Nov 242011
It was 35 Thanksgivings ago when this concert was filmed and a young Mr. Moderator’s obsession with rock ‘n roll was sealed. What has he got to show for it? What have you got to share? An All-Star Jam is an open forum for you to do your thing.
To get things started here are a few cool links sent my way by Townspeople in recent days:
About 25 years ago I was in London and passed a TV in a shop showing “This is Spinal Tap”. I stood and watched it for a minute or so, chuckling heartily, but vaguely wondering why I couldn’t remember that particular bit of the film.
The man I was laughing at stopped talking and it cut to The Band, and I realised that it wasn’t “Spinal Tap” but was actually “Last Waltz”. It’s a long time since I’ve seen the film, and have no recollection of who the guy talking out of his backside I was laughing at was, but on the couple of times I’ve watched it I enjoyed it a lot. Brits tend not to get excited about The Band, they’ve largely passed me by, but this is a great movie which works on more levels than most rock flicks.
I hope you’re all enjoying your Thanksgiving dinners!
I got home tonight and the kids had eaten my tea, so after reading to the little one and the medium sized one and hearing out the teenage grumbles of the eldest, have just had a cheese sandwich washed down with a plastic beaker of not-as-sparkling-as-it-once-was water.
Enjoyed it, actually, I’m very partial to cheese. And water. Cheers!
For those looking for a little desert after watching The Last Waltz, I suggest a recent documentary that aired on Bravo in Canada called Yonge Street Stories. The 3 part series chronicled Toronto in the early 60’s to the seventies and featured some hilarious stories from Robbie Robertson, Ronnie Hawkins, and even our favourite whipping boy David Clayton-Thomas. I’m not sure if the link will work outside Canada, but those who are internet savvy might find a way of watching it. http://www.bravo.ca/events/yongestreet/index.asp
I suppose I can understand why Brits don’t get excited about The Band. I’m guessing it has a lot to do with their rural sound. An easy and familiar Americana sound to North American audiences. But what’s funny is that aside from Levon Helm, they came from suburban areas of Ontario mostly listening to early rock and roll. But, somehow they managed to sound incredibly authentic.
The Last Waltz is one of those unique events that would be completely impossible to replicate. I can’t think of any modern bands that earn the respect of their peers as The Band did.
Hello all. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. I’m currently in the departure lounge at Heathrow waiting for my flight back to the US. I had a nice time in London, and frequently thought of you all and all the posts I will have to catch up on.
I believe it was HVB who had posted a thread last summer about guessing which songs he was thinking of whilst traveling around this metropolitan area. I had a similar experience while passing throught Chelsea, nearby Victoria station, through the West End, etc. My biggest musical surprise was seeing a production of “Back Beat,” a play based on the film from a few years back. Despite being quite aware of the plot and characters, it was a surprisingly moving show. The actors who played the Lads were good actors and musicians (the early Hamburg and Cavern sessions are sort of recreated) and the set design was great. The best part was that it was possible to get lost in the story and somewhat forget the legends.
The other musical surprise was when I overheard music on the tube, blaring from car speakers, etc. it wasn’t rap but instead middle eastern-tinged pop.
I hope you enjoyed your pumpkin pie. None here, although a shop near Sloane Square featured some pecan pie.
There certainly was a generation of Brits totally smitten by The Band, presumably older than Stan. Clapton famously tried to join. George Harrison was a devotee, and they’re the model for early Brinsley Schwarz.
Even the Beatles began to look suspiciously like the Band as time went on…
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LnLtk3_0E1Q/STMzmEwgA3I/AAAAAAAAGrQ/5qpcD4mcyp0/s400/beatles_1969.jpg
Costello news.:
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2011/11/25/elvis-costello-steal-my-new-260-box-set-%e2%80%94-or-buy-louis-armstrong-collection-instead/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SlicingUpEyeballs+%28slicing+up+eyeballs%3A+%2780s+college%2C+indie%2C+alternative+rock+music%29&utm_content=FaceBook
IT TURNS OUT ELVIS COSTELLO IS A GOOD BLOKE DEPT:
http://www.elviscostello.com/news/steal-this-record/254
On the other hand, this is the sort of thing that can happen when you reflexively reissue every album you release.
Passed along a few days ago – along with news that his dad, Ross McManus, died. He was a great…man.