen to it the more in awe I become of the five musicians who created what is an hour of musical perfection. Mere words cannot do it or them the remotest justice.

:-0)

Entered at Sat Mar 28 13:10:29 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

Thanks for the links-I will send to my friend to see what he can do.Since I never understood bit torrent,how is the sound in the link you sent any different?Also,I saw Edge submitted the Pittsburgh show- is it the one linked here and recently remastered by Adam?

Entered at Sat Mar 28 11:49:50 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Great little tale Pete.

Pat: Just to refine a bit further my own understanding following all the great insight you've already provided. And apologies in advance if it's so feckin obvious and it's just me being a bit tup.

Perhaps, too, it's one for Adam given the insight he's acquired.

Question is this - when for example Garth was performing that wonderful background accompaniment right through Time To Kill was he doing it on his own piano alongside his organ? Or did his organ have a piano function that is almost undetectable as electric piano? Or was he actually stooping down playing Richard's piano whilst Richard was bobbing about making it look as if Richard was playing?

:-0)

I know I'm gonna get feckin marmalized for this aren't I?

Ah well, curiosity killed the cat huh?

:-0)

Entered at Sat Mar 28 10:33:20 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

What a great piece by Bill Payne on Richard Manuel’s piano. I’d wondered about transporting pianos compared to booking one. In the 60s every concert hall would have had a resident Steinway. I hadn’t realized until the article how different they could be. Of course, transporting a piano, even a baby grand, is a nightmare. We saw a lunchtime concert on the harpsichord, and the player had five or six in the small theatre with 100 of us in the audience. I would have thought transport costs would have wiped out any possibility of breaking even on the one person concert, even though I’d assume he could do the necessary tuning after transport himself.

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, when I did lights on summer shows, we had symphony concerts on Sundays, and on Saturday nights the variety show Steinway had to be taken off into the wings, and the identical symphony one brought on, and they’d re-tune after moving them 10 yards. We stage hands used to wonder why they didn’t just use the same one. The old piano tuner who used to tune our upright for the kids used to do the local symphony one too, and he told me that you either tuned a piano for classical (at British concert pitch … apparently different from German concert pitch!) or “dance band” and that for a “dance band” you tuned slightly sharp. Which is why the concert hall had two. He was a Glaswegian who would regale me with tales of his own days in dance bands in the early 1950s which would have me crying with laughter.

I also thought it over expensive for (say) Victoria Wood to cart her white grand piano around the country to put next to existing Steinways in concert halls.

After Bill Payne’s fascinating piece, I finally understand!

Entered at Sat Mar 28 09:51:57 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Fascinating that. Cheers Wallsend!

Who'd a thunk it.

Funnily enough the bit that resonated most was the 94 year old music store owner who still plays his clarinet and sax every day!!!

What a nice easily digested writer Bill Payne is too.

:-0)

Entered at Sat Mar 28 08:58:19 CET 2015 from (58.104.2.216)

Wallsend

A brief article about Richard's piano.

Entered at Sat Mar 28 08:51:49 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

No, no, Bill. You don’t do the lads justice. I recall Nobby (drums) studying the lyrics to Don’t Start Me Talking, and saying, “Hey! If we transpose this to lyre, lute and sackbut it would be a perfect theme song for the school production of Othello. Iago could sing it!” Then Ernie (guitar) thought that the lyric might suit Othello’s ethnicity rather better, even though Othello was being played by a rather effete white lad with black stage makeup. We were grammar school boys. Our 12 bar version of Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day should have been recorded. Punk would have got started a dozen years earlier.

My lyrics to Route 66 were much prized by local bands, in that I was the only person who thought of looking at an atlas, thus correcting the popular guesses at lines like "see a mirror," “gallop to Mexico” and “don’t forget to phone her.” Most bands were hampered by taking the lyrics from The Rolling Stones version, even though they would tell everyone it was a Chuck Berry song. Of course it was a song covered by Chuck Berry. If any of us had had the musical knowledge to seek out the Nat King Cole version it would have been far easier.

Entered at Sat Mar 28 08:46:37 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

How d'you fellas know all this stuff??

:-0)

Entered at Sat Mar 28 02:35:30 CET 2015 from (68.171.246.136)

Bill M

Peter V: However much your bandmates may have appreciated your handwritten lyric sheets back in the day, I doubt they felt the same about your mimeoed theatre critiques.

Entered at Sat Mar 28 01:36:06 CET 2015 from (82.25.178.222)

Ian W

Last night, we saw The Who in a charity show - haven't seeb them live for something over 40 years. Daltrey and Townsend gave full-on two hour show. The support act was Wilko Johnson (ex Dr Feelgood) and my question is about him.

I haven't seen him live before and he plays rhythm and lead at the same time, his fingers seeming to "frail" like a banjo player's. I can't recall seeing anyone play guitar like that. How does he do it, I wonder.

Does any onther guitar player I might know play that way?

P.S: I'm not a guitar freak but I think it was a Telecaster with a black body and red guard - I don't recall one like that before, either.

Entered at Fri Mar 27 23:32:44 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Fri Mar 27 23:26:21 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Fri Mar 27 23:25:11 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

03. Jed was correct! In late 1974 (ie Wembley), Garth played lead organ on The Weight and Richard stayed on piano. That was the only time I know of during the OQ. The Wembley 1974 has a lot of notable lineup changes from the standard. Richard played double drums with Levon on Time To Kill, Smoke Signal and Mystery Train.

01. Pat is correct... Garth played piano on Smoke Signal (studio), but did not live. Pat, I didn't even see that you had just posted that fact right before I posted my questions! However Pat, your answer of Question 02 (Garth played Stage Fright piano in '87 after Richard's death) was not the answer I was looking for. I should have been more clear that these questions were OQ only. \So questions 1 and 3 are down, but 2 is still unanswered. And it is a good one!

02. Name a song Garth DID NOT play piano on (studio version), but DID live.

Entered at Fri Mar 27 22:01:44 CET 2015 from (58.104.2.216)

Wallsend

Jed, if you don't want to go to the trouble of torrenting you can just do a direct download from sites like TUBE.

Entered at Fri Mar 27 19:53:41 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I was very taken with Johnny Darrow's cover too, I think the chorus was a surprising and fun addition. I was quite surprised to see that Johnny Darrow was actually Johnny Moore of The Drifters under a pseudonym. That Sue label compilation also has Bobby Hendricks, another Drifter, on a solo career.

Don't Start Me To Talking stands with Route 66 as one I spent ages trying to puzzle out in garage band days. My handwritten sheets were much circulated, perpetuating many errors on my part. I bought "Down & Out Blues" on initial UK release, a major investment in those days, and learned Fattening Frogs for Snakes too.

When I get round to getting those 60s short stories on Kindle, the title is "I'll Tell Everything I Know" from Don't Start Me Talking.

Entered at Fri Mar 27 17:15:08 CET 2015 from (107.211.249.187)

Paul

Subject: Don't Start Me Talking

Peter, I don't know for sure, but I've always assumed Sonny Boy was saying, "...and get some market" for two dollars, and I think Johnny Darrow is saying the same. Nice version from Darrow, which I hadn't heard before.

Entered at Fri Mar 27 14:57:17 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

I got a smile outta this.A few days back I rant about technology and the Internet.Now I'm asking for a bit torrent and I still have no idea what that means.Now Adam is kind enough to help me out but,Adam,how do I give you my email on a public forum?Seems possibly messy problems may emerge?Pardon my Internet ignorance.

Entered at Fri Mar 27 10:21:41 CET 2015 from (31.51.184.209)

Dunc

Subject: John Renbourn

Death of John Renbourn is a sad loss. The heart of Pentangle now gone. Only saw them twice, but both nights brilliant.

I think when you consider Bert, John and Davey Graham it was a time when British guitarists could match anybody in the world. Neil Young is always full of praise for Bert.

I don't have the Bert Jansch, John Renbourn album, although I've heard it several times. Always meaning to pick it up, but never getting there. Will rectify this soon.

Entered at Fri Mar 27 08:55:32 CET 2015 from (173.3.48.220)

Jeff A.

Entered at Fri Mar 27 08:34:06 CET 2015 from (219.89.46.52)

Rod

Entered at Fri Mar 27 08:10:54 CET 2015 from (108.36.197.190)

Peter M.

Subject: Wow, Pat B, you nailed it

Ouch, that was a cold dose of reality. As for me, I'm back to the Blues where I can find it (Joe Lewis Walker, thanks to introductions from Butch and Sid McGinnis after a Levon gig at The Beacon). I STILL love the zydeco and some hard to find African musics. David Lindley, Ry Cooder and Dave (and Phil) Alvin still rekindle my soul. And Amy Helm is one of the most REAL musicians I've heard in ages. Maybe, when I'm feeling Neanderthal, I'd consider a ZZ Top gig. Sure wish Keith would get the Ex-Pensive Winos back on the road...

Entered at Fri Mar 27 05:54:18 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Adam, Garth covered Richard's piano on Stage Fright when he was the only keyboardist for a while. He also let Richard Bell do the piano stuff on The Weight. Smoke Signal is the other answer unless there are more.

Entered at Fri Mar 27 01:51:49 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Fri Mar 27 01:43:31 CET 2015 from (63.142.158.9)

JQ

Hi Pat B - We recently remodeled the Chicago pub a bit; if you make it in let me know what you think.

You mentioned Garth's Sax playing - He didn't seem to get too improvisational on Sax, very unlike his keyboard playing. Do you think that his Sax chops, as his newer accomplishment, didn't allow for that (yet)?

Entered at Fri Mar 27 01:20:43 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

Great job on Pittsburgh show.The music is stellar.Thanks for posting the show.Question:I may have missed it but is there a link to a bit torrent(is that what it's called?)? My friend wants to copy it for me to cd,but thinks a bit torrent would help.Thanks.

Entered at Fri Mar 27 01:00:03 CET 2015 from (178.16.130.100)

Green waste girl

That's pretty awesome, really! The disscography is impressive. Would visit again!

Entered at Thu Mar 26 23:30:53 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: RIP John Renbourn

See link.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 22:47:55 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Here's some interesting (to me anyway) Band instrumentation trivia for you all:

01. Name a song Garth DID play piano on (studio version), but DID NOT live.

02. Name a song Garth DID NOT play piano on (studio version), but DID live.

03. Garth played piano on "The Weight" (studio version), and always did live... BUT there was an exception. Which period of the OQ was it?

Entered at Thu Mar 26 22:05:10 CET 2015 from (68.196.242.45)

Jeff A.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 21:57:08 CET 2015 from (131.137.34.245)

sadavid

Subject: groceteria blues

See also [My link].

Entered at Thu Mar 26 21:52:41 CET 2015 from (131.137.34.245)

sadavid

Subject: I'll Tell Everything I Know

Peter V: I'm pretty sure Jack gave his wife the two dollars to go downtown "and get some market" - which I take to mean foodstuffs. Cognate, in my head anyway, with BB. King's diktat to his generous significant other in "I Got Some Help I Don't Need" (at [My link]): "When I come home, it better be grocery on the shelf."

Entered at Thu Mar 26 21:24:21 CET 2015 from (68.232.68.198)

Bill M

sadavid: Thanks to the link to Mood dja dja - a terrific album. I think a guy or two went on to k.d. lang's band after that. Before, group leader (and writer and singer) Greg Leskiw had been one of the two Winnipeg guitarists hired to replace Randy Bachman in the Guess Who. Leskiw left after a couple albums to do his own thing, this. His replacement was Don MacDougall, who'd been lead singer and co-lead guitarist in Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck - hear link. I was going to post about them after listening to the one album of theirs that made it to CD, mostly because we were wondering where the GB women had gone and I was reminded of Kristie of Duncan BC. I thnk it was because she liked Moby Grape that I suggested she go down to Victoria to find the MTYD CD - at a place called the Turntable on FanTan Alley. (JT chipped in that he knew the place.) But I didn't post this thought then, but will now.

Pat B: While I'm good with the idea that it's Garth on piano on "The Weight", I'm pretty sure it's often Richard playing the Weighty / churchy piano snatches stewn throughout the BTs. Even though Garth's got hands enough to do a decent job on both keyboards at the same time, the basement setting doesn't seem to call for such.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 21:22:18 CET 2015 from (108.41.170.168)

Joan

For those of you who are not on Facebook. Robbie has posted that he just finished the next to last chapter as he said two more to go of the first draft

Entered at Thu Mar 26 21:21:03 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: Don't Start Me Taliking

Sonny Boy Williamson wrote it. I just got the Sue label 2 disc "out of European copyright" set, Sticks & Stones.It includes Johnny Darrow's version of this marvellous song. Johnny Darrow clarified "He honked his horn" but I still have no idea what Jack gave his wife two dollars to buy. I spent ages laboriously trying to write out the lyrics in 1964 and put "mutton" but it's not. So what was it?

Entered at Thu Mar 26 20:39:28 CET 2015 from (131.137.34.245)

sadavid

Subject: the genetic mary poppins

One thing I love about Mr. Hudson is the occasional antique colours he uses - like Stephen Foster or some such 19th-century parlour music. There's a little of that here, and a little of the East European thing as well.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 20:23:28 CET 2015 from (31.51.184.209)

Dunc

Subject: Thanks

Thanks for explanation Pat. I understand a lot of the post, but I'll have to do some googling. But like Al, I would like more of the same.

Thanks, Peter. I like Will Self's journalism, but have not read his novels, but I was surprised he had been teaching that day. Always interested in writing.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 19:53:20 CET 2015 from (184.66.163.29)

JT

Subject: Cream (not the band)

Despite all of our moaning, the cream rises to the top (examples: the issue of JH and Bob) irrespective of the technology. Its not all bad. As I have said before, at least on the recordings that I hear, there is a lot of good new and rising talent if you keep your eyes and ears open.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 19:46:55 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

I'm chuffed to mintballs I thought it was dear Richard on Time To Kill.

Otherwise we might never have gotten these amazing insights/reflections from our very own keyboard afficianado.

That last post. Wow.

More of the same please Pat.

And whilst I'm at it some terrific insights on both current and past music scenes from Jeff and Pete. There's times when this place is akin to a university of musical life.

Sterling stuff fellas.

Perhaps Bob F might add to the mix and give us some background insight on the early promise/past and ongoing emergence of his highly gifted daughter. OK Bob? We'd love to know.

:-0)

Entered at Thu Mar 26 19:39:09 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Thu Mar 26 19:25:59 CET 2015 from (184.66.163.29)

JT

Subject: LHOsmond and David Wiffen

Bill M: I have the LHOsmond cds and like them a lot. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to make Hugh's Room on that date though I'd love to. It'll surely be a great evening.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 18:49:01 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Thu Mar 26 18:12:21 CET 2015 from (31.51.184.209)

Dunc

Subject: Various

Thanks everybody. Some interesting links and posts.

Pat B:Maybe a daft question. I remember a couple of years back you mentioning you had a collection of 'Genetic Fevers'. How unique is Garth? What is it that he can do that makes him unique?

Peter, I noticed today some leading Scottish authors will be giving talks at a Glasgow Hospital. Some writers can have a difficult life. At your transition stage from teaching to writing becoming your main occupation, how difficult was it to get a decent rate for the piece of writing and to get your money after the task was completed? Don't answer if this is too nosey.

Developing Scottish bands always left Scotland for London. The stated reason was to get a record deal, but I also wonder if it was to be in an area where there was an opportunity to get more gigs?

Entered at Thu Mar 26 18:07:38 CET 2015 from (131.137.34.245)

sadavid

Subject: it's a living

My kid brother has made a living playing keyboards for 30-plus years. Some arranging, some music directing, occasionally leading. (Journeyman work; not the same, I know, as trying to establish / maintain a career as a 'name' artist.) And he ain't rich, but he's never missed a meal or his rent, and he's doing what he loves.

I think the keys to that degree of success (beyond having the chops) are being easy to work with and not being picky -- he's worked bars, bar mitzvahs, theatre, dinner theatre, cruises, casinos, concerts, festivals, weddings, whatever.

[My link] is an earworm from The Golden Age (ca 1975) that surfaced with the recent discussion . . . .

Entered at Thu Mar 26 17:59:08 CET 2015 from (68.171.246.145)

Bill M

JT: Speaking of Hugh's Room, that's where I plan to be on April 9 - for the following. Note that Lee Harvey Osmond is BARK's Tom Wilson and friends. **************** A Celebration of David Wiffen

with Special Performances by
Murray McLauchlan
Cowboy Junkies
LeE HARVey OsMOND
Lynn Miles
Harlan Pepper
Liam Titcomb
Scarlett Jane
David Bray
Sandy Crawley
Lost and Profound

David Wiffen is going to make a rare public appearance and will join the audience for this special evening of performances of his music by so many  talented artists. David Wiffin’s latest CD “Songs From The Lost & Found” will be available for purchase at this event.

  English-born Canadian singer and guitarist David Wiffen is a widely acclaimed songwriter, whose songs have been covered by artists including Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, The Cowboy Junkies, Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes, Anne Murray ,The Jayhawks, Harry Belafonte, The Byrds, Ian & Sylvia, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Jerry Jeff Walker and many others. Born March 11, 1942, Wiffen moved to Canada with his family, at the age of 16. His first solo album, “David Wiffen at the Bunkhouse Coffeehouse” was released in 1965. Wiffen subsequently signed to Fantasy Records and in 1971, released “David Wiffen” and had hit singles with “One Step” and “More Often Than Not”. The album also contained his most widely covered song, “Driving Wheel”. His second solo studio album, “Coast to Coast Fever” (United Artists, 1973), was produced by Bruce Cockburn. Wiffen’s third album, ”South of Somewhere”, was released in 1999; the album contained a mix of reworkings of some of his older material, such as “Driving Wheel”, plus some new songs. During this period, he returned briefly to performing, but has not performed publicly since early 2000. “Songs From The Lost & Found” consists of 12 previously unreleased songs dating from the mid-seventies to the early eighties along with 5 alternative versions of songs previously released on “South of Somewhere” . Whether recorded solo, in small combos, or with a full band, they are some of the finest material Wiffen has written. These are songs of longing, of experience, of travel, of reflection, of love lost and love won all sung with his incredible baritone voice.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 17:48:38 CET 2015 from (24.114.66.166)

Kevin J

Entered at Thu Mar 26 17:47:03 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Bach & Garth. It reminds me of something going the rounds the week before last – 30 faces and “Which one would you have most liked to see in concert?” They included Jimi Hendrix, Lou Reed, Kurt Cobain, Beethoven, Elvis.

I voted for Elvis on strict condition that it was Elvis in 1955 not 1975. But as I pointed out to those who chose Beethoven, was he any good live? It’s a bit like that with Bach – maybe he improvised, stood up, and played the keyboard with his toes, but I think someone would have mentioned it. We know Mozart gave a cracking good show because he toured all over and attracted large crowds.

It’s a bit like Jimmy Webb – I was excited to see he was playing locally, but a friend who’d seen him said “Fantastic composer. Truly awful performer.”

Entered at Thu Mar 26 17:40:12 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Then you get these folk song guys (one on Radio 4 today) combing the archives for musical annotations of folk songs scribbled down in the 19th century.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 17:14:59 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Thu Mar 26 17:08:00 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Thu Mar 26 17:03:55 CET 2015 from (68.196.242.45)

Jeff A.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 17:01:01 CET 2015 from (68.196.242.45)

Jeff A.

Separately, i forgot to include this, so returned to report the passing of two musical giants. Keyboardist James Allen Smith, who I saw plenty of with Stuff, and Samuel Charters. Charters, well see for yourselves. Key in so many peoples careers, one of them. being my friend Larry Johnson. Charters was the first to record him.

Pat, Garth was/ is the next coming of Bach.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 16:52:23 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

The Band? They successfully transitioned from a dying breed (courtesy the British Invasion)--a white RnB/Blues group slogging it out on a shot and a beer circuit--to a loud rock group backing a polarizing poet, a move that drove away one of its key members. When they re-emerged, thanks to a weekly salary and a brilliant summer at Big Pink, they had again transformed, but this time they did it themselves. It just so happened they hit a cultural touchstone and enjoyed huge critical success and some commercial success. Their "time" then passed and the transformations ended.

As usual, music moves on. Jeff, you asked where are the next Richard's and Rick's coming from. Classical buffs used to ask where the next Bach was coming from as the church music fans dismissed the Romantics who dismissed the Impressionists who dismissed the 12 tone buffs. We aren't going to see them again, just like we aren't going to see the next Miles or Bird or Trane or the Beatles. Music does that. The problem is we've all lived long enough to see the change for ourselves.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 16:44:18 CET 2015 from (188.207.102.124)

Norbert

Subject: Rock musicians in commercials

Corming up, garth would be wanted.study Goes on

Entered at Thu Mar 26 16:38:14 CET 2015 from (68.196.242.45)

Jeff A.

So Pete, the way i see it, the two most significant developments was electrification & computerization. Once an instrument was electrified, we were on the path downhill. that part of technology was in play, electronika, drum machines, the inevitable development. And of course, we've discussed, or i;ve presented my views of the effects of the digital devil on the industry.

To me, those were the two most significant developments. OF course, I'm all for electric musical instruments.

Pete, a toddler tossing the adults' cell phones in the garbage. Love it.
Obviously your grandson is brilliant, expressive, got balls, and a brilliant future.
(Don't fuck it up :-) ......couldn't help myself. I would joke the same way with my closest friends though so :-) feel honored.)

Entered at Thu Mar 26 14:33:56 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: More

For those who find violin + melodeon difficult, a different song with guitar and concertina is linked.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 14:21:54 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Things have changed, but not stopped. The folk scene has changed from a beery bearded man in a pub to young musicians, and it seems pretty vibrant and lively. If you look at the community "Arts Centres" in smaller towns there's a regular circuit of the folkier kind. To cheer us all up, the link is Spiers and Boden at a folk festival showing what a two piece can do.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 13:49:13 CET 2015 from (184.66.134.56)

JT

Subject: 'Things Have Changed'

I spoke to a musician in a 3 (sometimes 4 piece) band I know who plays around this small city in bars. Weekdays he might clear $150 max and weekends $200 or maybe a little more. He said he knows that this is because its a smaller city with fewer bands available. In larger cities, it is less from what he knows. He waits tables in a local food establishment to make ends meet to support his family. They carry their own equipment and get to their gigs on their own. They play late into the night (next AM). The best is if they are hired for weddings etc. when its easier and money is a little better (2 sets instead of 3-4). He loves it but as Jeff says, its tough. And what they play is covers. No one wants to hear original creations they don't know in a bar (unless your someone like Dave Alvin and his band or someone like that and have your own past and then a new album). For the usual trio or quartet, its Rolling Stones and CCR and Led Zep and the like. There are few places for the local folk troubadour to play around here on a regular basis. There may be the one or two-nighters in a small club. Places we used to go to are disappearing (we had a great blues club here in the last decade - now gone). 'Things Have Changed.' (to quote the bardD). In Toronto, for better known acts, there is still Hugh's Place and a few small venues. In Victoria, we have a couple of small venues (where Jesse Winchester- for example -used to come in his later years). There is one bar here that has newer acts without a major name yet and they do one-nighters. There are posters up on the lampposts around town that let you know who will be in that month. These types of venues give the opportunity for self-creative newer acts who are up-and-coming to play, but my guess is that the remuneration is not much better than what was described above. So, yes, its a tough go for musicians today in the face of new technologic approaches and new attitudes. And clearly what we 50-70 year old patrons want is not what the kids want. So get it while you can.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 13:44:33 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I think that (like many musicians) I was extremely lucky to work in an era when you could make a living writing textbooks and scriptwriting. I was speaking to other full-time authors at a colleague’s funeral this week, and we were unanimous that those times have gone. Watching TV last week, Will Self, a major novelist, was talking about his day spent teaching.

I had a conversation with a magazine recently who wanted an article that would take me a full day to research, write and revise and they were offering £40. They were offended when I declined and pointed out that after 35 years seeing my name in print was not a thrill nor a motivation.

Maybe we have to think about William Carlos Williams who combined being a medical doctor with being one of the great American 20th century poets.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 13:32:21 CET 2015 from (129.42.208.184)

Bob F

Al, Thank you for the kind words about RoseAnn's music. Greatly appreciated.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 12:44:05 CET 2015 from (68.196.242.45)

Jeff A.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 12:22:15 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Looks a fascinating link mate. I look forward to taking a look tonight.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 12:20:41 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Many thanks for all those snippets of insight mate.

I'll take a good look through my re-focussed Richard/Garth keyboards lens!!!

Entered at Thu Mar 26 12:16:58 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Of course I'm on board mate. It's a real shame. Renders you sad and a mite despairing and not a little angry. But maybe, perish the notion, we've well and truly had our musical golden age because I also realise that nowhere, in no arena, are things wot they used to be. As a kid all's we wanted to do is play out. 24/7. Any game, any small fry adventure. Just as long as we were out. These days it seems many kids would rather be indoors playing on their video games till they disappear up their own X-Box. So how can those kids end up with the same sensibilities as our generation? they can't. Only time will tell how good, bad or indifferent that is. In the end though the market dictates. Mere gobshites like us can but moan and bleat. Invariably to no avail - though occasionally not thankfully a la Hillsborough.

As for my "limited" empathy. Probably the incorrect word 'limited' as it presumably implied to yourself a degree of not being arsed which is not the case. Whatever, it relates back to my own personal circumstances which everyone else would rightly find 100% boring. Let's just say I'd rather be a lowly paid musician than a repeatedly ripped off ageing 9 quid an hour professional in the construction industry with a 6am start most days including most weekends.

:-0)

Entered at Thu Mar 26 10:11:02 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

We had a good few days on rhythm guitarists of note a few years back, with Lou Reed, Keith Richards and John Lennon mentioned among others.

On playing nowadays. I thought back to 1962. A Fender Precision Bass cost £130 in Britain, and the trade restriction on American guitars had just been lifted. I just fired up the UK Inflation Calculator and that’s £2,528 in 2015 money. Paul McCartney’s violin bass would have cost him around £50 new, or around £1000 in modern money.

OK, nowadays you can get a Fender Squier Precision Bass for £182 new. There’s a secondhand one in the shop near here for £120. Let’s not get into the arcane superiority of a 1962 PB. The Squier PB is a perfectly acceptable gigging instrument. I just looked on line and a “previously loved” 1962 Fender PB goes for around £4,400 now. But take that brand new mass-produced PB. It’s the cost of just THREE video games. In other words, a young budding musician can get decently equipped very, very cheaply. In fact Amazon co uk will chuck in a 15 watt practice bass amp for another £40 and that just about usable with the rest of the band playing acoustic instruments in a pub.

So in the 60s a young musician required much greater financial commitment to get started … a reasonable amp would have cost the same as the PB. BUT as Jeff will point out, they could also earn back their investment reasonably easily. Friends who were good in semi-pro bands were playing 3 to 4 nights a week without travelling more than 30 miles. Those who had jobs (others were students) were making more from playing than from their day jobs. Of course, we should look to the discotheque as the first hammer blow.

It’s also true that while there was lots of live music, many musicians had day jobs. A friend’s dad played sax in the dance band at the ballrooms six nights a week – he considered himself a professional musician, and had played many sessions. He called his tuxedo his overalls. But in common with the rest of the dance band, he had an extra job. They all finished playing around twelve. Had a meal, then reported to the railway station to pick up newspapers at 2 a.m. and drive them round to the shops. Bed at 6 a.m. All the local newspaper delivery guys then were musicians. Muddy Waters, famously, supplemented his income with a touch of painting and decorating.

Maybe it was the late 60s and 70s that meant being a full-time travelling musician was a full-time job. Part of it was that gigs were already thinning and you had to travel. Our sax player example could do two jobs because they were a resident band, playing in one location over many years. Does that exist anywhere now outside the Letterman house band?

So … is it weird that music, for most people, is no longer a sufficient “only job”?

The growing scene is folk related, precisely because you need less gear and can play small venues without roadies or a van. Spiers & Boden did magnificent two piece gigs – Jon Boden on violin and amplified “foot stomp board” and John Spiers on Melodeon, which gives a bass line too. They sounded like a whole band. In fact the great instrumental solos I’ve seen in the last few years seem to be on violin or viola. Jon Boden, Seth Lakeman, Eliza Carthy.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 05:36:19 CET 2015 from (68.196.242.45)

Jeff A.

Could night folks.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 05:07:43 CET 2015 from (68.196.242.45)

Jeff A.

Subject: List, I never look. Guess I found the reason I did

Alex Lifeson made this list. Could it be our old friend Landmark adds an e and gets wild?

Entered at Thu Mar 26 02:31:56 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Smoke Signal is another interesting one. Garth played piano on the Cahoots version but played the organ with Richard on piano when they did it live. The link has a great RR solo from 1974.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 02:18:47 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Thu Mar 26 02:12:58 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Al E, this is a good example of Richard comping on the organ. You can hear him particularly well during RR's extended solo. He didn't play organ on the studio version.

Garth had a couple different approaches to the piano: stately, as in The Weight and the intro to River Hymn, and jazzy as in Rag Mama Rag and Time To Kill, although The Weight became quite jazzy live. An interesting combo of the two styles is Thinkin Out Loud from Cahoots. Probably his most melodic playing is when he picked up the sax. Think (voluntarily) Walcott, Servant, or IMND.

Entered at Thu Mar 26 01:13:10 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

No probs Si.

Seems like nobody is really sure as to how United managed 64% of that first half. I can't bring myself to watch it again. In the meantime I'm sticking with the Sturridge theory I posted although someone has informed me that the spell with Sterling up top wasn't actually as sweetness and light as I'd had it fixed in my mind.

Let's hope Brendan's sussed it anyroad.

:-0)

BTW Si, you'll be relieved to know my fibroidoptics have been playing up too. Thank god for Prep H!!!

:-0)

Entered at Thu Mar 26 01:05:09 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Cheers for all this Pat. Greatly appreciated.

Forgive me if it may seem a daft/naive question but is your insight down to simple deduction of a keyboard man such as yourself that tells you Richard couldn't have played these piano accompaniments or those rare solo snatches such as say Rags to the intricate level we hear them because he wasn't sufficiently accomplished to do so or because Garth would simply do them because he was the more accomplished?

Or is it a combination of that and yourself having seen the OQ live on various occasions back in the day and knowing who played what from what you saw back then?

I'm not ashamed to admit it but with never having seen the OQ I'd always taken it as read that in basic terms any piano was Richard and likewise any organ was Garth. I know from reading the credits on the album sleeves there was a small degree of chopping and changing but I really did think most of the piano was Richard.

Hmm, that said, I've just looked now for the first time in god knows how many years and seen that the piano fills on Big Pink's Weight is down as Garth and the organ as Richard!

I'm bemused. Pat any chance of a fuller take from your goodself on the way the split used to work and why it was the case?

:-0)

Entered at Thu Mar 26 00:15:46 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Thu Mar 26 00:14:57 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Thu Mar 26 00:12:14 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Thu Mar 26 00:04:00 CET 2015 from (165.120.1.27)

Simon

Entered at Wed Mar 25 23:56:14 CET 2015 from (165.120.1.27)

Simon

Pat - Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever - the song, of course. I think that's one of them.

Al - Sorry about the delay responding. I've just switched over to fibreoptic and have had a few teething problems (plus no appreciable difference in speed). I'll get back to you soon. (Likewise to Kevin).

Entered at Wed Mar 25 23:12:13 CET 2015 from (174.119.149.196)

Stan L.

Subject: Richard

Pat B. I think Richard did a bit of a solo on I Don't Wanna Hang Up My Rock & Roll Shoes, no? What was the other one? Back to Memphis? As you noted, you can hear a bit of bleed from the organ track on the Weight between verses, but the organ track itself is gone. I wonder why they took that out. I also recall at least one live performance where Richard and Garth did not switch instruments on the Weight and Richard played that piano pretty damn well!

Entered at Wed Mar 25 22:56:52 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Wed Mar 25 22:49:05 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

Listened to Syria mosque last night.Rockin Chair has become my favorite song too over the past 2-3 years.Ricks bass playing and vocals were quite incredible in this show as well.They were all on.

Entered at Wed Mar 25 21:20:01 CET 2015 from (31.51.184.209)

Dunc

Subject: Richard

Pat B:For me Richard was the first voice of the Band, although I love all three voices.

I have read in the past that there were times when Richard practised piano very hard.

How good a piano player did he have to be to contribute to the overall sound?

I played Syria Mosque twice to day. (Thanks Peter) I love Rockin Chair where Richard is at his best. Beautiful. Maybe my favourite Band song.

Entered at Wed Mar 25 21:14:20 CET 2015 from (72.190.113.156)

Glenn T

From Rolling Stone website: The closet thing possible to a Beatles reunion these days will occur on April 18th when Paul McCartney inducts Starr into the Hall of Fame in Cleveland. McCartney says he kickstarted the process after having dinner with Robbie Robertson, who pointed out that Beatles manager Brian Epstein was in, but Ringo was not. "I said, 'Let me see what I can do,'" says McCartney. "And I talked to Bruce Springsteen and I talked to Dave Grohl, and they both said he should be in. And I said I'd do the induction. That took care of it."

Entered at Wed Mar 25 20:53:44 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Wed Mar 25 20:53:22 CET 2015 from (68.232.68.198)

Bill M

This morning I was again humming Robbie's "Handsome Lake" to myself and after awhile I realised that it had turned into "Colorado Rockies" from "National Lampoon's Lemmings" - arguably a far-flung spawn of our guys' music (like Zappa's "Montana" but with much less musical merit).

Entered at Wed Mar 25 19:55:22 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Al E, on TTK Richard would play some very basic stuff on the organ and sing. He did a nice organ figure live on The Weight (with Garth again on piano), although his track was wiped for the most part from the original recording.

Entered at Wed Mar 25 19:48:33 CET 2015 from (184.66.163.29)

JT

Subject: Synchronicity

Jeff A: A word I learned and love. Often, I hear a new word or idea for the first time (at leas in my consciousness) and then hear it repeatedly for days and weeks after. There is an order to chaos.

Entered at Wed Mar 25 19:05:22 CET 2015 from (173.3.51.210)

Jeff A.

