Levon Helm (Photo credit: dgans)
"Levon Helm is the only drummer who can make you cry," wrote critic Jon Carroll.
There's reason for a few tears today. Helm, the final remaining vocalist of The Band, has passed away after a long battle with cancer. (An announcement from Helm's family earlier this week contained the sad news of Levon's worsened condition, prompting an outpouring of tributes.) Helm had been ill with throat cancer for more than a decade, which robbed him of his evocative voice for years. His return to singing was both a personal and artistic triumph; his 2007 album Dirt Farmer, and its follow-up Electric Dirt, both won Grammys. The group's other vocalists were pianist Richard Manuel, who committed suicide in 1986, and bassist Rick Danko, who died of heart failure at age 56 in 1999.
The Band got its start as The Hawks, backing up proto-rocker Ronnie Hawkins, (Helm called them "the wildest, fiercest, speed driven bar band in America") but got their commercial break backing up Bob Dylan when he went electric in the mid 1960s. Their first two albums, Music From Big Pink and The Band had rough-hewn, rootsy quality that ran counter to the trendy, psychedelic sounds of the day. Greil Marcus' essay about those albums in his book Mystery Train remains one of the greatest pieces of rock criticism ever.
To understand Helm's greatness, pull out either of those two classic records. Or better still, watch this fascinating clip that dissects tracks from that self-titled "Brown Album." While the whole thing's well worth watching, at 3:10, Helm begins a detailed explanation of how he made the near-impossible feat of singing and playing the drums sound easy. At around 7:3o he explains how The Band pieced together their intricate harmonies.
One of rock's great voices may soon be silenced, but Levon Helm's timeless music will live on.
EDIT: The post was updated to include the sad news about Levon Helm's passing.
