A great video about Garth Hudson.

……thank you bdp24 for this clip. I hope that I am staying somewhat on topic but I believe it was 1972 and I was at a friends house and she just bought the Band’s album with the brown front cover and a photo of The Band …..the name escapes me know . There were things going around as we listened to that album and for the life of me just couldn’t get into it or better yet ; I didn’t understand it . The years rolled by and picked up just to have in my library a few of their CD’s ( albums were not cool then ) I really started to listen to them and began to realize that those guys were really good musicians . I began to understand their music and my appreciation grew and still does . They were a point in time that will never be duplicated and maybe came on “ that scene “ a little too late during that time when the musical scene exploded . I sometimes remind myself that they were from Canada . I am thankful that my life gave me a second chance to enjoy them even until this day ……and Garth Hudson is last one standing. 

I can completely relate @garebear!

The album you refer to is The Band’s second, commonly referred to as the brown album (it’s self-titled). Their debut---Music From Big Pink---was released a year earlier, and caused quite a ruckus (Clapton disbanded Cream after hearing it, traveled to the Big Pink house and hung around for a coupla weeks, hoping and waiting for them to ask him to join. He finally realized they didn’t need or want him 😉).

My crowd was comprised mostly of musicians, and Music From Big Pink divided that crowd into two camps---those who got The Band, and those who didn’t. I was amongst the latter, and try as I might I just could not understand why the smartest guys I knew loved that album. I was into all the usual stuff---Cream, Hendrix, The Who and the rest of the power trios (The Who were a quartet, by Daltry isn’t a musician), as well as the doors, Buffalo Springfield, Moby Grape, The Byrds, The Beatles (to a degree), etc., and MFPB sounded very foreign to me. I couldn’t in the least relate to it. And that bothered me.

Then in the spring of 1969 my band got a gig opening for The New Buffalo Springfield (drummer/singer Dewey Martin the sole original member remaining) at a local San Jose high school. We played our set, and I carefully watched and listened as TNBS started theirs. As the set developed, I became confused. None of the members seemed to be playing much, but they sounded SO good. At about the halfway point in their set, I had a sudden and overwhelming epiphany: Oh, NOW I get it! The "it" is the musical style called ensemble playing: Playing in service to the song, and in relation to what every other member is playing and/or singing.

That experience changed my musical life, and when the brown album came out later in ’69 I was ready for it. I and every musician I knew studied that album from front-to-back, for hours, and hours, and hours. I had to complete relearn how to play drums, and that album (as well a MFBP) is the blueprint for how to play musically.

Music From Big Pink and the S/T album are without question my two favorite album of all time, by a wide margin. So musically rich, so deep. Expert musicianship, three fantastic lead singers, and great songs. That's what it's all about!

…….bdp24 thanks as I listened to The Band last evening .  “” Twilight “” in particular along with ; “‘ Don’t Do It “ . “ Twilight “ along with ; “ The Weight “ have probably been two songs that have been the back of my life .  They really were very special musicians . I actually have a Remo drum head signed by The Band and Bob Dylan from Before The Flood Tour that is encased and protected in a shadow box. These songs and talking about it brings me back to a special time in my life . I also realize that I am getting older and the music that I enjoy is also old but still very relevant at least to me . Time marches on ……