Entered at Wed Mar 25 17:00:09 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

Back in the day no one took care of the roadies better than the Allman Brothers and Duane Allman in particular.Duane paid the roadies before the band,put the band on one side and the roadies on the other of the album cover for At Fillmore East,as well as extending many other courtesies keeping it all one big family.As a fan,I can think of but 2-3 other bands where everyone knew the names of the roadies.Duane spoke often of the heroics of these fine upstanding crazies who kept that music machine running!

Entered at Wed Mar 25 14:34:16 CET 2015 from (184.66.134.56)

JT

Subject: You know

Jeff A: Thank you for the heartfelt comments regarding the state of touring by musicians. Like all jobs, we, the general public, only see the superficial and don't know what is happening under the surface. I've said this before. I am amazed by some of the talent I hear on the streets of Victoria. There are a lot of buskers and some are quite good. They are at the low end of a ladder of musicians who aspire to even get onto a stage. As Jeff clearly says, talent is far from enough. The impediments are staggering and its hard to make ends meet. With the 'hit me now and hit me fast' attitude of today's youth, it isn't going to get any better. Reduced attention span and hedonistic 'if I don't like it in 2 minutes then hell, next' doesn't play well for grammy award nominees. Its a different generation who are consuming today. They don't want what these nominees have to offer. While Jeff and I seek them out, the new bunch download singles and are satisfied. That doesn't make for big bucks on tour to small venues for even the most gifted musicians. How this will play out for the future of the performing musician is anybody's guess. I'm not sure who is buying vinyl today but I'd be surprised if it was today's youth. When I go into Ditch Records, I see 40+ looking people looking at them. I rarely see what I call kids in there. Yes, Jeff, things have changed and the future for the old way when Levon and the Hawks got some 'make a living' money is fast disappearing. Leaving the arena shows by the big acts aside, I think some new attention needs to be given to the plight of the small acts playing in bars and small showplaces. It is an art that is in some danger of extinction if it keeps going in the direction Jeff describes.

Entered at Wed Mar 25 09:47:47 CET 2015 from (173.3.51.210)

Jeff A.

And though it looks like playing music, great musicians put the same amount of effort into their work as any one who breaks his or her ass at a profession or trade. Muscians first need the talent, then the dedication, then work long hard hours to perfect their craft. And they rehearse & practise new material. The amount of time & work is staggering.

New material, doesn't always happen overnight either.

Add in the amount of work it is to run the business today too - on the way up, no one is running the business for you. You got to do it all. If you don't have the following, you ain't getting the gig. So how do you get the following? You Tube first, gig later? Or play for free. So sure, you can walk into any club, and hear lousy bands to day, they'll play for free. There'll be some good ones too. But they ain't making a living at music if they;re taking those gigs - they gotta do something else. So, they'll usually develop far more slowly.. And the odds of them getting heard in a real way are far fewer than the odds would have been 25, 35, 40, 45 years ago.

So that is just some of what new acts gotta go through today. The article i linked, that doesn't pertain to too many new acts, unless they got Bieber lucky and connected on you tube. Or worked their ass off, and used You Tube or some other social media, or some other grass roots effort to build a following.
The selection process today is a big part of the problem. the faact that social media is how new acts can get follwoings, then bookings for little money,, or play for free to get bookings, for little money , then if it works out, then get the real bookings that pay any real mney - right there, that's the problem. The structure has been long gone.

And the fact athat venue owners no longer think it;s necessary to pay for entertainment for their clientele. Real musicians are dying to play. People that used to make 300, 400 bucks a night back in the 80s and 90s, now they;re faced with maybe making 50, 70 bucks a night here. How could anyone expect anyone to live on that,let alone, learn and develop new material? One thing, you see far more trio acts than ever before..... splitting three ways is far eaier than 4, 6, 7 or 8...

Entered at Wed Mar 25 09:11:13 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

A lot of early roadies went on to start equipment companies, hiring out PA and mixing boards to all comers. Owning something was often the route into the job … The Beatles and The Animals employed pals who happened to own old vans.

As to pay, the only bit I can talk about is “second on the bill bands” at the college gigs circuit around 1969 to 1970. Bands with an album or two out, John Peel Show level. At that level, there was usually a manager involved, who funded the enterprise. £200 was a very good Friday or Saturday night at a university or college, but Tuesday might be a prestige London club for about £30. Places like the Marquee paid almost nothing. Factor in overnight stays, travel, equipment, two roadies. A lot of bands received a weekly hand out from management, all of which was recorded against their potential future earnings, as was every cup of coffee at a motorway services. The roadie got free accommodation, meals on the road and often more money than any band member. Not a lot more, but more. And if you stopped at a petrol station at 3 a.m. in those days, you’d see a hirsute chap with a Ford Transit asking for 20 cigarettes and two Mars bars and saying “Just put it all on one receipt as petrol.” Those were the days of the handwritten receipt of course. So a roadie’s living expenses were few. But they did not hold the lottery ticket marked “potential stardom” which motivated the musicians. Which is why they often earned more than the band … until of course the band broke past that circuit and gig level

I’m fascinated by the handful of bands which made really good money on the live college circuit, so much so that making records was of secondary importance. They were actually earning a decent living from playing. Earlier, Steampacket. Then Simon Dupree & The Big Sound, The Alan Bown Set, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band. Some of those bands cost more to book for a college dance circa 1967 or 1968 than successful chart bands like (say) The Kinks, or at one point, probably 1967, The Who. They also got booked into the big seaside resort ballrooms, like Bournemouth Pavilion (where I saw many of them). I can’t recall college fees, but I have a feeling John Mayall’s various bands were also better paid than many “more successful” bands on the college circuit.

There must have been American equivalents. Levon & The Hawks must have done reasonably well- they said they were making more money than they had with Ronnie Hawkins.

Entered at Wed Mar 25 09:09:04 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Location: A New York Street. A man stops a passer by and says, 'Pardon me, but how do you get to Madison Square Garden?'

The stranger stares at him and gives a one word answer, "Talent."

Entered at Wed Mar 25 08:32:53 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

:-0)

Whilst on the congrats theme of GB'ers with hugely talented offspring it would be remiss not to give another mention to Bob F and his insanely gifted daughter.

Jeff - I empathise with all the disadvantaged poor souls at the arse end of the music industry. As a proud yet entirely disillusioned professional gobshite of 46 years in the construction industry who's been shafted more times than Mae West do forgive me if my empathy does only go so far.

:-0)

Pat. There is possibly nobody outside of the five original members and john Simon with more insight into the intrumentation of the OQ than your goodself. I like to think my emotional insight into the OQ is up there with any fecker and I can detect even the most subtle distinctions and inflections when it comes to every vocal they've ever laid down. However, as for who's playing what I'll bow graciously to the real afficianado - namely your goodself.

I do have to say, though, that I am a mite disappointed it wasn't Richard. Clearly the intricacy and delicacy of the accompaniment pointed to Garth but watching the video and seeing Richard jigging about behind the piano clearly kidded me and got me thinking wishfully in line with your 'driving the bus' analogy.

Perhaps you would enlighten me as to what dear Richard was up to behind his upright joanna. Was he simply desperate for a wee!!

:-0)

Entered at Tue Mar 24 23:15:22 CET 2015 from (67.84.77.167)

Jeff A.

Entered at Tue Mar 24 22:11:33 CET 2015 from (24.164.132.250)

jh

Entered at Tue Mar 24 21:09:17 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Grab the latest "Uncut" it has fascinating interviews with people involved with ten Van Morrison albums, including Astral Weeks, and a long bit from the Man himself.

Entered at Tue Mar 24 20:30:07 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Subject: Astral Weeks

I just came across this article about 'Astral Weeks'. Interesting stuff. It seems that Peter Wolf recorded an early performance of 'Astral Weeks' at a club in Boston. It would be remarkable if this tape sees the light of day. I don't think there's much if any live Van in circulation prior to 1970.

Entered at Tue Mar 24 18:55:40 CET 2015 from (131.137.34.245)

sadavid

Subject: the vinyl resurgence (what, again?)

Another article on the improbable comeback of the vinyl record -- from a Canuckistanian perspective.

Emphasis on the social aspect, including a consideration I hadn't considered:

“Also, you don’t see a bunch of dudes hanging out rolling up a doobie on the back of an iPod, do you?”

Entered at Tue Mar 24 18:05:12 CET 2015 from (67.84.77.167)

Jeff A.

Life on the road, that impossible way of life, has apparently changed a lot at the higher levels. Roadies goign to the louvre, and fiannce workers being more drink & drug abusive than roadies. ...Does the same hold true for the acts?.....

Regardless, the quality of the acts - who's doing the choosing today- meaning what;s the selection process, what does musical value have t do with who gets to tour today, where does quality of music enter into the process by which music runs the gauntlet & get exposed , & get to tour?

The bands & musicians trying to gain coverage, the really good or possibly good bands & musicians, those are the ones that are trying to get gigs, but are faced with deals like working for half the door with a 10 buck cover charge.
Duking it out on the road, maybe losing money, trying to make ends meet, living in a van....It's an impossible process..... i know more A list players than you can imagine who are starving here...... seasoned vets, men & women, absolute joys to listen to, great bands, great projects, none of us can get ourselves arrested, getting gigs, getting guarantees for today is a joke, the guarantees are insulting, & even with the cut of the bar,the deal is always worse than the door deal might be on a good night .....then look at what i t takes just for acts to develop material, learn material, get tight, and now they can't get gigs to build their base, maybe get to the point of touring for real

So everything in that article becomes moot..... it's for the older famous acts, and it's for the stuff that can build fan bases on You Tube. You gpt to find the way to reach that level
& it's become more & more impossible. Corporate sponsorship of some kind....

Gotta run, but there's more & more ridiculous types of that happening now too... Ford C Max, Songcraft sessions... google it Write & record a song in a day

Entered at Tue Mar 24 17:43:53 CET 2015 from (67.84.77.167)

Jeff A.

Subject: Hit The Road Jack

I linked an interesting NY Times article with info on modern day roadies, modern day roadies incomes, stats on album sales compared to 1994, and some stats regarding music industry jobs.

Entered at Tue Mar 24 16:44:56 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Tue Mar 24 14:43:07 CET 2015 from (80.113.5.98)

Dirk

Subject: basement tapes

thanks Peter! Little chance of laying my hands on one of the 2000 copies here in the Netherlands. But the standard version will do! Hopefully with some Band songs, which lacked on Bootleg series 11.

Entered at Tue Mar 24 12:58:23 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Possibly the song that many might regard as the least best on Stagefright - though always a special one for me as it's the first record I bought for the missus [hmmm, maybe I should actually be regretting it then - never mind :-0)]

Anyfrogandtoad you listen to Richard's piano on that track and Cor blimey you wonder has a background accompaniment ever taken you on more of a delightfully melodic journey than what Richard does on that song. He is all over it like a measles epidemic without for even one solitary moment being remotely intrusive. Wondrous.

:-0)

Thought I'd throw a few Cockney Rhymings in there for you Bill seeing as you love them so much me arl cock sparra!!

:-0)

Entered at Tue Mar 24 10:58:51 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Tue Mar 24 10:52:49 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

What I found, Dirk:

Bob Dylan – ‘The Basement Tapes’

Format: 12″ Vinyl

Label: Other Peoples Music

Release type: RSD Exclusive Release

More Info: The Basement Tapes recorded in 1967 while Bob Dylan recuperated and features many Dylan songs that had appeared on bootleg records prior to the “official” release in 1975. The recording took place in Woodstock and features four members of the Hawks (Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson – and one American, Levon Helm) better known today as The Band.

Individually autographed and numbered by Garth Hudson.

Entered at Tue Mar 24 10:34:13 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Tue Mar 24 09:15:34 CET 2015 from (80.113.5.98)

dirk

Subject: basement tapes

Hi, anyone has any idea what might be on the 'basement tapes' record coming out at Record Store Day this April?

Entered at Tue Mar 24 03:05:14 CET 2015 from (67.84.79.124)

Jeff A.

Subject: 43 million streams = $ 2,700.00 in royalties

see the link :"Despite Pharrell's ubiquity, "Happy" made $2,700 in publisher and songwriter royalties from 43 million Pandora streams in the first quarter of 2014, "

Entered at Tue Mar 24 01:49:31 CET 2015 from (68.171.246.31)

Bill M

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Adam

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jh

The OQ played there in '69, then again with BD five years later. Then, Friday and Saturday last week....

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Kevin J

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JT

Subject: Thank you , joe j.

No Fogo yet. But when I get out that way, will go to Fogo! Thank you for very nice link.

The issue on Macs is Malware and Adware for those unwary.

Entered at Mon Mar 23 20:53:49 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

Subject: Dylan & Petty tour

Tanks all for a the nice words on Little Pink the other day, much appreciated!

Found this on the civilization fanatics forum by 'aimeeandbeatles'. On the link Dylan plays happy birthday.

"I thought that subject of the 1986 & 1987 tours would be very good. I hope it does not turn into a bunch of complaining people. So I will red-diamond this so the mods will make sure it goes OK. So anyways I don't know how many people know. But during '1986 and part of 1987 Bob Dylan toured with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers as his support band. But I will now post more background behind here: In 1985, there was made a new benefit called Farm Aid. Which was sort of like Live Aid but for farmers. So anyways Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were scheduled to play. And so was Bob Dylan. And Petty's manager and Dylan's manager were partners. And at least one of the Heartbreakers (Benmont Tench) had played with Dylan in the past. So Petty and the Heartbreakers agreed to back for Bob Dylan. So they went to a week-long rehearsal and did a lot of songs. Here's from an article I have: Quote: “We spent a week rehearsing for Farm Aid, and we would play a lot every night. Hours and hours and hours. We did Hank Williams songs, Motown songs (‘I Second That Emotion’). We even played ‘Louie Louie’ one night. And ‘Then He Kissed Me,’ the old Crystals song. When we went to the gig, we only did 20 minutes, so everyone was saying, ‘Boy, it’s a shame we can’t really play for a while.’ “I think Bob’s attracted to the idea of working with a group,” Petty continued. “A handpicked band of good players doesn’t always make a great band. Somebody like him needs a sympathetic unit that understands that music. He told me, ‘This band is like talking to one guy.’” Oh, and I forgot to say this. I have a video. With both Petty and Dylan's sets at the Farm Aid benefit. Petty seems to be having a blast! Which was missing from Pack Up The Plantation, which was filmed just maybe a month before. I think maybe Petty had a bit of burnout at the time. So anyways that worked OK. And then Petty & Co. got invited to go on the Australia, New Zealand, and Japan tour with Dylan. So they did that. And at this time nobody was sure it was coming to the U.S. And a home video was made. It was on HBO (Home Box Office). And later released as a VHS called Hard to Handle. I have a copy of the video. It's actually quite nice to watch. So then that happened. And then they went into the studio to record Dylan's album, which was Knocked Out Loaded. There was a song co-written by Petty and Dylan and recorded with the Heartbreakers. "Got My Mind Made Up." Dylan changed all of Petty's words (the original version was a bit of a generic love song). But anyways also there was recorded another song, Band of the Hand, which was for a movie... I think. But Petty produced that and the Heartbreakers played on it, and I consider it a quasi-Heartbreakers song. So anyways at the same time Petty and Heartbreakers recorded the album "Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)." Which was done extremely quickly compared to some of the albums. Also Jammin' Me was co-written with Dylan. Which led to one review of the album referring to the "Dylanesque Jammin' Me" and me screaming at it "READ THE LINER NOTES DOOFUS!" But that's off-topic. So they went back on tour in the U.S. And they did the second Farm Aid. But they weren't actually at it. What they did was they filmed the show in Orchard Park, N.Y. and I think it was telecast over. But I have the entire show on a video. Also the Grateful Dead were at some of those shows. I have a list of dates somewhere but I'll look them up on request. So that was good, they did a lot of shows. And then took a break. Petty sued B.F. Goodrich for using a soundalike in a commercial (he won), released Let Me Up (critically a success but commercially a failure), and got his house burned down. But then a few days later he was on tour. But it was his own tour. The 1987 Rock & Roll Caravan. He had two openers, the Del Fuegos and the Georgia Satellites. And he got a little bit political and talked about trusting condoms more than Ollie North. So that was OK. And then they went back on tour again, this time with Roger McGuinn, to the middle-east (including Israel) and to Europe. At the very end they went to England to perform some shows at the Wembley. And there they ran into George Harrison and Jeff Lynne, right about to release Cloud 9.... Now, which band had Petty, Dylan, Harrison and Lynne? So anyways theres your primer. Now I will post some interesting stuff! -- At a press conference this happened: Quote: At a recent American press conference, hailed to announce their joint tour, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty stunned journalists by turning up sporting elaborate make-up which would have done Joan Collins proud. Petty wore a deathly white foundation, heavy duty mascara and lots of baby pink highlighters. Dylan opted for a thick layer of orange-tinted fake tan and ended up looking like a baked bean. Now this sort of behavior is all very well for chaps like Boy George, but this pair are supposed to be clean-cut, straight-shooting rock'n'roll stars. "We were stuck backstage for over an hour and we just got bored," drawled Petty. "So we just let the make-up artists get on with it because we had nothing else to do." -- At another press conference: Quote: Why is he touring with the Heartbreakers? "We just felt like it," said Dylan. Said Petty: "Money." Very subtle, Tom! -- In Australia, Stevie Nicks tagged along.... (it was mentioned that she always seems to show up where Tom was.) But anyways Dylan pulled her on stage. But then Australia threatened to deport her if it happened again. I've got a video of the performance. -- Dylan and Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch one skipped rehearsal to go see Sammy Davis and Frank Sinatra. -- At one show.... Well I'll just copy and paste it: Quote: I heard about a show you did with Dylan outside of San Francisco; when the stage was darkened during a break, Bob Dylan fell over. You rushed over, looked down, and reported to your band, “Bob Dylan is dead.” Did I really say that? [Gives a quizzical look, as if to confirm] I remember that show, what a night! Me and Stan got in a big fight, and I left the stage. Stan was wound-up about something, and he gave me the finger during the show. I just took my guitar and walked off. Left. They didn’t know what to do. And I guess Al Kooper sat in, and they just carried on with Al. I went to my dressing room realty mad, I wouldn’t come out. Then Bob came in and said, “Come on, come back. John Lee Hooker is here and he’s going to play. Come on. Let’s go play with John Lee Hooker.” I was still mad, but I went back to the stage. Then John Lee Hooker came out and kicked our asses. He was just transcendental. I remember Bob walking across the back telling us, “Don’t change chords with John Lee Hooker, he doesn’t change chords.” And Bob fell over. That was some night. -- At still (another show), it was bassist Howie Epstein's birthday. And they sing Happy Birthday and bring out a cake on stage. I have a video. -- Mike Campbell: "During one show in Australia, we were supposed to do 'When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky,' and (Dylan) didn't feel like doing it," Campbell remembered. "He turned around to me and said, 'You know the chords for 'All Along the Watchtower,' don't you,' and we'd never rehearsed it. I said, "There's only three, right?' And he said, 'Yeah, Let's go.'" -- In Egypt, Tom Petty rode a camel. -- In Israel, Tom Petty supposedly threw a temper tantrum because the kosher hotel they were staying in didn't have bacon and eggs. -- At one show in Wembley, George Harrison came on stage! -- And backstage at Wembley (October 1987).... Quote: Was it while touring with Dylan that you heard an advance tape of George Harrison’s Cloud Nine, produced by Jeff Lynne? tp: Yeah. And I loved it. We played in Birmingham [England] with Bob and then a few weeks later we played London for a few nights. I think we were there for three or four nights in Wembley. On the first night in Birmingham, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne came to visit. And Bob was not feeling well. He was not really around before the show, and then he didn’t want to hang around afterwards too much. It was funny—that first night we were in London, when we had that great time, a hurricane hit. In London. Completely unannounced and unpredicted by the weather bureau. I always thought that [hurricane] had something to do with changing my life. This literal hurricane. The Hindus think that when you meet someone and you feel really close to them immediately, that maybe you knew them in a past life. And that was how it was with George. We met each other and instantly became really close. Instantly we became very close. And I remember him saying to me, ‘You know, I’m not going to let you out of my life now.’ And it wasn’t about The Beatles or anything like that. We really got along well. And shared a sense of humor. And we became very close friends. And Jeff, too. So we hung out, and one night we really had a nice time, after the gig we hung out for hours with George, and Ringo was there and Derek Taylor [music journalist, former Beatles publicist, and collaborator on George Harrison’s autobiography, I, Me, Mine]. And all of their wives. And we hung out, and we had a lot of laughs. And then the next night was my birthday. I have a photo. They brought me a little birthday cake. And there’s a photo of me and George and McGuinn and Bob and Mike, and we’re all backstage laughing. And it looks pretty accurate. "

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joe j

I like Peter V's comment on the unadorned Band. Not that there's anything wrong with horns as my Band epiphany came with ROA.

Link is for JT re Hey Rosetta. Apologize if I posted it before. I love the band live but their recordings don't always work for me. The linked video is special because it was filmed a couple islands away on Fogo. What? You've never danced at the Fogo a Go Go? The Fogo Inn is a high end tourist destination (google Trip Advisor). The Brimstone Head Folk Festival is difficult to attend because of the ferry issues and lack of accommodations (can't afford The Inn but for special occasions) but worth it if you can make it. Of course Brimstone Head is one of the four corners of the earth according to the Flat Earth Society.

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Al Edge

Cheers for explanation Kev. Glad I didn't jump in. It would have been entirely misplaced as I now see the reason for your own slight pique which was nothing at all to do with my own joy. More your own indifference to boots per se.

And ironically I feel pretty much the same way about boots. I've not listened to that many but invariably those I have acquired down the years have tended to leave me a bit meh as they now say. And like yourself, too, I adore the Academy CD.

For there's no downside to it at all except as Pete rightly says as incredible as it is it simply isn't the OQ on their ownsome - a perfect represntation of which is what I've always craved to hear.

And Pittsburgh gave me that. After all these years I finally got to hear them just as I'd always envisaged them. Musical and vocal perfection.

Dare I say it was for me an epiphany - a truly uplifting and emotional listening experience. I'd kind of given up on ever hearing anything remotely approaching it.

Yet there it was unfolding before me in all its glory. Gem after gem. Incredible vocal after incredible vocal. Each and everyone so wonderfully unique in their delivery. Matchless musical tightness yet just enough space to pick out each player. Too amazing to be true. Yet there it was. And is. Right now indeed. As I type this.

:-0)

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Ben

There's no question that the sound quality varies tremendously on bootlegs. Some are very good (Academy of Outtakes, Roosevelt Stadium) others are lousy (Royal Albert Rags). The same holds true of officially released cd's. The 'Rick Danko In Concert' cd released on Woodstock records has mediocre sound quality. I have an officially released live cd by Detroit, Mitch Ryder's post Detroit Wheels band, which has terrible sound quality.

Just because a recording is released by a legitimate label, the contents are not always as described. The Band 'Live at Watkins Glen' cd is a pretty extreme example of false advertising. A more common practice is for labels to release albums with re-recordings or live recordings which were not identified accurately on the front or back cover.

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Peter V

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Kevin J

Bootlegs, in general……I’ve never participated……..years ago, when browsing in a record store on Yonge street, I guy walked over and said in hushed tones,,” ah, this is from the 83 tour” or something like that as I had picked up an odd looking cassette…..anyway, it was a Kinks bootleg….I purchased it but the sound was awful……..1992, I was in Hanoi at Christmas and while walking around a market earlier in the day, we decided on a $2 limit on gifts – such were some of the deals on things there at that time and just to have some fun……anyway, I settled on some sort of mother-of-pearl thing and in return rec’d an Eagles live bootleg. Like all trips with girlfriends, there is always a point when you just know things have gone pear shaped…..This was that point, but it actually also provided much laughter as the recording was so bad that it was funny…………..No doubt that Henley and Frey have since had the poor sap that recorded this on a $10 cassette recorder hunted down and shot…………………….Anyhow……I recall a few years ago when Maud Hudson joined the GB and railed against Bootlegging…..In defense of the practise, Peter made the point that the folks who purchase bootlegs are also the same ones that purchase any and everything new. I largely agree with that point……..but I do wonder if a 17 year old kid that is just getting turned onto the Band today, will buy a new copy of Live at the Acadamy or just download a bootleg......Maybe, LATAOM only provided Garth and the others with $30,000-$40,000 - who knows but whatever it was, it was better than nothing.

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Peter V

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Pat B

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Bill M

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Peter V

A noted recent one, BTW is "Baracks" which means "pajamas." Work it out.

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Bill M

Al E: I'm fine with you and your compatriots talking all you want about footsie. It's cockney rhyming slang that I find irritating.

Pat B: The link's for your benefit, because I suspect that you know Jim Peterik, who is mentioned maybe two-thirds of the way through the article. I know his name only from Ides of March credits and wasn't aware of his role in Survivor. The focus of the following paragraph, Pat Travers, has something of a Band-link insofar as I saw him onstage with Levon, Hawkins, Penfound, Dr John et many al in a massive "Bo Diddley" / "Who Do You Love" jam.

Yesterday an aged relative, who runs the library in her seniors building, gave me a copy of a March 1964 Canadian C&W magazine. There's a picture of Johnny Cash with wife pre-June Vivian and his kids, including Roseanne, there's a picture of up-and-comer Glen Campbell, who'd recently signed on to be the star of a Canadian C&W TV series (something that was news to me, and that also puts in question the Wrecking Crew's claim that nobody knew he could sing), and little features on a couple Toronto locals who figured tangentially in the Hawks's days here - pianist Johnny Coy, who'd filled in for somebody - Jones or Szelest presumably - circa 1960, and singer Terry Roberts, a fixture at the Edison Hotel on Yonge Street.

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Al Edge

To be fair i'm that shellshocked after yesterday I actually might have been without actually realising it!!

Pete - got to say I've kind of overlooked it as I've been so preoccupied with our own recent effort to re-enter the top 4 race but what's going on down there will be one hell of an achievement if you can manage to pull it off. I'm sure the entire area must be buzzing with the prospect. It's like a shaft of pure old school footy amidst an ocean of greed, extravagance and contempt for the ordinary fan.

T'riffic - as your old mainstay Harry would say

:-0)

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Bob F

Peter, I picked up a virus on my Mac this weekend. I was trying to download Open Office and all hell broke loose. I have pop ups popping up all over the place. I have no idea how to fix it.

I listen to 99% of my music on my IPOD or IPHONE. I'm always working and I get to have music playing all day with these devices. The way the world is now you have to work twice as hard to have half of what you use to have. Who has time to sit around listening to vinyl or cd's?

Entered at Mon Mar 23 11:24:22 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

As you know, football should not be compared to religion. It’s more important than that. Here we sit twisting our handkerchiefs. Can we sustain it and get in the top division for the first time in our history? We must have been top of the Championship for more weeks than any team this year, and our goal difference is 10 higher than the nearest rival. Then if we do, and even if we don’t, we probably have the young English manager of the year. Will he stay? If there is a promotion, he will hopefully feel “let’s see how far we can go with this” but I can see one of the big five or six casting extremely covetous eyes our way. Back in August, Rod Liddle was astute in suggesting Bournemouth as one of the teams to watch this year.

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Al Edge

Awrite mate.

Boneshaker that wasn't it?

Posted this reflection on one of the LF sites. be interested to get your slant Si.

I think you have to go a bit deeper K-O.

I posted what I'm about to say in more detail a few pages back but it's worth i think raising the issue again since a] it's absolutely crucial to the remaining games if we're serious about keping alive the now significantly dwindling chance of top four and b] the significance of it seems to have been overlooked

The run to which you refer has, in broad terms, two distinct phases. Pre Daniel and post Daniel.

Pre-daniel with Sterling on fire up front central and Coutinho also nigh unplayable we looked pretty awesome and the results came from performances that merited those results due to some impressive offensive play. It included the Man City game to which you refer. I think Daniel came on for markovich late on in the game.

Post Daniel we've continued getting the results but it has not been on the back of the same overall level of performance and has depended to a large part on brilliant goalkeeping and brilliant individual goals from Coutinho and Henderson with a clutch from Sturridge too of course.

The worrying aspect is that since coming back Sturridge has settled into the groove of a performance level that is simply not providing anything like the energy and spark that Sterling was providing in the same role in the earlier part of the run. I know he has scored during this time - and he remains a brilliant striker and our only real striker worthy of the name at this time - but on his own in that central front attacking role in overall terms he is just not providing what we need and that absence of what we do need seems to be filtering back through the team.

The fact it has coincided with Ibe's injury and an apparent form dip from Markovich who doesn't even seem to be coming into contention for selection right now doesn't help. Also it's clear Sterling out wide is providing nothing like the contribution he was delivering when in that central front attacking role. So there's a bit of a double even triple whammy going on.

A month or so ago in terms of performance levels we were beginning to look like the best team around. This past four or five games - despite positive results [yesterday apart] we look nothing like it.

I feel myself it's a knock on effect from the introduction and perseverence with the currently [I'm sure it's only a temporary thing] inneffectual Daniel. I've not heard or read or more significantly seen evidence of anything which provides any insight that it's anything other than that. But the fact remains whether I'm right or wrong there's a stark difference between the two spells in terms of overall performance levels. At a time when it seems we were brewing very nicely we suddenly went off the boil. And right now we need to do what we can to bring it back to the boil.

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Al Edge

Before jumping in with both feet I'll just double check you're having one of your occasional snide pops Kev - in this instance at my own unbridled enthusiasm for the Pittsburgh show.

:-0)

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Kevin J

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Pat B

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Adam

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Adam

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John D

I haven't had that offer Peter; but thank you.

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Mike Nomad

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Peter V

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Peter V

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John D

Just a little clarification here. Adam you have said that ellind90 is the place to go for Syria Mosque. Peter you put up a post about the dangers of downloading; which we should know all about. I ask both of you if you think there is any danger in downloading Syria Mosque from youtube for my own personal listening? I know some of you have talked about owning these tracks. Was there any problem with viruses?

Sorry for the mix up earlier Adam. From people congratulating you on your Syria Mosque edits etc. I was under the impression there were some here that had heard them. Since going "MAC" in May I was under a couple of misconceptions. First. you can get viruses on a Mac and the other is dragging a file to the trash does not mean the entire file is gone. Thanks.

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Dunc

Subject: Pat B

Here's a link to Stirling Castle. Do you have a family link to Stirling, although with your name I would think your roots would be Irish?

I have seen Americans overcome that they had reached Mull. Very moving.

I better stop posting non Band posts. Band link. You can't get a more Scottish name than Robbie Robertson.

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Pat B

Entered at Sun Mar 22 20:24:44 CET 2015 from (31.51.184.209)

Dunc

Subject: Pat B

Travel through Stirling every three weeks., Pat and every so often visit for the day. Great castle, site of the Wallace monument and the site of the Battle of Bannockburn has recently had a new visitors' centre which I want to see.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 20:20:07 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

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Pat B

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Dunc

Subject: Clever grandson

Oh, and your grandson is right. Clever wee bairn.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 20:09:17 CET 2015 from (31.51.184.209)

Dunc

Subject: Paying the bills

Disgraceful treatment of your father in law, Peter.

I pay the electricity by direct debit, but phoned up (as we have been encouraged to by the government in the UK)to look for cheaper options. I could now make savings if I managed my account on line.

I pay BT £1.75 a month for a paper copy of a bill.

I pay £1.75 for caller display, but 'The Independent' exposed, a couple of weeks back, that if I had asked for this to be free, I would get it for free. But I haven't done this yet because I can't bear the thought of the two hour phone call. 'Please wait while we try to connect you. If you want this press 1, if you want this press 2' and so on.

It is shameful that loyal, long term, elderly customers like your father in law often pay more for their services than newer customers. This happens in the UK!

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Peter V

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Peter V

My grandson is 18 months. When he sees an iPhone he grabs it and runs full speed to the kitchen, opens the wastebin and deposits it inside. We thought it bizarre until we realized it is based on his experience of the world with every adult constantly yabbering into the things. And he wants to stop them. The trouble is that he sees TV remote controls as Smart Phones too. But he’ll learn. I’m saying “iPhones – yes! TV controls – no!” but he just laughs and heads off towards the wastebin.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 19:29:20 CET 2015 from (31.51.184.209)

Dunc

Subject: Internet

But you've got to keep up.

Do I buy a smart phone as I'm the only one in the family apart from my two year old grandson who doesn't have one? My other grandchildren in their early teens all have one.

I followed up an attached article from Jeff and used the internet to find out that the smart phone will become the most important vehicle for not only accessing music, but also playing music.

In the same week, my electricity company were promoting an app where I could change the temperature of my house using a smart phone.

And in the paper I read(still a paper copy) there was an article related to the requirements of what makes a good reporter, stating that to be skilled on the smart phone was essential, in addition to the more traditional skills such as being a good observer, analytical and literate.

So you've got to keep up guys.

Great picture Simon.

I have seen four members of a family in a restaurant all texting.

And I have honestly seen one guy in the pub toilet texting and peeing at the same time. Very skilful. One hand was on his smart phone and the other hand was...

Thanks Al and Jed.

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Mike Nomad

Jeff, with all due respect, I'd be wary about providing Pat with any set-up lines. :-)

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Lisa

Jed, that's Apple technology. And according to my husband you can turn off the annoying feature which is changing your words on you. You go into "settings" and turn off the "auto correct" or "auto suggestion", and you'll be left in peace.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 18:20:13 CET 2015 from (174.1.247.160)

Lisa

I came very late to the Internet too, and had to be dragged in kicking and screaming. I don't trust it either, or electrical outlets for that matter - all that electricity leaking out : ), but there's no question it's here to stay, for better or for worse. And there's no doubt it has its advantages. Much easier to look up a word than dragging out the dictionary (how lazy can you get), great for tracking down crossword clues, and for anyone who likes research it's a great boon. You just go link-hopping down the rabbit hole, and hours disappear like magic!

But for the rest of it, the Smart Phones, ipods, etc. you can have them. I agree they've gone a long way towards destroying personal interactions, and have led to all kinds of behavior that would not have been acceptable before. Quite a few times I've heard an angry commotion outside, and when I've looked to see what's going on, it's someone walking down the street screaming abuse into their phone. To say nothing of cyber-bullying and the viciousness you find in any comments section. And when people are away from their technology for even a short time, they start getting edgy. It's an addiction, for sure, and now I'm addicted too.

Pat, I'm not so sure about that. brown eyed girl, you're not really leaving again, are you?

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Jeff A.

