"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down".


 

I am very fortunate in having heard this amazing song performed live by The Band on their tour in support of the s/t "brown" album. The only other live music experience I’ve had that equals it was hearing Little Village perform John Hiatt’s "Lipstick Traces" on a soundstage in Burbank in ’92. The Little Village album was not so hot, but they sure were!

The Beatles? Saw them in ’65. Hendrix? Saw him in ’68 and ’69. Cream? Saw them in ’67 and ’68. The Who? Saw them in ’68 and ’69. Who else ya wanna name? Sorry, hearing The Band live spoiled me for just about EVERYONE else. Not Iris DeMent, whom I just saw this past Thursday. Stunningly great!

 

Here’s J.R. Robertson, Eric Levon Helm, and some other guy talking about the song and its’ creation:

 

https://youtu.be/nVYBW_zCvOg?t=1

 

 

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Lots of people like the music of Mozart, yet Glenn Gould famously did not. J.S. Bach spoiled him for just about all other composers.😉 For I as well.

Me, too.  I've long told this story about J.S. Bach:

When the Voyager spacecraft was launched in 1977, opinions and ideas were solicited as far as what human artifacts would be most appropriate to leave in outer space as a signal of man's cultural achievements on earth.  Carl Sagan proposed that 'if we are to convey something of what humans are about then music has to be a part of it.' To Sagan's request for suggestions, the eminent biologist Lewis Thomas answered, 'I would send the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach.' After a pause, he added, 'But that would be boasting.”

😉

I saw Miles Davis on David Sanborn’s TV show Sunday Night Music on NBC. This was near the end of Miles’s life. The backing band was The Red Hot Chili Peppers! I kid you not! How the mighty have fallen!

How our memories are fallible. I just watched that show on You Tube, Chilli Peppers were "live" and Miles was a recorded clip from a previous show. They did not play together, at least on the episode I watched.

That said, it was really an incredible series with an amazing lineup of guests. I found Jools Holland as host to be incredibly annoying but the music was incredible

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Night_(American_TV_program)

 

this will keep you busy for a few hours

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD92B91B57951467B

 

 

 

Having a Southern heritage myself it always dismays me when entire swaths of  people are vilified, as if they acted in unity to commit "evil".

Viewed through the lens of todays (hopefully) forward thinking, enlightened perspective we can easily analyze past practices that never should have been allowed to happen.

To my way of thinking we should all dust off our copy of Randy Newman's classic album "Good Old Boys" and give a close listen to one of the greatest album lead-off songs: 

"Rednecks"

In the name of everything sacred to man and beast, I think The Little Village album is fantastic! The Weight is among my favorite top 10 songs of all time.  I am also of the opinion that Robbie absolutely smoked Clapton on Further On Up the Road on the The Last Waltz, which is also a personal all time favorite album.  Now, back to your regularly scheduled program….

Well said @rettrussell.

Viewed through the lens of todays (hopefully) forward thinking, enlightened perspective we can easily analyze past practices that never should have been allowed to happen.

Unknowingly found myself on the (right-side of town) during a very first Memphis trip searching for a late night Pizzeria to-go. Found one, walked into the establishment with shall I say, "all eyes on me." Brought on a smile. The Joint was literally packed from top to bottom and here comes strolling in this only Caucasian with ... hey, how’s the Pizza here? The Pizza is very good!

Parents never taught color or race ... equality.