The fact that a drummer from the Deep South could get together with a bunch of Canadians, be the back up band for two Musical Legends, and then break out on their own, is a story unparalleled.
One of my good buddies, who introduced me to a lot of great music when we were younger, said to me one time, expressing his point in the simplest of terms "there's a reason they were called 'The Band'...."....and I think you summed up very well exactly what he was talking about.
That "drummer" was Levon Helm. I'm 59 years old and have attended and promoted concerts for 45 years. He is still one of the greatest performers I have ever personally seen.
Many people have a misunderstanding of this song. They hear a couple of "keywords" and dismiss it as some kind of Southron Memorial. I am a Bluest of the Blue Yankee and this song expresses the sorrow of the utterly vanquished Gray. It breaks your heart and yet compels you to sing along. This is something only music can do. It is a Tragic Opera in 4 minutes. It is not a tale of "The Lost Cause".
That's a great comment thank you. It's certainly a sorrowful song in a live setting. Backing vocals by Rick Danko and Robbie Robertson lends to the emotion felt. Listening in 2023 from New Zealand in the South Pacific. Happy holidays.
There are conflicting reports as to if Robbie's mike was turned off. Some say that is what Levon wrote in his book, or his editor wanted to put in. However, Robbie wrote the song, and plays a great guitar, so what if he can't sing. The Band had 3 great singers, Richard, Levon and last, but not least Rick Danko.@@alexkimi5060
Its not "lost cause" It's the average person's perspective. There was no "blue" and "grey" to most beyond uniforms. And in the south, grey wasn't even universal. This is a rural man who had his life upended by a war. It could be any war, any side. It's not about your noble pity for someone you imagine would be your enemy. It's about how any and all wars just cause suffering. And the ones that do have little to no idea why.
losing family to a stupid thing you don't really believe in but you have no choice but to fight in. And the song asks does the end justify the means when you've lost half of your country to a devisive war?
One of the greatest live vocal performances ever !!! Performed by Mr Levon Helm This live performance is so superior to the actual recording it almost like two different songs
I agree, I have clicked on reactions to this song only to find that the reactor is listening to the studio version. This is by FAR the best version, you can hear and feel the devastation of the Civil War in Levon's voice.
@@laudanum669 It's one of those occasions where a song is performed live and it puts the original recording to shame Much like Paul McCartney and Wings live version of "Coming Up" or Bob Segers "Turn the Page" Challenge for everyone out there to name some more
I agree. This LIVE version is so rich, with so much raw instrumental depth, plus the excitement of the LIVE audience adds so much to the power of the performance.
I am 73 years old and was raised in a small town in Virginia. When I was a child just playing outside we found all kinds of civil war relics just lying around my grandparents property. This town was taken back and forth between the North and South over 70 times. In fact I thought the war was just fought in my parents life time until I went to school and found out differently. My daughter and her family live in a house that was a hospital for each side depending on who had the upper hand. I love this song and it always takes me back home tho I am now living far away
Yep, my grandmother lived in Hopewell, VA. I'd visit in the summer. We'd go to some of the old battlefields. Not necessarily the government protected ones. We'd find stuff all the time. Long ago and far away.
Likewise, for about a year, I lived in Catlett,Virginia, just south of Manassas also known as Bull Run, I was never really looking for Civil War artifacts, but while out hunting along the cornfields, I would pick up quite a few mini balls, and that’s without looking for them, this particular area saw a lot of action, and movement of troops both north and south.
There's a reason they were called "The Band" and it was never disputed. All of them had more talent in their toenail clippings, than modern musicians have in their body and souls. LEGENDS!
Robertson claimed sole credit for the writing of many of their songs, but in interviews, other members said all of their songs were created by collaboration with all members.
@john harkness I'm not a big fan and neither were the rest of the Band, especially Levon. Robertson was the one who wanted to break them up. Plus they didn't like Scorsese make the movie more about Robertson than the whole band.
Robbie Robertson (the guitarist and writer of this song) said in interviews that a lot of the inspiration for this song came when he visited Levon Helm's family in the South for the first time. Levon's father told Robbie that, "The South will rise again". That stuck with him and helped him create this masterpiece.
Exactly! Back when the Band was playing a lot of people in the South were still very prejudiced and didn't want integration. Levon Helm was a genius! I loved his acting too in Coal Miners Daughter and especially in The Shooter. You could see that he was weak and old in that movie but did an incredible job. Love The Band!
I think you hit the nail on the head about this being a love song. It's set during a war - a Civil war, the hardest kind - but it's actually a love song about family and home. The loss, destruction and pain of the war are used to show the intensity of one's love for family and home. The old cliche applies: "you don't know how much you love something until you lose it".
It is a love song, but you've got it not quite right. What night is the song talking about? April 9, 1865 when General Lee surrendered and the Civil War ended. That night there were celebrations in Washington. The love of family and loss is used in the song to explain the love the south had for the Confederacy, and the loss felt as Old Dixie died. The song works because everybody, not just the South, can feel that love and that pain. Incidentally, as I write this, it is April 9th.
