One of my favorite groups of the 60s and 70s is The Band. I love their music and I loved how they defied the psychedelic times by wearing clothes out of the 19th century and singing songs about the Civil War. As I get ever more burned out on “oldies”, this is music that always holds up for me.
We all know “The Weight” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” Two of the songs that always perk me up are the lesser known “Chest Fever” and “Acadian Driftwood.” I like their music that is influenced by New Orleans and Cajun music. I used to live in Lafeyette and really learned to love Cajun and Zydeco back then. In fact just this morning I listened to the most recent episode of The Subdudes podcast so I already had my ears buzzing with the New Orleans sound.
A month ago the Greatest Hits album was on sale from Amazon for $1.99 and I picked it up then. I have several of their albums on cassette somewhere in this house, but for that price it makes sense to just get it again in digital form. I’m listening to it right now and enjoying it all over again.
Hey, buddy, would you like to buy a watch real cheap, here on the street?
I got six on each arm and two more round my feet
Life is a carnival, believe it or not
Life is a carnival, two bits a shot
This is a group that I have always heard good things about, but have never actually listed to. My uncle owned a copy of The Last Waltz back when I lived with him, but I never got around to watching it. I have to remedy that.
From one of my favorite Band tunes:
Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don’t have to speak she defends me
A drunkard’s dream if I ever did see one
Now off to Amazon in search of MP3s. Levon Helm is still going strong; I might check out some of his stuff as well.
-k-
The last waltz is the best
Big up the band
Ed