Levon Helm CD-- Electric Dirt-- Review
The Band’s Former Drummer, Singer, Releases New Album
Levon Helm, drummer and singer from The Band, is back, releasing his second CD after beating throat cancer. Levon’s first CD, Dirt Farmer, earned him a 2007 Grammy for best Traditional Folk Album. His newest CD, Electric Dirt, is a worthy follow up, perhaps as good as its predecessor.
Levon Helm Evokes Shades of The Band on CD: Electric Dirt
Levon’s new CD bounces seamlessly from old time music, to soul and R &B, to blues and rock. Electric Dirt is close enough to Levon’s work with The Band to satisfy old fans and new comers to Americana music who have not yet discovered its roots. Of course, The Band was one of the pioneering bands in what is now called Americana-- an amalgam of Rock, Country, Folk, Blues, Soul, and R & B.
Levon Helm’s voice is unmistakable, one of the most recognizable voices in Classic Rock. His raspy, reedy drawl fits perfectly with the country tinged groove on Electric Dirt. Levon’s covers of the Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed” and Randy Newman’s “Kingfish” swing with that easy rolling rhythm so associated with Levon Helm and his time with The Band.
Levon only wrote two songs on this CD, the excellent “Growin’ Trade,” and “Heaven’s Pearls.” “Growin’ Trade” is a standout song on Electric Dirt, a tale about a stubborn farmer, who instead of selling his farm, grows marijuana in order to keep his land. Through the music and lyrics, the listeners feels the love this man has for the land, and the steps he will take to keep it.
The Band, “The Weight,” and “The Last Waltz”
Levon Helm will always be best known as the drummer and one of the three primary singers from The Band. Although both Rick Danko and Levon both considered Richard Manuel the primary singer, It is Levon’s distinct voice that is heard on The Band hits such as “Up On Cripple Creek,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” and The Band’s most famous song “The Weight.”
“The Weight,” off of The Band’s debut album, Music From Big Pink-- named for the big, pink, house in Woodstock, NY where they lived (Music From Big Pink: theband.hiof.no/history/part_5.html)-- became an instant hit with the press, and slowly gained popularity with the public.
“The Weight” only reached #63 on the popular charts (The Weight: theband.hiof.no/articles/the_weight_viney.html). Yet “The Weight” went on to become one of the most popular and best known songs of the late 1960s counterculture.
The Band persevered through the early 70’s until in 1976, their primary songwriter and guitarist Robbie Robertson grew weary of touring. Partially inspired by a serious injury to Manuel in a boating accident, The Band decided to have one final concert, which was filmed as a documentary. Titled “The Last Waltz,” the show and movie featured musicians such as Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, and Joni Mitchell.
“The Last Waltz” was filmed by Martin Scorsese, and if considered by many to be the greatest of all music documentaries. Later, in Levon Helm’s autobiography “This Wheel’s On Fire,” Levon criticizes Robertson and Scorsese for manipulating the footage in “The Last Waltz” to make Robertson appear to be the leader of the band, with Helm, Danko, Manuel, and Garth Hudson as his backing band.
Levon also blames Robertson for the break up of The Band in “This Wheel’s On Fire,” claiming that he and manager Albert Grossman took credit for all the songwriting, robbing the other members out of songwriting royalties (ew.com/ew/article/0,,300946,00.html).
Track Listing For Levon Helm CD: Electric Dirt
- Tennessee Jed
- Move Along Train
- Growing Trade
- Golden Bird
- Stuff You Gotta Watch
- White Dove
- Kingfish
- You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had
- When I Go Away
- Heaven’s Pearls
- I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
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