Why should I like The Band?

[funkyebk]

... Or, That's a pretty stupid question now, inn'it?

I'll admit it: I'm a child of 80's (not born in, those were my formative years). By the time I was aware of music, the only exposure to The Band that I can recall was "Down on Cripple Creek" and 'Hey man, is that Freedom Rock? Well, T U R N I T UP!!' commercials on VHF stations. In the era of pointy guitars and such, it didn't really give me any reason to explore this legendary group any further.

Yes, I know Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, etc. were all great musicians and songwriters.
Yes, I know they backed some of the most influential artists ever... But compilation tapes and classic rock radio ruined them for me.

But I'm working from home today and stumble onto The Last Waltz on VH1.

What else did I miss because of that horrible upbringing in the 80's?!?!

Danko grooves... he flat out nails it. Although I've heard his solo stuff, I never appreciated Robertson before... no he's not flashy, but it's great. Everybody in The Band pulls their weight, nobody seems to be riding on anyone's coattails. Nobody is standing in the corner while "the guy" takes all the spotlight... unless they want to GIVE them the spotlight. Overall... bluesy, soulful, rootsy, great tone and tasteful playing, the antithesis of all homogenized, pre-packaged, over produced crap that's been shoved at us as music for the last 30 or so years.

And, is it sad that a group this great is known "best" for their last performance?

So... rise up my brothers. Rise up and taste of pureness and perfection that you've missed. If you've discounted The Band like I did for so many years, sit down, shut up and listen to real pros make music. Watch The Last Waltz. Soak in it. Enjoy.

[elgecko]

A lot people wish they had gone to Woodstock. I wish I was at the Last Waltz concert!

[countrybass007]

Rick Danko's bass lines are a good reason to listen to The Band, but all the players make for some great, classic tunes.

[JoZac21]

Yup... the Band is awesome. If you're looking for something as a great introduction to them, I recommend their second album, "The Band" or "The Brown Album", as it's also known.

[davidgoldman]

Late 60's was a great time for American bands. Poco, Quicksilver and Traffic are others you should look into. The Band - great.

[GreggBummer]

Funkyebk,

You are about two months older than I am.

I feel the same way about the Allman Brothers Band and The Grateful Dead. I cut my teeth listening to, and eventually playing, heavy metal. It was only in the past ten years or so I discovered all of these bands that I missed out on like AAB, The Dead, and so on. I wished I had known about them sooner. I also missed out on the classic "funk" era... only in the past few years have I discovering The Meters, Average White Band, and Pfunk, and Tower Of Power.

I should really delve more into the The Band. I have only a cursory knowledge of them.

Gregg

[greggster59]

Levon Helm and Robbie Robertson are still putting out some fine music. Check out Helm's recent "Electric Dirt" and Robbie's new one "How To Become Clairvoyant".

[nutdog]

I was a child of the 80's as well, but hated the music. I'm thankful for older sisters and my friend's older brothers' album collection. How could I listen to Human League after hearing Dark Side of the Moon?

"I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar. That much is true..."AAAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHH!

BTW, it's Up On Cripple Creek. I saw a documentary recently. I think it was on the making of Music From Big Pink. Watching the footage of them create will help you appreciate their remarkable individual and collective talent.

I'm almost the opposite though. I can now appreciate some of the 80s music I hated and even play it. Played Thompson Twins Hold Me Now at a wedding Saturday and enjoyed it.

But I drew the line at Uptown Girl. It still sux.

[funkyebk]

Thanks for the recommendations guys... I'll check them out as well.

Poco was one of those bands that I also sort of ignored... partly of my thinking "well that's Tim B. Schmitt's band before The Eagles... so I can skip it"... Yes, folks... I'm an idiot.

The Alman Brothers... I got that covered... I grew up in the south... You HAD to listen to ABB... and like you GreggBummer, the metal thing was a big part of my history, but in college I went through a nasty "blues rock, ONLY" phase... so I listened to ABB not only because I liked it, but also because I needed to "learn something"

I had a great teacher early on that made me learn some classic stuff... I've always bragged that one of the first songs he made me learn was "Hey Pocky Way" which I attributed after the fact to The Meters... a few months ago I was "re-learning" it and realized he didn't teach me The Meters version... it was closer to The 'Dead's cover! Yeah, Cool story bro, I know...