Rick Danko singing "It Makes No Difference" from this concert (The Last Waltz) will stop you dead in your tracks. Just a bunch of lads from my home province of Ontario (and 1 from Arkansas) making a beautiful noise together. Great rxn, Harri - cheers!
Love The Band, have since 1969 when I first heard "Up on Cripple Creek". All of them so talented, but I have a soft spot for Robbie and Rick Danko. Love Robbie's guitar playing, and he was so handsome in his younger days. Love Rick's voice, and he seems like a real sweetheart, very cute.
@@missblondie2393 If you ever look at your old comments you should check out the version Rick sings in Tokyo, older with more pain, Richard Manuel had already committed suicide. The emotion is profound
Levon Helm was just an all around special guy. His late in life albums after the throat cancer diagnosis are just as magical. His acting in the movie Shooter and just him being himself in some documentary footage from the early 2000s really made me appreciate more of his talent. RIP Levon.
This is from the 1969 album The Band. It's about the last days of The Civil War, written by Robbie Robertson after he read up on The Civil War. The 3 part harmonies of Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel fuse together to create a wonderful blend. Levon's voice carries the tune and delivers a great story. Joan Baez did a cover in 1971, and this was her highest charting song reading Number 3 in the US. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Miss Blondie. 👏👏 Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
Drummer singer Levon Helm was born in Arkansas,may be that´s why he sings about this issue with special passion.The song is so well written that it widens the perspective on American civil war.Every war has its Virgil Cains.
Even though it looked like the guitarist was singing backup vocals the truth is his mic was dead. It was well known among followers of The Band that Robertson liked to sing along but the mic wasn't on. The higher backup vocal was being supplied by Richard Manuel. It was him along with the bassist Rick Danko singing back uo vocals to Levon Helms lead.
Leon Helm the drummer/vocalist was from Turkey Scratch Arkansas, so he well knew the pain of the South in the aftermath of the Civil War. This song and anything from the last waltz concert on Thanksgiving day, 1976 is fantastic and arguably the best concert of all time.
@@wangofree I have heard both, Marvell Arkansas is about 2 1/2 to 3 miles south of Turkey Scratch. I live northwest of there in the Ozarks on the Arkansas Missouri border.
The guys were asked to come back and re-shoot parts of the concert due to issues (cameras not working, etc.) Levon was the only one who refused to come back and reshoot anything. This version is original and unedited, and the best version of the song every done by anyone. RIP Levon, Rick, and Richard. You are very much missed.
Anything by The Band is an eargasm. Just genius. Eric Clapton once asked (only half-jokingly) if he could join the group. Clapton told the story when he inducted The Band into the R&R Hall of Fame. Fun fact, Harri: Levon Helm was the biological father of Donald Fagen’s step-daughter Amy Helm (she’s a singer too). Thanks Miss B and Harri.
George Harrison was denied to! The Band got both The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead and Cream/Clapton to go and make more down to earth albums.
Robbie Robertson wrote that song specially for Levon Helm who was from the south and the only American in the group . They were from Canada . The song is of course about the American civil war and the south’s surrender “on May 10th Richmond fell, it’s a time I remember oh so well “.
The drummer, Levon Helm, was the only member from the south (Arkansas). The rest were Canadians, but touring with Ronnie Hawkins exposed them to southern gospel and folk music. They had a sound like no others, so musical and real.
Yes, but remember the time they spent with Bob Dylan working on The Basement Tapes. That was the real basis of their mastery of Americana, before that term was even in use. Music from Big Pink is the first album in the genre, and probably the best, recorded right after the Basement Tapes period.
Levon Helm was such a interesting genuine character. I could listen to him talk all day about his life stories in the music business. Great story teller. Sadly he’s passed on like the majority of the Band members. Only two members remain, Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson.
@@ShazzPotz RIP Robbie Robertson. He wrote this song. It was inspired by a moment Robbie spent with Levon's father, who had said that the south would rise again. He remembered that moment when this tune started to form in his head.
We visited the childhood property of drummer Levon Helm a few months ago. Miles and miles from any town in the middle of thousands of aces of Mississippi Delta farmland in a small settlement named Turkey Scratch Arkansas. Yes, we spotted quite a flock of turkeys as we approached and not much more.
The song isn't about war. The song is about losing everything and having a wind blow the hot ashes of your life away and you cant even cry. And you don't even know what will happen next.
Great story telling of an everyday southern man and his family during the Civil War and their struggles and sufferings they endured over the years of fighting. The legendary Levon Helm was an outstanding singer / drummer was the only one that was actually from the south, the rest were Canadian. Always got a kick of the band being name The Band. LOL
The point to this this song is that to these young men weren't really fighting about race. They were heartbroken because to them, they were fighting about the heautifu land of the south. They weren't soldiers they were hard working farmers trying to defend their land. The politicians are the ones that made the Civil war about race. Same with Vietnam and other wars.
Harri, I think it's a song about loss, on a lot of different levels. A loss of family, innocence, and the destruction of the home he grew up in. That's why it invokes such feelings. Kind of like the way Neil Young's Powder Finger does.
Levon Helm was from Arkansas, the rest of The Band from Canado, Toronto and nearby areas. Robbie Robertson wote this song after visiting Levon and his family.
