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Thread: The Band: How would you describe their music?

  1. #26
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
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    Add "Chest Fever" to my very short list. Thanks for the reminder, D. Elf.
    "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"

    President Harry S. Truman

  2. #27
    Member Ten Thumbs's Avatar
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    So many great arrangements. Through the years I've become more and more fond of Garth Hudson's keyboards. Call them a folksier Steely Dan.
    I remember tomorrow

  3. #28
    Oh No! Bass Solo! klothos's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rcarlberg View Post
    A glorified bar band.
    Quote Originally Posted by Baribrotzer View Post
    They're the reason bar bands sound like they do.
    No, that distinction goes to C.C.R.

  4. #29
    "Chest Fever" is a top five song for me. I'm not sure that I love The Band, but I love that fucking song.
    I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.

  5. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by Facelift View Post
    Kind of unclassifiable - as was often the case with the great ones from that era.
    Fantastic musicians! They blended numerous styles together and came up with a one of a kind sound. I've been listening to them a lot lately, as I finally bought The Last Waltz, and the 18 track studio compilation.

  6. #31
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    Never liked them. I'm sure their roots-rock was thoroughly authentic, but it always seemed to ooze that annoying American Deep South "attitude".

    Strangely, I really liked some of the solo stuff from Robbie Robertson, especially the first album,

  7. #32
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by progeezer View Post
    "The Weight", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Stage Fright","The Shape I'm In" & "King Harvest".

    AFAIC, their entire worthwhile songbook. But those 5 songs are damn good!
    I'm sort of this way with The Band. I like some of their songs, but their albums never clicked for me. Though I find myself tempted to try again.

    Quote Originally Posted by mogrooves View Post
    They're commonly described as "roots rock" and/or "Americana," but Robbie Robertson always said they were a rock 'n roll band.
    I'd largely agree with this. They brought some folk, soul, and other eclectic elements to the table, but so did a lot of bands. Their expression of elements was unique, but not the elements themselves, and in the end it was basically rock-centered. I think the term "rock" is broad enough to encompass The Band, and if you wanted to qualify it, you could say rock with some folk influences, without being "folk rock."

    Bill

  8. #33

  9. #34
    Member StevegSr's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave (in MA) View Post
    You're entitled to not like something.

    I think they went downhill significantly after their 3rd album, though each album had at least a few worthwhile pieces.
    Just because The Band is not spinning on my turntable ad infinitum, that doesn't mean that I don't respect them. I put in the proviso about The Band not being one of my favorites, so that the responses of narrow minded simpletons, who have no idea of the group's effect on rock music in 60's, would be comfortable when stating their juvenile responses.
    Last edited by StevegSr; 02-27-2016 at 10:19 AM.
    To be or not to be? That is the point. - Harry Nilsson.

  10. #35
    Oh No! Bass Solo! klothos's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by StevegSr View Post
    Just because The Band is not spinning on my turntable ad infinitum, that doesn't mean that I don't respect them. I put in the proviso about The Band not being one of my favorites, so that the responses of narrow minded simpletons, who have no idea of the group's effect on rock music in 60's, would be comfortable when stating their juvenile responses.
    right: thats my take on them..........I dont have to dig their music to respect who they are and the impact they had....Im like that with a lot of bands, including The Rolling Stones (sans four of their albums), The Who (sans three albums and a handful of songs from others), Lynyrd Skynyrd (sans one album), and many others.............
    Last edited by klothos; 02-27-2016 at 11:13 AM.

  11. #36
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    I think their music is brilliant. Love it.

  12. #37
    Member -=RTFR666=-'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by klothos View Post
    Roots Rock with Proggish elements
    Closest they've ever gotten to prog for me is Robbie's solo release w/Peter Gabriel guesting.

    Quote Originally Posted by rcarlberg View Post
    A glorified bar band.
    and
    Quote Originally Posted by mogrooves View Post
    They're commonly described as "roots rock" and/or "Americana," but Robbie Robertson always said they were a rock 'n roll band.
    This. Americana/Roots Rock, indeed, and I lump 'em into whatever category CCR is in (though I tend to favor CCR over The Band).

    Quote Originally Posted by mozo-pg View Post
    The Last Waltz is a film masterpiece.
    Truth be told, I streamed it not to see The Band, but all the guest artists...