In general writing, there is an ease of using a computer, in terms of moving things around, editing,etc,but, there is also the possibility of loss if your computer flips out on you during the process.Or after, if you're not schooled and disciplined in backing up.

The process of putting pen to paper used to be a big part of activating my mind, developing & keeping my thoughts, taking them further..........it took years, but at some point i began to be able to feel the same cognitive ignition using a computer. but, because of nerve damage, I'm slow on a keyboard. Which i guess is okay cause my mind works more slowly these days anyway.But, the downside is that if pick y up speed i'll hit buttons that cause loss, etc

It's funny, but possibly the GB is one thing that got me used to thinking with a keyboard as opposed to only pen & paper.

But, like i've written many times, send me back to the seventies, eighties, even the nineties.

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Simon

Jed - This photo says it all for me. Rembrandt's "Night Watch" versus the allure of mobile phones.

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Bob

Subject: Very Happy

It has been such a long time since I have been here. Hello to all of you.

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Pat B

Entered at Sun Mar 22 17:13:30 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I wrote my thesis with a pen too, Jed. But that was back in 1970. I found it useful because once it had been typed out, all spelling errors could be blamed on the typist, which got me off the hook. Thanks too for Wite Out, I’d forgotten this North American use. It all goes back to Liquid Paper invented by Mike Nesmith’s mum. In Britain it was either Tipp-Ex or Snopake, and you could create verbs and say “Have you snopaked / tippexed all the errors?” It’s amazing how it survived and that you can still buy it. Even by the early 1970s we were using IBM Selectric typewriters which had a white correction ribbon, so you didn’t need it. Though often we’d add a bit to photocopy masters.

Where it was used a lot was in design departments, where they’d use Letraset for lettering then tippex out the guide lines and proofing marks. It was also useful if you had to incorporate a picture, I remember tearing pictures out (never cut) putting them into a design then tippexing out the edges. If you has a straight cut, you needed vast amounts of Tippex to cover it.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 16:48:42 CET 2015 from (92.18.174.225)

Solomon

Has anyone seen the film Her ? It looks like one day we might all be dating an Operating System. I thought it was one of the best films of 2014.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 16:28:22 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

Not to sound like an ass(but I will) I wrote my doctoral dissertation with pen and pad-about 150 handwritten pages.The typist typed,I proofread and where necessary and useful we used whiteout.To me,whiteout was a big time invention.In the earlier days of email I politely asked an assistant to print my email.I'd read it,write my response(usually-love to discuss,what time can I call you to talk it over?),and my assistant would type/send.Eventually I became comfortable with it.I still tend to suggest we talk unless its a quickie item.I like the US Postal Service.I loved letters,pencils,paper,letter,hard line phones,whiteout,The Band,Bob,Allmans,Van,Dead,Neil Young,secretaries,typing,writing,erasers,pencil sharpeners,records,record stores.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 16:14:40 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

Love your posts! I'm probably more militant about my negative feelings(hatred?) of the Internet and most things technology than you might be.While I cannot deny deriving benefit from them,they more than equally frustrate and irritate me.Im no expert at them,know generally speaking how to avoid trouble,nonetheless,half or more of my involvement with technology is fixing them,losing important information-even now,as I type on this iPad I am forced to re type sections if the iPad decides to create its own word from the one I wrote.I just made four such corrections in the last sentence.And one in the last sentence!Geez-I find myself saying,at various points in the day,I hate this effin' thing!I seem to get along with people way better(and that's no easy task sometimes)than technology.Its just not a good relationship between me and it.And,those fucking iPhones-geez-these things have redesigned the social interaction of society.Noone talks or listens or attends to nuance,they type & text.No eye contact,too many devices to check.Pinging and ponging all day and night,never a real conversation without IT being the centerpiece of every social interaction that may occur between texts.And fucking Facebook,Instagram and all the exhibitionist,childish,me me me centered crap I don't understand-geez,we've created a generation of stalkers who are socially inept and socially anxious as a result.Ah,getting older-perhaps I sound like my parents.Heck,with all the talk of analytics in basketball,the game has undergone more radical changes in the last 5-10 years than in all of its prior history.Again,it provides advantages,but has created nightmares.Same for music,great advantages,but the music business as we knew it is over and done.Creativity suffers.But,yes,we're older so we've seen and heard all the greats!Two sentences ago when I wrote the word disadvantages the iPad changed it to advanced ages.Enough said.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 15:59:25 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Subject: buying bootlegs vs downloading

Peter, I agree with nearly everything in your post. I'm 46 and I have never downloaded a song, let alone a bootleg. My wife gave me an ipod one years and I never used it.

I used to trade concert tapes back in the 90's and built up a pretty good collection of Band related concerts. Then I started buying bootleg cd's. I live about an hour south of New York, and I used to regularly make cd buying trips to the Village. There used to be multiple record stores that sold bootlegs within walking distance of Washington square park. Nearly all of them are long closed. I was fortunate enough to obtain original copies of many of the Band bootlegs listed in the bootleg section of the Band discography on this site.

Back in the 90's, original silver pressed cd bootlegs used to be $20-$25 per disc. I still come across original silver bootlegs in used record stores for generally $10-$15 per disc. I've gotten lucky on occasion and found some for considerably less. I recently bough a used copy of The Rolling Stones 'Get your leeds lungs out' on the Swingin' Pig label for $5.

With the resurgence in vinyl, this is a great time to buy used cd's. Titles that would have been priced between $8-$10 per disc a few years ago are now typically between $2-$6.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 14:05:49 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: Little Richard

I went to look at Slippin' and Slidin' from Paris, then as you do, looked at the YouTube sidebar and found a whole British 1964 TV Show with Little Richard. "It's Little Richard" Granada TV, Manchester. I remember being completely bowled over by the show. Little Richard is backed by Sounds Incorporated (who backed nearly every UK tour then) and accompanied by The Shirelles. Now that IS rock 'n' roll.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 13:31:28 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Sun Mar 22 12:32:40 CET 2015 from (68.198.162.41)

Bob f

I really like the Duets version of Real Real Gone with Michael Buble and Lord If I Needed Someone with Mavis. Van can still sing and the line "Sam Cooke on the radio" still get's me singing. The entire set is a pleasent surprise.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 12:24:08 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Ha ha.

Had to laugh when you portrayed yourself as a bit of a Luddite in your kids' eyes Pete. If you're even a tad that way then compared to you I'm Barney Rubble's great grandad mate!!!

:-0)

Love the T-shirt tale Dunc.

BTW - off to Anfield in 15 minutes. Pray for me fellas.

:-0)

Entered at Sun Mar 22 11:57:07 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

My (ex) publisher used to ask authors only to download from people like Apple or Microsoft on any computer that was preparing files for submission to them. That was a few years ago but it sticks in the mind. For me my main computer is work, not leisure. I'm very careful about what goes onto it.

I don't stream films either. My kids do and can't understand why I go and buy a Blu-Ray and put it in a machine. They bought us an Apple TV thing two years ago to encourage us, and we've never used it. They also got me a bootlegging mic for my iPad as I go to concerts. I can't explain that I would never dream of recording a concert surreptitiously. That's honesty, though I also recall where Peter Grant had roadies shove the equipment of caught bootleggers. Allegedly. However, the mic is good enough to do impromptu audio recording for potential ELT use so I was pleased to get it.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 11:09:04 CET 2015 from (31.51.184.209)

Dunc

Subject: T-shirt for senior citizens

First good weather of the year in Glasgow last week. Jackets off all round.

One elderly chap was wearing a T-shirt which said:

'I may be old - but I got to see all the good bands'.

As reported in the Herald.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 11:03:32 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Sun Mar 22 11:01:09 CET 2015 from (31.51.184.209)

Dunc

Subject: Download

I think that's a very good post, Peter. I would always want a hard copy because of the reasons you mention.

I think the quality when downloading does suffer.

I do worry about viruses having received one - several laptops back.

I don't want to rip off anybody. But like many people I would buy Syria Mosque concert (Thanks Adam) on a bootleg then replace it with an official release if this happened.

Historically, I don't trust the internet. In my working life I had to use on line forms to write reports on employees which would often crash in the early days. My wife had money stolen from an account when ordering something. I know how to avoid these perils now.

Although reasonably knowledgeable, I'm slow on the computer compared to younger generations. Remember I had to handwrite essays when at university.

Also, I don't want to spend too much time on my computer. Sadly in Scotland, some people are leading too sedentary lives and becoming obese. (There are many very fit families too). I 'd rather go walking or watch a local football team than spending time in front of a computer.

I miss the hunt of looking for albums, stepping out on a Saturday to go around tens of album shops. Blethering with the owners. But they are no longer there.

But it's not all bad being older. See next post.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 10:25:44 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Your closing sentence says it all to me Pete.

On Pittsburgh Richard IS fantastic. As are they all. As is the clarity of sound albeit at times uneven. But that uneveness is piffling detraction from the overall listening experience which I'm sure - and perhaps Pat and Bob F and Charlie Young amongst others might provide testimony of this - ranks as the sort of performance level of the OQ back then.

I realise the Albert hall Rags is celebrated on here - and you graciously sent me a copy of that years ago P - but whilst you can see they were at the zenith level for that show the sound on that bootleg is chalk and cheese in comparison to the clarity of Pittsburgh.

For me it means I simply don't listen to it. I derive far more rewards from the studio versions.

Pittsburgh is a different matter altogether. Every aspect of that is how you always dreamt it would be. For me after all these years it is like chancing upon the Holy Grail - The band as they have always been in my mind's eye. Musical and vocal perfection. I cannot overstate it.

Or maybe I can.

;-0)

Entered at Sun Mar 22 09:15:20 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

On bootlegs and downloads there is a mild generation gap. I spend a lot of time in secondhand and new record stores and at record fairs. I’ve discussed this. A lot of people are unsure about downloading. They fear viruses. They can’t conceive of it being “as good”; yes, it’s age. They’ll happily buy a bootleg CD, and the new market is bootleg vinyl AND semi-pirate vinyl. First we had bootlegs of classic early 70s bootlegs on vinyl. Then vinyl versions of really rare albums are popping up in new editions, and who knows what deal was made?

These download phobias are mainly (though not entirely with viruses) as unfounded as those of my grandparents who feared electricity leaking out of outlets at night. But a lot of people want the physical object and are suspicious of something free. If the tape tree creators charged a nominal $1 they’d feel better and both sides would know where it came from and where it went to.

Yes, some people are making large profits from bootlegs and they are taking from the artists in that they are not paying for their work. The fact that it was never released is irrelevant. If a burglar took my box of late teen scribblings and published it in a leather bound booklet as “Lost Poems of a Pimply Semi-Literate Youth” perhaps as poetry, or more likely and cruelly as “Humour” I would feel robbed when it sold tens of thousands. And I would feel robbed because I had no quality control over stuff with my name on that I thought not good enough for release.

The latest thing at Record Fairs is boxed sets. There was a “Complete Before The Flood” box set at £60 (or $90) recently. I wouldn’t touch it (at that price). I think it was 4 CDs, maybe 3CDs, and had all the Los Angeles concerts complete. I don’t think it’s interesting as I assume they cherry-picked the best for the original release and the sets were identical. But it’s Dylan. They’ll sell a load. Thee were other Dylan boxes at the £100 / £120 level. As we all know, by far the most expensive element on a bootleg CD is the package it comes in. CDRs are pennies.

It’s also “Let the buyer beware.” I’ve foolishly paid £15 for a double Van Morrison with nothing on it, and £10 for a Dylan that played the first track and that’s all. So in fact the downloads free are a safer bet, as well as having more care put into them. But I’m mildly reluctant to download, though I will, and compared to most of my age shuffling around record fairs, I am highly tech-savvy.

Ben’s correct that bootlegs can prompt official releases, not that they ever put out Woodstock, which sounds superb in its latest releases. Let’s hope they look to 1970 / 1971 and Syria Mosque or Royal Albert Hall, or a box of the best 70 / 71 stuff. It really shows listening to Syria that they were so much better as a full 5 piece, and that in some ways later they’re down to a 4.5 piece with Richard’s reliability. Presumably that’s why so much great material like We Can Talk and The Rumer got dropped. 1976 is well documented already. 1970 / 1971 is the place to go. And Richard is fantastic.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 07:43:27 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Sun Mar 22 06:13:44 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Subject: bootlegs

Adam, Whether someone wants to download a file for free or pay for a physical copy of the recording is a personal choice. Since this concert hasn't been officially released, the artists haven't been "screwed" out of anything. The only way that they could lose money is if someone bought a pirated version of an official release.

In addition, most of the archival Band releases were preceded by a bootleg version. "Academy of Outtakes" came before "Live at the Academy", "The Complete Last Waltz" came before the Last Waltz box set and "Crossing the great divide" came before "A Musical History". I'm sure that these bootlegs had an influence on the later official releases and the bootlegs contain material not on the official release and vice versa, so the completist needs both the bootleg and official release.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 04:26:10 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Sun Mar 22 04:20:19 CET 2015 from (99.244.8.134)

John D

Adam found band1968 and the videos you mentioned; but I can't find your edits and sequence of syria mosque audios. Sorry for the confusion on my part

Entered at Sun Mar 22 03:25:01 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Bill M, I think BEG was quoting RR at the end of TLW.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 03:15:59 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Sun Mar 22 02:34:07 CET 2015 from (68.171.246.6)

Bill M

Entered at Sun Mar 22 00:51:34 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Sun Mar 22 00:44:36 CET 2015 from (99.244.8.134)

John D

Adam are you elind90 on YouTube? Can't find anything with the name Adam.

Entered at Sun Mar 22 00:29:14 CET 2015 from (177.125.56.10)

Alexandre Baiocchi

Subject: Rock'n'Roll fan

Thanks for the article! Regards, Alexandre

Entered at Sun Mar 22 00:10:53 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

I edited/produced the "lossless WAV" files to a torrent site, and other Band/music fans could download completely free. There's no money exchanged, so the fans get to enjoy the recording that will never be officially released anyway, and Robbie & Garth do not get screwed out of money.

The bootleg company who made "Syria Mosque Legend" downloaded those same WAV files from that same torrent site, that all those Band/music fans got for free, and pressed a homemade silver disc and sold it for $30 across the world. It is the exact same files, audio, sound, sound level, etc., as my digital master, just taken and now sold for money. Don't pay the bootleggers! Share the music!

Entered at Sat Mar 21 23:54:35 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Thank you much, everyone, enjoy the music!

Entered at Sat Mar 21 23:36:30 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Listening in the car today. Stand out tracks for me are (if you want to sample):

These Are The Days (VM with Natalie Cole)

Streets of Arklow (VM with Mick Hucknall)

Born to Sing (VM with Chris Farlowe)

Rough God Goes Riding (VM with Shana Morrison)

Irish Heatrbeat (with Mark Knopfler).

Entered at Sat Mar 21 22:34:42 CET 2015 from (68.198.162.41)

Bob F

Rolling Stone is streaming Van Morrison Duet's record. I really like most of it. This is the kind of thing that would have sold like hotcakes before people starting thinking music should be free.

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Pat B

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Joan

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Dan

Thank you Adam - really enjoyed Syria Mosque. The Stage Fright songs sounded breathable and bouncy and fit in more seamlessly as the first two albums. Makes me wonder whether time and John Simon would have kept that feel had he been in on the album production.

Entered at Sat Mar 21 14:34:26 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Pete - you're a star. Boundless thanks for that mate! Humbly appreciated. Endless plays await. Twice already!!

:-0)

Adam - if you're the one responsible then what can I say. Incredible work!

Ben, Jed et alia. Agreed. Obviously.

Pat, Jeff - I thought the stalwarts would already have it. What a find.

:-0)

Entered at Sat Mar 21 12:43:42 CET 2015 from (83.249.132.27)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Thanks Mike / Norbert again

Thanks Mike on behalf of the Old World.

My neighbour a fisherman used to say :"The Northern wind is always cold - even if it blows from the South." I have modified it a bit and this is my version: "A Dutch is always a Dutch - even if he is a German."

Entered at Sat Mar 21 05:46:52 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Subject: Some Of These Bootleggers, They Make Pretty Good Stuff

Adam, Nice work on the Syria Mosque recording. It is certainly one of the best recordings by the OQ in circulation.

I don't understand your comment about the bootlegging of this show. Some people (myself included) prefer a physical copy and are willing to pay for it, rather than downloading a file. It comes down to personal preference.

Entered at Sat Mar 21 05:36:58 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Sat Mar 21 04:46:29 CET 2015 from (50.100.252.138)

brown eyed girl

John Simon, Talking about The Band from SONG TO SOUL T.V. Program

Good night. Good bye.

Entered at Sat Mar 21 04:44:15 CET 2015 from (50.100.252.138)

brown eyed girl

Ugggh! The Raptors were bulldozed again! Sheeesh! I'm still their biggest fan.

Many thanks again Adam! Keep up the great work please. Many thanks to Pat B once again as well. :-D

SONG TO SOUL_The Weight_ The Band (Part 2 (Garth), Part 3 (Levon/Levon Helm Band), Part 4 (Jim Weider)
Part 1 no longer available.

"SONG TO SOUL~One piece of the eternity" #33 The Weight Japanese television program

Entered at Sat Mar 21 01:26:58 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Entered at Sat Mar 21 01:25:13 CET 2015 from (99.16.133.205)

Adam

Anyway, not trying to show off, but this is a common case of a non profit, free fan distributed disc being commercially bootlegged and sold for money. I'm proud of my work on the Syria Mosque edit.

Entered at Sat Mar 21 01:04:17 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Ron Wood and Patti Boyd discuss The Band.

Entered at Fri Mar 20 21:33:23 CET 2015 from (65.93.116.167)

Mike Nomad

I think we all appreciate your past GB efforts. Thank you.

Entered at Fri Mar 20 18:00:59 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

Not sure why I never listened to this but I am now.Wow.

Entered at Fri Mar 20 14:25:42 CET 2015 from (83.249.132.27)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: One more anecdote on The GB - for the road

Remember the colours? They were green/beige instead of this familiar brown/beige. We had Norwegian garage doors with the same tired colours as Jan's site so - to be more distinctive - I suggested Norbert to have the green stripe to the left instead of the pink stipe from Tracy's version. Meester Norbert accepted the change. So it was not because of Islamic religion or Irland if you thought so. I suggested the names "The GB" or "The Basement". Norbert choose the first one. (I still like "The Basement" more.)

Well, that's about my contributions to the history of the rock. So far.

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Peter V

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Peter V

Entered at Fri Mar 20 13:27:08 CET 2015 from (83.249.132.27)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: An anecdote from the very beginning of Norbert's gb

Maybe it takes to be Jan The Computer Man to laugh at this anecdote...

Norbert was the Microsoft man and I was the new-born Linux saved. I didn't like his Javascripts which worked only in Internet Explorer and not in Netscape. I imagined that he did this knowingly. Finally, when I discovered (with a help of another computer) a miniature figure just like Barney in The Flintstones running from the left to the right across the GB and obviously created with the hated Dirext-X and Active-X components I just had to burst out in an email with the following: "STOP USING THOSE STUPID DIRECT-X AND ACTIVE-X JAVASCRIPT COMPONENTS!" Norbert's laconic answer was: "What are Dirext-X and Active-X components?" - I wondered if the man knew what he was doing ;-)

Thanks Norbert for your reminiscenses!

Entered at Fri Mar 20 12:52:31 CET 2015 from (104.207.136.83)

William Soule

Subject: Online Tobacco Stores Top List

Tobacco sites list and best cigarettes online links, top web stores that sell cigarettes online, buy Marlboro, Camel, Kent and Monte Carlo cigarettes online, cheap smokes for us territory with fast and secure delivery to any location. http://tobacco.gotop100.com/

Entered at Fri Mar 20 10:53:10 CET 2015 from (173.3.49.144)

Jeff A.

Entered at Fri Mar 20 10:47:23 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

The Pittsburgh show has been around for some time, and I had it on cassette, then more recently on CD. The performances are fantastic … and We Can Talk, Look Out Cleveland and The Rumer are SO good live you wonder why they ever dropped them from setlists after 1971. I always had doubts about the recorded level – the volume is lower than a normal CD by two or three notches. The YouTube appears to have whacked up the volume quite a lot which improves W. S. Walcott, but on Rockin’ Chair, I thought it had pushed it up too far. But maybe they had a better source. Anyway, Al, look out for the postman …

Entered at Fri Mar 20 09:52:41 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Far East man - your comment above truly is music to my ears. I, too, am still buzzing at finally hearing them perform to this unique level. It is a level I'd always known they could perform to but had never hitherto had definitive audio confirmation of it.

It really does give me a huge thrill to know that me posting the link to that concert has allowed a fellow genuine Band follower to share that joy in relishing for the very first time this unerring 70 minute procession of outrageous vocal and musical accomplishment.

I do hope there's a few more like yourself. Not that I'd ever wish any deprivation upon anyone but I'd still love to know who has and who hasn't previously heard this show. I'm assuming the stalwarts on here must have had bootlegs of it but it is so special in that I'm seeing it as a show that finally nails it. For me, at least.

By that I mean it is the only time I've ever heard a recording of The Band performing live when they've actually attained the musical perfection I'd only ever previously experienced in their studio recordings yet always believed in my heart and soul - AND THUS KNEW - from what I'd read of such performances that they were capable of attaining.

Having regard to the range of songs performed, their stature, the intricacy of their arrangement, the inter dependency of the five participants and any other aspect I can't quite bring to mind right now, it surely represents a level of individual and, most crucially, collective performance that surely has to be beyond the reach of anything else before or since.

So magical is it as I listen to whilst penning this that I'm literally craving for it to finish so I can hear it again from the start. Again. And again.

A true sprinkling of stardust.

:-0)

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Whoever Whoever

Entered at Fri Mar 20 01:40:23 CET 2015 from (74.75.167.189)

Far East Man

Subject: Pittsburgh Show

I very much enjoyed listening to this concert. It's wonderful to hear Richard so alive and up front in the mix. I'm a little stunned that I had not heard this concert. I really enjoy it when the playing is tight.

I'm glad you gave a shout out about the Woody Guthrie show Pat. That is my all-time favorite collaboration between The Band and Bob Dylan. Great songs, tight arrangements - I wish there was more. I enjoy Isle of Wight for it's looseness, and BTF has moments but it often is a little over the top for me. TLW would be a close second, as I thought the songs were great choices and seemed well rehearsed.

Entered at Fri Mar 20 00:47:47 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Yeah Pat. Richard's vocals are beautiful throughout but he takes the breath away on the closing refrains of The Rumour.

Yet other than the fact that those editing the thing chopped off the end of Dixie so that the lads could dash off to assemble inside the nearest phone box to perform Across The Great Divide the entire thing is absolutely astonishing.

The set list as you say is just unbeatable in its relentless quality. Every song a gem. Every vocal superb. The musicianship just deadly. The end product then does the impossible and transcends the sum of the individual parts. Judged on this recording, nothing else I've ever heard gets near them as an ensemble.

Incredible.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 23:53:59 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Subject: Danko/Helm

Peter M, I dug out my Danko/Helm cdr, and sure enough it was the Portland show. I listened to about 20 minutes while my 2 year old took a bubble bath. Very nice performance. Just as I had remembered. Highlights for me were 'Evangeline', 'Down south in New Orleans' and 'The Girl I left behind'.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 22:58:34 CET 2015 from (184.66.163.29)

JT

Subject: Personal influences

It is uncommon, but important, for successful people, whether performers or scientists or whatever, to acknowledge those who were instrumental in their success. A lot of people will name performers who inspired them. Here we have an example of someone who was there in person and made a major difference. Good stuff! We all need to remember where we came from and how we got here.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 22:23:53 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.56)

Jeff A.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 21:40:52 CET 2015 from (68.198.162.41)

Bob F

Subject: Gary Clark Jr

This is such a beautiful story.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 21:23:01 CET 2015 from (109.148.77.174)

michelle

Subject: crazy chester

Hi, love the clip of Rick, Robbie and Richard - Old Time Religion. Just back from a family wedding in Southern Ireland and met up with 'Crazy Chester's' nephew! Great guy and many a story to tell. We did a very out of tune rendition of The Weight at the reception but were word perfect.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 20:22:49 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Peter M, I have one Danko/Helm show on cd (I'm not sure if it's the Portland one), and a few on tape. There is something very special about listening to Levon and Rick in such a low-key, acoustic setting. Some of the Danko shows released in the UK a few years ago have a similar vibe.

Al, I agree with you about the Syria Mosque show. Excellent performance and certainly one of the best sounding shows by the OQ in circulation. Hopefully, this show will be released officially along with one of the Levon/Rick duo shows.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 19:58:37 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Jeff, so you won't get offended, I'm only offering "listen" as a suggestion.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 19:11:19 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Subject: THE BAND at their zenith?

I'll leave the likes of JD, Pat, Jt, Bob F et alia to advise on that with the benefit of their insight.

In the meantime, delighted to see some other GB'ers feel the same way about the Old Time Religion snippet.

With never managing to see the OQ due to chicken pox and that feckin huge boating lake that separates us and never also seeing either of the duets I do feel I've kind of missed out.

However, the linked audio of the OQ from a 1970 concert at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh whilst on the one hand tending to rub salt into these deprived UK wounds, on the other hand is of such breathtaking quality with all three lead vocalists at the very zenith of their powers and the playing of all five beyond words that who gives a feck about wounds.

:-0)

Entered at Thu Mar 19 16:56:35 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

Saw Richard/Rick and Levon/Rick a bunch of times.Pure bliss each time.Wonderful performances.Saw them in nyc and in woodstock through the years.Big crowds and tiny audiences,but all the shows were top notch.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 16:22:08 CET 2015 from (67.84.78.127)

Jeff A.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 15:55:15 CET 2015 from (108.36.197.190)

Peter M.

Ben, we must have cross posted. The YouTube Portland show is from that tour (sorry, I don't know how to link). We caught them in a weird "urban cowboy" style bar called "Phillies" in Philadelphia in '83, and it was a most satisfying night. At the end, Levon actually thanked the audience "for letting us get away with this!". Indeed, it was an honor. The Portland clip (whole show audio!) is from that tour.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 15:12:25 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Al, Nice post on 'old time religion'. I agree with you. That was a good moment in the movie.

Have you heard any of the Levon and Rick duo shows from 1983? Those shows have some of the same feeling. Hopefully, one of those shows will be released some day.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 15:04:53 CET 2015 from (108.36.197.190)

Peter M.

Al, I have to heartily agree with you regarding that beautiful laid back, off the cuff rendition of Old Time Religion. It's a moment I would fast-forward to on my VHS regularly. I listen to a LOT of music, much of it zydeco. I also love African stuff from King Sunny Ade, Fela Kuti, Ladysmith Black Mombazo, Ray Phiri, The Bundu Boys and on and on. I always return to the Blues, having been guided since the '60's by the stuff that Keith Richards listened to. That being said, I've loved The Band ever since I was a child. Scarcely a week goes by that I don't play their stuff in the car, at work or on the computer. Some of my favorite moments of their playing are the un-slick ones like Old Time Religion. And I mean goosebump inducing! Another gem I have to recommend is a clip of Levon and Garth doing Sonny Boy's "Don't Start Me Talkin'". I had it on a VHS tape from the '83 tour. They were playing in Vancouver BC. I rented it under the title "The Band is Back!" so many times at the neighborhood video store that they gave it to me after the 6th time I rented it. Sadly, I was the only person renting it. If you go to YouTube and search the title, or even just "Garth Levon" it shows up. Magnificent. And while you are at it, look for Levon and Rick "28 January '83 Starry Night Portland". The whole duo show they did is there (audio only). I love the polished, produced stuff, but this informal document of them just winging it and doing what they loved is like comfort food to me. Bon' Appetit!

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Kevin J

.......some see it as beauty, some see it as a great old champ who has lost his legs.......while some others see nothing more than the guitar player spreading 2nd hand smoke ( careful, that last group is gaining momentum )

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Bill M

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Kevin J

Subject: Old Time Religion

LINKED: From TLW, Old Time Religion

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brown eyed girl

Great to see Mark again as well! I guess a lot of us have to take breaks....some longer than others. :-D

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Kevin J

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Al Edge

Subject: ZAVADKA

You stated a while back that the Old Time Religion improv was definitely the emotional highlight of TLW for me and many others

I'd go much much further mate. I've tried on various occasions to connect on here with others about this amazing snatch of wonder but without that much success so I was delighted to see your post - albeit like me you got zero response. :-0)

I guess then the time has come for yours truly bore the arse of everbody and to try again.

:-0)

The fact is Ole Time Religion will for me always stand head and shoulders above all else within our very own wonderful movie as the movie’s very cornerstone. I doubt, of course, that many would place it in such an elevated spot in the Last Waltz pantheon or that it was ever intended to be so by Scorsese and Robbie. Clearly Robbie's comment, almost apologetic, that 'it's not like it used to be' reveals what is a great fondness for it and the spirit it represented. However, it also likely betrays the fact that whilst he dearly wanted such a snippet in the movie it is for him an aspect of the group that he'd very likely come to take for granted over the years they'd been together.

In stark contrast, to those like myself - mere vicarious voyeurs from across the pond - who had followed the group in remote yet besotted deprivation over so many years of yearning it represented something far greater.

The very essence, in fact, of The Band.

What Robbie very possibly felt to be a mere added flavor to the movie; a ramshackle low key improvised segue to the momentous orchestrated perfection of Dixie, was to many of us the very affirmation of that charmed rustic uniqueness we’d always believed marked out our heroes yet had never dared to presume to actually be so emphatically the case. Yet there it was. In all its glory and ordinary down homeness - a unique bond and blend of musical instinct and rough arse musical genius beyond anything else around. Beyond anything you’d believed musically possible.

And the fact that they performed it in such a throwaway moment merely serves to underscore to the likes of myself how clearly pivotal it is to the very being of The Band. Apart from revealing Rick as a sort of magical glue that binds them all together it emphasizes also how the other two gel to serve the entity so effortlessly, so intuitively, so seamlessly no matter the lesser role they might play in this particular instance.

And so for me this tiny window of celluloid has stood ever since it first mesmerised me in Liverpool’s Futurist cinema back in 1978 as life affirming testimony to that very essence of 'The Band' that I loved; the very reason why so many years ago hearing the refrains of The Weight for the very first time on a Victoria pub’s golden juke box struck such a chord with me and invoked such a never to be shifted bond that ever since has remained with me and in me.

Of course, it'd have been even nicer if Levon and Garth could have been present for the snippet, too. But in the whole scheme of things that matters not. The fact is they were an omni-presence in any case and so the enveloping principle and indefinable 'Band' spirit remains intact no matter which of the five was or wasn’t present.

If it’s good enough for grandma it’s good enough for me.

:-0)

Entered at Thu Mar 19 14:19:55 CET 2015 from (50.100.252.138)

brown eyed girl

Great to see you again Bones! :-D

1958 Dual-Ghia Convertible
Formerly owned by Rick Danko, of The Band

To be auctioned on Friday, January 16, 2015
$275,000 - $350,000

"In the 1970s, this car was acquired by the late Rick Danko, the popular Canadian-born singer who is best remembered as one of the members of The Band, alongside Levon Helm. Mr. Danko purchased the Dual-Ghia for his then-wife, Grace Seldner, who would drive it around their hometown of Woodstock, New York. It was later owned by other enthusiasts in New York, Tennessee, and Ontario, Canada. In the early 21st century, George Evoy carefully restored the car in its original color of Eggplant, traces of which were found in the body, and accented it with a burgundy and cream interior. The restoration still presents well, with Dr. Sable describing it as “an outstanding piece of work.”

Entered at Thu Mar 19 13:24:30 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Subject: Van

Peter, I haven't heard the new Van yet. I've been playing some of his back catalog recently, 'Astral Weeks' and a collection of Them. Van is truly one of the greats.

How about favorite Van "deep cut", I would pick 'Summertime in England'. The studio version is remarkable, but that song really came alive on stage, almost makes me want to convert, almost...

Entered at Thu Mar 19 11:37:59 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Any thoughts on this? It's the first Van album in years that I didn't buy on Monday (because I was too busy to get to the shops), the day of release, though I did get it on Tuesday morning. The Reoworking is lesser-known songs, except for the single, Real Real Gone, which was recorded with Michael Buble's band. The rest are all backed by Van's current band, though Steve Winwood gets to add Hammond and Mark Knopfler guitar on their tracks.

As a TLW star and a rare Band collaborator on "Cahoots" he deserves our attention.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 06:57:50 CET 2015 from (24.114.57.169)

Kevin J

LINKED: The late and oh so great Joe Cocker with a Rainy Night in Georgia.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 06:32:39 CET 2015 from (24.114.57.169)

Kevin J

Subject: Boz Scaggs

Thank you Bones and Mark for the reminders about Boz Scaggs. LINK: a song from the Memphis album.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 05:52:45 CET 2015 from (174.109.95.118)

Bones

On that subject and album, Mark, Boz also does an awesome duet with Lucinda Williams on "Whispering Pines". Band fans should pick up a copy! Plus, this is the kind of stuff we should be talking about. I never post anymore because I get so depressed with all the negativity about Robbie and Levon. When it gets to the point that we're disparaging The Last Waltz, it becomes ridiculous. The movie was an absolute highlight for the group and its individual members.

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Pat B

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Mark

Boz Scaggs does Rick's 'Small Town Talk' on his new album A Fool to Care album.

Entered at Thu Mar 19 02:21:44 CET 2015 from (67.84.79.124)

Jeff A.

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Pat B

This has been floating around for years. Another radio broadcast.

Yes, Jeff, when someone says something idiotic about a member of the Band, I jump in.

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Mike Nomad

Nice to have you back.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 18:59:03 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Jeff, fair enough. In retrospect, I used a poor choice of words to describe the interviews in the last waltz. I think that one-sided would be more accurate than 'disgraceful'.At least I didn't call it sleep inducing.....

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Peter V

Entered at Wed Mar 18 18:20:45 CET 2015 from (67.84.79.124)

Jeff A.

Ben, you are welcome to address me as Fucko any time you wish. PutEmUp(Fuck0 can be saved for special occasions. Just don't fuck with what i wrote. BTW, you wrote "disgrace", not "disgraceful". Of course, no one noticeably picked up that. or the other dry, subtly demonstrative, provocatively fruitful aspects or points in my post. Pat did respond as i expected. Pete, well, he jumped in too, consistent in his content. 50 /50 whether he does or or doesn't jump in these days , but half the time he does.