This is just a song that gets to me. I heard it on a transistor radio on a school field trip to Harper's Ferry WV in maybe 1970. Stuck right there and then.
The Band is one of the finest bands ever. I'd love to see a reaction to King Harvest (Has Surely Come), their funkiest song. So glad you appreciate them!
The drummer / singer Levon Helm was the only so called dixie in the group and he wanted to make sure that the writer Robbie Robertson would treat general Robert E. Lee with respect in the lyrics, which he did.
The reason all the harmonies sound so good is because four of the five members took turns singing lead on a number of their songs. Only Garth Hudson didn't sing, but he was a genius instrumentalist. He even played the tuba some nights.
Robbie Robertson didn't sing either, just insisted on looking like he was. His mic was not even on. This was something that bothered Levon a LOT, especially in the film.
Garth was the band's not-so-secret weapon. His organ weaves in and out and throughout The Band's many wonderful songs. The music would suffer terribly if you took his sound out of the mix. Funny story: When the lads pursued a young Garth to join, his rigid parents would never agree to let him be a touring musician. He told the guys he could join if they paid him to be their "music teacher." They agreed because they wanted him to join so badly.
The story behind the band is awesome. All but one member was Canadian and they started life as the house band for Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins (an Arkansan who moved to Toronto in the 60's and never looked back, becoming a fundamental contributor to the development of a native pop/rock/county music scene in Central Canada (or, as Torontonians call it, Canada!)). Hawkins just passed away last year, if memory serves. Selfless and true to his mentorship mission, he didn't stand in the way when his friend, Bob Dylan, expressed an interest in having "the band" back him instead. The next step after a successful time with Dylan was international stardom. They just never bothered to come up with a more specific name than "the Band." Come to think of it, they actually welcomed back Ronnie Hawkins to sing with them as part of this fabled concert of which you've just seen a small portion.
One member not shown really in this clip is keyboardist and vocalist Richard Manual who you can hear singing along with bassist Rick Danko. I highly suggest "Makes No Difference" from this same concert movie, sang by Danko. Stunning performance. It has been noted that often during live performances the sound guy would turn down or turn off guitarist Robbie Robertson's microphone because he wasn't the strongest singer but boy does he look like he is giving it hell in this concert movie. He was good friends with the movie producer and thus got a lot of screen time while Richard Manual was cut out of a lot (band politics at its finest). The band members actually considered Richard Manual the lead singer of the group and he sang more songs than the others.
It's not really about war. It's more about the suffering and humble heroism of the survivors of the losing side of a war. The civilians. It's about humanity and dignity.
The entire Last Waltz concert, The Band and every guest performance I highly recommend. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down was a mighty fine submission, Miss B. Harri, your review was once again sterling-level.
Robertson was inspired to write this song when The Band was touring down south -- conversations with locals would often have some old-timer saying "The South will rise again!" So he wrote about their lowest moment. A classic.
It was Robbie Robertson, who wrote this classic and specifically matched it to Helm's style .@@tomst.antoine7742 Without Robbie's writing skills the Band would likely have ended up covering other performers.
Thanks, Miss Blondie, for this fantastic choice. To me, The Band were one of the great shambling bands, other examples being Credence Clearwater Revival, Family, Lindisfarne and yes, even Fat Grapple. Shamblers are groups made up of great musicians who can write outstanding songs and who can perform raucous versions of them live. The key thing to them is that although they are perfectly in control of the performance, they are always on the edge so that it seems that things could so easily fall apart but they never do. It would be difficult to name the best song by the Band, there are so many, which can be seen in "The Last Waltz." You almost feel that this song should be on repeat play, it's such an enjoyable experience.
When I was in the Navy, one of my jobs was choosing & showing movies. A lot of the crew thought I got a dance movie "The Last Waltz". I had a lot of negativaty directed my way, until the start. This was 1980. Levon Helm was also in "Shooter" with Mark Wahlberg. He played the shooting/fire arms expert.
Thanks for the review. It's an amazing tune. The word you used "emotive" is a great description. This tune and "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda," are the two greatest songs about war and loss.
Im presuming you've never heard this track before, and as a person who was 16 when this was recorded, its extraordinary to me that in one generation, so many have no idea the greatness that came before them.. and this is one of the best examples.
As many others will mention, this is one of the greatest concert movies ever made, and maybe the greatest. It's the same concert you saw a bit of when you reacted to them performing "The Weight" with the Staple Singers, and that's just two of the highlights of the concert. I'd like to see you react again to pretty much any song from this concert!
Levon, the drummer, was a Southerner. The rest of the guys were Canadians or maybe from the Northern states. They all did justice to this song's sentiments.
Can't stress enough to watch the whole movie, a literally who's who of talent from the time. Folk, rock, gospel, all represented. If you aren't that familiar with The Band then The Weight should be your next song, guest starring The Staples.
This brought me back to elementary school playgrounds. For unknown reason, scenes are vivid in mind. Guess I needed to hear this song today. THANK YOU.
This a song "about after the war". The north went and distroyed every thing in the south. They even plowd salt into the feilds. so food could not be grown.
Amazing song because it was written during the most violent racial tensions in American history and helped smooth the edges. The average Confederate was fighting for family, not slavery. Everyone can shed a tear listening to this song.