On a modern note... The vibe of The Band reminds me of North Mississippi Allstars... Quid pro quo for all the recommendations you guys have made... If you're longer in the tooth and ignored them, give them a listen... they're definitely an exception to norm these days. Plus I've gotta pimp out the guys from my (old) backyard.

[funkyebk]

Originally Posted by nutdog

I was a child of the 80's as well, but hated the music. I'm thankful for older sisters and my friend's older brothers' album collection. How could I listen to Human League after hearing Dark Side of the Moon?

Whats funny is I inherited my older brothers' record and tape collections as well... From the oldest (12 yrs older... records) I got the Beatles, Stones, Grand Funk Railroad, Cream, Clapton... the other (10 yrs older... tapes) I got Sabbath, Rush, Thin Lizzy, Led Zep... crossovers from both as well, but bottom line, I was raised better than this.

And I think I've come full circle too... I'm still jaded by a lot of the crap, especially the pop stuff from the 80's... but anytime you can take an 80's pop tune and turn it on it's ear it gets me excited... Eric Gales did that with Talking in Your Sleep (I hear... The secrets that you keep... when you're talking in your Sleep etc) but played it so bluesy and funky that I had to listen to it a couple of times before I realized it was a cover... A friend from high school just posted a link on facebook of his blues band doing Purple Rain. Kicked @$$. But yes... Uptown Girl still sucks.

[nukes_da_bass]

My first introduction to The Band was watching "The Last Waltz" film. Robertson was soooo drunk his playing really suffered that night.
It wasn't til years later I heard the studio cuts of the same songs. Fantastic!
Live cuts with Dylan do nothing for me either.

My take?
Great studio band!
...Couldn't stay sober enough on stage to make good music.
Just an opinion!

[Deluge Of Sound]

Originally Posted by nukes_da_bass

My first introduction to The Band was watching "The Last Waltz" film. Robertson was soooo drunk his playing really suffered that night.
It wasn't til years later I heard the studio cuts of the same songs. Fantastic!
Live cuts with Dylan do nothing for me either.

My take?
Great studio band!
...Couldn't stay sober enough on stage to make good music.
Just an opinion!

My real introduction was also The Last Waltz film.

To this day I can't stand their studio stuff.

[elgecko]

You know who was hammered at that concert?



"I think I've got it now Robbie"

[Deluge Of Sound]

I love the scene where Neil Young goes to cop a feel of Joni Mitchell, then thinks better of it.

Right before the finale. Hilarious.

[treekiller]

They weren't just The Band, they were THE Band!!!

[colcifer]

A big blob fell out of NY's nose as he walked out but it was edited out.

The Band were the best.

[dvh]

Originally Posted by davidgoldman

Late 60's was a great time for American bands. Poco, Quicksilver and Traffic are others you should look into. The Band - great.

Traffic were from England

[P. Aaron]

My daughter, born in 1997, likes classic prog rock and Motown type stuff 'cause I got to her early enough to not get into the teeny-bop stuff that's out there these days.

She even likes the Stooges!

[BigOldHarry]

Originally Posted by elgecko

A lot people wish they had gone to Woodstock. I wish I was at the Last Waltz concert!

I saw that in a theater, on a first date with the girl I wish I had married when I was 16 years old...

The thing about The Band... I can't listen to very much of it either - it gets a little old to me, but they made a handful of freakin' epic songs that have real emotion & staying power... Heck, I can't hear "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" without tearing up a bit...

I didn't know much about them prior to seeing "Last Waltz", but they clearly had a huge influence on folks, given the all-star supporting lineup that showed for that movie...

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by nukes_da_bass

My take?
Great studio band!
...Couldn't stay sober enough on stage to make good music.
Just an opinion!

Listen to Rock Of Ages and get back to us.