Ben, capital F preferably, to indicate respect. But either way is fine.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 17:02:15 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Yes, Steve and I used to banter about hockey a lot. It's easy when you're favorite team is so darned competitive. Steve was a goalie afficianado and disliked Antti Niemi. However we now have the Crow and all is well.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 16:52:57 CET 2015 from (67.84.79.124)

Jeff A.

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Bill M

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brown eyed girl

Of course Download: Levon & The Hawks :: Pop Ivy’s, Port Dover, Ontario, (not BC) Canada , 1964

The sound here is much better then I remembered when I first listened to it in a store in NYC. I didn't buy it then but found it now for those of us who don't have this one. Hope it brings back beautiful memories Nomadic Mike. :-D

Entered at Wed Mar 18 16:07:52 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

The date on the Mandel Hall show is wrong. They played the Auditorium in Chicago on Friday, November 4, 1983. Two nights later, Sunday the 6th, they played Mandel on the campus of the university of Chicago. It was recorded by the fabulous Tim Powell and broadcast on WXRT in Chicago. They did not play Mandel in July.

Jeff, you won't tell us how you reached those conclusions about RR without the interview segments?

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Jeff A.

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brown eyed girl

Download: Levon & The Hawks :: Pop Ivy’s, Port Dover, Ontario, BC, 1964

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brown eyed girl

The Band: Drifting Toward the Last Waltz

On the eve of their "Last Waltz," Robbie Robertson and friends talk about 16 years of stagefreight and the decision to stop touring

By Patrick snyder December 16, 1976

"But Robertson is emphatic when he says that "the Band will never break up. It's not necessary. It would just be a silly emotional outburst. Not touring never dawned on us before, but when we thought about it and realized what's inside everybody, it creates an ideal situation. We don't have to break up the Band to get that sense of relief that everybody is striving for. We all really like to play together and we really like one another and that's something none of us would just want to toss away, ever."

"At the Palladium in New York – the first show after Manuel's accident – the tension was thick. Robertson's fully loaded limousine had traveled the 40 blocks to the theater in deathly silence and, as he walked into the dressing room someone admonished, "Smile, Robbie."

"I'm saving my smiles tonight," was his tight-lipped reply.

"That night, the Band opened with the complex, subtly Dixieland "Ophelia" from Northern Lights and delivered it without a flaw. "The Shape I'm In" was next, with Manuel wailing so effectively through the first verse that everyone, even Robertson, was smiling. With the tension broken, the Band started flying, each member drawing on some buried reservoir of emotion to charge the songs with urgency and freshness."

"As for Richard Manuel, according to Danko, "Richard's coming out of a period and it's really nice. Now he's going to have some real choices to make." Manuel's "adventures in life" have been among the group's most dangerous and extended. On the early albums, he wore a Howdy-Doody grin and a silly hat. Then, he nearly destroyed himself in a long bout with alcohol and drugs and began camouflaging his face behind a thick beard. Despite his neck injury, he performed well on the last tour. And he's still the Band's court jester.

One day at the studio he sidled up to me to ask conspiratorially, "Do you want a three-hour egg?"

What could I say except, "Sure."

Manuel handed me a golf ball and walked away, giggling."

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Ben

Peter, the show is from 1983, with the Cates. The year on the cover from Amazon.uk is incorrect. I have 2 different cdr bootlegs of this show, one lists the date as July, 1983 and the other November, 1983. I believe the show is from July, 1983. It is a good show. To my recollection, Richard was in fine voice, better than on many shows from 1976.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 14:31:16 CET 2015 from (24.114.57.169)

Kevin J

Subject: He was getting some money but not enough ! Don Covay LINK

Entered at Wed Mar 18 14:30:07 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Subject: And then there were four, or 8 if you count the Cate Brothers

Ian, I read about this CD on another site. It's being released next month. I have a few bootleg copies of this performance, the show was broadcast on WXRT in Chicago. It's a good show.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 14:27:31 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I'd never heard this one, Ian. It's on amazon.co.uk, released 4th May. The only question is, given the date, is it really "and then there were eight" ? i.e. More of the Cate Bros (aka "too many cooks") tour, or is it after that?

Entered at Wed Mar 18 14:06:34 CET 2015 from (82.25.178.222)

Ian W

I assume that this CD release is well-known but, in case not, I thought I'd mention here:

“The Band: And Then There Were Four”. Released on the All Access label, “And Then There Were Four” is an excellent live recording taken from an FM radio broadcast of The Band playing at the tiny 750 capacity Mandel Hall at the University Of Chicago, Illinois, July 2. 1983. The concert was part of The Band’s first re-union tour following the group’s break up in 1976.

Tack Listing: ‘Up On Cripple Creek’, ‘The Shape I’m In’, ‘It Makes No Difference’, ‘Milk Cow Boogie’, ‘Mystery Train’, ‘King Harvest (Has Surely Come)’, ‘Java Blues’, ‘I Shall Be Released’, ‘Rag Mama Rag’, ‘Long Black Veil’, ‘Rock & Roll Shoes’, ‘The Weight’, ‘Ophelia’.

I think it is a "grey area" release, permissable because it's from a radio broadcast, but perhaps not.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 13:52:02 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Wed Mar 18 13:38:20 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Subject: whatchou talkin bout JeffA?

Jeff A. or Jeff (I wouldn't want to offend you) with the incorrect salutation. My deepest apologies for offering a poorly written post here. So many of the posts here are Nobel prize caliber. I understand that eminent literary critic and scholar Harold Bloom is a bit of a Band fan, so if your'e reading this guestbook, Professor Bloom, let me apologize in advance for any poorly conceived or executed posts that I may offer.

Jeff, in all seriousness, if you were not referring to the interview segments of the last waltz in your comments yesterday, what were you referring to? You wrote of Robbie portraying himself as the "centerpiece of the Band, around which everyone else revolved". If your comments don't pertain to the interview segments, then they make little if any sense to me. Can you clarify what you were getting at?

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Peter V

Doesn't that sound familiar? Twas ever thus. Maybe they switched his microphone off.

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Bob F

In the Glynn Johns book he talks about Harrison asking to record a demo of Something when the others weren't around. He wasn't sure if it was any good.

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Peter V

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Peter V

Rick and NLSC – I love All Our Past Times. NLSC has a definite “authorial voice” but in tone, it might have slipped in next to Acadian Driftwood. As a song, I’d much rather they’d recorded it at TLW instead of Further On Up The Road, always a dull blues. Though the guitar strap story makes good film, All Our Past Times is an intrinsically better song.

But we’re talking about Rick. Where are The Dankettes when you need them? Rick was singularly bad at getting the 90s Band to even play his songs, let alone record them on their three albums. It’s a point I return to as a dog returneth to its vomit. They were short of songwriters. But Rick didn’t get Home Cookin’ or Beautiful Thing, All Our Past Times, All Creation or Driftin’ Away onto albums where frankly, they were gasping for better songs. Why? Was Rick too shy about his songwriting? To me it’s one of the great mysteries of The Band.

As I think about it, wouldn’t All Our Past Times have made a great TLW ender before I Shall Be Released? Or as the seventh song in the Last Waltz Suite? Or on Islands? Or on Jericho? Or High On The Hog or Jubilation? It would appear that BOTH Robbie and Levon ignored Rick’s creativity.

Can I have a Dankette Marching Band rosette, please? I want to join.

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Rod

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Kevin J

Todd: Very "Serenity" that earlier post was ! Are you sure RR only listed 6 saxophone players on Storyville - I had counted 7. I also couldn't help thinking of Richard when reading your latest.......as he once said "I just want to break even"

Entered at Wed Mar 18 05:39:39 CET 2015 from (32.216.239.250)

Todd

Subject: The Argument Clinic

Well, it's at the point where I can't see the forest for the tress, at the moment. So I think I'll need to pull back to get a little perspective. Maybe listen to some music and clear my head.

One thing is for certain...there's nothing to "win", and it seems like hard feelings are all to easy to come by.
We're all fans of the same group here...correct?

Entered at Wed Mar 18 04:46:59 CET 2015 from (173.3.51.224)

Jeff A.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 03:43:10 CET 2015 from (32.216.239.250)

Todd

I must have missed some posts, because much of this is nonsensical to me. I'm pretty sure that Levon played a role in guiding his own career. In fact he even switched from guitar to drums early on.

While I'm sure that Levon had respect for and appreciated quality musicians......including guitarists...., it seems to me they he always had a special appreciation for horn players.

Trick question. How many guitarists did Bob Dylan work with over the years?
Answer: It doesn't matter, and questions like this are kind of missing the point. Good music is good music. Period.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 03:21:30 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

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Pat B

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Bill M

All this is making me look back on my history with the TLW movie. I've seen it three times - on opening night in April 78 at the Elgin Theatre on Yonge Street (sponsored by Q107 so John D was in a tux), in '84 on VHS in a livingroom in Mecca (!) and circa 2000 on DVD in my own livingroom in Toronto.

The last time I loved everything about it; the middle time I liked it but was paying more attention to the reaction of my English apartment-mates, some a bit younger, some a bit older, all rock fans but none all that familiar with the Band. The first time I liked everything but Robbie, who until the movie was as close as anyone to being my idol. (And it wasn't just me, I know from asking around at the time.) But why would I let that reaction colour my attitude to the guy after 37 years? He's brilliant and has pitched in for good causes. Anyway, in retrospect, I've had haircuts that did more to make me look bad than the movie did to Robbie.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 02:27:16 CET 2015 from (108.67.105.18)

Zavadka

The Old Time Religion improv was definitely the emotional highlight of TLW for me and many others.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 01:46:24 CET 2015 from (174.236.35.220)

Todd

Subject: Greater than the Sum of the Parts

Pat B, I’m puzzled by your comment that “Levon needed so many other people to enjoy a resurrection--mostly lead guitarists no less.”

  Levon has never positioned himself as some sort of troubadour doing a solo gig. Rather he has shown by the projects that he taken part in, that he is happy to be part of a band collaborating with others.

  The real story of his “resurrection”, (I prefer the term resurgence or revival), is the story of a man who battled cancer, miraculously regained the use of his singing voice, overcame bankruptcy, and along the way won a few Grammy awards, and put on a large number of shows that included people he loved, as well as people who loved him.

  It’s true that Jimmy V, Larry C. and Jimmy W. (all guitarists) participated at various points in the Ramble era, but I think some of that, especially in the earlier days, had to do with scheduling and other gigs. Jimmy V, was involved much more when the Conan show was still in NYC. Once Conan moved to LA, Jimmy wasn’t quite as geographically available as much as some of the earlier times. Larry Campbell was very busy with Bob Dylan for a while, but once he stepped out of that role, he was around the Woodstock area a lot more of the time. And it was always great whenever Jimmy Weider joined in. The format was such that various players could move around and sit in when available, whether they were guitar players, tuba players, or piano players. But the home base and core was always Levon. He opened the doors to his studio, and the people came. And Larry and Amy did a wonderful job producing the Dirt Farmer album.

  I took a look at the Dirt Farmer credits to get a feel for how many people were in the band at the time. The core band for that album is:
Levon Helm: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Amy Helm: Vocals, Percussion
Teresa Williams: Vocals
Byron Isaacs: Bass Backing Vocal
Brian Mitchell: Accordion
Larry Campbell: Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin
Additionally, Buddy & Julie Miller help out on some vocals, George Receli on percussion, and Glenn Patscha on pump organ on some of the tracks.

  I wasn’t going to do this comparison, because I don’t really see the point of it, but since it was brought up that “Levon needed so many other people to enjoy a resurrection--mostly lead guitarists no less.” I thought we should look at the line-up for some of Robbie’s projects. Here are the musician listed for Robbie’s 1987 solo album. It’s a respectable and impressive list of contributors.
Robbie Robertson, guitar/vocals
Sammy Bo Deans, vocals
Paul "Bono" Hewson, vocals/bass/guitar
Eluriel Tinker Barfield, bass
Terry Bozzio, drums
Hans Christian, bass
Adam Clayton, bass
Rick Danko, vocals
Bill Dillon, guitar
The Edge, guitar
Gil Evans, horns
Peter Gabriel, keyboards/vocals
Garth Hudson, keyboards
Manu Katche, drums
Larry Klein, bass
Abraham Laboriel, bass
Daniel Lanois, producer/guitar/percussion/bass/vocals
Tony Levin, bass
MariaMcKee, vocals
Larry Mullen Jr., drums
Ivan Neville, vocals

  Here is the line-up from Robbie’s ‘Storyville’ album:
Robbie Robertson, guitar, producer
Alejandro "Alex" Acuna, percussion
David Baerwald, backing vocals
Ginger Baker, percussion
Robert Bell, bass
Warren Bell, saxophone
Carl Blouin, saxophone
Joseph "Monk" Boudreaux, violin
Paul Buchanan, guitar/backing vocals
Amadee Castenell, saxophone
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, percussion
Code Blue, backing vocals
Stacey Cole, trumpet
Tony Dagradi, saxophone
Rick Danko, backing vocals
Bill Dillon, guitars/mandolin
Bo Dollis, vocals
Ronnie Foster, organ
Roy Galloway, backing vocals
Brian Graber, trumpet
Dan Higgins, saxophone/flute
Bruce Hornsby, keyboards/backing vocals
Garth Hudson, keyboards
Mark Isham, trumpet/flute/arrangements
Clydene Jackson, backing vocals
Ronald Jones, bass
Fred Kemp, saxophone
Ken Kugler, tuba
Mark Leonard, bass
Jared Levine, percussion
Jerry Marotta, drums
Mike Mills, backing vocals
John Mitchell, clarinet
Richard "Blue" Mitchell, saxophone
Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, drums
Paul Moore, keyboards
Aaron Neville, backing vocals
Arthur Neville, organ/backing vocals
Cyril Neville, percussion
Ivan Neville, keyboards/backing vocals
Leo Nocentelli, guitar
Martin Page, keyboards/piano/backing vocals
Charles Pollard, keyboards
George Porter, bass/backing vocals
Guy Pratt, bass
Wardell Quezergue, arrangements
Rebirth Brass Band, horns/percussion
David Ricketts, bass/guitar/keyboards/programming
Robbie Robertson, vocals/guitar/organ/producer
John "J.R." Robinson, drums
Carmen Twillie, backing vocals
Duane VanPaulin, trombone
Bill Ward, drums
Yvonne Williams, backing vocals
Neil Young, backing vocals
Zion Harmonizers, backing vocals
Stephen Hague, producer/keyboards

  The only conclusion that I can draw from this is that both Levon and Robbie enjoyed working with other musicians, and that some of those musicians even included other guitarists.

But the true story of Levon’s resurgence is not how many guitarists he knew, but a story of recovery and perseverance in the face of true hardship.  

Entered at Wed Mar 18 01:37:17 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Wed Mar 18 01:16:10 CET 2015 from (173.3.51.224)

Jeff A.

I need to make clear that I have not in any way written anything in agreement with what is presented in Ben's poor writing. I did not write anything about the interview segments..

Ben wrote: "I think Jeff hit the nail on the head, the interview segments in the last waltz are a disgrace, in my opinion." That was poor writing & misleading. He might agree with what I wrote about RR and TLW, but his poor writing actually can totally misrepresent everything i wrote. Ben needed several thought out sentences to agree with me and make his own separate case for that point .
Ben, nothing against you. When you slow down, and think about what you are writing, & learn more & think through, you can make a good point. Twice lately, you either been on the right track, or were far down the right track. Then you raced right off the edge of a cliff. Slow down young man.

To comment on the interview segments themselves, or anything involving the word disgrace regards that movie, i;d have to watch the movie again, with a pause button, reverse feature too, take notes, etc etc

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Peter V

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Peter V

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joe j

Subject: Jameson's

Happy Paddy's Day y'all. Sheila's Brush duly noted. Third blizzard in two weeks. What's with this? I like my winter but this is getting 'pretty old'. Old bones maybe.

Link's to 'Kitty' from 'Red Roses For Me'.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 00:49:42 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

The Legal loopholes that Peter & Pat, maybe some others have alluded to regarding the sale of cds of radio show and live radio broadcasts of performances - I would imagine the broadcast agreement for the radio station or show to broadcast grants a license regarding the songs, but specific to that event, that performance & that event.. If you don't read license agreements carefully you are in deep doo doo. There are always some clause designed to get the licensor, the licensee is generally always going to try to grab some rights they probably shouldn't have. Now, if there is enough compensation, and possible extra compensation for something like this, that is another story..The businessmen involved would have negotiated including or aware of the possibility.....
Yet, for pre disc and pre internet days, no one would have considered the possibility of selling downloads of these shows, or selling discs over the net.....so there was no thought given to this. Today, well, today to get promo & airplay acts plat at every radio station that will have them, and all these stations record em, many "public stations" use the recordings to sell to raise funds to pay their bills..... - the artist is lucky to get the support- :-)

Entered at Wed Mar 18 00:13:21 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Peter, I don't understand your logic. Are you suggesting that Danko knew during the recording of NL-SC that Clapton would be recording at Shangri-La the following year and purposely withheld songs from NL-SC? That seems pretty far-fetched to me.

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Kevin J

It just baffles me how the interview segments of TLW could rankle anyone.....8 years of dives and dance halls, 8 years of arena's and stadiums plus the fly - Great, More Pussy than Frank Sinatra ( as a teenager at the time, it had never even occurred to me that Frank Sinatra would have even been getting any ! ) -Great scene , The Garth as teacher scene - Great, The RR-Levon scenes about getting to New York, Tin Pan Alley and especially the RR-Levon scene at the picnic table where Levon descibes as perfectly as it has ever been described about what rock n roll is....are better than great........Garth's scene about musicians doing the best healing on the streets..........How can anyone even imagine a movie being better without these scenes.

Entered at Wed Mar 18 00:04:03 CET 2015 from (173.3.51.224)

Jeff A.

Pete, i never thought you were diminishing anyone's contribution. What I wrote was clear - what I responded to was evident. I thought, still think that what you specifically wrote lacked the knowledge of the events. Maybe, and as you now indicate, you rambled from what your intent to write was, but what you actually wrote was:
" An alternative career path for Richard would have seen him hooking up with another musician to write with, and also someone to push him into concerts, and getting a band together and so on. Rick found that with Eric Anderson and Jonas Fjeld. Levon found it with Amy Helm and Larry Campbell."
Pete, what I wrote before, and will repeat with less details, is that is not how it happened. I agree that Amy & Larry surely were the catalysts in creating Dirt Farmer, but they were not responsible for the gazillion steps and occurrences prior. And that certainly includes the musical steps.And the musical steps may have been in conjunction with others , maybe sometimes instigated by others, but bet your bippee that nothing Levon did not approve of happened musically. Amy & Larry were there. More at different stages, less at some, though Amy was more constant. But till coming near Dirt Farmer, one couldn't call either of them catalysts,They were not the catalysts.

So now that i've clarified for everyone what you wrote, what you say you wrote, what we agree and disagree upon regarding what you wrote and what you did not write, is the world a safer, happier place? Fuck no.

Entered at Tue Mar 17 23:52:35 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Why would anyone want songs on the next Eric Clapton album, featuring a new Bob Dylan performance?

461 Ocean Boulevard, 1974. US #1, UK #3, Australia #2, Japan #8, Holland #4.

There’s One In Every Crowd, 1975, US #21, UK #15, Australia #15, France #15.

Then when that album, No Reason To Cry, came out, it was US #15, UK #8.

How much better to hold the songs back for NLSC. After all Moondog Matinee had been US #28 (no chart entry in UK), and NLSC did get to US #26.

I think that I’m saying Rick Danko knew best where to place his songs!

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Bill M

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Jeb Stuart

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Pat B

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Pat B

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Bob F

Also, a couple of years ago you wrote something about The Band songwriting that was perfect. Do you remember?

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Roger

Subject: It's an age thing

Ben, The Last Waltz introduced The Band to a new generation who may or may not have stumbled on them elsewhere - but probably not.

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Ben

Sure, some people "discovered" The Band by watching the last waltz. But, I think most people who became fans, would have discovered them anyway at another time. It's not as if their music was ever out of print or unavailable. The last waltz is no 'Searching for sugar man', that was a case where an artist was completely rediscovered by a movie.

I think Jeff hit the nail on the head, the interview segments in the last waltz are a disgrace, in my opinion. That's what ruins the move for me. Garth, Rick and particularly Richard come across terribly. Levon is angry. Why did Robbie feel the need to take over and showboat the way he did? I think the interviews should have been tossed out and some other connecting material included. It would have been interesting for some critics or other musicians to give their take on the Band.

I have a copy of the 'Carter Baron' CD that's available on Amazon. The sound quality is good, similiar to the bootlegs that have bee released. I believe there's a loophole in UK copyright law that allows for radio broadcasts to be released, so there are lots of these available now on Amazon.

Roger, I have no evidence regarding whether 'Beautiful Thing' 'and 'All our past times' were submitted for NL-SC or not. I was struck by the comment in Hoskyn's book that Rick was pitching songs to Clapton. That's all. If anyone has any more information on this, I'd be curious to know.

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Peter V

Jeff, I have no wish to diminish anyone’s contribution. Indeed, Jimmy Vivino got it going etc. On my Levon Helm Playlist (and yes, I do have one!) The Battle Is Over from the Rambles albums is one of the most played tracks. But what I meant was a catalyst, that is, something that when contacted changes the substance, or in music, the whole ball game. There’s nothing in the Crowmatix or Midnight Rambles CDs to suggest the Grammy-Award brilliance of “Dirt Farmer.” And to a lesser degree, “Electric Dirt” in spite of Stuff You Gotta Watch. That’s why I’d credit Larry Campbell and Amy Helm as great catalysts.

On another, TLW was a fantastic concept. And “Beautiful Noise” is an extremely good album.

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Kevin J

brown eyed girl: Thank you. I had posted the contents of that NPR interview before but it was nice to hear the audio. ……as to Levon’s introduction of the Band and responding to the Brian Williams question…….I thought Levon was just being courteous……and respectful of the other players….to have paused and differentiated new guys from old guys would have seemed odd. No doubt, a less experienced person would have fumbled that question.

Entered at Tue Mar 17 18:50:16 CET 2015 from (81.107.236.227)

Roger

Subject: It grows and grows...

Ben - got any evidence that JRR rejected Rick Dank's contributions or are you making it up? NLSC and No Reason To Cry were recorded several months apart. I have no idea why All Our Past Times wasn't on NLSC - but your speculation fans fuedal flames. Ironic when we've been listening to the Levon interview which downplays conventional wisdom that Levon was eaten up by the songwriting issue.

I have in front of me the Mojo article from January '94 which coincided with the release of Jericho. In the interview with Levon David Cavanagh puts the suggestion to him:

'In the book, (TWOF), your contempt for Robbie just swells as the story unfolds.

Levon: (laughs) Well, in the book it certainly appears that way. In real life, it doesn't exactly pattern that.There was some friction years ago, but that's been years ago. But the book does keep harping in that direction, and comes off as me being a bitter man, and all I can think about every day is revenge, you know. I'm not ecstatic about it. I can live with most of it, (the Stephen Davis book) but I thought it would be a lot funnier and there'd be a lot less pissin' and moaning' and bitchin'.

So on the one hand we have Stephen Davis and on the other 'real life'. I have no idea what went on - but I'd like some decent evidence before forming any view.

As for The Last Waltz - none of us would be here without it - Jan encountered The Band through the film.

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Peter V

These radio shows … and add Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, James Taylor, Little Feat, Ry Cooder, Bruce Springsteen etc … must slip through some legal loophole. They sell them on amazon, and in FOPP stores which are owned by HMV. I haven't seen the actual Band ones in FOPP, though they are online. Quality is very good.

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Bill M

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Lisa

Coulda, woulda, shoulda ... sigh.

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Pat B

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Bob F

The Palladium show was the last time I saw the original group. The show was broadcasted live over WNEW in New York and sent out to radio stations around the country. These are the kind of radio broadcasts Springsteen is releasing as downloads (cd's are available) on his website with beautiful sound quality. I wish The Band people would look at download releases.

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Bill M

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John D

OK....So if it's a radio broadcast the Label is indeed up for grabs. Capitol for example has no say in those recordings and can't look at them as a part of a back catalog? No permission then is needed by the remaining members of The Band; or would Robbie & Garth and the estates of the others have to sign off? That's really all I wanted to know.

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Pat B

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Pat B

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Bill M

Speaking of royalty grievances, I was listening to the YouTube clip of Steppenwolf's "Sookie Sookie" the other day; when that one ended the computer immediately went into a different promo clip with the same song but with better sound. One of the follow-on YouTube links from there was to a relatively recent interview with Steppenwolf keyboardist Goldy McJohn. He was talking about being screwed out of not hundreds of thousands of dollars but $10 million! He then went right into talking about Robbie Robertson, but not at all about royalties but about how he used to tell would-be copycats that they had to shred their speakers to get his sound. (This is an oft-repeated tale of course, but being a Torontonian back in the heyday of the Hawks he may well have witnessed something to that effect.)

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John D

This morning I discovered on Amazon a new Band album, recorded just two months; before The Last Waltz called "Palladium Circles on The Iconography Label." And a few months back "Carter Barron Amphitheater, Washington DC, July 17th Live on The Keyhole Label."

Curious. Is their recorded works now up for grabs. I've heard the latter album on Spotify and it certainly doesn't sound bootlegged

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

One very common view of The Last Waltz and RR's motives is that it was his first attempt to publicly portray himself as the centerpiece in the band, around which everyone else revolved and from which they derived their sunlight and received their instructions. And that it was the beginning of his campaign to rewrite the history of the band and present it as he sees fit. which he has done for decades. If they trusted a person, conversations with Band members cast more light on these commonly found opinions.

All that said, TLW movie did elevate The Band into greater public consciousness. And it certainly introduced many peopel to The Band, and provided a great vehicle for anyone to use to turn people on to The band with.

I do think that RR did more harm to his own image than good with his behavior in the movie. For one thing, hollywood people already knew him. He didn't have to pound on his chest. The difference between his behavior, and that of the other two band members you saw much of of, Levon & Rick, can't be missed. Many people, especially humble, observant, or musically inclined ones, don't miss these things, and it sets em to thinking. Geez, listen to these guys. Look at that guy....who does he think he is?

How the Band will be remembered, how the members will be remembered, try as he might, I doubt RR is going to be able accomplish what his goal has been.

Entered at Tue Mar 17 15:23:15 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Bill, you are offering the conventional wisdom about the last waltz. But, I don't buy it. I think that the last waltz became a major albatross for the 4 and later 3 who continued as The Band. Sure, some people "discovered" the Band due to the last waltz. but I think most would have anyway. Just think how may people would have "discovered" them in 1970 if Grossman would have let them appear in the Woodstock movie and on the soundtrack. I think far more people have discovered the Band through their previous work with Dylan than through the last waltz.

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Bill M

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Ben

Peter, it's interesting that you brought up the woodstock times interview with Richard. I re-read those interviews recently, and I was struck by Levon's interview. I got the sense from Levon's interview circa 1985, that it was very up in the air whether the Band would continue. I believe that Levon was touring with the Cate Brothers at this time.

Regarding the questions that I brought up yesterday. Those were the things that struck me after re-reading the two Band books. It struck me as odd, that Rick was pitching songs to Eric Clapton, a short time after NL-SC. So, again, I wonder if those songs had been pitched to the Band for NL-SC. Since Rick was writing songs, it seems to contradict some of Robbie's claims that he was prodding everyone else to contribute songs. Look at Rick's solo album, he was credited with writing or co-writing every song. So, maybe the notion of Robbie encouraging everyone else to contribute songs to the Band is a little exaggerated.

The main point that I wanted to bring up is that there was no need for a 'last waltz'. After the tour ended, they could have gone back to their separate projects. Rick and Levon could have proceeded with their solo albums and tours, Robbie could have kept producing Neil Diamond albums. When you consider how young they were at the time, early to late 30's, it seems that making a 3 record set and movie about retiring was premature, at least for 4 of the guys. And if Robbie's motivation was to get into the movie industry, I'm sure he could have done that organically without the last waltz. He was living around and socializing with these people already.

Regarding Levon's solo projects, besides the 'RCO' album, one of my favorites is 'Souvenir'. I think the Cromatix were a good fit for Levon, I wish that Levon's estate or Professor Louie would release some full length shows from this period.

Entered at Tue Mar 17 11:48:59 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

....Soz, and JA too.

:-0)

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Jeff A.

Pete, I'm typing as i prepare to leave hurriedly. So i may get this wrong chronologically and partially conceptually.

Levon's case was other than you present it.
First, he had cancer. And Rick's death occurred all about the same time. So, Levon had illness, financial troubles again, and The Band ended.
The Barnburners, which were not necessarily musically significant ensued, but Vivino's friendship and musical friendship were constant. And there were many shows with Vivino's friends, ( of course, they were often or became Levon's friends too.
Barnburner shows often included Vivino, sometimes Garnier, or vivino & Campbell, sometimes Garnier. .Of Course then campbell started coming alone even if no one else was around . And in the background, Norm Clancy and lawyers were working on Levon;s financial/legal problems , and Paul Schmidt & others were buildng the financial basis.

In Levon;s case , a huge part of the musical resurrection was facilitated by legal and financial resurrection. That is definite enormous step. And a definite huge influence was Jimmy Vivino. Vivino laid the basis. Once it was rolling Campbell & Amy may have gotten it going in a different direction ofr the first recording, but, Jimmy was the first big catalyst, after Levon's long time vision and the legal and fiscal realities being solved.. And Jimmy was also responsible for Band songs being brought back to Lwvon's repertoire.

i expect I'd have more to say & on other aaspects of this if i wasn't late.

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Al Edge

Some good stuff there gals/fellas. And belated huge thanks to Norbert for keeping the dream alive even if it must have coincided with one of my lengthier sabbaticals. As for the relentless thoroughness of Pete's reflections - well t'is a wonder of the world.

:-0)

Aren't perspectives just the most amazing feckin things? They drive the world whilst destabilising it to feck. From feuds to album/CD logistics. As you get older the more you think you understand - or should understand - you realise the less you actually do.

Apart from PV, of course.

:-0)

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Peter V

His writing dried up – Robbie has described trying desperately to get Richard to write. If you look at a lot of great songwriters, they need a partner or catalyst. In Elton John and Brian Wilson’s case, it appears to be an inability to write lyrics. Early on, it looks as if Carole King and Gerry Goffin did a music / lyrics split, even if later Carole King proved adept at doing it all on her own. But in other cases it’s just that a song comes together with a second person. It’s surprising how often Leonard Cohen credits a co-writer, though the results always end up sounding “like Leonard Cohen.” Rick Danko almost always wrote with someone, but there’s something in the melodies which have Rick’s signature on them, whoever the co-writer was. An alternative career path for Richard would have seen him hooking up with another musician to write with, and also someone to push him into concerts, and getting a band together and so on. Rick found that with Eric Anderson and Jonas Fjeld. Levon found it with Amy Helm and Larry Campbell. It’s a tragedy that Richard never found that person. I don’t think it could have been any member of The Band either … too much history.

Entered at Tue Mar 17 08:21:25 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I used to see a C-90 cassette as an LP each side too, and I often transfer old (and valuable) rock LPs to CDR, and usually get two on one CD easily. Elvis LPs could get down to 12 to 14 minutes a side. If I assemble 60s singles on a CDR, you can get 26 or 27 of them onto a CDR. I’ve recently done a couple of CDRs as Wedding Anniversary minor presents (well, to put in the card) – 40th and 50th too … and on the 50th one, I just got the Top 30 of their wedding day in, though I had to reduce the track gap from 2 seconds to 1 second. On the 40th, I couldn’t go past The Top 24. I have to confess that for the 50th one, I only had to spend out on iTunes for three tracks. I had the rest, about two thirds off CDS, about one third off vinyl.

There is always a pay off in sound. 45s sound better than EPs. 12” singles sound better than 7” singles. 20 minutes was about right, and if you look at the track timings, the eight songs on NLSC are longer than earlier albums.

Definitely the “40 minute rule” produced albums of more consistent quality. So many 70 minute CDs have filler songs.

Entered at Tue Mar 17 04:00:51 CET 2015 from (32.216.239.250)

Todd

Subject: If you're gonna have a hit, you gotta make it fit , So they cut it down to 3:05

Peter V. I hadn't considered the format when commenting on NLSC. Until CD's came along, the only Band albums that I had on LP were the earlier ones. Then I filled in on cassette with Best Of's and Anthology type releases. It wasn't until the 2000 CD remasters that I had a full set of all the albums in all the same format. In fact I never even realized that 'Acadian Driftwood' was almost 7 minutes. Testament to the song and performance that it doesn't seem that long. I suppose 8 songs is about right then for that album…maybe could of squeezed 'Home Cooking' on there.

I used to tape a lot of my LP's to listen to in the car, and usually used the 90 minute blank cassettes. Most albums fit comfortably on one side in the allotted 45 minutes. I liked it if there was enough to almost fill up the tape without too much blank space. I used to get irritated when some albums broke the 45 minute barrier, and had to spill over to the other side of the tape.It was nice to be able to get one distinct album on each side of the tape. Eventually they came out with 100 minute tapes which solved that problems, but by then it seemed lime the tape was getting thinner, or putting more wear and tear on the tape transport. Barring any extremely long, or short songs, I always felt that 10 songs (5 on each side of an LP) was just about the right amount of songs for an album.

Once CD's came along and upped the time limit to 74 minutes, and sometimes more, it seemed like some bands lost the ability to edit their work, and threw too many songs on a CD just because they fit, or for some perceived extra value to the consumer.
I like a good value as much as anyone, but not solely for the sake of more quantity.

Bill M. Good point about the timing of any sort of Band reunion. I think the length of time it took between the event and the movie took away any possible momentum. It would have been awkward if the reunion tour happened prior to the theatrical release of the movie celebrating the end of the group. Or the beginning of the beginning of the end of the beginning.

Peter V. Robbie may have been trying to save Richard in some way, but I wonder sometimes if it wouldn't have been better to be a little busier earlier, with projects to work on. When I read the Ruth Albert Spencer interview with Richard from 1985, he seems very clear that The Band hadn't broken up, that they were on a hiatus or vacation, and he fully expected them to work together again. I'm not sure what Richard was doing between 1977 and 1983 or 1984, which is a long span of time, but he very much seems like he wanted to get back to making music. Like a very important piece of his life was missing. The other guys seems able to stay busy enough doing other projects, but I feel like Richard being part of The Band was an important part of his identity.

