The Band, “When You Awake” from ‘The Band’ (1969): Across the Great Divide
A triumph of narrative balance, the Band’s “When You Awake” perhaps could only work within a performance by Rick Danko.
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Flurry of activity, recognition followed passing of Levon Helm: ‘A very positive time, actually’
Amy Helm, a key member of her father Levon Helm’s touring unit, discusses the emotional aftermath of his death.
Bill Callahan – Dream River (2013)
Dream River is the fourth album released under Bill Callahan’s name, and further explores the introverted landscape mapped by his previous releases. It is not the most cheerful of places, to be sure You May Also Like: The Wood Brothers, “River Takes the Town” from One Drop Of Truth (2018):Read More
‘A lot of that stuff was a cliche’: Robert Plant on returning to his Led Zeppelin-era vocal style
Beginning roughly with 2007’s Alison Krauss collaboration Raising Sand, Robert Plant began working in a quieter, more confidential manner that was completely alien to his Led Zeppelin style. You May Also Like: How Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ ‘Raising Sand’ Still Confounds Expectations Why ‘Celebration Day’ Provided the Perfect FarewellRead More
Heather Stewart – What It Is (2013)
With the sophomore disc What It Is, Heather Stewart steps completely into her own, presenting a disc of deep emotional honesty amid agelessly created music. You May Also Like: Al Stewart – ‘Year of the Cat’ (1976): On Second Thought Dory Previn, “The Lady With the Braid” (1971): One TrackRead More
The Band, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” from ‘The Band’ (1969): Across the Great Divide
Levon Helm’s delicately poignant vocal completely animates this key song from the Band – stripping bare the awful costs of these kind of conflicts.
‘We wrote a very, very good song there’: Steve Cropper has his own history with Memphis’ Lorraine Motel
The Lorraine Motel, refurbished now as the National Civil Rights Museum, has become a cultural touchstone in the wake of Martin Luther King’s murder. But that Memphis landmark holds another place of historical significance. You May Also Like: How Booker T. and the MGs Defined Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary ConcertRead More
‘He was so used to getting inspiration from negativity’: On Ritchie Blackmore’s transformation after Deep Purple, Rainbow
Candice Night, having met Ritchie Blackmore after a final breakup with Deep Purple, recognized something immediately about the often-dour guitar virtuoso: “You can’t get more black than Blackmore, right?” You May Also Like: William Shatner + Ritchie Blackmore, “The Thrill Is Gone” (2020): One Track Mind Mark Knopfler Touched onRead More
Tom McDermott – Bamboula (2013)
If you haven’t been blessed to stumble into a New Orleans gig from Tom McDermott, then the forthcoming Bamboula compilation — overseen by Van Dyke Parks — is your chance to get caught up. You May Also Like: Susanne Ortner Trio – ‘Last Stop Sehnsucht’ (2020) New Orleans at 300:Read More
The Band, “Rag Mama Rag” from ‘The Band’ (1969): Across the Great Divide
A cross between a Memphis blues and a Storyville saloon romp, “Rag Mama Rag” showed the Band’s complete grasp of American song styles.