Robertson says the Band were for the most part a-political. Naive to institutional racism, their writing this song was a mistake. The song grieves the loss of white supremacist's kin, security, and freedom to perpetuate the rewards of white elevated status. The song enables today's white supremacy. -Doug Pratt, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
@@edouglaspratt If you want to believe that woke drivel, you'r entitled to that freedom. The Band played for Bob Dylan who was definitely Not a-political. The song is a metaphor for all wars. It's what the Romans did to Carthage, what the Vandals did to Rome. It's what the Germans did to the Jews and when I heard it sung by Joan Baez after the Kent State murders, I started marching because it's what America was doing to the Vietnamese. Ideas cannot be silenced because they are misunderstood. If they are misunderstood they should be repeated. And I repeat, it smoothed the edges because I realized that people were encouraged to hate Hippies because the government was afraid of Hippies.
This song isn't about the War, it's about the suffering of the people after during the Reconstruction.
But it was about slavery, the republic voted to free the slaves, but the damn Yankees didn't!!!
Which was not even that bad
This is about the end of the war and the agony of a people that have been on the losing side of a war it's pretty universal
@@bowser8817because you were there?
The fact that a drummer from the Deep South could get together with a bunch of Canadians, be the back up band for two Musical Legends, and then break out on their own, is a story unparalleled.
One of my good buddies, who introduced me to a lot of great music when we were younger, said to me one time, expressing his point in the simplest of terms "there's a reason they were called 'The Band'...."....and I think you summed up very well exactly what he was talking about.
And be from the patron state of shooting shit in that movie shooter tu che''''''
@@thomasedmondson3585 tell me more
@@saubervonHerzenit is the band that brought a genre to modern music.. it was levons stories to robbie who wrote the lyrics.
Wasn't as crazy back then as it'd be today.
That "drummer" was Levon Helm. I'm 59 years old and have attended and promoted concerts for 45 years. He is still one of the greatest performers I have ever personally seen.
Many people have a misunderstanding of this song. They hear a couple of "keywords" and dismiss it as some kind of Southron Memorial. I am a Bluest of the Blue Yankee and this song expresses the sorrow of the utterly vanquished Gray. It breaks your heart and yet compels you to sing along. This is something only music can do. It is a Tragic Opera in 4 minutes. It is not a tale of "The Lost Cause".
That's a great comment thank you. It's certainly a sorrowful song in a live setting. Backing vocals by Rick Danko and Robbie Robertson lends to the emotion felt. Listening in 2023 from New Zealand in the South Pacific. Happy holidays.
@@alexkimi5060 Robertson's mike was turned off...Richard Manuel is neglected with shots on camera, he was singing
@@blindriv3r thanks I didn't know that. All the best.
There are conflicting reports as to if Robbie's mike was turned off. Some say that is what Levon wrote in his book, or his editor wanted to put in. However, Robbie wrote the song, and plays a great guitar, so what if he can't sing. The Band had 3 great singers, Richard, Levon and last, but not least Rick Danko.@@alexkimi5060
Its not "lost cause"
It's the average person's perspective. There was no "blue" and "grey" to most beyond uniforms. And in the south, grey wasn't even universal.
This is a rural man who had his life upended by a war. It could be any war, any side.
It's not about your noble pity for someone you imagine would be your enemy.
It's about how any and all wars just cause suffering. And the ones that do have little to no idea why.
Levon was something special. Incredible talent. Everyone in The Band was great. BTW, this song is not about war. It's about loss.
Great point. Everything was taken from Virgil. Both by the Union as well as the Confederacy.
losing family to a stupid thing you don't really believe in but you have no choice but to fight in.
And the song asks does the end justify the means when you've lost half of your country to a devisive war?
Loss from a war🤷🏻♂️
The song was written by Robbie Robertson, a Canadian, and The Band's lead guitarist, who recently passed away at 80.
It is a love song - the love of a poor Southern farmer for his homeland.
One of the greatest live vocal performances ever !!! Performed by Mr Levon Helm This live performance is so superior to the actual recording it almost like two different songs
I agree, I have clicked on reactions to this song only to find that the reactor is listening to the studio version. This is by FAR the best version, you can hear and feel the devastation of the Civil War in Levon's voice.
@@laudanum669 It's one of those occasions where a song is performed live and it puts the original recording to shame Much like Paul McCartney and Wings live version of "Coming Up" or Bob Segers "Turn the Page" Challenge for everyone out there to name some more
I agree. This LIVE version is so rich, with so much raw instrumental depth, plus the excitement of the LIVE audience adds so much to the power of the performance.
Canadian music owes a lot to Rompin’ Ronnie Hawkins who brought these guys together and so much more.
RIP Mr. Levon Helms🇺🇸🙏🕊
I am 73 years old and was raised in a small town in Virginia. When I was a child just playing outside we found all kinds of civil war relics just lying around my grandparents property. This town was taken back and forth between the North and South over 70 times. In fact I thought the war was just fought in my parents life time until I went to school and found out differently. My daughter and her family live in a house that was a hospital for each side depending on who had the upper hand. I love this song and it always takes me back home tho I am now living far away
Thanks for sharing that.