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Pat B

Entered at Mon Mar 16 23:31:42 CET 2015 from (50.100.252.138)

brown eyed girl

I tried to find the video where Levon basically stated that in order to sell more books.....Instead I found the reformed Band on Brian Williams' show which I previously posted. It was strange or very telling that when he was asked who was present from the original Band; Levon's response was Garth and Rick and then he included the reformed band members. Also, right back in 1993 Brian asks Levon about any more possible Basement Tapes music and Levon turned around and aknowledged Garth.

Here is a 1993 and 2007 Levon interview once again. It appears he still called Robbie....Robbie and not Robertson at this time and said everyone including Robbie was doing well and that Levon no longer had any animosity and that maybe things worked out well for everyone......

Norbert...You are too kind and generous. Thank you my friend. :-D

Btw I sent Rollie a photo of the kidzzz pretending to play harp while they heard his voice. I really liked Rollie so much and had so much fun with him and others. He wasn't a fan of Robbie but he just teased me about being a fan of Robbie.....He was never ever disrespectful. He always told me to never get involved with a musician. So far so good.

Lisa and Joan...I wasn't planning on returning until maybe Robbie's book came out. I felt like I was repeating myself too much and forgetting which links I had already posted and then....I became hooked on the Toronto Raptors.

So....It was International Women's Day last Sunday when I posted. I was hoping someone else would finally make our day. Anyway, when I heard that Lew Soloff had passed I thought about the VHS I had with him and Garth. Lew's playing always brought so much joy to my life. I thought about how Garth must have really appreciated performing with someone like Lew. I also thought about Marianne Faithfull on this special day as maybe most Band fans here can't stand her singing and yet here she is employing all these fabulous musicians on her show and record!! Don't forget there was also Marc Ribout's guitar playing which was funky and intricate at times. Fernando Saunders I knew from Louuuu's bands. Now he must be a warrior....Although he was the first person who let us in on the Louuuu not everyone knows. You can hear his very sensitive and tender side in some of his songs. Anyway, I just planned on popping in for that one day. Ha, ha, ha.....and blah, blah, blah.....Here we are once again...or.....maybe not so much. Lol

Yeah Magnus!! Maybe you can slip in some Band samples or sample something from Robbe's solo work....Hey, hey, hey! Btw, I was the first one to post about Ariana....and Louuu found Kanye West's music extremely creative so there ya go Magnus! Keep movin' and groovin'......

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Peter V

First Possibility: Clapton albums sold more than Band albums? No Reason to Cry followed two major sellers.

People walking away- Peter Gabriel makes a point indeed; but Brian Wilson kept on writing for the Beach Boys, and had been “non-touring but producing and writing” for years – a role Robbie could have taken. But Richard was walking into the valley of the shadow in 1976. Continuing as they had was not an option. If the others thought they could drag him through 1977 in similar style, thank goodness for Robbie in giving him another nine years.

The only Byrd you could not replace was Roger McGuinn. Traffic … could exist without Dave Mason even if he came and went, but not without Steve Winwood. The Hollies were a covers band, not an originals band. John Cale was a huge loss to the VU, but they survived. It’s just like The Byrds and Roger McGuinn, they couldn’t have survived without Lou Reed.

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Bill M

1) Why would Rick "seem to be more interested in getting songs on a Clapton album than the recently recorded Band album"?

I guess that if the album had already been recorded, even if recently, and Rick"s songs weren't on it, then getting them on somebody else's album would be the only option short of waiting for the Band to do another.

2) "Why didn't Robbie just walk away and let the others continue?"

A case can be made that that's what he did, though the others may not have been ready move on the opportunity immediately. Good thing too, because having an OQ-1 on the road while tears were still being shed about the demise of the OQ would have muddied the commercial waters for all.

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Jed

Phil opened his 75th birthday concert week at the Capitol theater last night with Ripple,while holding his grandson,Levon.

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sadavid

Subject: calling out to sea

Foghorns mean love.

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Peter V

Todd, NLSC was an LP, remember? It was about 40 minutes long, and Acadian Driftwood alone approaches 7 minutes long. At the time, the limit for real hi-fidelity on vinyl was generally considered to be 20 minutes a side. As you went past 22, quality declined sharply, ending up in those TV advertised LPs at 30 minutes a side, which have no volume at all. So at 8 songs it was not short, nor in need of more tracks, especially as Garth was making it into a hi-fidelity state-of-the-art sampler, almost.

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Dave H

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Jeff A.

It's esentially required watching. That said, i've watched part of what i think is called The Lost Waltz, and i'd love to have that in color, with better sound. The unreplaced music that i heard was unperfect but friggin amazing. Less accessible, but amazing.

Entered at Mon Mar 16 15:55:23 CET 2015 from (32.216.239.250)

Todd

Subject: Words and Numbers

Not a lot of time now to comment now or follow up, but Ben's question about Rick's and Richard's songs does make me wonder why there were only 8 songs on NLSC. Seems a little slim for a full album. There must have been other songs under consideration at that time...especially with all the years in between 'Cahoots' and 'NLSC'....unless they were saving the others for 'Islands'?

And yes, all 5 Band members must have gotten a vote, or a voice at the table, but Levon does make a comment (I'm paraphrasing here) regarding the business meetings that were happening around that time, and that the "real meeting" where decisions were made seemed to have happened 10 minutes before the start of the meeting.

Entered at Mon Mar 16 15:39:48 CET 2015 from (38.113.85.40)

Dan

Subject: Ben

Ben - the idea was that The Band would stop touring like The Beatles and become a studio band. The road was killing them, even if not all of them could see it. A month before The Last Waltz concert Richard OD'd before a Saturday Night Live gig.

Entered at Mon Mar 16 14:53:15 CET 2015 from (129.42.208.182)

Bob F

Entered at Mon Mar 16 13:39:13 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

I've been re-reading the Hoskyn's Band book over the weekend. Last week, I re-read Levon's book. The books compliment each other well.

After reading both books, I have a few observations. In Hoskyn's book, there's a comment about Rick pitching songs to Eric Clapton during the 'No reason to cry' sessions as Shangri-La. Two Danko songs are on the album, 'Beautiful thing' credited to Rick and Richard and 'All our past times', credited to Rick solo. I wonder whether these songs were considered for NL-SC. It struck me as odd, that Rick would seem to be more interested in getting songs on a Clapton album than the recently recorded Band album.

The other question that I have is Robbie's motivation for spearheading 'the last waltz'. By 1976, Robbie, Levon and Rick had produced and played on albums for other artists. Undoubtedly Robbie's production work on two Neil Diamond albums was more lucrative than Rick's or Levon's work with Bobby Charles and Muddy Waters. It seems to me that when Robbie decided he didn't want to tour anymore he had a number of options. The easiest thing would have been for the The Band to stop working together at the end of the '76 tour. No star-studded concert and film crew required. There had been several long sabbaticals since 1972, so this would have followed their pattern. The second option would have been for Robbie to leave The Band, and the others could then bring in a replacement and continue. According to Levon's book, Levon asked Robbie about this and he immediately dismissed it.

Many key members have left bands and the bands continued without them. Just off the top of my head, the list would include Brian Wilson, Gene Clark, John Cale, Graham Nash, Dave Mason, Peter Gabriel.

So, why didn't Robbie just walk away and let the others continue?

Entered at Mon Mar 16 13:34:31 CET 2015 from (82.25.178.222)

Ian W

Subject: Embassy label, Levy's studio and a bit more

I think the link between Robert Farnon was less strong than my memory suggests. On a webpage from the Robert Farnon Society, I found a biography of Johnny Grgory. The link is above but here are some relevant extracts:

"Jack called Johnny to meet him at Oriole in 1954. A new label was being launched, Embassy Records, an economy 78rpm product for sale exclusively in Woolworth’s. Johnny, and another musical director called Ken Jones were to provide the arrangements and Baverstock would direct the sessions."

"It was the beginning of the "Chinese Copy" era. As soon as any popular record looked like it was going into the charts, Johnny or Ken would adapt the arrangements from the disc and a singing artist was chosen who could mimic the original artist. They were cranking out 8 records or 16 numbers a week and all had to be finished during the session, no remixing in those days. They were then pressed and in Woolworth stores within five to six days. Many turned out to be better than the originals, and with a nationwide network of Woolworth stores to distribute them, they sold in their tens of thousands."

"Morris Levy, Managing Director of Oriole and Embassy never expected the phenomenal success of "Chinese copies". Morris was a careful businessman; he could see this might be a "South Sea Bubble", but with the occasional hit from Oriole like ‘Freight Train’ – Nancy Whisky and Chas McDevitt, or ‘We will make love’ with Russ Hamilton, their factories at Aston and Colnbrook often ran out of capacity. Eventually, he had to invest in new plant, but he covered his bets with a contract to do the overflow for Decca and EMI."

"In 1956 Jack Baverstock moved from Oriole/Embassy to Philips to become Artists and Repertoire manager at the new Fontana label, and Reg Wharburton replaced him. Johnny followed Jack to Philips on the promise of working for a front line label and to gain recognition for his talents. Morris Levy was devastated; he offered Johnny carte blanche. Johnny reassured him that he was not under contract to Fontana and could service both companies if the need arose. Johnny actually continued with Oriole/Embassy for a further two to three years. The decision to intensify his activities at Fontana was fortuitous, because CBS, who had their records pressed at Oriole, took the company over and asset stripped it."

That’s probably enough on this topic. We must be boring our non-British “guests”.

Perhaps I should add that Dylan’s 12 May 1965 session at Levy’s studio was the first time that Dylan and Eric Clapton would have encountered one another.

Entered at Mon Mar 16 13:28:01 CET 2015 from (129.42.208.179)

Bob F

Carmen, I saw Dylan perform two shows there in October 1988. Beautiful theater. Dylan must have thought so also. The first show he did several extra songs including "Every Grain of Sand".

Entered at Mon Mar 16 12:19:51 CET 2015 from (82.25.178.222)

Ian W

Checking through, I have “Blood Sweat & Tears – The First Album” on CBS’s Embassy label - EMB 31028. The inner sleeve bears a price sticker: “99 P / E & J Walker - Irvine”, from the time I lived a few miles from there in Scotland. Frankly, I don’t even remember the shop. The inner sleeve lists almost 40 LPs on the label – gosh, what a mixture!

I also looked back to a couple of articles I’d written, roughly 10 years ago, on Dylan’s session at Levy’s Studio in May 1965. To forget the details in that time is a sure sign of one’s passing years. Levy’s had two pressing plants, one in Aston Clinton and one in Colnbrook. The recording studio was at 73 New Bond Street, with a mixing studio across the street at 101 New Bond Street. The recording studio was on the first floor at the back of the building above the Bunch of Grapes pub, backing on to Dering Street. It had previously been an art gallery and the studio took up a 40’ x 40’ space. I did once visit the place, to a mixture of interest and bemusement on the part of the then occupiers.

The Levys (there was a brother, Jacques) recorded and pressed for Woolworth’s Embassy, as Peter indicated, but they also pressed for the (West African) Melodisc and the (American) Mercury labels.

I don’t know if this link will work but it’s a link I found 10 years ago: https://archive.is/5dYfB. It suggests that Levy’s studio was also called Embassy studios. I suspect that was wrong, though perhaps the amount to which Embassy used the studio. It was probably the fact that the Levys had their own pressing plants, independent of the majors that was the attraction, as it was to Columbia Records. Having said that, it wasn’t long before CBS built its own state-of-the-art pressing plant, as I recall.

I think Levy’s studio had some connection with Robert Farnon, the composer and arranger of “light music”, who worked with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Vera Lynn, and many others, as well as composing many film scores (“Colditz story”, one of the Crosby-Hope “road” films etc). I cannot find a specific reference but I guess he must have used the studio./n As Peter says, “The Paul Simon Songbook” was recorded there. The 2004 CD issue shows a tape box and the heading of the tape box shows “Oriole Records Limited”, with the “Oriole” crossed out. I seem to recall that the Jackson C Frank album, which Simon produced, was also recording there, too.

Entered at Mon Mar 16 11:00:38 CET 2015 from (31.53.175.134)

Dunc

Subject: Send Me One Line

John Martyn wrote the beautiful 'Send Me One Line' for the film '84 Charing Cross Road', but it was never used in the film. I picked it as one of my favourite John Martyn tracks on Toppermost.

It was not cool to buy Embassy records. But they served a need in poorer times. They cost, I think, slightly over 4s compared to 6s 8d, and Woolworths was a popular shop.

Entered at Mon Mar 16 10:11:17 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I never bought Embassy for the same reason as Roger. Unlike other budget cover labels which produced 4 or 6 track EPs, Embassy steadfastly produced Double A side singles, often with different artists on the two sides. Embassy's two plants produced unusually thick vinyl singles too. They custom-pressed for other labels when there was a rush on, and oddly Embassy / Oriole pressings are held to be very good quality. Embassy alone had 5% of the UK record market.

Artists are wary about admitting they did Embassy covers for cash. Tommy Steele is often suggested but denies it. Bert Weedon is said to be "Bud Ashton" as well as various "groups" on all the guitar cover instrumental versions. The Pearls on Embassy were The Vernons Girls.

Entered at Mon Mar 16 09:56:30 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Charing Cross Road is the place to see GB people - I was there on Saturday looking at secondhand books before seeing James McAvoy in the play "The Ruling Class." I linked it for those who know the film version.

Yes, Oriole produced Embassy cover versions for Woolworths, and recorded them in the same studio. CBS bought them because they owned their own pressing plant, and soon killed the labels, but after a few years someone saw they owned the Embassy trademark and CBS named a budget series, not realizing the "budget cover" connotations. Embassy 70s LPs were budget versions of existing major artist LPs.

Embassy has become collectable, often with Embassy covers being worth the same as, or more than, original versions. There are a few Embassy CD compilations. One has all The Beatles covers. Others are varied. Allegedly, Oriole sometimes paid the original artists to cover themselves under pseudonyms. Brian Matthews, still going as a DJ on Saturdays, admitted that "Matt Bryant" on Peter Sellers covers was him.

Budget cover labels are an interesting chapter. Elton John is known to have done covers for Pye's part-owned Avenue label in the late 60s and his early 1969-1970 sessions have been released on CD as Reg Dwight’s Piano Goes Pop. When Avenue covered Your Song, people remarked on what a brilliantly realistic cover version it was. Apparently, returning favours to friends at Avenue as well as creating an in-joke, Elton John had covered himself. David Byron and Dana Gillespie also did Avenue covers.

Entered at Mon Mar 16 06:03:01 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Mon Mar 16 02:08:15 CET 2015 from (173.3.51.224)

Jeff A.

Entered at Mon Mar 16 01:31:45 CET 2015 from (81.107.236.227)

Roger

Subject: Embassy

I walked down Charing Cross Road today. The top end has been a building site for a couple of years as Tottenham Court Road tube station is undergoing major developments. As Ian say Marks was further down Charing Cross Road. And Ian - Embassy was indeed the Woolies record label. I was never tempted to buy their chart covers - partly because they bore too little resemblance to the original but mainly because they weren't the original - if that makes sense.

Entered at Mon Mar 16 01:25:05 CET 2015 from (68.171.246.136)

Bill M

Ian W: "Tracker" was the early title of "Chest Fever", I believe.

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Carmen

Subject: The Marshall Tucker Band to rock Sellersville March 18

For those near Philly-This looks like a good one

Entered at Mon Mar 16 00:43:34 CET 2015 from (76.98.218.136)

Carmen

Subject: Boss / Tower

Bob - I ordered the CD - still waiting on it. The Tower was an awesome place to see a show. I saw Bruce there on his Ghost of Tom Joad tour. The Tower and Valley Forge Music Fair which is now long gone used to get some great acts. I think the reformed Band may have played VFMF in the late 80's.

Entered at Sun Mar 15 20:02:57 CET 2015 from (108.41.170.168)

Joan

Sorry the last post was supposed to be about Jan not by him. I take full credit for it, better or worse

Entered at Sun Mar 15 19:58:11 CET 2015 from (108.41.170.168)

Jan

Entered at Sun Mar 15 19:53:46 CET 2015 from (82.25.178.222)

Ian W

Marks & Co was on the opposite side of the street and further north along Charing Cross Road. It was just past Cambridge Circus - I think it was the first shop past Cambridge Circus, in fact.

Charing Cross Road was full of second-hand booksellers back then. There are some left but many are now gone. Dobells was founded as a book dealer by Doug Dobell's father, I think. It was Doug Dobell who turned it into a jazz record shop.

The film "84 Charing Cross Road" was an adaptation of a stage play which was premiered in the very town in which I now reside. Indeed, there was a recent re-run of the play in the very same theatre with the very same director, James Rhoose-Evans - but not the same cast, needless to say. The play was derived from the book, of course.

Getting back to jazz record shops, it is a strange part of retail history in Britain that gramaphones and their accessories were first stocked by bicycle shops, so this is where you went to buy your records in the early days. And the first American jazz band to come to Britain was almost 100 years ago.

Then, specialist jazz record shops grew up. The first shop to specialise in jazz here was Levy's in Whitechapel, east London. Levy's went on to start its own labels, one of which was Oriole. It was Oriole that Columbia Records took over in late 1964, which is why, when Dylan wanted to do some recording here in May 1965, he used Levy's recording studio in New Bond Street.

And Levy's was the studio where those compilations of cover versions of the latest hits, made for and sold by Woolworth's, were recorded. I can't remember - were they on the Embassy label, Peter? If so, I think CBS then used the label name for some low-price LPs of their own albums. Does that sound right?

Entered at Sun Mar 15 18:47:47 CET 2015 from (174.1.247.160)

Lisa

Would Dobells have been right down the street from Marks & Co., the famous book store of 84 Charing Cross Road? I have a book by Cecil Beaton with their label in it, I was delighted to see.

Entered at Sun Mar 15 14:13:34 CET 2015 from (68.198.162.41)

Bob F

Hey Carmen, did you order the new Springsteen download from the Tower Theater 1975? Amazing sound.

Entered at Sun Mar 15 13:12:09 CET 2015 from (82.25.178.222)

Ian W

Yes, Norbet, thanks, the wonderful Dobells record shop. I spent quite a bit of time in there - more times than I bought anything at that stage in my life.

I don't know how much time Dylan actually spent in Dobells. He contributed to an album by Eric Von Schmidt and Richard Farina that was recorded in the basement of the jazz shop and Suze Rotolo had a couple of LPs that he had got in Britain in 1962-63 and inscribed - and I can only think he got them at Dobells.

Dobells was based in Charing Cross Road at No.77, which is the right-hand side of the colour photo in the link. That is the original shop and Dobells concentrated on jazz and blues. At the time Dylan was in London in late-1962 and early-1963, Dobells folk music shop was not there - it was in Rathbone Place, as I recall. It later moved next door to the jazz shop, that is, to No.75 Charing Cross Road. That is the left-hand shop in the colour photograph in the link. The records that Dylan had got (and maybe he got more) were blues records, as I recall, so they were likely from the shop at No.77. The guy who ran the folk shop, known as "Red Nerk", attended the aforementioned recording session and has talked about that but did not, to the best of my memory, mention Dylan visiting the Rathbone Place (?) shop.

As it happens, I went to the opening night of the Dobells exhibition mentioned in the aricle. Though it was not a large exhibition, it was well worth the trip up to town. I saw some memory-jogging exhibits and met some people from the past.

Entered at Sun Mar 15 12:46:43 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

Subject: Dobells Record Shop London (link)

Check this guy out, from when record buying was still an adventure:

‘.....first album I ever bought. I cycled up to London from Poole to purchase it at Dobell's jazz record shop, and cycled all the way back with it strapped to my rear cycle rack with a bunjy chord (a round trip of 200miles). It's a miracle it wasn't damaged, I still have it.’ Mike Hatchard musician

....?!

Ian, I read that Bob Dylan was a lot there in 1962-1963.

Peter, thanks.

Lisa, you know what they say: It's the journey that matters in the end ...... (and the journey was great).

Entered at Sun Mar 15 10:58:33 CET 2015 from (94.185.232.105)

Peter V

Entered at Sun Mar 15 02:11:54 CET 2015 from (67.84.77.210)

Jeff A.

Subject: Mook

One of Rob Leon's. These might be over 35 years old.
To this day, Rob, now passed several years, is still my cousin's favorite guitarist to have worked with. The friendship and musical alliance was over many decades, I remember they already had a band when i was 16. Wolfbane. I've been told more than once, Edgar winter saw them rehearse an instrumental, then soon came out with Frankenstein - which they say is very very close...

Entered at Sun Mar 15 01:30:35 CET 2015 from (67.84.77.210)

Jeff A.

Just for fun, one of my cousin Mike's. This goes back about 30 years, maybe more. The Late Night Band at The Lake. that's Rob Leon (RIP) on guitar, Lincoln Schleiffer on bass. Both well known names here in the greater NYC area.

They were called The Late Night Band cause the club owners in Ulster County all knew that they could pretty much call these guys and ask em to play at any hour, till any hour, and they would.

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joe j

Subject: Ron-Dels

Delbert McClinton on lead vocals.

Entered at Sat Mar 14 22:30:53 CET 2015 from (67.84.77.210)

Jeff A.

Entered at Sat Mar 14 20:32:18 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

Anyway why I called Angie little warrior is that she always fights for what she beliefs in and defends the underprivileged (I love her).

Entered at Sat Mar 14 19:49:49 CET 2015 from (174.1.247.160)

Lisa

And now I know why you called beg "little warrior" when she came back - the GB Underground and Resistance!

Entered at Sat Mar 14 17:58:08 CET 2015 from (174.1.247.160)

Lisa

Entered at Sat Mar 14 16:49:18 CET 2015 from (76.98.218.136)

Carmen

Subject: Rick Danko - Full Concert - 12/17/77 - Capitol Theatre

And another

Entered at Sat Mar 14 16:47:52 CET 2015 from (76.98.218.136)

Carmen

Subject: The Band - Full Concert - 07/20/76 - Casino Arena

Your welcome Bob - another one for you

Entered at Sat Mar 14 15:56:43 CET 2015 from (67.84.77.210)

Jeff A.

That Jakob Dylan interview- the man could not have spoke in more general terms. Saying Leon was generous in his interactions, if you knew the man , or even just dealt with him, you know ...but otherwise, it's very general.....
I enjoyed the two specific things he said, about Levon's singular advise not to try to think about how you raise a family on the road- you just take em with you -, and why he chose to perform Ain't Got No Home at the tribute show.

Entered at Sat Mar 14 15:03:40 CET 2015 from (64.114.196.114)

JT

Subject: Cyber thanks

And a reflection on those we have lost: I think it is amazing that the legacy of stellar individuals and their values live on because of a cyber phenomenon. We all know about individuals (no longer with us and some who continue to write) because of this site and that is a gift to our existence. For those of you writing about the past here, thanks for reminding us all of the best of who was here, from the OQ themselves to those here who remember them in all the ways we remember them.

Entered at Sat Mar 14 14:54:26 CET 2015 from (64.114.196.114)

JT

Subject: Pride in our children

And to Jan: Our children: They are a small reflection of our being. They are continuity and their success enriches the world. The small part we have played in that success as parents (in whatever way we influenced that success) is something special. Congratulations, Jan.

Entered at Sat Mar 14 14:50:01 CET 2015 from (64.114.196.114)

JT

Subject: Yesterday, today and tomorrow

It is a true comforting pleasure to read about all of these memories of this and related GBs, the contributors, the leaders and even the controversies. Tradition and loyalty are precious. I had been an avid reader of this site for many years before (though I did not contribute much until more recent years). I have nothing but admiration for all of you who have kept this site going in one way or another because it has contributed in an important way to culture and that is what we humans are all about. Thank you to all.

Entered at Sat Mar 14 14:44:52 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

Entered at Sat Mar 14 14:40:42 CET 2015 from (68.198.162.41)

Bob F

Carmen, I really enjoyed your great links this morning. Thanks.

Entered at Sat Mar 14 14:29:50 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

Subject: Little Pink, The GB during wartime

Lisa, more than 10 years ago now, must have been winter 2003, it was war in this very GB, the air was thick and poisoned. It was dark here and a raw wind chilling, you had to watch your steps, mines exploding, mutilating all over the place. Those who survived this and still could walk, where waylaid by snipers dressed up as lawyers. We had to move at night trough the alleys, run from block to block. One day they shot Jan and he had to close his life work and masterpiece The Band Guestbook.

So they killed this GB, but they could kill our faith our memories and hope, our spirit remained. In secret places a GB resistant groups started to grow. Sometime later, from a hiding place Tracy started Little Pink, from a free sort of guestbook, it worked but that was it.

I witnessed all this and I couldn’t get those touching posts of e.g. The Brown Eyed Girl out of my head, teaching her little black, white and yellow classroom kids form a deprived neighborhood about The Band and real music and how they listened and react. Rollie, Jeff Newson (who was at The Last Waltz ;-), a roaring and gifted mouth harmonica player, once made a dedicated recording for those kids, with a, special made for them, spoken introduction, they loved it, all smiling, all having a great time (see the power of music here).

Anyway I decided to make a new GB myself. I asked the computer guys at my work how to do this and hired some interned space. Being the opposite of a computer nerd it took me weeks and weeks to make it, It became an obsessing for me, but one day I made it. It worked well and was fully automatic, you even didn’t need the backslash thing, the hard return worked. I could fill in a number of posts to be seen on the screen and the rest traveled from itself to the archives (a newt post would push the oldest post from the screen to the archive). Odd is that I took some sort of strange pride of connecting The Band to The Netherlands in some form. (I still lived in Holland then) b.t.w. the server host at that time was situated in Amsterdam (not unimported ;-).

When my GB was ready Tracy agreed to let go of her Little Pink and moderated mine and Jan put up the important (vital) link to the new Dutch GB. It all worked! Shortly after I asked Peter and Ilkka (aka the Scania NorthWestCoaster) to moderate this GB. Not long after this beginning Tracy and Ilkka stopped moderating and Peter did it alone (I helped out only some). We can’t thank Peter enough for doing this, it was a long period of 4-5 years I learn from the missing achieves. Due to the time difference between Europe and the USA & Canada (Peter had had to sleep some time) later on Pat (Brennan) helped out till the end.

There were some battles fought there and we had some ‘strong’ posters Bob Wigo, Butch, Steve, the little, always, trouble making girl with the golden heart, etc. etc. There must have been thousands and thousands of posts.

As Pat said it wasn’t all fight there, most fights continued from the old GB so nothing new. Most of us where having a good time and there were a lot of touching moments. I remember that, my mother was in living in an elderly home and her mind was getting less, we watched The Complete Last Waltz together and my mom watch it with open mouth and said “those boys are good”. I posted about that and Diamond Lil posted that she cried when I danced with my mother on the Last Waltz theme. She was wrong this hadn’t actually happened, but strange enough when I think about my mother now I still can see us dancing on The Last Waltz theme there in that little room in that grey elderly home, so after all it was true, it just happened. Not long after that she died, I still remember all the touching posts placed then (thanks again all).

During that period I (& my family) moved to Germany, The Band GB stayed in Amsterdam though

I remember another post when someone (new) said we didn’t talk enough about the Band and then we all made Band related things up, to proof we are real fans, Sam was wet sanding Rick’s old Mercedes, another had played with the band and so on (some things where actually true though), anyway we had lots of fun. There were a lot of beautiful and heartbreaking posts, but also just about normal little things, it became a home too.

At the end we got more and more spam to delete, I deleted much but also Peter and Pat must have deleted tons of it. Most spam came from Russia if I’m correct.

Spam was one thing but on top of that we got hackers. Attack after attack and in the end it was unworkable. I remember going to bed thinking this is it, we have to close it. But then the wonder ..... the other day, that morning, as I just was about to pull the plug. Jan had reopened this GB…..so miracles do happen after all…. .

Is there anything saved? Well yes and no. I made a three copies of the whole thing (such a copy is a ball of code mixed up with posts, but you still can read them). I mailed one to Peter, put one on my own computer and one at my computer (server) at work. Peter and I don’t have a copy anymore due to laptop changes. Maybe the one copy on the server at my work is still there, although I doubt that but not 100% sure here. Would be nice if we could fill those here in the archieve gap.

Was it worth all the effort? Yes! Albeit from enjoying all those fantastic posts and posters, I (we) learned a lot in that time about people and about ourselves.

Thank you Tracy, Jan, Ilkka, Pat and special Peter, but most of all thanks to all those great Band fans here from all over the world, thanks!

That dear Lisa is the story of the GB in wartime, thank you. Have a nice weekend all!

Entered at Sat Mar 14 13:50:59 CET 2015 from (82.25.178.222)

Ian W

My wife wanted to attend several Mark Knopfler concerts on his forthcoming tour in support of his new album, "Tracker", and, on the first day of the ticket sales, I helped her secure some tickets on-line.Each sale came with a free copy of the (basic) CD (that is, not the De Luxe edition).

Today, through the post, came the CDs. So now we have four copies of the CD between us. Is this the future?

Entered at Sat Mar 14 13:32:05 CET 2015 from (76.98.218.136)

Carmen

Subject: Jacob Dylan

This is a great interview. Talks Levon and then listen to what he says about the Band

Entered at Sat Mar 14 13:15:11 CET 2015 from (76.98.218.136)

Carmen

Subject: Grace Potter Love For Levon

What a great performance by Grace Potter -

Entered at Sat Mar 14 13:05:41 CET 2015 from (76.98.218.136)

Carmen

Subject: Boss and the Weight

Don't know if this one has been discusses here but see Bruce honor Levon

Entered at Sat Mar 14 11:13:05 CET 2015 from (31.53.175.172)

Dunc

Subject: The Band

That's a great post, Jeff. I know what you mean.

Billy Vera's quote, posted by Peter, is really good. It's amazing, over the years, how many artistes relate to the Band.

We know we've all backed winners here.

Entered at Sat Mar 14 10:33:43 CET 2015 from (83.249.132.27)

NortWestCoaster

Subject: The missing gb

On a serious side... Norbert is the gb hero. He saved the gb. I had the opportunity to follow his work daily. He created his gb for the love to the music and for the love to this community. I have always been confident with the Dutch people and now I had the chance to see how dedicated they can be. Did you know that he paid the gb from his own pocket? It was not a free web site. - A kind a guy you come in contact with only once or twice in a lifetime.

Entered at Sat Mar 14 03:45:52 CET 2015 from (67.84.78.167)

Jeff A.

The Band itself would not have remained the same , had there not been any line up changes. Had they reunited as 5.

Entered at Sat Mar 14 03:30:36 CET 2015 from (67.84.78.167)

Jeff A.

If you knew Rick, or saw him often in life or on shows, or maybe even if you saw enough videos.. in that video performance of Atlantic City that BEG linked, at 2:29 there's a split second where he peaks in, & there's one of those classic mischievously friendly, warm, & endearing Rick faces. Then there's another that's just a little less so. Want to see grown people get emotional, even if they ain't showing it, if you're with friends or other people who knew Rick, he'll come up, and sooner or later someone will say something, quote him, or tell some story, that everyone may know or not.....even though no one really says anything, everyone knows everyone is feeling the loss hard at that moment.. there's some losses that you get used to and they still are a perpetual loss.

First time i was at Levon's......... March 2002, in the Pre Ramble days . We started in the kitchen i guess. Levon takes me into the studio, which at the time was empty. I remember turning around & seeing Richard's lap steel leaning against a door. It caught me off guard. And hit me like a ton of brick's. I probably should have not looked at Levon at that moment, but i did. He saw my face and that i was speechless. & couldn't speak. after a second he said "Richard's". Or I might have turned to stone. .. I guess saying that made it easier for us both. but it wasn't easy..There's things that just don't ever go away, they just are. That's one of em. Think about how people who loved his music and what he brought to music, what he gave and what you could feel in his vocal performances, and how that has caused you to be impacted by his suicide/ death. then try to imagine how it was or is for those who were joined at the hip to him, his friends that were his family. Like i wrote before, perpetual loss.

What's my point? I haven't the slightest fucking idea. I'm feeling that maybe it's just to remind everyone how important these guys are. And - how important The Band was to them. It was their Band. 5 Guys started it. It could not have happened had they not been together prior and it could not have happened without them all.

But 4 of them kept it going. 4 of them stayed closer, personally but musically too. Some of them felt the musical need to revive it. And try to accept that with these kinds of talents, you cannot separate the music from the person. Four of them revived The Band.

The auteur theory just don't work out nor does it do justice to the reality of the music of the early Band.

Entered at Sat Mar 14 00:02:43 CET 2015 from (68.198.162.41)

Bob F

Great blues song featuring the amazing Levon Helm.

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Bob F

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Jeff A.

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Peter V

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brown eyed girl

Another one from Randy Ciarlante of The Band and The Weight opens his Vault!

"Got Me A Woman"
Levon Helm, Jim Weider, Randy Ciarlante and Stan Szelest
King Biscuit Blues Festival 1989

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jh

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Peter V

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brown eyed girl

The Reformed Band - Atlantic City - NBC Today Show 1993

NBC Today Show with Brian Williams

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JQ

Jan H - All congrats! That's huge! But... I can't understand the lyrics and why does it have to be so loud?? Welcome to 1956 and I'm a small town preacher concerned about this way-out music and the kids today. I think it just might be time now for the Boomers to get the fuck out of the way!

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Pat B

Don't step on that banana peel...

Lisa, it was pretty benign. I was a moderator and we had to watch for spam constantly. Most people behaved like adults.

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Peter V

Did you ever archive it, Norbert? Or is it just lost in the ether?

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Lisa

It sounds like Little Pink was even more of a WW2 (Wild West 2) battleground than I thought. Is it just as well as it isn't available now, or has a whole history been irrevocably lost?

It's interesting that such a tiny percentage of bad apples can wreak so much havoc. It seems to happen across the board, from corporations to politics to alarming situations in the world now - to just about anything. And it happens everywhere on the internet - you can't go to any site, no matter how mundane, without running into nastiness. It starts out small, sometimes from something that's been misinterpreted, then people get indignant and entrenched, and the free-for-all's on! Though there seems to be something about music that especially incites people to newer highs (or lows). Sometimes I wonder if the fued didn't start this way. Human nature, I guess ... not sure what you can do about that.