    Quote Originally Posted by PeterG View Post
    How would I describe the music of The Band? In a word, boring!
    Peter needs to quit hangin' out with Rufus so much...
    -=Will you stand by me against the cold night, or are you afraid of the ice?=-

  13. #38
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    The difference I hear between The Band and CCR is one of both breadth and depth. The Band's music was both broader and deeper: broader in its combination of influences and instrumental colors, and for the most part deeper both musically and lyrically. CCR were a traditionalist singles band, with an appealing but rather one-dimensional sound. The Band were 3-D Technicolor in comparison.

  14. #39
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    CCR are more rock 'n' roll, really.

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    Well, maybe so, but I can happily listen to any CCR song on the radio, and could even see myself owning a "best of" compilation, which I would never contemplate with The Band.

    I guess that makes me "lowest common denominator" or whatever the pejorative of the day is.

  16. #41
    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    CCR was essentially a guitar band. The Band was a lot more into textures - organ, piano, guitar having an equal balance. Robbie was tired of guitar heroics and solos from all those shows with Ronnie Hawkins so you rarely heard him throwing out solos, outros, etc. Everything was in service to the song and the texture.
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

  17. #42
    Oh No! Bass Solo! klothos's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JJ88 View Post
    CCR are more rock 'n' roll, really.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jerjo View Post
    CCR was essentially a guitar band. The Band was a lot more into textures - organ, piano, guitar having an equal balance. Robbie was tired of guitar heroics and solos from all those shows with Ronnie Hawkins so you rarely heard him throwing out solos, outros, etc. Everything was in service to the song and the texture.
    Quote Originally Posted by Baribrotzer View Post
    The difference I hear between The Band and CCR is one of both breadth and depth. The Band's music was both broader and deeper: broader in its combination of influences and instrumental colors, and for the most part deeper both musically and lyrically. CCR were a traditionalist singles band, with an appealing but rather one-dimensional sound. The Band were 3-D Technicolor in comparison.
    Yeah, true, but thats not the discrepency - the question at hand was:

    "Why Bar Bands Sound The Way They Do?".

    ..For decades, CCR has been a staple in bar band sets. why? easy to play and take minimum rehearsal to learn. This is almost a pre-requisite for many bar bands.... and thats not necessarily true with The Band who are generally only slightly more complex, with better vocal harmonies (this part is KEY as Bar Bands often only have one singer doing everything and another guy pretending to do harmony by singing unison with the lead vocalist -- but we are talking about lazy musicians ). This is why you are almost guaranteed to hear "Green River", "Suzy Q", or something along those lines almost every night with a Bar Band. The Band? You may hear "The Weight" or something else if the band is adventurous enough.

    take it from me: Im a lazy musician

  18. #43
    I think 'Sleeping' by Richard Manuel is a gorgeous song!

  19. #44
    CCR was a good old rock and roll band. The Band was a storytelling band.
    "The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"

  20. #45
    Quote Originally Posted by PeterG View Post
    How would I describe the music of The Band? In a word, boring!
    Yes, maybe, but in the best possible sense.

  21. #46
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
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    It would of course karmically figure that when I went grocery shopping earlier today The Band was playing over the (f/k/a) Muzak system. What made it surprising was it wasn't any of the "big 3" of "Weight, "Dixie" or "Cripple", but of all things "Chest Fever"!

    While stopping in the aisle blocking all the other carts to listen since I hadn't heard it for a while & it was of course fresh in my memory, I came to the conclusion that Garth Hudson's 4 chord repetitive riff throughout the song deserves the "instantly recognizable riff" award every bit as much as "Satisfaction", "Sunshine Of Your Love', Smoke On The Water", "Whole Lotta Love" and on and on......

    YMMV
    "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"

    President Harry S. Truman

  22. #47
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bob_32_116 View Post
    I guess that makes me "lowest common denominator" or whatever the pejorative of the day is.
    You're from the lowest hemisphere. Maybe you prefer Australiana. (If there is such a thing)

  23. #48
    All Things Must Pass spellbound's Avatar
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    Believe it or not, this is the first version of Chest Fever I remember hearing as a teen. I would very soon thereafter come to greatly appreciate Garth Hudson, but this Jimmy Greenspoon workout doesn't suck:

    We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
    It won't be visible through the air
    And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973

  24. #49
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Here's another cover that doesn't suck.


  25. #50
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    This might be my favorite cover of a Band tune...


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