Yep, my grandmother lived in Hopewell, VA. I'd visit in the summer. We'd go to some of the old battlefields. Not necessarily the government protected ones. We'd find stuff all the time. Long ago and far away.
Likewise, for about a year, I lived in Catlett,Virginia, just south of Manassas also known as Bull Run, I was never really looking for Civil War artifacts, but while out hunting along the cornfields, I would pick up quite a few mini balls, and that’s without looking for them, this particular area saw a lot of action, and movement of troops both north and south.
Wow, I hope you found some nice relics!
A great song about a terrible time in America. Elvis Presley’s American trilogy is another heartfelt performance and song from a southerner.
There's a reason they were called "The Band" and it was never disputed. All of them had more talent in their toenail clippings, than modern musicians have in their body and souls. LEGENDS!
agree
RIP Robbie Robertson... we lost a great Canadian ... they were legends and legends never die
Levon Helm is the Drummer and he's from Arkansas, the song was written by Robbie Robertson who is as the rest of the band are from Canada.
Canadian band sure played great American-themed music like this.
Robertson claimed sole credit for the writing of many of their songs, but in interviews, other members said all of their songs were created by collaboration with all members.
@john harkness I'm not a big fan and neither were the rest of the Band, especially Levon. Robertson was the one who wanted to break them up. Plus they didn't like Scorsese make the movie more about Robertson than the whole band.
Robbie wanted to get off the road, before something bad happened. The drugs and alcohol was out of control.@@chitownlee
Robbie wrote the songs, several that were there can back that up. John Simon, others. @@johnharkness7114
It's not a song about a war, it's a song about a lost war and the tragedy that follows.
Would you prefer that fascists win?
@@jimcady9309 sos bastante salame, sabias?
@@jimcady9309you don't know what fascist means do you?
Robbie Robertson (the guitarist and writer of this song) said in interviews that a lot of the inspiration for this song came when he visited Levon Helm's family in the South for the first time. Levon's father told Robbie that, "The South will rise again". That stuck with him and helped him create this masterpiece.
Exactly! Back when the Band was playing a lot of people in the South were still very prejudiced and didn't want integration. Levon Helm was a genius! I loved his acting too in Coal Miners Daughter and especially in The Shooter. You could see that he was weak and old in that movie but did an incredible job. Love The Band!
I think you hit the nail on the head about this being a love song. It's set during a war - a Civil war, the hardest kind - but it's actually a love song about family and home. The loss, destruction and pain of the war are used to show the intensity of one's love for family and home. The old cliche applies: "you don't know how much you love something until you lose it".
So true!
Exactly
Nicely said.
You got it
It is a love song, but you've got it not quite right. What night is the song talking about? April 9, 1865 when General Lee surrendered and the Civil War ended. That night there were celebrations in Washington. The love of family and loss is used in the song to explain the love the south had for the Confederacy, and the loss felt as Old Dixie died. The song works because everybody, not just the South, can feel that love and that pain. Incidentally, as I write this, it is April 9th.
Levon literally singing his heart out his chest on this one ❤
Rick Danko singing "It Makes No Difference" from this concert (The Last Waltz) will stop you dead in your tracks. Just a bunch of lads from my home province of Ontario (and 1 from Arkansas) making a beautiful noise together. Great rxn, Harri - cheers!
Yep, agree!
Harri already reacted
I actually requested it, it's a favorite of mine
Rick's singing goes straight to the heart 🎶💜🎵
@@missblondie2393 Good!! Everybody needs to hear Danko in that performance! He had such a unique and wonderful vocal style! Damn fine bass player too!
Love The Band, have since 1969 when I first heard "Up on Cripple Creek". All of them so talented, but I have a soft spot for Robbie and Rick Danko. Love Robbie's guitar playing, and he was so handsome in his younger days. Love Rick's voice, and he seems like a real sweetheart, very cute.
@@missblondie2393 If you ever look at your old comments you should check out the version Rick sings in Tokyo, older with more pain, Richard Manuel had already committed suicide. The emotion is profound
Levon Helm was just an all around special guy. His late in life albums after the throat cancer diagnosis are just as magical. His acting in the movie Shooter and just him being himself in some documentary footage from the early 2000s really made me appreciate more of his talent. RIP Levon.
Levon also played the part of Loretta Lynn’s father in the movie “Coal Miner’s Daughter”.
Still got the shovel
He sung Southern like no one else...'And all the people were SANGING.' Perfection!!!
He was in "The Right Stuff", saws the broom handle off for Yeager and the X1 flight.
m.th-cam.com/video/mn60YWO218k/w-d-xo.html
This is from the 1969 album The Band. It's about the last days of The Civil War, written by Robbie Robertson after he read up on The Civil War.
The 3 part harmonies of Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel fuse together to create a wonderful blend. Levon's voice carries the tune and delivers a great story. Joan Baez did a cover in 1971, and this was her highest charting song reading Number 3 in the US. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Miss Blondie. 👏👏 Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
Hi Mary and thank you for your great comment
I love the Band and happy to know you do too
Love and Music my Canadian friend
🇨🇦🇺🇲🎵💜🎶🥂
@miss blondie Hope you're well my American friend. 😊👍✌️🎶🇺🇲🤗🇨🇦
@@marybaillie8907 🎶💜🎵💜
Levon Helm a National Treasure and the heart and soul of The Band ✌️🙂
Also a pretty decent actor.