I bought Levon's book when it first came out, and read it several times. One thing that gradually struck me was that you could tell the real, genuine Levon from Stephen Davis. And a lot of the book was Stephen Davis, not Levon. It's hard to tell how much the book was a priority to Levon, and maybe he didn't even read it before it went to print, who knows? In 1993 I don't think the feud was even general knowledge. I was at a two hour+ Q & A session Music West put on that year with Robbie Robertson (who was the keynote speaker in '93) and in all that time I don't remember a single person asking questions about any bad feeling between Levon and Robbie. I think the feud took on a life of its own, got the bit in its teeth and galloped off.

Al, Rollie was another memorable character. I have his album, Rockin' Chair's too. Joan, wish I knew the Dankettes, so sorry I missed them!

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Peter V

Subject: Sookie Sookie

You should just check out the original version.

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Pat B

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Joan

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Kevin J

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Bill M

Subject: let it hang out baby

Ben: I've also read Steven Davis's Carly Simon book, so I know he's not a fact-checker by nature, or even a particularly thorough thinker.

Peter V: I suspect I'm not the only one here whose first introduction to the Don Covay name was the song credits on the first Steppenwolf album. Their first single was a cover of his "Sookie Sookie".

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Al Edge

:-0)

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Pat B

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Kevin J

Al Edge sat out the era but returned right near the end and I still remember him being delighted that the backslash n's were not needed in the renegade world.......a few months later, they were! Come to think of it, maybe Al is responsible for that.....and a new feud is born.

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Jeff A.

Lisa, would you close your eyes, and try to imagine Pete dressed in black.... the hat, matching six shooters, the holsters tied down to his legs., the works..... please try to imagine it without peeing your pants......

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Ben

Subject: This Wheel's on fire

I've dug out Levon's book and re-read the second half of it. It's an enjoyable read, but a few things stick out. The manager(s) who replaced Albert Grossman were never identified. There are several places where Levon describes arguing with the "managers" and "lawyers" but these people are never given names, so it reads pretty awkwardly. The other thing is the time-line of Jim Weider joining The Band. The book states that Weider joined in 1983 along with 3 members of the Cate Bros. This is incorrect. I believe that Weider joined in 1985.

It's understandable that Levon made a few mistakes in his time-line. But it's surprising that Stephen Davis or the editor didn't catch these things.

The other thing that sticks out is the songwriting issue. It is only mentioned briefly. The last waltz is discussed in much greater detail and seems to be the real catalyst for Levon's "feud" with Robbie.

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Peter V

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Peter V

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Peter V

I'm in the early stages of a Toppermost on Don Covay (RIP). I found the sleeve notes to "The Definitive Don Covay" CD were by Billy Vera (himself a great recording artist with Judy Clay). Billy Vera describes the 1965 Stax sessions with Booker T and The MGs which produced See Saw, Sookie Sookie and Iron Out The Rough Spots.

BILLY VERA: “(Don Covay) had something extra which set him apart from other soul artists of the day, something which qualified him as rock ‘n’ roll, as much as an R&B performer,. I have always felt, that until The Band came along, these (Stax sessions) were the last “rock ‘n’ roll” as opposed to “rock” recordings.” END QUOTE

Funny how these Band references come up!

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Al Edge

First off - 12 years ago!! TWELVE - Jeez!

Then - the quality of the posts. As ever a glut of great postings from wholehearted genuine souls.

Then the venomous shite from the likes of Dale which got the place shut down for a week or so. Shudder.

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Al Edge

Another nice bloke form back then sadly no longer with us.

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Al Edge

Thought provoking reflections in your posts Lisa. Without meaning to patronise your sex they're the sort of reflections that women do best!

I often see references to Steve [and his wife marge] but I never had the privilege of being on here at the same time as he was posting. Sad for someone to leave us so young and vibrant. I always feel as if i've missed out. Thoughts on these lines go back always to Rollie - I think his name was jeff Newsom [apologies if I've got it wrong] I think he always used to joke about 'did I ever tell you I was at The LW]

I'm staggered to hear that the Little Pink site was going for 5 years and the level of cyber violence/abuse that was taking place. Some sick people out there. Do we pity them or despise them? Or both? I'll let a woman reflect on that one.

My own nemesis on here - and Pete's too I recall - was Serge. I don't think he could ever stand the fact that The Band spread their wings and reached far corner of the globe away from their Toronto nest. Particularly the non-French speaking islands on the other side of the pond.

His resentment of others discovering the majesty of The Band always reminded me of the way some Liverpudlians resented the Beatles leaving their home city.

God knows how many hiatuses I've had from here. Must run into double figures I guess. But you're right Lisa, for whatever reason - perhaps encompassing a yearning to belong to something basically worthwhile and decent like the GB - like bad pennies some of us keep returning even if only momentarily.

I'm sure there's more who actually turn up here but for whatever reason don't feel inclined to post. It'd be fantastic to hear from some of them if that was the case. Even those like Diamond Lil and Amanda that went off to set up that other Band cyber community.

Good stuff. Life's too feckin short. Bit like memories.

:-0)

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Peter V

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Rod

It's really sad that that sort of online abuse happens. When push comes to shove we're all here because we love The Band. We may have differences in opinion why things turned to custard but in the end our respect for The Band really out ways our differences. It's a sad fact of the internet that it's so easy to get angry.

Hats off to Jan H.

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Peter V

Aw, shucks. I’m unused to compliments. You’ll embarrass me. Did Little Pink run that long? It seemed like a year or two. It was always linked from here. Moderators existed here too in the period before the shutdown too.

Back on the GB, there was wild stuff at one time. Some was threatening, some was libellous to Band members (and when dates and places were checked, patently untrue). To put all this in perspective, you had stuff like someone innocently saying they had moved house to a small town, then a “cyber enemy” posting the address and the freak saying “I am watching you.” Clearly real estate agents websites for a small town would give information on a house sold that day. Over the years, this one adopted a number of literary names, started out ingratiatingly, then got vicious. The private emails were much worse than what got posted. I had threats that his Hells Angels pals were in England and were coming to get me. This one in particular got re-banned when we realized after the couple of ingratiating weeks with a new name, who he was. He was using fake URL software so it always took a while to work it out. There was another vicious one with shifting URLs too. Vicious personal attacks and all threats got taken down, just as they would be now. But we’re older and calmer perhaps. I think 90% of us would have taken down what got taken down. If we took someone down three times in quick succession, we warned them and banned them. Seems fair. No one was ever taken out for stating an opinion or a preference nor strong disagreement. It tended to be me who pressed delete because of time scales. Much of this stuff was posted in the middle of the North American night, or early in the North American morning, so that here, five hours ahead, I was generally the first to see it.

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Jeff A.

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Lisa

JT, I hope you know I was just joking about the cilantro - I do know just what you mean ...

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Lisa

Yes, I realized that of course, pretty hard to miss that five-year gap! I knew about Little Pink, but as far as I know it's not accessible, is it?

You're right about the anthropological puzzle - it's obvious a lot went on there too, and a lot of posters never came back. And the people who caused Jan to shut down the GB all those warning times and then the five year hiatus often seemed to me to be quite disturbed in a lot of ways. It was distressing to read, so I can well imagine what it was like to be here when it was actually happening.

Now things can get heated for sure, but it stops short of that ugly stage, thank goodness, and in spite of differences of opinion people respect each other enough to keep things civil. There will always be disagreements, but they usually cause things to get more animated, and more people start posting which keeps things interesting. So in a way it's a good thing!

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Kevin J

Jeff: Thank you about Julie. I really appreciate that.

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Jeff A.

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BONK

I think you just nailed it with everything you said. Thank you!

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JT

Subject: Shades

Jan: The future is bright (you 'gotta wear shades')! Congratulations for the nth time. It just keeps getting better.

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jh

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Peter V

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Lisa

JT, I've had the same experience. There are all kinds of things I like now that I didn't before, like cilantro for instance.

I don't post very often because I don't have the extent of musical knowledge the rest of you here do, so don't really have much to contribute in that area. But over the four years I've been reading the GB daily, I've also been working my through the archives. This has been quite a lengthy project, as it can take hours to get through a single month, let alone all those years.

I just reached January, 2011 and came to Marge's post, where she wrote that Steve had died, and I have to say it hit like a ton of bricks, even though I knew it was coming somewhere along the line. He was such a character, and you got such a vivid picture of who he was - his farm, his life and his family. He was one of my favorite posters to read, always had something to say - provocative, mischievous, sly, funny - the list of adjectives to describe Steve would be a long one. I wonder if anyone knows how Marge is now, if she kept the farm, etc.?

It made me realize how important the people here become to each other, especially the people who have been exchanging viewpoints for years now. The friendships (and maybe antagonisms?) are just as real as any in the physical world, and perhaps the images we have in our minds of each other, too.

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Peter V

To me, it's "cruise ship" art mentality, and I'd compare it with (say) Dorset Art Week where local artists open their studios for a week, and for £3800 you could get an extremely good original with a lot more work, technique and style. But no famous signature. In fact for £3800 you could get four decent originals. I know you don't buy art by the yard, or quantity.

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Karol

Subject: Bob Dylan

I love "The Band" with "Bob Dylan" it's so amazing. I release the stress listening to It.

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JT

Subject: Wheat/chaff

For the record: I have looked at Dylan's paintings many times. My first impression was to dismiss them (though I am by no means an expert in this area of creativity). Its like most of us. You look at a piece of art and form an immediate impression. I have looked again at the books over the years and I have changed my opinion

. When I reflect on my overall impressions of music over my past 50 years, the same can be said. I never liked what is called country music (Hank Williams etc) in the early years but now I have a great appreciation for it. Though some say we get more rigid as we get older, I think I'm becoming more malleable. Its not just weak-mindedness. I'd like to think that I'm a discerning receiver of input and can still separate wheat from chaff. That's the creative process on the receiver end. How lucky we are to be able to do that!

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JT

Subject: Primates

Thank you, Van, for confirming what I have known and said for eons. With some exceptions, there are way too many 'lazy' journalists and critics. The ease with which the writer regurgitates what has been said before by others to solidify an impression or idea reminds us of where the term 'aping' originates.

Entered at Thu Mar 12 15:11:48 CET 2015 from (184.66.134.56)

JT

Subject: Error - a classic

Whoops: Should have been "The understated band is superb in its accompaniment". That happened even though I read this a few times before submission. You can't be too careful.

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JT

Subject: "Shadows In The Night" again

"Shadows In The Night" - Bob Dylan: The album's main virtue is the sadness and forlorn feeling delivered by Dylan as he sings these songs. I listened to each song side by side with Sinatra. Sinatra sings with confidence and is pleasant as always. Dylan sings these songs with a subtle devastation and loneliness that rings true. His interpretations sound like he is wearing them like a glove. He phrases the words as if they reflect his current state. The vocals are gruff but accurate and he hits the notes, conforming to his emotional state as he sings. The understated band is superb in their accompaniment.

Dylan is a great interpreter of songs and along with his superb penned songs, his interpretations are equally highly regarded by this listener. One can go back to 1962 for interpretations of classics to see how solid his covers can be. Yes, some may argue with some of 1969-1970 covers but others are excellent on reflection. (some here have used the word 'dire' for some of his Self Portrait material and I won't rehash that other than to mention it) And songs like "Let It Be Me" and his in concert covers of Warren Zevon songs are very good. There are many other examples. Dylan here reminds us that he is not unifocal and that there is a profound respect and sensitivity for what came before.

It is too facile to say that artists take an easy road when they cover other songs. I think Rod Stewart did this well. There are many others. Diana Krall's interpretations are very good and 'Wallflower' (the album and song itself) is a recent example. Overall, I welcome the approach of any performer going out of his/her boundaries and creating in different ways. Yes, it earns $$$ but it also gives the audience something different. The critic/reviewer/detractors always go back to Hwy61R and BoB and BOTT to show how much they had loved Dylan and why they don't like this album. They want to show that they are not Dylan-haters. While entitled to their opinions, I think they just want the Dylan they want and not some other Dylan. Kind of like those who go to hear the greatest hits performed exactly as they where on record and then hear another arrangement of a song and don't recognize it or hear new songs and want old songs.

Because of the emotional impact, the spot-on vocals, and the excellent backing by his band, I reiterate that 'Shadows In The Night" is a very good album and stands tall among Dylan's recorded output.

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Bill M

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Jon Lyness

Peter, here's some entertainment while you're waiting. :)

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Peter V

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Joe Medwick

Subject: Southern California Band fans come on out!

for any Band fans in the Southern California area, hope you can come out and catch the show Joe Medwick's Funky Folks March 22 6-9 TAVERN 101 in Agoura Hills CA, the old Agoura Valley Inn, site of so many Joe, Albert Lee, Dave Edmunds, Paul Burlison rave-ups...I hear Garth popped in once or twice back in the day eh...rave on Levon...thanks Joe!!

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Peter V

Subject: Rendezvous

Just sent that count as a letter to Mojo.

On three star albums, the consensus drops Sandy Denny's "Rendezvous" from her normal 4 star to a 3, objecting to the "pop" treatment. I bought the de luxe CD version in a record store closing down sale, and I've been playing it a lot. Absolutely fantastic, a PV "4.5" stars. The reviews objected to her covers of Candle in the Wind and Silver Threads & Golden Needles.

Ignore that and listen to Take Me Away and I'm A Dreamer (both of which P.P. Arnold did on the Sandy Denny Tribute tour) and No More Sad Refrains, which Joan As Policewoman did solo to close the tribute. Why have they never released that show on DVD or CD? (My 2012 review linked)

And one of the bonus tracks on Rendezvous is a cover of Easy to Slip. Richard Thompson on guitar throughout. Apparently the band and orchestra played together in the studio.

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Pat B

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Jeff A.

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Joan

Thanks JT. I was wondering about just this morning. I'm looking forward to it.

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JT

Subject: Elliot Landy book of Band photographs

Thanks for those links, Angelina. I have news that the Landy book (Kickstarter project) is well on its way. Delayed by improvement tweaks (Mr. Landy is a perfectionist and with what he has, I applaud that) and business issues (well on their way to completion from what I understand), there is a projection that we might finally see this book in a few months. Those who have supported its development are eager to see the final result of this painstaking work by Mr. Landy.

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brown eyed girl

The Unexpected Joys of Lou Reed’s Art Photography

Entered at Wed Mar 11 15:32:59 CET 2015 from (50.100.252.138)

brown eyed girl

The Making Of Bob Dylan’s LO & Behold: The Basement Tapes Complete Companion Book video and a closer look at the photos.

Entered at Wed Mar 11 15:26:48 CET 2015 from (50.100.252.138)

brown eyed girl

Huuuge hugs to all of you who said hello and sent out positive vibes here or via of email. :-D

2014 Bob Dylan & The Band's 'Basement Tapes' Photo Session - John Scheele (Pt. 1-4)

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Peter V

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Peter V

Read the Help and Blood on the Tracks reviews. Great site. On Help, yes, it’s a great album … yet also a “weaker” one in Beatle terms! Their young(?) reviewer who had never heard it disliked Yesterday, but that’s over-familiarity with decades of awful cover versions, not intrinsic quality for the most-covered song of its era.

On these star ratings, I just looked at Mojo, April issue. Reviews section.

5 stars – 1 (Lightning Bolt), 4 stars – 48, 3 stars- 30, 2 stars – 1.

REISSUE section: 5 stars – 2 (Physical Graffiti by Led Zep, Kinks Anthology box set), 4 stars – 28, 3 stars – 18.

So the vast majority of albums reviewed are four star. Really? I have no idea what Lighning Bolt is (Underground section). The Kinks Anthology is right as a lovingly remastered and assembled package, and the “5” does not mean that Milk Cow Blues is “as good as” Waterloo Sunset. Though of course, you may prefer its youthful enthusiasm to the RCO All Stars version. (JOKE! not an attempt to revive the argument!) It’s a rating for assembling, curating and packaging the work of an important band.

Physical Graffiti, as remastered and repackaged, will be getting marks for the repackaging (they say Jimmy Page was there for the entire remastering process). It’s also a historical consensus grade on a reissue. Personally, I’d give it three for content, but I’m not a Led Zep fan, and also haven’t heard what they’ve done to it in the remastering, but have read it’s an amazing job.

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Jeff A.

Entered at Wed Mar 11 04:53:41 CET 2015 from (67.84.79.90)

Jeff A.

Everything i wrote in my review of her Feb 20th Bitter End show still holds true. This girl is the real thing. These new songs are wonderful, great melodic songs, the melodies, grooves and feel are always appropriate to the lyrics.

The Lovely Misfits are good to look at. I'm enjoying watching the transformation of an out of town, young, classically trained, hair back in a bun female string player into a hair flowing and flying, velvet draped bohemian rock & roller. The guys are visual o[pposites of each other. Both well dressed, the pianist looks like he could be an ad exec on Madison Avenue or a resident doctor, the drummer could pass for a sculptor, the manager of a hip restaurant, a salesman in a medicinal marijuana operation, or a drummer. They are all fine musicians, have made great parts appropriate to the songs, and with Ro leading the way, they make a killer band

Ro, like i wrote re the 20th show, Ro got it all. She's the real thing, has the musicality, the songwriting and playing chops, the looks and stage presence, and is doing it to it.

Next stop, Ro is playing SXSW in Austin, on March 20th, with a Texas back up band.

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Al Edge

Subject: The Five Star thing revisited

A great site with a terrifically innovative angle on reviewing albums.

In this one it's 'Help' by the fabs.

All on here will I'm sure love the slant. Especially Kev and PV. Promise.

:-0)

Entered at Tue Mar 10 23:13:55 CET 2015 from (184.66.164.212)

JT

Subject: Ignorance (sometimes bliss)

This is someone else speaking in the 'voice' of JT. (The question: I don't know the answer and I am asking in ignorance: Can someone (who sent us an excellent link) simulate an identity to pretend they are someone they are not (name, IP address etc.?)

Entered at Tue Mar 10 22:32:07 CET 2015 from (76.71.4.29)

Kevin J

Entered at Tue Mar 10 14:43:21 CET 2015 from (24.114.68.150)

Kevin J

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Bill M

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Peter V

It points to the statement that they would carry on as a studio group. Everyone contributed, though Levon and Rick were both busy elsewhere with solo work, and as lead vocalists naturally enjoying that. Richard probably didn't have the energy or confidence to front a similar project as lead vocalist at that point.

Credits differ from TLW and AMH, don't they? According to both AMH and TLW, Robbie played piano on Out of The Blue, but TLW adds Richard on "keyboards."

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Rod

I think those 4 songs (plus the theme tune) are amazing. Just a shame they didn't make a full album out of it - or follow it up. Maybe there is a forgotten 79 record that Robbie's sitting on?

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joe j

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Pat B

Entered at Tue Mar 10 00:09:45 CET 2015 from (74.75.167.189)

Far East Man

Subject: The Last Waltz

Thanks Pat. I enjoy the songs in the LW Suite. They are all highlights in they are worlds apart yet high quality work. I love the way "The Well" has a roller coaster sort of feel. I'd love to know the history of the recording. "Islands" is interesting to me, as much of it is good with a few clunkers. The Well is post Islands, maybe even recorded after the LW. Just curious - if anybody has any info. Thanks

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sadavid

Subject: Leonard Cohen's Montreal

_The New Yorker_; Bernard Avishai.

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Peter V

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Joan

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Pat B

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Norbert

Subject: Angie

Hi Angie,

Missed ya….. ……a big hug ….. welcome home little warrior….

Got to take the dog to my blind friend William in the valley below now ……. gonna run and holler from a distance, ….. Angie’s back! ….. and he will smile and give me a kiss and softly add; and all is good now ….

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Pat B

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Todd

Entered at Mon Mar 9 18:55:01 CET 2015 from (67.84.76.75)

Jeff A.

Pete, to tie in to your earlier thoughts, something thing i wrote in response,that i know you understood ( i know you understood all of it for that matter), might not be so readily understood by all, cause we were discussing it as applied to past projects. But, i thought of a good way to illustrate it. Here's what i wrote:
"Now separatedly, if you are discussing different processes involved in presenting one recording session, the sounds of the presentation will differ. "

I recorded my JJ project to tape, in St Louis. I mixed it at Sear Sound, in NYC. We ran the final mixes to tape, and also to their digital. (Though Walter did not advertise it, he had pro tools there too. He hated it.) So, i had, still have, the masters on tape. And also discs of the analogue master mixes, and discs of protools sourced master mixes. The difference in the sound is enormous. Like the difference between arctic (or frost) white and a chiffon white, floral white, or maybe even linen. It's indisputable.

Ten years later, following the same steps, the difference would be less enormous, but still very very palpable.

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Lisa

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Kevin J

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Peter V

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Kevin J

.......any one for more RCO v NLSC - and quick!

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Peter V

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Peter V

I thought at eleven it was to see if your balls had dropped. But why did they keep on looking? The school rumour by sixteen was that they were looking for pustulating sores from venereal disease which you could catch from a toilet seat or by looking at “Health & Efficiency” magazine, the journal of a Naturists association. I do seem to recall turning your head to one side while you coughed. I assumed that was so you couldn’t see the female nurse laughing in derision nor the gym teacher taking surreptitious photos for his own use.

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Bill M

Todd: Good to know. I would have dismissed it as another of those puzzling adult obsessions that make childhood less perfect than it would otherwise have been - insistence on schooling being the most annoying, followed by having to go to bed before the end of the hockey game. (Those I DO recall.)

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Todd

Subject: Doctor's Orders

Just took a quick look at the Sex Pistols album. I don't think it's a coincidence that there's a pink banner splashed across the front of the album cover......

Entered at Mon Mar 9 17:40:55 CET 2015 from (67.84.76.75)

Jeff A.

Now separatedly, if you are discussing different processes involved in presenting one recording session, the sounds of the presentation will differ. and , when you burn them on to disc, they'll retain a equivalent difference. (Of course, different mixes will sound different in any form).

I will say i can generally hear the difference between things burned to disc and their original form, even if it was a master disc. And right away. That is a separate issue. Proper replicating of discs, will always sound better than burning a disc.

The other digital discussion i;ve attempted to have is separate, and that is the effect that digital itself has had. Digital recording, and digital distribution ( which covers a whole smorgasboard)

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Todd

Subject: Odds and Sods

I think Lou said the Beatles or their songs weren't any good, and may have said something about Jefferson Airplane as well. No big deal, probably just his mood that day.

Bob F, Thanks for the Lou Reed article. Sounds like the author didn't have any pleasant encounters with Mr. Reed. I suppose my friend's encounter was largely postive because he was helping Lou in a professional capacity, and didn't bring any albums to sign.

A little known fact is that Sid Vicious, also possessing a "V" name, had been saddled with the shame of the pink card in his school days as well. It's been rumored that he even picked up the name for one of the most infamous albums in punk rock history while being publicly taunted in the doctor's line-up. Apparently when it's was poor Sid's turn to do battle with the spatula, one of the other lads called out "Never Mind The Bollocks, he's got a pink card." And the rest is history.

Lisa, I think they are checking for hernia, and possibly a quick screen for testicular cancer. But as a youth, I don't think that I knew the reason. Just figured they were auditioning sopranos for the boys choir (kidding).

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Bob F

Subject: Al and The Band

Another connection is Al Kooper reviewed Big Pink in Rolling Stone, 1968.

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Lisa

Wow, I can't believe you guys were subjected to this! Times sure have changed - can you imagine what would happen now if schools still did this?

Not being knowledgeable in this area, I've always wondered what exactly is this supposed to show, anyway? If it's not too personal, that is ...

Entered at Mon Mar 9 17:15:46 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

That's the joy of the Motown and Stax Complete Singles Box Sets - they're CDs, but use the mono 45 mix. ACE compilations are also faithful to the single mix. On which there are two fantastic recent releases. "Hung On You" is Volume 3 of the Goffin / King Songbook series, and "Modernists" on the Kent sub-label was compiled by the Mod Jazz compilers and is subtitled "Rhythm & Soul of Distinction". I didn't know most of it, but it's great floor filler material.

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Pat B

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Pat B

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Bill M

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Bob F

Subject: Lou, Dylan, Bruce

Todd, this is a fun read on a fan meeting Lou.

Peter, it was about an interview. I was just kidding.

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Ben

It's nice to see Blood, Sweat and Tears getting some attention here. I enjoy the self titled second album, and their hits, but it's their first album, 'Child is father to the man', that really stands out as a classic and Al Kooper's finest moment. John Simon produced this album, so, that's an obvious Band connection. I would also recommend Kooper's previous group 'The Blues Project'. They made a few great albums in the mid 60's and seem to have fallen beneath the radar.

Interesting comments about vinyl yesterday. Peter, but I switched to CD many years ago and haven't looked back. I listened to both RCO and NLSC on CD over the past few days and my opinion hasn't changed. I still prefer RCO. It would be nice if people would refrain from criticizing an album that they haven't listened to in over 30 years.

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Peter V

I would have thought a pencil somewhat unhygienic and dangerous at the sharp end. I thought they used a wooden spatula thing. I know they were kept for recycling and later sold in bulk to coffee shops as stirrers.

I’m trying to remember the Lou Reed contretemps – I have nearly every album. I think I said I hadn’t played a couple of them very often.

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Bill M

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Todd

Subject: The Dreaded Exam

Wooden stick? Axe handle? Pencil? Luxury!

Over on this side of the pond, the Doctor just used his hand for the old, "turn your head and cough" routine.
Being that my last name starts with an "A", I usually got to go first.
I assumed the hand was standard protocol, but perhaps we just had a very friendly doctor.
At least Al had a nurse to handle the business!

I had forgotten about the Lou Reed kerfuffle. Not only was Lou Reed demonized, but also the mighty Syracuse University in Upstate NY, was taken down a notch. My Grandmother was a student there in 1936. No need to defend Lou though. Just Lou being Lou, and he probably didn't care what the reaction would be.

Some years ago now, a friend of mine from NYC who works in the photo industry, went to Lou's to help set up some photo printing equipment. I guess photography was one of Lou's interests. My friend had been a fan of VU for many years and said it was kind of strange being in the same place as Lou discussing ink and paper profiles. He would have probably rather asked him about music stuff, but he was there to do a job, not be a fan. He did say that Lou was very pleasant, and quite knowledgeable about photography.

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Peter V

Subject: Classic Albums The Band

Rick, see notes (linked) on Classic Albums: "The Band." It's still on sale on DVD at amazon.com and amazon.co.uk … $8.58, six copies in stock.

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carmen

Subject: carmen

I live in the Philadelphia area - so with lots of Italian heritage around here- Carmen as a man name is not that unusual. Funny when I travel to the west or south where Spanish heritage is more prominent, people look at me a little funny or when I use a credit card - I am almost always asked for ID.

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Bill M

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Rick Klepal

Subject: Question

Hey guys...Life Long Fan...First became attached to "The Brown" album in 1974/5 in high school. A couple years ago I caught a video on some cable channel about the making of the "Brown" The Band album. I have been looking for it, want to own a copy but can't find it anywhere. Can you help? btw...one of the best records ever made. Best, Rick rickklepal@gmail.com 813-393-0633

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Al Edge

I'm guessing it was universal P.

Of course round our way the nurse had to use a pick axe handle.

:-0)

Second thoughts, maybe it was a pencil!!

Did you used to have the nit nurse too and they'd put that blue or yellow iodine stuff on you? Can't remember what it was for now.

:-0)

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Peter V

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Al Edge

Hey Lisa - reading Jeff's post lower down it looks like the GB has its own Errol Flynn - complete with harem and alive and well and living in Brooklyn!!

:-0)

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Bob F

I love the first two BS&T records with Child Is A Father To The Man being just about perfect. The 2nd one has a lot of great songs. I remember reading that it was Al Kooper who suggested they do 'So Very Happy' before he was kicked out. I've always really liked Steve Katz 'Sometimes in Winter'.

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Peter V

When we were at primary school, every child had a school medical record card, which recorded checks by the dental nurse (and nit nurse) and stuff every year. This was the early days of the National Health Service, of which Britain was justly proud. They were colour coded, blue cards for boys, pink cards for girls. I am alphabetically challenged as my surname begins with V, the school ran out of blue cards around the letter "T" and me, Webb, Wilson and Young were issued with pink cards with GIRL crossed out and BOY written on. It was mildly embarrassing but there were four of us and we all lined up alphabetically, so it wasn't a disaster. We were also only aged 5 to 11 at that school and didn't know any homophobic comments.

When we moved to secondary school at 11, the cards moved with us. But I was the only one of the four, being a clever little sod, who went to grammar school. So at grammar school there were only two kids in the year of 180 kids with pink cards - one, a boy called White, had suffered the same misfortune at a different primary school. This was deeply embarrassing and the source of much coarse humour, especially as the secondary school medical once a year involved lining up in your underpants, being weighed, then having a doctor apply a wooden stick to the base of your testicles and asking you to cough. I have no idea whether this was a universal, or for the personal gratification of the gym teacher who always stood and watched at close quarters. Anyway, I'd have to stand there holding the pink card of shame while lads called out "You won't need to check this one, sir" and other remarks of a similar nature. I stayed at that school till 18, but White left at 16 to go to the local college, and I believe he simply wanted to escape that pink card. Last time I saw him, in a pub in our early 20s, he was carrying a Cliff Richard LP and a Liza Minelli LP. That's the sort of effect it can have on you.

I am amazed I ended up normal.

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Al Edge

:-0)

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Al Edge

Got to say I made the same mistake as JT some years back Carmen but then I realised my mistake. And I certainly didn't want Instant Carmen to come and get me

:-0)

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Bob F

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Carmen

Subject: Gender

Yes - I was born and I am still a Man.

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Peter V

Thanks for that one, Lisa. We used to work with an Italian guy who in twenty years in England never managed to grasp "fuck all" and always said "fuck nothing" too.

Entered at Mon Mar 9 07:00:49 CET 2015 from (174.1.247.160)

Lisa

Okay, I wasn't going to post this as it's mainly the purview of the guys here, but here goes.

This story comes from David Niven's wonderful memoir of the golden days of Hollywood titled "Bring On The Empty Horses", and is actually the story of the title.

David Niven and Errol Flynn were starring in "The Charge of the Light Brigade", directed by Hungarian director Michael Curtiz. His fractured English was always a source of mirth to these guys, and when the time came to film a scene during the charge with riderless horses galloping past, he shouted out, "Okay, bring on the empty horses!" which totally cracked them up. Completely exasperated, he shouted, "You lousy bums, you and your stinking language! You think I know fuck nothing! Well, let me tell you, I know FUCK ALL!"

beg, I'm so glad you're back again - what have you been doing?

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JT

Subject: What's in a name..

Kevin: Shows you what I know. One shouldn't assume anything. My apologies for the mistake. Still, we may be trending (a word I learned lately from red carpet pre-shows).

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Kevin J

Well JT, the GB can be a confusing place.......I believe Carmen is a man as is Kerrin who I had always thought was female.......Carmen is a regular thankfully.....wish Kerrin was still around.

Jeff: You devil you......while we were all dancing and acting stupid, you got the numbers............very happy to hear Julie is doing well. I miss her and please say hello. Hope that she enjoyed the Led Zep Kennedy Honours Link.

brown eyed girl: It has been a shitty week and I'm about to fly away and join a circus..........seeing you back, brings some happiness.

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Jeff A.

Just saw the beginning of the flick This Is 40. For the first time. After terrific sex on her 40th birthday, Paul Rudd's character tells his wife that he used viagara. She gets upset, and to explain why he did it, the man says:
"My hard-ons are still in analog. This shit's digital."
OF course, the character played a former Sony exec.

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Far East Man

Subject: Whispering Pines

Just heard a version of this with Boz Scaggs & Lucinda Williams. Then went back to the original, what a spectacular song. Love the trade off between Richard & Levon. Once in awhile I get a thirst for something new from Richard, something I haven't heard. Lately I've been digging "The Well", not a favorite but an interesting piece of work. Not a lot of information on the song - maybe Robbie will shed some light on it when his book comes out. Peace to all....

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Pat B

Entered at Mon Mar 9 03:05:30 CET 2015 from (184.66.134.56)

JT

Subject: Restoring the balance

OK: BEG, LISA, JOAN, CARMEN. Who did I forget? Maybe those still communicating with Jeff? Starting to restore the balance. A healthier future maybe?

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Bill M

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JT

Subject: Hey Rosetta

Hey Rosetta was great live and stole the show. We went to the show to see Stars. (great on record and live). I like the albums (got them after the show) but the live show really showed what this band really can do. Most important, it reminded us again of how many great bands and performers there are who are unknown. Gotta keep ears and eyes open and listening. That's part of what I get from this GB.

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joe j

I believe it was JT that saw their live show recently. Better live than on record IMHO. Link is to a great video shot on an island not far from mine.

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joe j

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Mike Nomad

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brown eyed girl

ʙLᴀᴢɪNɢ ᴀᴡᴀʏ

1990 | Marianne Faithfull
Filmed at St. Anne's Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York City
Produced by Amy Raskin and John Diaz
Directed by Larry Jordan

Watch entire Concert 1:30:11 or just check out at 1:02:34

ᴍᴜsɪᴄɪᴀns

Dougie Bowne - drums

GARTH HUDSON - accordion/keyboards

Dr. John - piano/rhythm guitar

Barry Reynolds - guitar/background vocals

Marc Ribot - guitar

Fernando Saunders - bass/background vocals

LEW SOLOFF - trumpet/flugel horn

"If you cannot watch it due to country restrictions please message me! (Faithfull Forever). For the first time and in full length on the internet Marianne Faithfull's "lost" concert film from 1990. It was originally released on video cassette, but has been long out of print and sought after by fans. The record company lost the original video masters which is why a commercial re-release is highly unlikely, so I decided to share it on the occasion of Marianne's 50th anniversary as a recording artist this year (and with her personal permission). Enjoy! xo Maggie / Faithfull Forever | mariannefaithfull.fm

ps. Big thank you to Eric (YT: EricTerino) for getting the film to me on DVD. I do own the actual tape, but had no way to transfer it.

Please note that the tracklist is vastly different to the album release. The song "Blazing Away" was actually not performed/recorded live, but in the studio and as such isn't on film. "When I Find My Life" (Reynolds/Faithfull) and "Prisons Du Roy" (Jordan/Rivgauche) have never been released as studio recordings."

