Search - Levon Helm :: Levon Helm [MFSL Audiophile Original Master Recording]

Grab it before it goes out of print again!

fungo | Toronto, ON CA | 11/04/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"About the time that Levon Helm cut this album, he used to perform a couple of times a year at a small club a few blocks from where I lived. I felt extremely fortunate to experience his powerhouse playing in such an intimate setting, and I only feel luckier now that those tours have ceased and the club itself is long gone.



Maybe it was because of that live exposure, but I have to confess I've always far preferred Levon Helm on his own, as opposed to the entire Band. He was the one with the really distinctive voice, and, to me at least, his drumming was more interesting than Robbie Robertson's guitar playing. Also, The Band was simply so big that it could tend to sound a bit homogenized. (Even Robertson sounded immediately fresher in his solo career after The Band broke up.) Of course, in his solo efforts Levon left behind Robertson's great songwriting talents... but we've all heard those songs plenty of times by now. On albums like this one Levon pulls out a canny mix of covers, some well-known, some less so, but all great fun.



What wins me over, though, is the distinctive twang of Levon's voice. The brassy opening chords and Levon's crooning words on "Ain't No Way to Forget You" give me a huge charge every time. And every other song seems perfectly chosen to make the most of Levon's easygoing country-boy style. The lushly orchestrated instrumentals somehow work too; they're impeccably played, and anything but generic, running a wide gamut from big band to boogie woogie. This isn't a rockin' album, nor a country album, nor a blues album. It's uniquely Levon Helm, and that's just great with me.



The reissue price on this CD is a bit ridiculous... this is, after all, a 30-year-old album. But then, show me an older CD that isn't ridiculously overpriced any more; at least this one is worth it. It's great to see that this music is available again. Play Something Sweet just one more time, Levon!"

Southern style

Multi-Media Man | 03/27/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A solid performance by Levon & Co. in this under-appreciated album. Best cover of Take Me To The River that you will ever find. Loaded with soul and style. Pick this up -- you will enjoy it!"