( The Right Stuff )
Levon Helm on drums and vocals. You're right Hari, great singer! The Band was unique in so many ways!
Drummer singer Levon Helm was born in Arkansas,may be that´s why he sings about this issue with special passion.The song is so well written that it widens the perspective on American civil war.Every war has its Virgil Cains.
The Last Waltz movie directed by Martin Scorsese is probably the best concert movie ever made with so many great artists joining in.
I just watched The Last Waltz after hearing this. I googled Levon Helm and found the film on Prime. Great film..
There was so much in that concert that left me in awe of so many artist.
The Band. The Best. Ever. Period.
RIP, Robbie Robertson. Levon, you went before him. Huge losses for all of us music lovers.
Even though it looked like the guitarist was singing backup vocals the truth is his mic was dead. It was well known among followers of The Band that Robertson liked to sing along but the mic wasn't on. The higher backup vocal was being supplied by Richard Manuel. It was him along with the bassist Rick Danko singing back uo vocals to Levon Helms lead.
Tragic history told by beautiful music.
Leon Helm the drummer/vocalist was from Turkey Scratch Arkansas, so he well knew the pain of the South in the aftermath of the Civil War. This song and anything from the last waltz concert on Thanksgiving day, 1976 is fantastic and arguably the best concert of all time.
I thought he was from Marvell.
@@wangofree
I have heard both, Marvell Arkansas is about 2 1/2 to 3 miles south of Turkey Scratch.
I live northwest of there in the Ozarks on the Arkansas Missouri border.
@@humpy936 Thanks! I'm in Kansas and have visited Arkansas but I'm not familiar with that particular area. Thanks for the info!
@@wangofreethere’s a great history online here: arkansasheritage.com/blog/dah/2022/04/19/turkey-scratch-arkansas
One of the greatest songs in rock and roll.
The guys were asked to come back and re-shoot parts of the concert due to issues (cameras not working, etc.) Levon was the only one who refused to come back and reshoot anything. This version is original and unedited, and the best version of the song every done by anyone. RIP Levon, Rick, and Richard. You are very much missed.
Add Robbie to the RIP list…😢
You can't leave out Karen Carpenter another drummer that sings very well
The great drummer, Buddy Rich, said Levon Helm was the best singer drummer he'd ever heard.
I love this song. The emotion of defeat is stunning. And surprising.
Anything by The Band is an eargasm. Just genius. Eric Clapton once asked (only half-jokingly) if he could join the group. Clapton told the story when he inducted The Band into the R&R Hall of Fame. Fun fact, Harri: Levon Helm was the biological father of Donald Fagen’s step-daughter Amy Helm (she’s a singer too). Thanks Miss B and Harri.
🎵💜🎶
Clapton wasn't joking.
And Amy is one hell of a singer!!
George Harrison was denied to!
The Band got both The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead and Cream/Clapton to go and make more down to earth albums.
Clapton is 1000 times bigger
Levon Helm was one of the coolest cats that ever walked the earth!
Lovely man, I could listen to him forever, his talking voice was so sweet.
I loved The Band's brown album. If I had a time machine and anti aging cream, I'd go back to 69. I was 21 too!
Robbie Robertson wrote that song specially for Levon Helm who was from the south and the only American in the group . They were from Canada . The song is of course about the American civil war and the south’s surrender “on May 10th Richmond fell, it’s a time I remember oh so well “.
The drummer, Levon Helm, was the only member from the south (Arkansas). The rest were Canadians, but touring with Ronnie Hawkins exposed them to southern gospel and folk music. They had a sound like no others, so musical and real.
Yes, but remember the time they spent with Bob Dylan working on The Basement Tapes. That was the real basis of their mastery of Americana, before that term was even in use. Music from Big Pink is the first album in the genre, and probably the best, recorded right after the Basement Tapes period.
Levon Helm was such a interesting genuine character. I could listen to him talk all day about his life stories in the music business. Great story teller. Sadly he’s passed on like the majority of the Band members. Only two members remain, Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson.
Today, only one remains, Garth. Sad.
@@ShazzPotz RIP Robbie Robertson. He wrote this song. It was inspired by a moment Robbie spent with Levon's father, who had said that the south would rise again. He remembered that moment when this tune started to form in his head.
The greatest American voice ever . I named my son after this man as a walking tribute
This is from their farewell which was made into an album and movie, The Last Waltz. A must see!
Classic! This whole concert was awesome, with the best musicians from that time, and possibly from any time. Thanks so much, Harri! ✌🏻💀
It's about the end of the war, going back home and all is vastly different. They drove old Dixie down, never to rise again.
I agree
But we are rising again, as of now! If you don't have a rebel soul then you will never understand!!!
Have you checked the Soth out lately? We're doing OK. Especially the Lone Star state.
South. I'm old and it's late.
Sweetie, music can help heal.