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Peter V

I was a major fan of BST's second album and played it nonstop. Yes, Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago II were being played at the same time.

Entered at Sun Mar 8 22:56:59 CET 2015 from (63.142.158.9)

JQ

Hi Pat B - When we were talking about perfect albums last week this one came to me as a contender too. In 1969, as I recall, this album was considered pretty AM pop-like; but it also had its hip fans. Weren't they were sort of in competition with Chicago then? I think someone else here submitted the Al Kooper original B, S & T for consideration also.

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Pat B

At 2:00, Mr. Soloff swings at Woodstock.

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joe j

Subject: Sinatra

Want to hear Sinatra's originals from 'Shadows'? "Stay With Me " is riveting.

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Ian W

Been away and catching up. Another old joke I quite like:

LAWYER to WITNESS: Do you have anything to add?

WITNESS: Fuck all!

JUDGE to LAWYER: I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What did the witness say?

LAWYER: He said "Fuck all" m'lord.

JUDGE: Funny - I could have sworn I saw his lips move.

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Jeff A.

I thnk & hope you now realize I was simply answering & attempting to make amusing social commentary relevant to a prior also possibly humorous comment i made. And other events here.

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John D

Just re-read your post. Didn't think you were taking a shot at me. Sorry for the confusion.

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John D

Sorry Jeff. Are you calling me a ludite for not being on Facebook; or are you pissed that is the only way these days people are trying to communicate? Little confused.

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Pat B

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Jeff A.

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Pat B

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JT

Subject: Lew Soloff again

There is an interview at YouTube regarding Lew Soloff (2 hours) wherein he describes his early life in NYC, his family influences, his jazz influences and so forth. Excellent! A mensch. We played him this AM in his honour.

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JT

Subject: Lew Soloff

John D: Go to trumpetherald.com website and you will see the account of Lew Soloff to which Jeff A refers. Very sad. A great loss to music.

Entered at Sun Mar 8 14:47:46 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

Subject: last remark: the flying one

I want to thank Al Edge for the flying fuck, beautiful …. that’s poetry…..

One day some Joe Pesci will use it (link), or maybe you’ll hear it in your car, on the radio, in a song and you will smile knowing where it started from.

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Norbert

Subject: A Selma song

People Get Ready by The Impressions (link).

Entered at Sun Mar 8 13:07:57 CET 2015 from (99.244.8.134)

John D

Jeff A. With the time change it's 7 am eastern time, Sunday morning. I just read your story. How sad. However I have Googled his name everywhere; on the net and can't find anything about him passing. Is this something you heard on radio; or TV? Thanks.

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Peter V

A store owner told me this week that Record Store Day was already causing a major logjam in pressing plants and smaller labels were worried about getting anything pressed.

Entered at Sun Mar 8 12:10:58 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Entered at Sun Mar 8 12:03:28 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

I know Hull, he learned at Bob Ludwig's shoulder. Hull always kept his lathe,and I saw it at Classic Sounds back in 02. Now, as you know, he owns, or more likely is the main principal owner of Masterdisk. They are cutting vinyl there again. They also came out with the Mastered For iTunes program.

Port got himself a racket going, huh? But, he has quite an investment, & the effort is far from slight. Fun way to break your ass though.

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Norbert

Subject: Jimi Hendrix never made the change

Joni Mitchell on Jimi Hendrix (link):

'You have to change like when Dylan went electric.

Jimi was tired of playing the guitar with his teeth and embarrassed about it. He wanted to do big band arrangements and just stand still and play ……. and cut the theatrics.

But Every time he tried that they would boo him and say Jimi is not himself. It’s a shame he never made the change.'

Entered at Sun Mar 8 11:31:35 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

With 45s, the issue of pressing plant comes in. Decca had its ffrr pressing system which for most of the 1950s produced a better vinyl copy than rivals. This is why UK London-American 45s of classic rock are held to sound better than original American pressings of the same song, even though the original will be at least one generation closer to the master tape.

But it brought me back to last week's heated discussion on the RCO All Stars. You realize this might all come down to Ben and Todd having low-matrix number copies and Pat and I having higher matrix number copies … (if only).

If David P ever lurks, the might be a good moment to return!

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Peter V

Entered at Sun Mar 8 11:17:58 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

There has always been a premium on "low matrix number" 45s for the Beatles and LPs too- these are the tiny marks stamped or scratched after the play out groove. It was held that the stampers which made LPs progressively deteriorated so early batches, as indicated by these tiny marks, were better. Both Decca and EMI had a coding system with letters replacing numbers. It's easy to interpret. But there are so many variables in the chain.

But looking at all those copies of Abbey Road with different markings, allegedly they sound different. Hmm. Am I convinced? I'm off to tape some little bits of aluminum foil to the electrical sockets. They must be exactly 50 mill x 42 mill to work and clean the electrics, as they say on April 1st.

Entered at Sun Mar 8 09:47:51 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Subject: Cropper& Booker T On.Playing the Hits Night After Night

Linked above.

Booker looked at us and said, ‘Man, I’ll never get tired of playing that song.’ So, that really sums it up for me.”

Entered at Sun Mar 8 09:35:08 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Funny Pete, i was coming to post a different article on the same subject. Linked above...It really made me think...I have doubles of some LPs, but i doubt I'd part with anything.

Entered at Sun Mar 8 09:17:23 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: Hot stampers

Article from "Wired" linked on "hot stampers" - how pressings of LPs sound very different and on premium prices for LPs pressed early in the run. So, yes, my Big Pink is different to your Big Pink.

Entered at Sun Mar 8 03:35:56 CET 2015 from (68.171.246.159)

Bill M

Everybody's having fun, but everybody's working hard too - trying new sounds and phrasing, even when they're supposed to be just fooling around. Nice to hear the Hawks revisit "Who Do You Love", nice to hear Dylan turn "Fair And Tender Ladies" (or whatever) into "Madame Butterfly" - with falsettos and 'Oriental' notes. (I wasn't thinking of "Chinese Song" on "Twenty Granite Creek" when referred to Skip Spence the other day, by the way.)

Funny, and possibly instructive, to hear a complete take of a song and then Dylan suggesting to Garth that he should now turn the recorder on to capture the next take. "Ready Garth?" "Ready." Who's the boss?

For some reason it was sad to hear Bob urging Richard to take a vocal ("Which song?" "Any song.") but Richard feeling unable to do it. Reminded me of hearing the tape of Sam Phillips trying to talk Jerry lee Lewis" into recording "Great Balls Of Fire" - except that Sam kept at it and eventually succeeded.

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

Subject: The Flying Fuck

See the link Al. While it is very important to have the ability to not give a fuck, or a flying fuck about a lot of things, we all now have more options..

Entered at Sat Mar 7 22:49:20 CET 2015 from (24.114.68.150)

Kevin J

LINKED: An uplifting 7 minutes from the sisters Wilson on a song that conjures up images of all sorts of words.......end of every dance, great basement parties........worth seeing this if just for the smiles on Page, Plant and Jones.......stay with the song all the way through....there's some surprises.........where's Julie?

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JT

Subject: BTW: I don't smoke

The F-word thread has probably seen its end. It was exhausting. Time for a cigarette.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 22:01:38 CET 2015 from (108.36.197.190)

Peter M.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 22:01:16 CET 2015 from (24.114.68.150)

Kevin J

Sitting on the couch playing guitar......flip on the tv in the room and see curling on one chanel ( no thanks ) , women's university hockey on another ( no thanks ) get to CNN and Obama is delivering a beautifully written and powerfull speech on the 50 year aniversary of Selma......meanwhile at the GB - some are discussing the word Fuck ! A return to the RCO v NLSC would be more interesting.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 21:59:52 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Well I couldn't give a flying fuck - I'm gonna stake my claim to the first fuck on this GB no matter what the fuck any fucker says

Ask Serge if you don't believe me

What we all talking 'bout by the way?

:-0)

Entered at Sat Mar 7 21:57:40 CET 2015 from (184.66.134.56)

JT

Subject: Hyphens...

Peter V: That's a great title for a book.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 21:54:19 CET 2015 from (108.36.197.190)

Peter M.

At the end of the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2006, Laura Bush refused to shake Stephen Colbert's hand after his scathingly edgy speech. Instead, she said something to him that is open to debate. Those in the Bush camp claim she said "Not funny". Others swear she said "Get fucked". This was off-mike so we only have lip readers' opinions, which are split about even.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 21:47:18 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

JT, this might take me some time to consider. "Fucking-well" is an adverb. "well-fucked" is something I'd have to consider. I'd guess "well" alone is the adverb there. But the meaning has indeed shifted considerably. This will be added to my book! Thanks.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 21:41:49 CET 2015 from (24.108.1.255)

BONK

Whenever my old Granddad got pissed off he would angrily say 'jesus, jumped up, baldheaded, cross firing, american Fucking christ! Is this using the word as an adjective. Or an adverb/adjective? HaHa

Entered at Sat Mar 7 21:06:22 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

I want to see those funkin’ Alice Cooper fans top this great fuck :-) ….…… Jeff A. a special fuck for you too :-)

Carmen great link ……Mike Nomad thanks for pointing me towards.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 20:56:28 CET 2015 from (76.98.218.136)

Carmen

Subject: RR, Fogarty and Bruce

Interesting that Tom Morello worked on all three of their most recent albums.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 20:13:24 CET 2015 from (24.114.68.150)

Kevin J

.......and over at the Don Was GB, the posters are in a tizzy over Robertson hogging camera time at that RRHOF rehearsal.

Actually, even though that clip of John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen and Robbie Robertson resembled just about every get-together of guitarists I have ever been part of......I also found it compelling just because of the people involved........with the funniest bit being Fogerty telling all he was going to be painting the house on the night of the event.

Joan: Glad I was able to make you smile and great seeing your name here again.

Todd: I liked that post of yours and it reminded me of that scene in Tom Wolfe's great novel "The Bonfire of the Vaniies" where a character meets a women and senses some attraction.....he then says a few things, not exactly how he wanted them to come out and by just looking at the women's eyes, realizes that he has lost her......no way back. In one form or other, it has happenned to all of us.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 20:08:48 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 20:01:46 CET 2015 from (184.66.134.56)

JT

Subject: Zich

I would have predicted: Zich. I can hear my father now, though he avoided profanities usually.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 19:58:22 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 19:55:56 CET 2015 from (184.66.134.56)

JT

Subject: Sweet

There is nothing in the world as sweet as Brooklyn Yiddish! Maybe something over there in the middle of the UK?

Entered at Sat Mar 7 19:52:05 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

***********************************************************

BTW JT, i have just e mailed the proper authority to get a proper interpretation of the term.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 19:49:36 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

The Frenchmen are a funny race

They fight with their feet and f#ck with their face

Entered at Sat Mar 7 19:47:50 CET 2015 from (184.66.134.56)

JT

Subject: compromised hyphen?

Peter: Is there any consideration of repositioning the hyphen from its former position to one word later?

Entered at Sat Mar 7 19:40:11 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Fuck me! The fucking fucker's fucking-well fucked!

This sentence shows the adaptability of root words in English, as the root "fuck" appears as an exclamation (technically, an imperative), an adjective, a noun, an adverb and a verb.

Here endeth the lesson.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 19:32:17 CET 2015 from (84.215.230.4)

jh

Entered at Sat Mar 7 19:17:08 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Sat Mar 7 19:06:41 CET 2015 from (184.66.134.56)

JT

Subject: Happiness is a warm gun

Maybe I should have put an emoticon smiley :) after my last post.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 19:03:10 CET 2015 from (184.66.134.56)

JT

Subject: Go do the anatomically impossible

And since no one acknowledged or responded in any way (good or bad) to my Shakespeare (total indifference), I suggest perhaps that you all follow Hitchens advice.

Go do the anatomically impossible!

Entered at Sat Mar 7 18:59:26 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

On Live @ The Academy I believe there is a beautiful harmony sung by Richard and Levon on The Rumor.Is that correct that it's Richard and Levon? That album is incredible.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 18:52:37 CET 2015 from (184.66.134.56)

JT and LvdB

Subject: The British Empire provides... Hitchens "A Very,Very Dirty Word"

Christopher Hitchens makes good reading...

The British Empire's second-greatest gift to the world. By Christopher Hitchens

The following anecdote appears in one of Niall Ferguson's absorbing studies of the British Empire. On the eve of independence for the colony of South Yemen, the last British governor hosted a dinner party attended by Denis Healey, then the minister for defense. Over the final sundown cocktail, as the flag was about to be lowered over the capital of Aden, the governor turned to Healey and said, "You know, Minister, I believe that in the long view of history, the British Empire will be remembered only for two things." What, Healey was interested to know, were these imperishable aspects? "The game of soccer. And the expression 'fuck off.' "

This prediction, made almost 40 years ago, now looks alarmingly prescient. Soccer enthusiasm is sweeping the globe, and both Sen. John Kerry and Vice President Dick Cheney have resorted to the "fuck" word in the recent past—Kerry to say "fucked up" in connection with postwar planning in Iraq and Cheney to recommend that Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., go and attempt an anatomical impossibility. The latter advice received the signal honor of being printed in full, without asterisks, in the Washington Post, thus provoking some ombudsmanlike soul-searching on its own account by the paper's editor, Len Downie.

At some media-pol event in Washington after the invasion of Afghanistan, I was told by an eyewitness that Al Franken attempted an ironic congratulation of Paul Wolfowitz, saying that Bush had won by using Clinton's armed forces. "Fuck off," was the considered riposte of the deputy defense secretary.

If things go on like this—which in a way I sometimes hope they do—we will reach the point where newspapers will report exchanges deadpan, like this:

" 'Fuck off,' he shot back." " 'Fuck off,' he suggested." " 'Fuck off,' he opined." " 'Fuck off,' he advised." " 'Fuck off,' he averred." " 'Fuck off,' he joked." Or even, " 'Fuck off,' he quipped."

The spreading of this tremendous rejoinder by means of the British Empire or its surrogates cannot be doubted. In London, older men of Greek Cypriot descent can be heard to say, as they rise from the card game or the restaurant table, "Thakono fuck off," by which they mean, "I shall now take my leave"; or, "It really is high time that I returned to the bosom of my family"; or perhaps, phrased more tersely and in the modern vernacular, "I am out of here."

A friend of mine was once a junior officer in her majesty's forces in the Egyptian Suez Canal Zone. One of his duties was the procuring of fresh fruit for those under his command. On a certain morning, an Egyptian merchant called upon him and announced that he could furnish a regular supply of bananas. "Just the thing," replied my friend, "that we are looking for." The man then spoiled the whole effect by stating, in poor but unmistakable English, that of course in the event of an agreement Capt. Lewis could expect 5 percent on top. Peter—I call him this because it is his name—thereupon became incensed. He stated that such a suggestion was an unpardonable one and added that he was sure he could find another banana merchant and that, whatever the case might be, such a banana supplier would emphatically not be the man who had just made such an outrageous proposition to a British serving officer. Sensing his own lapse in taste, the Egyptian made a courteous bow and replied with perfect gravity: "OK, effendi. I fuck off now." It was plain that he had acquired his basic English from loitering around the barracks gate.

Let us not forget, in other words, the implied etiquette of the term. If shouted at a follower or supporter of another soccer team, in a moment of heat, it may connote "please go away" or even "go away in any case." But if used of oneself—dare one say passively—it may simply express the settled determination to be elsewhere. (I once heard the late Sir Kingsley Amis, describing the end of an evening of revelry, saying, "So then—off I fucked.")

"Fuck you" or "Go fuck yourself"—the popular American form—lacks this transitive/intransitive element to some degree. At points, it even seems to confuse the act of sexual intercourse with an act of aggression: a regrettable overlap to be sure. Anglo-Americanism in Iraq may turn out to be the crucible of this difference. I know from experience that older Iraqis, who remember the British period with mingled affection and resentment, are aware of the full declensions of the "fuck" verb. But to judge by their gestures, some of the younger Iraqis are a bit coarser. "Fuck off," some of them seem to be yelling at coalition forces. A lot hinges on the appropriate military response. "Fuck you" might be risky. "OK, off we fuck, then" might buy some valuable time.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 18:43:37 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 18:00:23 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Go Fuck Yourself, spoken offhandedly, or casually,amongst friends, can mean a simple, Get the fuck outta here. That's hard to believe.
Or it can mean That's an absurd plan, don't even think about it.

Change the relationships a little, Go fuck yourself - frequently means, - that's a pretty weak attempt to fuck me, get the fuck outta here.
It can also be a casual, or possibly not so casual warning. In any relationship.

Spoken in a more strong tone of voice, Go fuck yourself can often be a definite warning threat that the Go fucker will harm you.

In a raised tone of voice, in anger, Go fuck yourself, well it's a definite sign trouble is coming. / Of course, sometimes it's an empty threat. Other times it's not.Sometimes it's just anger, or ego, or chest thumping.

And of course, separatedly, & obviously, trouble need not be accompanied by any Go fuck yourself, or fuck you. It's common here for people to act like nothings wrong, or to even say I'm sorry, or without an apology make peace, then beat the shit out of someone, cripple them, or kill em.

It's kind of all a fact of daily life here still. Though not to the degree it used to be. And of course, since the demographics have changed, i don;t know the realities in other languages. And don;t want to learn. The huge, rapid influx of hipsters, suburbanites, people raised in a coddled fashion, & how these people are raising their kids here, there's changes. And the City Of NY, the officials, wish old NYC would disappear entirely. but it doesn't happen so easy. Ask me, it will always be important for some one to have the ability to insticntively understand the context and tone of actual conversation and just what an actual Go fuck yourself means.
Of course, it's just one sentence in one interaction. One still has to navigate every other minute. The rest of life.

**********************************************************

When i was a kid,not yet a teen, i heard my stepfather tell a more or less friend - Go fuck yourself. And if you have any relatives in Pittsburgh, fuck them too. - That has remained a favorite expression of mine. Of course, I only use it apropriatedly. In fitting, worthy situations. It's mostly pretty humorous. I've never heard anyone but friends of my stepfathers and my own use it since. I guess it's my stepfathers and one of my cultural contributions. I recall using it here many years ago, maybe once in here since.

Go fuck yourself, is never an insult.

*********************************************************

GB insults and threats are pretty weak. Observations, opinions, based on behavior, are very different that insults. Attempts to have lucid discussion, & when that fails, attempts to discuss the fall out lucidly, are very different than insults, or other people trying to portray someone's discussing or response, as angry or upset.

Real life is very different. The nuances & vagaries of real life, are very different. Here, in The Gb, you have people portraying themselves as intelligent, or authorities, cause they think they are. Or want to be considered as such. Or as tough, maybe cause they chop wood fast. Or are big. And also curse freely, yet then get upset when some one else writes Go fuck yourself to two of his GB buddies. And then tries to insult some one. As Steve once wrote- What do you think will happen? Is a hand going to come through your computer and punch you?

Some people give money or turkeys as charity, come here, and boast about it. Some people boast about a lot. In real life, i know real charity is something you are not supposed to brag about. Charity is supposed to be anonymous, and forgotten. Most actual tough guys, in real life, they don't brag either. Real life, is very different.

************************************************************

Regarding the Go Fuck Yourself instructional, that was just an incomplete primer. Decades of living are required, it's not something you can learn or really teach on a computer or in a book.

Norbert, could i really be the first to write this to you?- Fuck you. And if you have any relatives in Alsace Lorraine, fuck them too.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 17:20:48 CET 2015 from (68.198.162.41)

Bob F

Entered at Sat Mar 7 16:44:46 CET 2015 from (65.93.116.167)

Mike Nomad

Unrelatedly, I now have clearer insight into the Power of Joan. Sweet!

Entered at Sat Mar 7 16:02:21 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

Is that what I said,"lets all fight"?-interesting and funny interpretation.With all respect,I wasn't referring to fighting on the GB,but to a specific comment which was so judgemental,holier than thou bullshitty that I was shocked it was so easily passed over.Perhaps because it was 2 sentences or so,or because it was made in the middle of a long conversation or argument about something else that I didn't read,but it was given a pass.Just got under my skin.I have consistently said,since I started posting here,that the feud notwithstanding,I admire all of the Band's members.This poster,Mr. Ethics,seems to have a profound dislike of Levon and I'm assuming that his comments were rooted in those sentiments.Whatever-I felt compelled to rant,which I have and let's move on to other arguments.Or maybe I'll just start the music to see where it leads!

Entered at Sat Mar 7 14:21:34 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

Jed is right, let’s all fight!

All fighting together here will create an enormous fighting pool and the real fights will drown between the fake ones. So there will be and can be no fights no more.

It will release all GB stress, give us air for a year (say things that you normally wouldn’t dare to say, or always wanted to say). Anyway I see a lot of possibilities and advantages, I see a new GB ….. so in this way ……

Fuck you! ……….and some of you particularly! ………….(feels good ;-)

Entered at Sat Mar 7 13:00:05 CET 2015 from (108.30.208.110)

Jed

Recently someone posted about the ethics of Band members,judging them to be beneath his standards.How could one judge without knowing the people?Or,how or why should anyone judge?Are we all wonders of moral perfection? What chutzpah!

Entered at Sat Mar 7 12:44:16 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

It’s a perfect day here in Germany….. spring is a comin’........

All doors are open, sun bursts on the grass ……….just got the firewood for the evening ………..neighbor Georg, in his orange chainsaw pants, is cutting fresh firewood with his little Stihl ……. Els is backing apple pie.. …smells so familiar ….reminds me of back than when my mom used to bake …

I’ll swap the winter tires with pleasure and wax the 993 just for fun.

A perfect day, weekenders on our own .... we’ll take a walk in the park and watch children play.

Such a perfect day here in Germany, it’s almost France.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 10:52:08 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

Subject: Argument Clinic

We had some famous GB fights here, I remember Benteen who fought all, or Steve ….ah those where the days ……

I had some fights here too, but I'm not good ad it.

We all fight from time to time and it's healthy. A good argument gives air, stimulates & exercises the heart, clears the veins, reals the teeth and prevents varicose veins.

But a proper fight has also a BEGINNING and an END (and at the end it's only the journey that matters says Hemmingway).

Before we fight on here please attend this little argument clinic (link). It only takes 6 minutes but arguing will never be the same….

Anyway our relation therapist always says; SHUT UP AND MAKE LOVE! ….

p.s. Wallsend I agree on Martin C.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 08:48:41 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

What Eddie Cochran has is youth, a magnificently impassioned vocal delivery, lots of space (a Band characteristic) and a great guitar solo by Eddie.

As you know, Eddie Cochran is proportionally more popular in the UK than America, maybe because he died here, and after wonderful TV appearances that galvanised British youth. Four of his songs are among the best rock and roll ever recorded: C’mon Everybody, Something Else, Summertime Blues, Cut Across Shorty. Milk Cow Blues is a cover and not in that category, but as Todd infers on Elvis, his version doesn’t rank with That’s All Right Mama either.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 08:14:45 CET 2015 from (58.104.1.240)

Wallsend

I don't recall seeing this boot of the Wembley Stadium 14/9/74 show before.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 06:16:26 CET 2015 from (32.216.239.250)

Todd

Subject: One or Two More Things

Joe Frey, that news about The Band Capitol Rarities sounds intriguing. Can’t wait to find out more details.

Bob F. I’m still exploring the Basement Tapes Complete Box, and haven’t spent much time with disc 6 yet. I know that Bill M, has been enjoying it for a while, so he may have some insights.

‘On a Rainy Afternoon’ is interesting. I think there were some other versions of ‘Rainy Afternoon’ that were captured during the ‘Eat The Document’ era, but I’m not completely sure. I may have the timeline wrong. One of my favorite unreleased / unfinished Dylan songs is the snippet of ‘I Can’t Leave Her Behind’ that he was working on with Robbie, also from Eat The Document. Really would have been nice to hear more of that.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 06:04:18 CET 2015 from (32.216.239.250)

Todd

Subject: The Hills are Alive

Kevin J., That Elliot Landy Popspots link that you posted the other day is one of the best things I've seen in a while. I knew of some of the locations, but the detail, especially on the Wittenberg house, was amazing.

It was cool to see the location superimposed over a topographical map of the area. Off to the Northwest from that view from Wittenberg, is Willow, where a friend of mine has a cabin that I've stayed at from time to time when visiting the area. One of my best memories was taking a trip up to the area by myself on a Ramble weekend. Everyone else was busy, so I made the journey alone. I got into town quite early, and had many hours before the Ramble to relax. I had recently gotten Bob Dylan's Chronicles, and spent a few hours reading it in this little cabin just miles away from some of the things he was writing about. Other than family vacations, that was one of the rare times that I was totally able to unplug and be totally relaxed. Glad that I took the opportunity when I did.

Entered at Sat Mar 7 05:42:58 CET 2015 from (32.216.239.250)

Todd

Subject: Catching Up

Anyone ever have one of those moments when you post something that seems like a good idea at the time, but when you revisit it later you wonder why it couldn’t have been served up with a little more grace, wit, or charm? Those moments when you re-read that nugget of wisdom that seemed cool at the time, but in the cruel light of the day is cringe-worthy. I have those moments frequently.....but I'm working on it.

In spite of our many differences and personal preferences, I think it’s good to remember that on some basic foundational level, we all share a love of The Band, and that’s something to be thankful for. I'd like to see more participation rather than less, and I'm sure some of my posts have had a hand in turning people off from participating. It’s not necessary to always agree, but there’s should always be room for respect. The safe thing would be to only say nice things, and give 5 star reviews to everything. That would probably get (dare I say) boring quickly. The sport of one-upmanship can be fun, and I’m as guilty as the next for jumping into the deep end, but I think we all know when it’s gone too far. I’ll work on it, but I won’t promise that I won’t try to get a zinger or two in from time to time. The simple fact is that some of us have been here so long, (and I still consider myself as one of the new guys) it's easy to know which buttons to press to get a reaction.

Thinking about my rating system from the other day, perhaps an A,B,C type of rating for each song would have been more accurate than a yes or no. All of the Band’s songs have some value, and pass/fail doesn’t address any of the nuances. That said, I have to wrap up a few thoughts.

Peter V. I had listened to the Elvis version of ‘Milk Cow’, a couple of days ago, and it’s fine but doesn’t rate as highly with me as many of Elvis’s other works. I couldn’t lose the thought that it reminded me too much of ‘That’s Alright Mama’. When I listened to the Eddie Cochran version, I kept thinking of a speeded up version of ‘Manish Boy’. Both versions are fine, but I still prefer Levon’s on the RCO album. As I said earlier, the bass and drums lock me in, and I think Levon’s vocal has the right amount of grit and swagger that carries it. Just personal preference, and I’m not trying to change anyone’s mind.

‘Somewhere Down the Crazy River’ has a lot of great things going on in it. The music backing is textured and moody, and the chorus works well. What doesn’t work for me is the spoken word part of it. I know many others think that’s the best part of the song. It’s well done, but it’s not my idea of a melody, although it would make for an interesting voiceover. Points for a novel approach, but that part of the song takes me out of the song in some way.

Side 1 of the album is the stronger side for me. ‘Broken Arrow’ is a great song, and I would love to hear it sung by a female vocalist sometime with a soulful voice. Maybe there are covers out there other than Rod’s. I won’t judge the 1980’s production too harshly. That was the time, and that was the sound, and I generally like what Daniel Lanois brings to the table as a producer. My only other issue with the album is all of the various guests. I like Peter Gabriel and have many of his albums, but when I hear him sing, it starts sounding more like a Peter Gabriel project rather than a Robbie project. Same thing with U2. I feel that Robbie found a better balance with the guest artist on HTBC, and even with Clapton on there, it still sounds like a Robbie project.

It just occurred to me that Norm has been out at sea for too long. One of the things that he’s good at around here is giving a swift kick in the ass to keep people in line when necessary. It’s good to have that relief valve from time to time, and I don’t even care that we disagree on many things. And I still think that he lied about retiring. Seems like he's working more than ever!

Entered at Sat Mar 7 00:59:19 CET 2015 from (207.164.2.174)

JT

Subject: Twelfth Night: The bard must have had foresight re the GB

"If music be the food of love, play on;

Give me excess of it; that, surfeiting,

The appetite may sicken, and so die. —

That strain again; it had a dying fall:

O, it came oer my ear, like the sweet sound

That breathes upon a bank of violets,

Stealing, and giving odour! Enough! No more.

'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.

" Orsino, Twelfth Night, scene i

Entered at Sat Mar 7 00:15:11 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Fri Mar 6 23:51:48 CET 2015 from (58.104.1.240)

Wallsend

Carmen, and this was some of the actual performance. Fantastic.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 23:40:22 CET 2015 from (32.216.239.250)

Todd

I won't have time until later to properly reply to some earlier posts, but for now I will point out that some people have been performing linguistic gymnastics to say how boring they thought RCO Allstars was.

It was described as a "yawn-fest" and as even "worse than a yawn-fest". I know that this is only opinion, and there's validity to being honest and sharing true opinions. I suppose you could say only the work is being insulted, but at a certain point the artist and work are connected. Especially in something as personal as music.

How well would it be received if someone said that Robbie is a very interesting person, but his work is boring....or even worse than boring?

Is there some sort of balance that can be achieved that provides genuine opinion without trashing a person's work...especially persons who most of us claim to be fans of?

Entered at Fri Mar 6 23:15:36 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 23:10:22 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Fri Mar 6 23:06:47 CET 2015 from (76.98.218.136)

Carmen

Subject: check this one out

First I have ever seen this one - RR, Bruce and Fogerty

Entered at Fri Mar 6 22:57:02 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Fri Mar 6 22:55:38 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Oh, Jeff. Still upset that you didn't get my little joke? Too bad. If you can argue that "fascistic" doesn't mean "fascist", you can argue anything because "yes" evidently means "no" in your world. But your uncanny ability to name-call and play the martyr card continues unabated. Just admit I'm a putz and we can move on. Like I said, what a laugh. Here's what I think. Every person I know of accomplishment is terribly interesting, in one way or another. You don't know enough of RR to declare he's not boring because you haven't met him? What a laugh.

Again, Joan, I apologize.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 22:51:26 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 22:50:40 CET 2015 from (84.215.230.4)

jh

Entered at Fri Mar 6 22:45:33 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 22:41:43 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Your presentation that i have depicted you as dishonest in that sentence is inaccurate. At point I am giving you the opportunity to agree. As you have not yet diasgreed with me, you still could. And you could write, "You know what Jeff? I was wrong about the whole thing. I apologize." But, rather than do that, you prefer to reverse the order & alter the meaning of what I wrote.

Later on, I addressed my take on the reality of your posts, regarding anything I write. Here:
"As usual,rather than participate in actual constructive exchange of information you're more interested in diversionary, antagonistic tactics. I expect that most people understood very clearly exactly what I wrote & why."
And now, once again you demonstrate how correct I am.

It really is a shame how much effort you put into negativity, and how much negativity therefore has to be countered.

It's not too late, Pat. You could just declare: "Hey Jeff!. I've been a royal putz. I apologize. Lets' throw away the hatchet."

Entered at Fri Mar 6 22:20:03 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Fri Mar 6 22:05:16 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

The fact that the two of you are taking swipes at me for correcting NWC that the Band & the members I personally knew are not boring, but me not being willing to comment on some one i never actually knew, is quite telling.

As usual,rather than participate in actual constructive exchange of information you're more interested in diversionary, antagonistic tactics. I expect that most people understood very clearly exactly what I wrote & why. Joan, please note the tone & content of what I write, & the tones & content of other people's writing relative to mine..

Entered at Fri Mar 6 21:36:59 CET 2015 from (58.104.1.240)

Wallsend

Entered at Fri Mar 6 20:06:24 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

Subject: Dylan, London 1962

Martin Carthy on dylan's 1962 London trip (link, 1 of 12).

Entered at Fri Mar 6 19:58:44 CET 2015 from (87.152.121.169)

Norbert

Subject: The holy grail of missing Dylan archive

Ian enjoyed your post thanks. There is also a YouTube series by Martin Carthy about the Dylan trip.

How is the quality of the reel you have of that recording? Must be a sought after collector item …

Where are your articles to be read? Why not ad some sex and write a book?

Can’t you post the articles here?

Entered at Fri Mar 6 19:49:37 CET 2015 from (58.104.1.240)

Wallsend

Entered at Fri Mar 6 19:45:41 CET 2015 from (96.30.173.135)

joe j

Subject: Ringo Now

This link to Ringo's latest should bring a smile.

Thoroughly enjoyed the link to the Woodstock (and other) locations.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 19:43:36 CET 2015 from (68.198.162.41)

Bob F

Disc 6 is rough sounding but just magical. Love 'Going' Down The Road Feeling Bad'. Spring is on it's way to the Hudson Valley and The Basement Tapes are sounding real good! Happy Friday everyone.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 19:38:24 CET 2015 from (108.41.170.168)

Joan

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Peter V

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Wallsend

The impression I got of the reformed Band was that no one was willing to put in the hard work required to come up with original material. Revisiting the BTs would have required imagination and work.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 18:43:07 CET 2015 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

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Bob F

'On A Rainy Afternoon', disc 6 from The Basement Tapes Complete is such a cool little piece of a song. It would have been great as a Band song on say Cahoots. I wonder why the reformed Band never went back to these songs when looking for material. They had a legitimate claim to them with so much to choose from. Instead they did another version of Forever Young.

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Peter V

Ben, I saw The Who in a basement club shortly after I Can't Explain.

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Pat B

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Pat B

Entered at Fri Mar 6 17:05:02 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Ahah! Linked is the real reason Alice cooper is winning or has won that On line voting for Battle of the Bands.

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carmen

Subject: Rolling Stone Article

See story in Rolling Stone. I actually look forward to hearing this. Like to see RR contribute something in Memory of RM.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 16:24:24 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

NWC, The Band was never, ever, in any way, shape, or form, boring.. Many adjectives could be applied, even in temporary use. But boring would never apply to Garth, Rick, Richard, Levon, or The Band.... RR, i wouldn't know.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 16:19:26 CET 2015 from (81.107.236.227)

Roger

Subject: Hi Dunc

Hi Dunc - yes I've been to a gig at the Caird Hall. I saw the Who at the Pavilion in Bournemouth in the late 60s. The sound was lousy but at least they played the whole of the RCO All Stars album.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 15:38:06 CET 2015 from (83.249.132.27)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Hysterically yours

You are right Jeff A. The Band is hysterically fun according to this rare and never published pic on a Finnish site for retired people - see My link.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 15:34:49 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Nice to see some talk here about The Who. I envy the folks here that saw them in their late 60's-mid 70's prime. I'm 46 and started listening to them around the time of their "farewell" tour in '82. I think 'Who's Next' is a perfect album, right up there with 'Astral Weeks' and the first two Band albums.

