R.I.P. Levon Helm
Levon Helm, former member of The Band, has passed away at the age of 71. He had been battling cancer for a decade. Helm was an integral part of, what was arguably, one of the finest bands ever to come together….The Band. Helm’s autobiography, This Wheel’s On Fire, is a must-read. His contentious relationship with former Band-mate Robbie Robertson is chrystalized in the book. Helm was not happy about the decision to stop touring after The Last Waltz and argued that songwriting credits were not fairly distributed. Robertson has pointed out the lack of songs the Helm wrote after he, Robertson, left The Band. No doubt the truth lies somewhere in between.
Nevertheless, Levon Helm was a great talent, he had a drumming style like no other, played a mean mandolin and sang his heart out on tunes like The Weight, Up On Cripple Creek and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. I recommended taking this opportunity to go back and listen to those Band albums and watch The Last Waltz.
Click here to read the Rolling Stone Levon Helm obituary.
- Challengers – Dir: Luca Guadagnino (Film Review) - April 24, 2024
- Civil War – Dir: Alex Garland (Film Review) - April 9, 2024
- Pearl Jam – Dark Matter (Monkeywrench/Republic) Album Review - April 1, 2024