We visited the childhood property of drummer Levon Helm a few months ago. Miles and miles from any town in the middle of thousands of aces of Mississippi Delta farmland in a small settlement named Turkey Scratch Arkansas. Yes, we spotted quite a flock of turkeys as we approached and not much more.
God Bless Levon Helm! God Bless all those Canadians! It hits my soul!
The song isn't about war. The song is about losing everything and having a wind blow the hot ashes of your life away and you cant even cry. And you don't even know what will happen next.
As many have suggested, invest a couple hours and watch the whole Last Waltz concert! It is truly outstanding and well worth your time !!!
Loved the Band. The drummer, Levon Helm, played Loretta Lynn's Daddy in the movie Coal Miner's Daughter
What a voice?! best voice ever. RIP Robbie and Levon.
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You gotta love Levon's vocals...
It's amazing a Canadian guitarist (Robbie Robertson) could capture the American Civil War sentiment for many Americans in this song.
Levon Helm’s vocals gave that song legitimacy, otherwise it wouldn’t be nearly as good
He (and allegedly Levon?) did hours of work in the public library to get the history right. Pity Joan Baez did not do the same.
Robbie 🇨🇦 wrote this specially for Levon 🇺🇸, The Band was Canadian 🇨🇦 YOU MUST watch The Last Waltz!
Great story telling of an everyday southern man and his family during the Civil War and their struggles and sufferings they endured over the years of fighting. The legendary Levon Helm was an outstanding singer / drummer was the only one that was actually from the south, the rest were Canadian. Always got a kick of the band being name The Band. LOL
The point to this this song is that to these young men weren't really fighting about race. They were heartbroken because to them, they were fighting about the heautifu land of the south. They weren't soldiers they were hard working farmers trying to defend their land. The politicians are the ones that made the Civil war about race. Same with Vietnam and other wars.
A great time in music.
In a class by themselves. And one of the greatest bands of rock history. Sorely miss these cats 🤘❤️
Harri, I think it's a song about loss, on a lot of different levels. A loss of family, innocence, and the destruction of the home he grew up in. That's why it invokes such feelings. Kind of like the way Neil Young's Powder Finger does.
Levon is a legend in our home state of Arkansas. I l8ve near Fayetteville, the entertainment capitol of the state. Levon would play here frequently.
The GREAT Levon Helm from my state of Arkansas on drums and vocals. RIP sir and WooooPiiigggSooooiiieee!
They were so different, totally unique. You could probably say they created Americana.
Levon Helm was from Arkansas, the rest of The Band from Canado, Toronto and nearby areas. Robbie Robertson wote this song after visiting Levon and his family.
This is just a song that gets to me. I heard it on a transistor radio on a school field trip to Harper's Ferry WV in maybe 1970. Stuck right there and then.
The Band is one of the finest bands ever. I'd love to see a reaction to King Harvest (Has Surely Come), their funkiest song. So glad you appreciate them!
The drummer / singer Levon Helm was the only so called dixie in the group and he wanted to make sure that the writer Robbie Robertson would treat general Robert E. Lee with respect in the lyrics, which he did.
Can’t go wrong listening to any Band songs 🎶🎶🎶
The reason all the harmonies sound so good is because four of the five members took turns singing lead on a number of their songs. Only Garth Hudson didn't sing, but he was a genius instrumentalist. He even played the tuba some nights.
Robbie Robertson didn't sing either, just insisted on looking like he was. His mic was not even on. This was something that bothered Levon a LOT, especially in the film.
Garth was the band's not-so-secret weapon. His organ weaves in and out and throughout The Band's many wonderful songs. The music would suffer terribly if you took his sound out of the mix. Funny story: When the lads pursued a young Garth to join, his rigid parents would never agree to let him be a touring musician. He told the guys he could join if they paid him to be their "music teacher." They agreed because they wanted him to join so badly.
If you like to hear him sing, you should hear him talk. He's got the most beautiful accent. I love this song .
The story behind the band is awesome. All but one member was Canadian and they started life as the house band for Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins (an Arkansan who moved to Toronto in the 60's and never looked back, becoming a fundamental contributor to the development of a native pop/rock/county music scene in Central Canada (or, as Torontonians call it, Canada!)).
Hawkins just passed away last year, if memory serves. Selfless and true to his mentorship mission, he didn't stand in the way when his friend, Bob Dylan, expressed an interest in having "the band" back him instead. The next step after a successful time with Dylan was international stardom. They just never bothered to come up with a more specific name than "the Band."
Come to think of it, they actually welcomed back Ronnie Hawkins to sing with them as part of this fabled concert of which you've just seen a small portion.
One member not shown really in this clip is keyboardist and vocalist Richard Manual who you can hear singing along with bassist Rick Danko. I highly suggest "Makes No Difference" from this same concert movie, sang by Danko. Stunning performance.
It has been noted that often during live performances the sound guy would turn down or turn off guitarist Robbie Robertson's microphone because he wasn't the strongest singer but boy does he look like he is giving it hell in this concert movie. He was good friends with the movie producer and thus got a lot of screen time while Richard Manual was cut out of a lot (band politics at its finest). The band members actually considered Richard Manual the lead singer of the group and he sang more songs than the others.
This is IMHO the definitive version, Levon's vocal is so hauntingly beautiful.