As I said in my previous post, I truly feel that the "truth" if there is a single, objective thing, is somewhere between Levon's version and Robbie's. I think Levon had some genuine grievances with the music industry, the songwriting issue was just one of them.

As a fan of the music, I find there's no contest. I have dozens of official and un-offical cd's and tapes of Levon performances solo and with The Band from the RCO tour through the midnight rambles. For Robbie, there is nothing. So, my allegiance is squarely with Levon. But, that doesn't mean that I hate Robbie. Obviously he was a crucial element of The Band. He was a great songwriter.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 14:09:59 CET 2015 from (70.91.131.217)

Joe Frey

Subject: Band rarities

Om March 2nd, I found this little nugget over at MusicTap

On May 12, Capitol Records will release a digital version (for now) of Capitol Rarities 1968-1977 that contain rarities from The Band.

Hmmm.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 13:23:14 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

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NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Boring - we?

Bill M has right. We are boring. What else, to be boring was the trade mark for The Band. It was their brand. No humor at all. Only Sting is more boring. During my professional life I was voted as the most boring teacher despite my brown loafers, chinos in beige and button-down Oxford shirt, light blue. Not to mention that the most frequent poster comes from Boringmouth, or whatever. Even Norbert - Dutches are considered the most boring people in Europe - has taken the consequences and found a hideaway across the border. Chicks have left us for a long time ago. In other words, we are the real BLUESMEN!

Entered at Fri Mar 6 12:56:59 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

There is the question of when "Islands" was actually recorded.

Todd, I'm surprised at thumbs down for "Somewhere Down The Crazy River" not only a great song and lyric, but only Robbie could have done lead vocal. BUT I have always thought four tracks: Crazy River, Fallen Angel, Broken Arrow & Sonny Got Caught In The Moonlight were head and shoulders above the rest of the album. It's certainly not an "every track" is great album, but four great tracks is very good for mid-80s, and Crazy River and Fallen Angel are among the best stuff he's ever done - solo or with The Band.

The "warm up before London" which Dunc mentions is normal. It's especially true for theatre where it's common to run a play for two to four weeks outside London before going in. We exploit that by seeing it early while they're all fresh (another way of looking at it), and geographically they tend to do a week in Brighton then a week in Bath to warm up, which is great for us. Easier to get to, way cheaper to park, tickets half the London prices. And Bath and Brighton are both pleasant towns to spend the rest of the day in, though as a Bournemouth lad I have to point out that Brighton has a stones beach, not our golden sands. We usually choose Bath.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 12:35:54 CET 2015 from (24.199.71.83)

Jon Lyness

For me the main selling point for Islands is that you get three great vocals by Richard, with two of them right up front. Oddly, for me Levon comes off the weakest on this album (fewer key leads, so-so material)... despite still being in peak form around this time, as a quick look at the Last Waltz will show you.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 12:03:14 CET 2015 from (83.249.132.27)

Spirit of NorthWestCoaster's Dog

Subject: Bill M on Fri Mar 6 02:48:49 CET 2015

‘Where are we going, fellas?’

‘To the top, Billy!’

‘Where’s that, fellas?’

‘To the Toppermost of the BORINGMOST!’

Entered at Fri Mar 6 11:45:55 CET 2015 from (86.183.247.239)

Dunc

Subject: Who's Next

I was lucky enough to be at the Caird Hall in Dundee (Roger has been there. Hello Roger.) when The Who played 'Who's Next' for the first time. Then they played some hits towards the end of the concert.

It was a great concert, made more outstanding because the place was packed with people sitting in balcony stepped aisles because of forged tickets.

Keith Moon, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend were great performers.

But I would have preferred more hits and it leaked that the tour started in Dundee so that faults could be ironed out before it hit London.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 10:39:07 CET 2015 from (219.89.221.66)

Rod

I reckon it's got a drum machine on it and it's just Rick , Garth and Robbie.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 09:50:04 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: Milk Cow Blues

You probably need to hear Eddie Cochran do it. Linked. Plus the Elvis version is the one with the (fake) false start before he rocks it up. Both great takes on the song.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 08:27:20 CET 2015 from (32.216.239.250)

Todd

'Forbidden Fruit' isn't "bad". It almost got a Yes vote from me. It's just one of the songs that I can ultimately do without, especially when there are better songs surrounding it on the same album. Like most of The Band songs, it's well performed, but 'Ophelia', 'Acadian Driftwood', and 'Jupiter Hollow', to name a few from NLSC, are better, or for some reason connect with me better. It's just a feel.

I think the live version on AMH from the Palladium show is a much better version of the song. All the pieces are there, strong playing and singing and it's a dynamic song. I just feel like the melody isn't quite as strong as some of their other work. I'm listening to it from AMH as I type this. It's followed by 'Home Cooking' and 'Out of the Blue', both of which I prefer over 'Forbidden Fruit'.

I LIKE 'Milk Cow Boogie'. If I could only pick two favorites from RCO All Stars, Milk Cow would be one of them. And I'm not trying to say it's even the greatest song or lyric in the world. There's just something about the bass line and the drums in 'Milk Cow' that pulls me in. I'm not a dancer, but that song (and an IPA or three) almost makes me feel like I could be.

I like the song 'Islands'. Years ahead of its time.

I figured I'd save the alcohol for the reaction to my results. Might be easier to just rate them all at 5 stars!

Entered at Fri Mar 6 08:09:17 CET 2015 from (24.114.68.150)

Kevin J

LINKED: One of Garth Hudson's favourite songs - mine too. There had to be alcohol at that party!

Entered at Fri Mar 6 07:58:27 CET 2015 from (24.114.68.150)

Kevin J

LINKED: From ER today, an amazing behind the scenes look and story behind many of Elliott Landy The Band and other photos including that 2.8 star 1987 album ! Enjoy the beer Todd !

Entered at Fri Mar 6 07:47:51 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Fri Mar 6 07:46:14 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Fri Mar 6 07:31:08 CET 2015 from (219.89.221.66)

Rod

Entered at Fri Mar 6 07:22:44 CET 2015 from (219.89.221.66)

Rod

Entered at Fri Mar 6 07:20:25 CET 2015 from (32.216.239.250)

Todd

Subject: The Party's Over

Funny stuff Kevin, although it ended up being a dry listening party….good thing too, as some of it had to happen in the car. Back in my bunker now, and just cracked open a Goose Island IPA to ensure the requisite amount of chemically induced typos Just hope that I can finish it before nodding off.

One note about formats, which ended up correlating to some degree with my preferences. I’ve had RCO All Stars on vinyl for years, and picked up a CD version within the past two years. I never actually owned a copy of NLSC until the Capitol 2001 CD Remaster, so I’ve had that one for 14 years, but it’s still one of my “newer” Band CD’s, unlike some of the others which I’ve owned for years in multiple formats. Most of the best songs were available on various box sets and greatest hits offerings, so I was fairly well covered until I became a completist. I purchased the first Robbie Robertson solo album as soon as it was released in 1987. As that was in my more transient days, I only own that album on cassette, and never upgraded it to vinyl or CD.

All three albums have positive things to offer, but in the interest of being objectively subjective, I decided to list a simple Yes or No next to each song title. (If Christgau can get away with a 1 word review of an entire album, I figure a 1 word review of each song borders on extravagant). A “No” designation doesn’t mean it’s “bad”. Just that I don’t connect with the songs as much as the “Yes” votes. A Yes vote doesn’t = perfection, it’s just a measure of my response during a fresh listen. Then I’ll do a quick tally and divide, to come up with a percentage which could fit into a 5 star rating system (Sorry JT). I know it’s not a perfect system, but I thought it could be a fair way to compare in some sort of quantitative way.

Northern Lights Southern Cross
5 Yesses out of 8 = 63% = 3.2 Stars

1 'Forbidden Fruit' No
2 'Hobo Jungle' Yes
3 'Ophelia' Yes
4 'Acadian Driftwood' Yes
5 'Ring Your Bell' No
6 'It Makes No Difference' Yes
7 'Jupiter Hollow' Yes
8 'Rags And Bones' No

Levon Helm And The RCO All Stars
7 Yesses out of 10 = 70% = 3.5 Stars

1 'Washer Woman' Yes
2 'The Tie That Binds' Yes
3 'You Got Me' Yes
4 'Blues So Bad' Yes
5 'Sing, Sing, Sing (Let's Make A Better World)' Yes
6 'Milk Cow Boogie' Yes
7 'Rain Down Tears' No
8 'A Mood I Was In' No
9 'Havana Moon' Yes
10 'That's My Home' No

Robbie Robertson 1987
5 Yesses out of 9 = 56% = 2.8 Stars

1 'Fallen Angel' Yes
2 'Showdown at Big Sky' Yes
3 'Broken Arrow' Yes
4 'Sweet Fire of Love' Yes
5 'American Roulette' No
6 'Somewhere Down the Crazy River' No
7 'Hell's Half Acre' No
8 'Sonny Got Caught in the Moonlight' Yes
9 'Testimony' No

No that I see the results, I’m not so sure about posting them. The numbers actually are meaningless, and no one should have hurt feelings if my numbers don’t agree with yours. On a different day, a song or two here or there could swing the numbers in any direction. Or I could be an imbecile. Looking at it in a positive way, I liked more than half of the material on each album. There are many albums these days that don't even crack 50%. I should do a listening test with Islands, as I suspect that I have a preference for that one similar to Rod’s confession. Heading for the hills now. Or maybe the hammock.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 03:57:04 CET 2015 from (24.114.68.150)

Kevin J

in other news, somewhere in Connecticut, Todd's "listenning party" is continuing.....of note, alcohol has been added and his family is keeping a close vigil with instructions as follows:

1.) If he falls out of the hammock at any time - gently inform him that the party is over.

2.) If he emerges screaming that "Talk is Cheap" is better than "Let it Bleed" - let him know he's sleeping downstairs for a month.

3.) If, by any chance , he emerges from this marathon listenning party claiming that RCO is superior to ROA or that RCO is better than NLSC - all are to grab the bags, pets, dishes, knifes and keys and run for the hills ....doctors will be called on the way.

Entered at Fri Mar 6 02:48:49 CET 2015 from (68.171.246.140)

Bill M

Rod: I'm with you when it comes to the last two OQ albums.

In other news, I've rounded the final turn and am now on CD 6 of the complete BTs. So far I love it - a bit like playing a stack of old 78s you dragged home from Goodwill, and a bit like trying to pull in shortwave stations in the middle of the night, and a bit like Skip Spence's "Oar", and a bit like a pow-wow at Six Nations.

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Kevin J

Entered at Fri Mar 6 00:26:19 CET 2015 from (68.198.162.41)

Bob F

Entered at Fri Mar 6 00:20:17 CET 2015 from (219.89.221.66)

Rod

Pat Bs comment about the fued is interesting. I've often wondered if there was more to it than the song writing thing. Maybe that's just a symptom. I also wonder how much the internet has fuelled it and made it take on a life of it's own. Every little comment or minor interview can now reach a huge audience where previously disagreements were dealt with in a more private way. I suspect Richard's death was some sort of trigger.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 23:48:25 CET 2015 from (58.104.19.28)

Wallsend

Entered at Thu Mar 5 23:36:18 CET 2015 from (81.107.236.227)

Roger

Subject: Love for Levon

Ben - lighten up. Disagreement is healthy - but don't think Levon isn't respected on this site - of course he is. I don't think he has written much music and every member has faults (except Garth of course, let's be realistic) but they all make up The Band.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 22:33:42 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Thu Mar 5 22:21:25 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Pat and I star in “The Historian” – a great book, even better on audio CD. I really feel Ben that you are wrongly demonizing Pat. He isn’t antagonistic. He disagrees with you. Accept it.

OK, we’re on The Who. The Who Sell Out had a kind of a concept. But it was loose and based on adverts. It was not a rock opera with a story line at all. Tommy (and then Quadrophenia, its weak relation) were very special and unusual. You can’t extrapolate from them. Actually I saw The Who live circa The Who Sell Out. I’m tempted to lie about what they played, but honestly all I remember is them refusing to play any of the three early hits very vociferously which led to a violent outburst by Messrs Townsend and Daltrey and a vicious attack on a guy who went up on stage. But in refusing to play the hits maybe they did play it all.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 22:19:25 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 21:55:22 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Thu Mar 5 21:28:29 CET 2015 from (219.89.221.66)

Rod

Now I am going to commit heresy and say that I prefer Islands to NLSC. Islands has 3 clangers (Islands, Aint that a lot of love and living in a dream) but I love the rest of the songs - especially Right As Rain. The album just has a more relaxed feel about it than NLSC. Now I am going to run for cover.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 21:03:56 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Pat, are you kidding me. You are probably the most antagonistic person who posts on this GB. You were just recently in a feud with someone here. I believe he called you a "tea party" member and a "fascist". Well if the show fits....

I'm the first person to admit that I may have a minority opinion on this GB. From what I've gathered, many of the other Levon supporters left and went to some private GB. I was never privy to that. I don't live in Woodtsock. I don't claim to be a Band insider. I'm just a fan of The Band 1968-98 and their solo work.

I do have strong opinions about Levon and the way he is spoken about here. So, when people like you disparage his character and misrepresent his statements, I will respond. The fact is none of us were there when the songs were written. Three members of the Band are dead, so unless Garth speaks up, we are left with Levon's version and Robbie's version. In my view, the "truth" lies somewhere between the two.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 20:20:13 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

It's neither my fault nor surprising that your assumptions about me are in error. You'll notice in a previous post that I referred to the last three albums--Jericho, HoTH, and BFB--none of which were performed in their entirety. I guess you missed that before you wanted me to swear to their existence.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 20:01:58 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

RCO was a huge disappointment for me at the time. I guess I just expected more. Icertainly would have gone to see them but they never played Chicago as far as I can recall. I have the vinyl stored away somewhere. This contretemps has one benefit--I discovered further explanation of the 1983 syndrome on page 272 of Levon's book.

Al, I apologize.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 19:59:49 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

Pat, how many people on this GB are you currently having an argument with? You must be be a member of mensa in order to keep all of the different threads straight.

Which 3 Band albums are you referring to? Please enlighten us? From your previous posts, I thought you were a flat earth society member who believed that the Band ended with The last waltz.

Are you willing to acknowledge that the Band reformed, replaced Robbie Robertson and released 3 albums in 1990's. If so, then that's great progress. There may be some hope for you yet.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 19:13:58 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

Jeff - I'd be telling porkies if I said that the decline of analog which the remorseless swamping of it by digital has brought about has distressed me. It honestly hasn't. Fact is I’m a simple soul and have never remotely embraced the technical side of either beyond plugging in and hoping for the best.

As regards the broader – perhaps even moralistic - implications. Well suffice to say I’ve merely only ever gone along with the trends like the very worst kind of unquestioning sheep/ram or whatever the feck I'd be with a thick wooly coat.

I think, however, I do see, from what you have so passionatly highlighted, the very genuine concerns you have about the wider implications for the entire musical industry. And from any sort of purist perspective that holds so precious the analog side of things it must be extremely alarming and the erosion of the more sophisticated studio technical skills does seem to be a real worry.

Regarding the thing you and Pat have going. It’s your business. Seems fuckin crazy to me but what do I know. Is it a Robbie/levon thing fanned by Pat’s embracing of the digital technology and your devotion to analog. You tell me. Returning to the GB though in this brief window I’ve managed to fashion it’s been a real bummer to see you two sniping – two guys I’ve admired for so long.

Still. Shit happens I guess. In fact, we’ve got something akin to it in our life just now and sometimes it’s just seems kind of inevitable.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 19:10:48 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

ben

Peter, I'm well aware that 'Tommy' and 'Quadrophenia' were concept albums. So was 'The Who Sell Out' and I don't believe that the Who played that album in its entirety in 1967. The point I'm making for the umpteenth time is that in order to play a new album in its entirety or near-entirety, than the band must believe strongly in the album. Can we agree on this?

I don't want to belabor the point, but it seems to me that when Levon went on his first solo tour with the RCO's, he could have very easily taken the path of least resistance and played a show full of Band songs. The audience would have probably prefered it. I have to think that Butterfield and Dr. John who played with the Band at TLW, would have been happy to go along with that. But, he went out and played the RCO album nearly in its entirety. If you haven't heard it, I would urge you to listen to their live album. This is a fiery, funky album. I'd put it right up there with 'Rock of Ages'.

Nice to see some love for Rick's solo album. It's a shame that it's out of print in CD. I would rate this as one of the best Band related albums. It's too bad that this album didn't sell when it was released.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 19:08:19 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

Entered at Thu Mar 5 18:41:58 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I can't recall whether we were arguing that solo artist albums were better or worse than the group they left, but Natalie Merchant is "better" than 10,000 Maniacs. Van Morrison is "better" than Them. There must be lots. On the other hand you have Grace Slick and Paul Kantner.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 18:31:12 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 18:22:37 CET 2015 from (173.71.90.80)

Ben

It's cold and snowing in NJ. We're supposed to get 6-10 inches of snow. Hopefully, this will be it for the season.

Pat, this is getting tiring. You are very selective in the "facts" that you consider. Apparently, when someone disagrees with you their facts are wrong. But, every point that you make should be taken as the gospel truth and not questioned. Very interesting.

The comments I made about The Who are entirely relevant. I provided examples of a band with a large catalogue, playing their new album nearly in its entirety on their tour. This is a contrast to what The Band did in 1976.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 18:15:12 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

:-0)

Entered at Thu Mar 5 18:10:52 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

How does it smell?

Fecking awful.

I reckon that one's 19th century. Possibly early 20th.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 18:00:27 CET 2015 from (77.102.201.158)

Al Edge

A mate of mine just came up to me in the street. He had a CD in one hand and a vinyl album in the other.

He first waved the CD in me gob and said "well, d'you dig it Al?"

Then he waved the vinyl album and said to me " tell me you prefer this an al log it down"

I told him to feck off with his shite puns.

"Almost as bad as Pete Viney's" I said - in the gruffest voice I could muster.

As he walked away he shouted " by the way Al, did yer know Ken Dodd's dad's dog's dead?"

I said "...Never!"

He said "yeah - swallowed an Alice Cooper CD"

"Digital poisoning thee reckon"

Entered at Thu Mar 5 17:55:16 CET 2015 from (74.203.77.122)

Jon Lyness

Subject: Staples Singers

Adam, thanks for the heads-up on the Staple Singers' Freedom Highway Live CD release! John Donabie posted here about the album's CD unavailability long, long ago and I've always been interested to hear it. Sound samples are incredible.

Also, note to all, Pops Staples' final album has been released on Anti Records. He sounds wonderful, and Mavis is all over the recordings; well worth checking out.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 17:54:02 CET 2015 from (86.183.247.239)

Dunc

Subject: Todd and Technology

Thank God Todd. That's cleared it up for me.

Technology:I remember my friend worked all summer and bought an Akai Reel to Reel. The bees' knees!

I wonder if he still uses it.

I had difficulty switching on the telly, early morning to get the news at my son's house, while babysitting. What remote do you use first?

And since train toilets have moved from analogue to digital, be careful that the door does not fly open, as I've seen several times now.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 17:49:17 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Hall & Oates were so dire when I saw them last year they should be grateful that anyone remembers them. Time for another Cherry Garcia.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 17:38:24 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Haulin Oats lawsuit linked..

Pete, it's clear that digital tools are far from limited to the recording method. Social media is one example.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 17:20:52 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff

Entered at Thu Mar 5 17:18:51 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 17:04:28 CET 2015 from (108.88.110.210)

Pat B

As far as your silly reference to the Who, just apply your own logic to Jericho, or HoTH, or BFB. Did those albums get played in full live? By your logic, they must have hated those CD's.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 16:19:58 CET 2015 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

People have all sorts of preferences. Wasn’t it Mercury Rev who recorded on the analogue strip on 35 mm film stock? But tools are tools. Give me a chisel and I’ll probably cut my thumb off. Give Michelangelo a chisel and he creates the statue of David (though rumour has it that David was originally better hung, but the chisel slipped).

Al may help here. The words “digital” and “tool” in the hands of Ken Dodd should generate at least half a dozen dirty jokes, but I can’t think of any. But I’d rather use my tool that just be digital.

Jeff, you’ve got to watch out. It could be Tenn has access to the brilliant stuff you’ve written but not posted.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 15:28:12 CET 2015 from (173.3.50.206)

Jeff A.

Editing wise, if you are going to do a lot, i will agree, it makes more sense to do it digitally. It doesn't mean i would. But, take away a heavy amount of edits, even in a simple session, there is much more to do working analogue. Young engineers may not get the chance to develop the skills properly. Also, speaking from various experiences, younger engineers may not even have the mindset and attention spans to want to learn it properly. However, i've met a good amount of younger engineers who have no problem speaking right up and saying they prefer the sound of analogue tape recording to digital.

Entered at Thu Mar 5 15:16:58 CET 2015 from (32.216.239.250)

Todd

Subject: Solo Work

Kevin J., I get the general point that you were making about solo work not always matching up to work created during the classic years of great bands. However, I would add Keith Richards 'Talk Is Cheap' album as one of the great albums that showed that Richards still had plenty to say and play. Still one of my favorites from that era.

I know that you already relented re: Pete Townsend, but I'll also cast a vote for 'Empty Glass' as a great album with many worthy songs.

Note to self: If I'm ever on fire in the vicinity of Jeff or Pat, I will make sure to have a supply of fresh water at the ready.

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

Quick! Look up in the sky, you might still catch a glimpse of pigs flying. It might not be appreciated by newcomers, but, believe me, pigs flew last night.
BWNWITenns post is correct. Mind you, his line "The bottom line is the tech industry is raping the music industry. Just like the tech industry is raping, or will soon rape, virtually every other industry out there. Just like all good monopolies do, since time immemorial." points to a point i had written, but not posted, was saving for when i could develop it more.. Pat, your argument, that I'll once more say has naught to do with the creation of great music, incorporates your use of the term, digital tools.... and using digital tools to make a career. Digital tools are many things. Just one of which, is a movie making program. You Tube, another enemy of true musical artists and any publishing entity, is also a digital tool. So, i guess you are tipping your hat to Justin Bieber and others of his ilk, and to You tube, and all the people who work at those companies. They have built careers by learning how to use digital tools. Regardless of how they are all contributing to the decimation of careers, culture, society, and industries... Tenns post is coincidental too. Just before calling it a day, I wrote (with typos. now corrected) :
Pat, there's always those who benefit when most take a hit. Look at how the streaming companies are making out. and the labels too, benefiting from making deals with & buying into streaming companies while selling out their artists.
There's lots of ways to make money with digital tools. But i don't think many of them have resulted in perfect albums..Which is where this conversation was when you diverted it.
Separately, & connected too, not many long distance love affairs work out. but there are musicians who have found ways to earn overdub and collaborative income working long distance. It certainly dampens & simultaneously parches the creative process, but it does happen. Fact is, it eliminates a lot of great interaction that could result in far more great music being created. It also changes & restricts the path of the collaborative effort. Just look at how Dylan makes records. Once upon a time, similar, but usually far less extravagant situations, were available to many bands, many artists. Today, hah! People are luck to come up with the money to record at all, even on hurried, stringent, restrictive budgets, in possibly nonsympathetic atmospheres.
Then i left my thoughts to add to today..

Once more, a key to this argument you;ve begun Pat, is your use of the term digital tools. Digital tools might have zip, zilch, nada, to do with music, especially perfect or superb albums. Remember too Pat, if not for digital interference, which Pro tools can be considered part of, you would not have needed Pro tools. Which you say was key to your reinvention.
I don't know about industrial work drying up....it seems to be doing quite well. Commercials, jingles, took a hit, but I don't think commercial music ( not meaning the music used in commercial, but eaning other kinds of music) has.

There's tons more, best to return to another time.
But yes, the world changes. Adaptation becomes necessary. change is inevitable, but it is not necessarily good. Adaptation is necessary. Yes, people have to breathe through a gas mask when poison gas is released into the atmosphere.
Jerry, i hope to return to the developing actual discussion at some point.

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JT

Subject: That's how you do it.

Todd: That is how you do it. Side by side; back to back; I wish I had the time. I love a voice of reason.

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Al Edge

I believe it was pretty damn cold in old Jersey as well Tenn.

Me? I'm freezin all the feckin time. Global warming my arsehole.

Feckin weather huh. No wonder analogue's layin low these days.

:-0)

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Todd

Subject: Spike Jones On The Box

In a little while, I will post the results of my NLSC - RCO listening party from the other evening. To be honest, it wasn't much of a party, since I was the only one there, and no drinks were served. As a bonus, I also pulled out Robbie Robertson 1987 yesterday, and gave that a full listen for the first time in years. Then to calm my nerves and get back to a solid baseline, I listened to Brown, Pink, and Rock of Ages in full yesterday.

I haven't read every single word of every post, but I think I can summarize the Pat B. and Ben from NJ standoff.
Pat prefers NLSC and feels The Band represented it appropriately in their 1976 live shows. Ben prefers RCO All Stars, and feels that it was better represented in the 1977 RCO shows.
Bill M is somewhat interested, but feels he could use a power nap.

In other discussion, Pat B. prefers digital. Jeff A. prefers analog.

I'll be back in a while with my own subjectively objective analysis.

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Peter V

Strategically, a band with half a dozen albums playing ALL the new one is a really bad idea, as many of the audience wll have come to see the “hits”. A third of the set is the most an ESTABLISHED band should normally do, though The Unthanks did a lot more last week AND got away with it. But they’re known for doing that.

However, in the RCO case, they had united from disparate paths to make this album, and several songs were known anyway. They only had the one album. So it was logical to play more.

But I kinda think the discussion must have reached "we agree to disagree."

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Peter V

Something was lurking in my mind, so I sought out the diary. I saw The Young Tradition again in Hull later and noted "STILL rubbish. Boring. Watched the crowd instead which was funny."

This means I was (a) a harsh critic (b) cloth-eared. Maybe little has changed.

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Ben

When Levon and the RCO all stars toured in 1977, the easy thing would have been for them to play a substantial number of Band songs. The fact is, they didn't so that. They played nearly the entire RCO album. That is the point I'm making.

The RCO All Stars was not a band with unknown musicians, who had only one album in their repertoire. Quite the contrary, they had Helm, Paul Butterfield and Dr. John. These are three headliners, with large back catologues to draw from. They could have easily done that and relied on Band, Butterfield and Dr. John songs for their entire set. The fact is, they played nearly the entire RCO album, which indicates that they believed in the album strongly.

If the Band really believed strongly in NLSC, they would have played nearly the entire album through the whole tour. In contrast, when The Who toured behind 'Topmmy' in 1969 and 'Quadrophenia' in 1973, they played nearly the entire new album and dropped many older songs form their setlist. That's what band's with a back catologue do when they strongly believe in their new album. And when The Band reformed in 1983, they only played 2 songs from NL-SC.

Pat, these are facts. You can try to manipulate them any way you like, when you compare the Band tour of 76 and the RCO tour of 77, there is no question that songs from the RCO album was played far more than songs from NL-SC.

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Peter V

Dylan played The Troubadour? Wow. Paul Simon did often. It was a favorite haunt of mine - upstairs was just a café. Looking back at some old diaries I saw "Young Tradition. Troubadour. Boring." Fifty years on, I love The Young Tradition and Peter Bellamy's work with them and after them. I have zero recollection of seeing them ever, which is sad. The evening I recall most at The Troubadour was 1970. I'd been to a lecture by a Russian film director who'd studied under Eisenstein, and it turned out I was the only one there who'd seen any films by Eisenstein. We went on to a pub then to the Troubadour, by which time he was unfortunately the worse for wear and shouting Fuck Kruschev! Fuck Stalin! etc and throwing glasses about. Some of this didn't go down down well with the surviving folkies. It was a lot of fun. Memorable evening among many there.

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BWNWITenn

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Pat B

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Pat B

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Jeff A.

Gee Pat. Some one has always made a living with music. It's not what the conversation was about. But we could stretch that someone is making a living a music a lot of ways. .Right down to the person who answers the phones and does the filing at the music libraries... Making a living with music sure means alot of things, as well you know... and as you well know. ...........from part of your own experience, the commercial and industrial music part, you know that's lessened alot. You even referred to it in here years back.

More & more people clearly make less & less a living from music all the time. And what passes as music and what sells changes more & more and gets less musical as time goes by. And so many people just go on to other things. But, no one has ever denied that "someone is making a living with music."

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Wallsend

The link is to The Letterman Show when Levon didn't turn up - quite funny.

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Bob F

That's great! To funny. I'm going to watch Justified now.

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Ben

Pat, I'm quite touched by your concern for my attire, but I can assure you that my pants are pulled up.

I couldn't care less if I'm the only person who reads this GB that prefers RCO to NL-SC. The facts are that more songs from the RCO album were played on their tour, then the Band played from NL-SC in '76. Those are facts. But you seem incapable of acknowledging this. Whether The Band played 3 or 6 songs from NLSC in '76, that is no match for the RCO tour where 7 to 9 songs from their album were played.

Do you have the ability to count higher than 6 or do I need to finds another way to explain this to you?

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Kevin J

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Bob F

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Kevin J

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Adam

Amazing Rick solo track. Listen to the alternate version on "CRYIN' HEART BLUES", with Clapton, Ron Wood and Pete Townshend. And notice that Clapton's guitar, right channel, plays exactly the same notes featured on the album version. I think they flew in, and edited, Clapton's lead from the drunken early version.

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Adam

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Kevin J

Oh my ! ........and Al Pacino was awarded an Oscar for "Scent of a Women".....not The Godfather roles!....thank God, at least in his case he didn't have to be assassinated to win his sympathy vote.......In this case, you are far too smart to play the Grammy card......awards far more useless and unrepresentative than even the Acadamy Awards.......I hadn't noticed Clapton's nod to Robbie on "New Mexicoe" before.......Your interfering with my drinking Bob !

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Ian W

Norbet, I have done a fair amount of research on Dylan's first visit to London over the years. So far, it has yielded two quite lengthy articles in ISIS, a Dylan fanzine. I was also a consultant to the BBC documentary about that visit, "Dylan In THe Madhouse", the one mentioned in connection with Anthony Wall and at the end.

The article you linked has a number of factual errors. Just to pick out a few: Dylan did not arrive in the UK until nearer mid-December (not mid-November); his air fare was paid by the BBC; and Colletts folk shop was in New Oxford Street at that time, not on Tottenham Court Road.

As it happens, three viewers made recordings of Dylan's appearance in the TV play, not just Hans Fried, who I have known for quite a long time. In fact, well before Scorsese's "No Direction Home" or Anthony Wall's "Dylan In The Madhouse" documentary, Hans gave me his original reel of that recording, which I still have.

The two articles I have written so far cover: (1) the relevant events prior to recording the play, starting in New York in August 1962 and covering the rehearsals, which took place in a hall in Putney [where he wrote "Masters of War" incidentally, prompted by the newspaper reports of the Kennedy-Macmillan negotiations on Polaris] and (2) Dylan's likely contribution to the play, the various versions of the script and a comparison between the three (slightly different) recordings made by viewers.

If I get the time and the inclination, I may write another piece, this time about whom he met, where he went and what he did during his visit here (and his few days in Rome).

I also think that the Dobell's recording session with Eric Von Schmidt and Richard Farina and the subsequent LP release has enough content to warrant an article in its own right. But it is all a question of time. We shall see.

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Pat B

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Bob F

Kevin, Double Fantasy, contains several other very good songs including Woman, Starting Over and Beautiful Boy. It sold millions and won the Grammy for Album of The Year.

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Kevin J

LINKED: Rick Danko "New Mexicoe" from his 1977 album Rick Danko..........what a beautiful spirit......pour yourself a drink and sit back and listen to this.

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Kevin J

My point on Lennon's albums 10 years after Beatles split and Davies 10 years after Kinks, etc, stand.

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Ben

Pat, Mazel tov. You found one show where the Band played 6 songs from NL-SC. As I've pointed out, there were several shows where they played 3 or 4. In contrast, The RCO All stars played at least 7 songs and as many as 9 songs from their album on their tour the following year. Those are facts, whether you like them or not.

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Bob F

Kev, you can't be serious. Paul McCartney has so many great solo songs that it's just silly to even have the discussion. As far as John Lennon is concerned, like Michael Jordan he would have worked away the rust, got his legs back and won a bunch more championships. You have to be having some fun with me. Your way to smart to think other wise. Your probably right about the rest.

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Kevin J

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Pat B

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Jeff A.

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Pat B

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Ben

Kevin J, I disagree with your comment regarding Pete Townshend. I think his solo work with the exception of 'Iron Man' was very strong. Have you listened to 'Empty Glass', 'Chinese Eyes' and 'White City'? IMHO, these albums are far better than 'Face Dances' and 'It's Hard'.

Bill, Spirit was a great band. 'Potatoland' and Randy's 'Kapt. Kopter' are also great albums.

Pat, I don't own any axes. I based my comments on the number of NL-SC songs played in '76 on the set lists in the tape archive section of this website. I don't recall seeing any show where there were 6 songs played. I saw several where there were 3 or 4 played out of a 17 or 18 song set. I did make an error regarding the RCO All Stars. The live cd from New Year's eve has 7 songs from their album. Their's a show listed in the tape archive from 12/29/77 that has 9 songs from their album. Are you going to respond by claiming that their was a secret set of shows in '76 in which every song from NL-SC was played?

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Pat B

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Pat B

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Jeff A.

Jerry T, you had asked about perfect or superb albums between 2010 & 2015. One of the main reasons you won't get many examples is because of the numerous adverse effects the digital world has had ever since the music industry let it in. The effects have impacted artistry tremendously, and how artists develop and how artists work, live, even think, tremendously..there is so much more..........If i have a few days to spend, or even a few hours, hell a half hour to spend, i might attempt to give you a partially thought out, developed response.

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Pat B

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Pat B

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Bill M