GEORGE ON DYLAN, THE BAND, BEATLES

[theDingle]

...although I've since gotten to appreciate some of OTG a little more, lol.

I picked up a cheap used VHS the other day on the Band, really good, with a number of interview cuts of George Harrison giving some complimentary comments.

When The Band was backing Dylan up during a European tour in '66, a lot of the crowds booed them because of Dylan's switch from folk to something closer to electric pop. George and John attended one of the concerts and applauded and shouted encouragement in spite of crowd displeasure, lol.

[Berkeleyan]

So The Band's Landmark album is "Songs from the big pink"
What is the "big pink" ?? What does it mean ? Signed B. curious .

[maccastheman]

So The Band's Landmark album is "Songs from the big pink"
What is the "big pink" ?? What does it mean ? Signed B. curious .

Big Pink is the name of the house they lived/recorded in near Woodstock, NY.

The Band's story is so Americana that it's almost self-fulfilling. Sort of like Johnny Cash's life story. (The whole ashes to ashes/dust to dust thing) In a sense it's almost appropriate, yet tragic, that things ended the way they did. It's like watching the video for "Hurt" by Johnny Cash.

Having grown up in Arkansas, I've always been intrigued by Levon Helm and Johnny Cash. They both seem mythic and completely real to me at the same time. It's hard to explain.

[maccastheman]

Helm had a periodic solo career, and there were a few Band CDs sans Robertson in the 90s that had some good stuff.

As for the Band's CDs sans Robertson:
I really liked Jericho, particularly the Band's cover of "Atlantic City." I thought the next one, High on the Hog, was pretty solid as well. I know it sounds crazy, but their cover of EnVogue's "Free Your Mind" is incredible. By the time Jubilation came out, Helm's voice was gone. I couldn't really tell he was losing anything on High on the Hog. That's why Jubilation came as such a shock to me.
I haven't really heard any of Helm's stuff with the RCO All Stars. I know he did a cover of Take Me To The River. I would like to hear that. There's a band from Fayetteville, Arkansas, called the Cate Brothers. They had a hit in the '70s called "Union Man." I believe Steve Cropper produced them. Anyway, they hang out with Levon a lot. I used to work with Earl Cate's daughter. She told me all these stories about Levon in the '90s and his continued drug use. It was really disturbing. I don't have much respect for Robertson, but he was probably the only sober one in the group. I think he screwed the rest of the band members, but they were too busy living it up that I don't think they were concerned about the future, royalties, etc. I think Robertson was a businessman pretending to be a hippie.

[theDingle]

So The Band's Landmark album is "Songs from the big pink"
What is the "big pink" ?? What does it mean ? Signed B. curious .

Big Pink is the name of the house they lived/recorded in near Woodstock, NY..

I have no doubt that it's also a double-entendre for... erm,..."something else"....(wink-wink-nudge-nudge)

As for the Band's CDs sans Robertson:
I really liked Jericho, particularly the Band's cover of "Atlantic City."...
I used to work with Earl Cate's daughter. She told me all these stories about Levon in the '90s and his continued drug use. It was really disturbing. I don't have much respect for Robertson, but he was probably the only sober one in the group. I think he screwed the rest of the band members, but they were too busy living it up that I don't think they were concerned about the future, royalties, etc. I think Robertson was a businessman pretending to be a hippie.

Hey cool info, maccadamia! I also liked AC (caught 'em on The Tonight Show performing that), Move To Japan, Remedy and Blues Stay Away From Me. I haven't heard HOTH or Jubilation yet, but I'm planning on it, have gotten beat out on ebaY a time or 2. I picked up a vinyl copy of Helm's Native Son at a flea market once but it was so scratched, it was basically unlistenable, grrr.

I heard of the Cate Bros but never heard them. I wonder if Levon's brush with the throat thing straightened him out any? From his website I gather that he's back to playing semi-regular and even singing again. Too bad about those Band guys, the ongoing drug thing really messed them up. WAD, Robertson is a shrewd one but seems to have lost his mojo.

It seems I heard or read something of a buried hatchet regarding their financial disagreements in the last few years.???

[Berkeleyan]

Thanks for the info on "big pink", maccastheman !
Kudos to him and TheDingle for the interesting notes on the Band.

From the little info I gathered myself, I think Robbie Robertson at some point started treating his fellow bandmates as his backup band and got into some kind of ego trip. Speaking of egos, a fragile ego like Manuel's couldn't take more aggravation so he ended his life. The only one to have some kind of success as a solo act was Robertson, I believe. And I guess all the surviving members (Danko died of a heart attck, I believe, a few years ago) have gone silent for quite some time now.

[maccastheman]

Thanks for the info on "big pink", maccastheman !
Kudos to him and TheDingle for the interesting notes on the Band.

From the little info I gathered myself, I think Robbie Robertson at some point started treating his fellow bandmates as his backup band and got into some kind of ego trip. Speaking of egos, a fragile ego like Manuel's couldn't take more aggravation so he ended his life. The only one to have some kind of success as a solo act was Robertson, I believe. And I guess all the surviving members (Danko died of a heart attck, I believe, a few years ago) have gone silent for quite some time now.

Robertson got a lot of help from people like U2 and Daniel Lanois on his first solo album and I think that bolstred its exposure. (U2 was red hot at the time) I think Levon was in the first All-Starr band with Ringo around that time. (I know he was in one of them and I'm pretty sure it was the first one) Robertson has done a lot work with films recently. He's compiled a lot of soundtracks, etc. (I know he did Casino and the Color of Money) That's probably what's earned him the most money. (Other than songwriting royalties) His solo albums haven't sold that well. (Other than the first one)

It's a shame about Manuel. Like Sting said, we are fragile...

[theDingle]

You can always tell a Lanois production. I didn't suit Robertson IMO, but then I'm a stick in the mud for the great old Band stuff.

Manuel was sadly a hopeless alchoholic. Wish he could have got help. I don't doubt that his death was probably part of the reason Clapton established his addiction treatment center in Antigua, he was such a huge Band fanatic.

I believe Robertson also compiled The King Of Comedy soundtrack (one of my all-time favorite flicks!).

[Berkeleyan]

Hey Dingle,

I didn't get your point - what does Antigua and the Band/Manuel have in common ? Or perhaps your point is that Manuel's death prompted Clapton to open a treatment center. But why in Antigua ?

Something else: whatever became of Garth Hudson ? Is he active as a musician ?

[theDingle]

Hey Dingle,

I didn't get your point - what does Antigua and the Band/Manuel have in common ? Or perhaps your point is that Manuel's death prompted Clapton to open a treatment center. But why in Antigua ?

...yeah, something like that...in Antigua--mmmm, I suppose because it's a very lovely environment helpful and conducive to making important changes---?

Something else: whatever became of Garth Hudson ? Is he active as a musician ?

Don't know, maybe he occasionally gigs with Levon. I know he used to gig with Danko before he passed on. Garth is a genius if there ever was one.