Every couple years around Thanksgiving I'll put this DVD concert on, pour myself a little whiskey, crank up the audio, and I feel like I'm there.
It's not really about war. It's more about the suffering and humble heroism of the survivors of the losing side of a war. The civilians. It's about humanity and dignity.
The entire Last Waltz concert, The Band and every guest performance I highly recommend. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down was a mighty fine submission, Miss B. Harri, your review was once again sterling-level.
Robertson was inspired to write this song when The Band was touring down south -- conversations with locals would often have some old-timer saying "The South will rise again!" So he wrote about their lowest moment. A classic.
It was Levon Helm's father who told this to Robbie.
It was Robbie Robertson, who wrote this classic and specifically matched it to Helm's style .@@tomst.antoine7742 Without Robbie's writing skills the Band would likely have ended up covering other performers.
Thanks, Miss Blondie, for this fantastic choice.
To me, The Band were one of the great shambling bands, other examples being Credence Clearwater Revival, Family, Lindisfarne and yes, even Fat Grapple. Shamblers are groups made up of great musicians who can write outstanding songs and who can perform raucous versions of them live. The key thing to them is that although they are perfectly in control of the performance, they are always on the edge so that it seems that things could so easily fall apart but they never do.
It would be difficult to name the best song by the Band, there are so many, which can be seen in "The Last Waltz." You almost feel that this song should be on repeat play, it's such an enjoyable experience.
Great song, the Band has a unique and distinctive sound of their own.
YES the live version at their retirement concert is THE best by this amazing Band. Levon puts his all into this song
Some people say this is one of the greatest performances of song ever done.
Eric Clapton is one. He was there watching live of course.
When I was in the Navy, one of my jobs was choosing & showing movies. A lot of the crew thought I got a dance movie "The Last Waltz". I had a lot of negativaty directed my way, until the start. This was 1980. Levon Helm was also in "Shooter" with Mark Wahlberg. He played the shooting/fire arms expert.
Great stuff. The Band so talented
the passion that Levon plays and sings with is just epic
Thanks for the review. It's an amazing tune. The word you used "emotive" is a great description. This tune and "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda," are the two greatest songs about war and loss.
You are a good man, Harry! Love your reactions! 🎶🎵🎺📯🎷💋💖🍿😎😎
Im presuming you've never heard this track before, and as a person who was 16 when this was recorded, its extraordinary to me that in one generation, so many have no idea the greatness that came before them.. and this is one of the best examples.
I believe it's "I swear by the blood beneath my feet" makes it more chilling and heayy
As many others will mention, this is one of the greatest concert movies ever made, and maybe the greatest. It's the same concert you saw a bit of when you reacted to them performing "The Weight" with the Staple Singers, and that's just two of the highlights of the concert. I'd like to see you react again to pretty much any song from this concert!
Levon, the drummer, was a Southerner. The rest of the guys were Canadians or maybe from the Northern states. They all did justice to this song's sentiments.
Incredible history lesson. I can't get over how great this is. Levon...so so awesome.
Fantastic song Miss B. I love ❤️ anything by The Band. Thanks Harri.
Can't stress enough to watch the whole movie, a literally who's who of talent from the time. Folk, rock, gospel, all represented. If you aren't that familiar with The Band then The Weight should be your next song, guest starring The Staples.
Levon was from Arkansas, and his accent gives that away. The Band grew and matured in Canada, thanks to Ronnie Hawkins (also from Arkansas).
Thank you family thank God the south is still alive
It amazes me how many awesome bands came out of Canada.
When in Junior High my best friend's favorite band was The Dave Clark Band, a drummer leader and singer.
A nice , cogent , heartfelt review of my favorite recording of one of my favorite songs .....Thank you , Harry !
This brought me back to elementary school playgrounds. For unknown reason, scenes are vivid in mind. Guess I needed to hear this song today. THANK YOU.
This a song "about after the war". The north went and distroyed every thing in the south. They even plowd salt into the feilds. so food could not be grown.
Excellent reaction. Excellent song.
Great song and you did a great review. Thank you.
God bless the South.
Amazing song because it was written during the most violent racial tensions in American history and helped smooth the edges. The average Confederate was fighting for family, not slavery. Everyone can shed a tear listening to this song.
But the war was about slavery!!! You can't raise a Cain back up when he's in defeat!!!
Robertson says the Band were for the most part a-political. Naive to institutional racism, their writing this song was a mistake. The song grieves the loss of white supremacist's kin, security, and freedom to perpetuate the rewards of white elevated status. The song enables today's white supremacy. -Doug Pratt, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
@@edouglaspratt If you want to believe that woke drivel, you'r entitled to that freedom. The Band played for Bob Dylan who was definitely Not a-political. The song is a metaphor for all wars. It's what the Romans did to Carthage, what the Vandals did to Rome. It's what the Germans did to the Jews and when I heard it sung by Joan Baez after the Kent State murders, I started marching because it's what America was doing to the Vietnamese. Ideas cannot be silenced because they are misunderstood. If they are misunderstood they should be repeated. And I repeat, it smoothed the edges because I realized that people were encouraged to hate Hippies because the government was afraid of Hippies.