RIP Levon Helm

Levon Helm, the legendary drummer, died today after losing a bout with cancer.

Helm was the heart and soul of The Band. Here's Mike Gordon's thoughts on the influence of Levon Helm and The Band.

Here's their version of Ophelia with Helm on lead vocals. I remember the first time I saw The Last Waltz** when I was 12 or 13, I thought it was fucking rad that the drummer sang.

No other raspy voice like it. RIP Levon Helm.




Footnotes:

** The Last Waltz is Martin Scorsese's greatest film not called Taxi Driver. It's also considered by cinephiles to be one of the greatest music documentary films ever created. What's not to like? Flakes of blow dangling from Neil Young's nostrils, a shitfaced and bloated Van Morrison doing karate-like kicks in a snug, maroon jumpsuit during a titillating rendition of Caravan, and of course, Levon Helm's simultaneous signing and drumming.

Comments

Stoyankovich said…
Put your makeup on
Fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight, in Atlantic City

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