Levon Helm – American Son (1980)

American Son is a studio album by American country rock musician Levon Helm, who is most famous for his work as drummer for the rock group the Band. It was released in October 1980 on MCA Records and was Helm’s third studio album. It has been generally considered Levon Helm’s best solo work until the release of Dirt Farmer in 2007.

Helm played the part of Loretta Lynn’s father in 1980 film Coal Miner’s Daughter and was asked to record a version of Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky” for the film’s soundtrack. The session went well, and producer Fred Carter, Jr., decided to cut more tracks. Using a band of veteran Nashville session players, Carter and Helm recorded 20 tracks over two weeks, half of which ended up on American Son. (by wikipedia)

While recording a few songs for the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter, in which he played Loretta Lynn’s father, Levon Helm and friends just kept the tape rolling. American Son offers ten songs (the single “Blue Moon of Kentucky” b/w “Working in a Coal Mine” offers two more) from those productive sessions. A band of Nashville veterans replaces the superstar lineup of Helm’s first two albums. The resulting record has a relaxed groove that kicks in with “Watermelon Time in Georgia” and doesn’t let up. The terrific “Hurricane” evokes the Band’s second album, while “Violet Eyes” and “China Girl” are highlighted by engaging harmonies. American Son is considered by many to be Levon’s best solo album. (by J.P. Ollio)

After much digging through used bins I came across a copy of Levon’s American Son – his third solo album (not released on CD) a few months ago and I have been listening to it regularly since. It really is very good, especially side 2 (side 1 starts strong, but I am less enthusiastic about the last few). So you can have better sense of where this opinion is coming from, you should know that I found both of the first two solo albums from Levon to be pretty ho-hum. Pleasant but no thrills. But this one really is worth hunting down. It never slips below adequate and at times (i.e. “Watermelon time in Georgia” – the opener to side one, and the fantastic three song sequence closing side two “Nashville Wimmen”/a sublime “Blue House of Broken Hearts” and a charming “Sweet Georgia Wine”) it really does have the “base of the backbone thrills” that I once complained Levon’s solo work lacks. (Well, I take it back now.)

The album is much more of a country effort than the first two albums. The production/arrangements by Fred Carter Jr. are much simpler and more effective than the horn-laden Duck Dunn production of Levon Helm. (Carter was the Ronnie Hawkins guitarist whose slot Robbie moved into when Carter went off to Nashville session work.) Carter plays lead guitar, some Nashville session people fill in behind him. (Also Levon in his book says that the Cates came down to pitch in. I think it is one of the Cate brothers singing harmony on “Blue House of Broken Hearts”. Whoever it is, he is fantastic!)

Among the many things that stand out about this album is the drumming. Levon is really doing very interesting things. (I am not usually prone to notice drumming, so it says something that I noticed here.) I remember reading in a drumming magazine interview (with some Really Famous Drummer – can’t remember who) some time ago which described Levon as a remarkable drummer in part because of a unique syncopation of the bass drum – an “independent right foot thing”. I had no idea what he was talking about, but after listening to American Son, I do. The bass drum is off carrying a beat that has just a heartbeat’s syncopation relative to everything else. Really effective. Normally, I guess, this is less obvious because of three possible things:

Playing with a distinctive bass guitarist like Rick or Duck Dunn masks the distinctive bass drum.
Sometimes – like on the Muddy Waters Woodstock Album – Levon is trying to just power a song forward in a simple way, and so he just leaves aside the fancy tricks.
Maybe these sessions just took place on one of Levon’s best weeks.

I might add that for all I know, the bullet Levon put in his butt, severing all sorts of nerves and stuff, may have ended his his ability to manage the bass drum with this kind of finesse – so this may be the only place to hear Levon at his drumming peak.

The circumstances of the recording of this album were apparently this: Levon went to the Bradley Barn recording studio in Nashville (where Ronnie Hawkins, with Levon and assorted sessionmen had recorded Ronnie Hawkins Sings the Songs of Hank Williams over twenty years earlier) to record “Blue Moon of Kentucky” for the Coal Miner’s Daughter soundtrack. Things really clicked in the studio, so as Levon put it, they decided to “put some hay in the barn” by recording a bunch of less-known standards. (None of the songs is original, unless you count “Stay With Me” written by producer Carter.) The musical chemistry is infectious: even the weaker songs are redeemed by the lively and subtle musicianship of Levon, Fred Carter, and whoever else is playing. (by James Tappenden – from the Usenet newsgroup alt.music.the-band, December 1995.)

Personnel:
Beegie Adair (piano)
Kenneth Buttrey (drums)
Jerry Carrigan (drums)
Buddy Emmons (pedal steel-guitar)
Steve Gibson (guitar)
Levon Helm (drums, vocals, harmonica)
Mitch Humphries (organ, background vocals)
Bobby Ogdin (keyboards)
Buster Phillips (drums)
Hargus “Pig” Robbins (piano)
Clifford Robertson (organ)
Billy Sanford (guitar)
Steve Schaffer (bass)
Jerry Shook (guitar, mandolin)
Henry Strzelecki (bass, background vocals)
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background vocals:
Todd Cerney – Buzz Cason

Tracklist:
01. Watermelon Time In Georgia (Howard) 3.45
02. Dance Me Down Easy (Henley/Burnette) 2.51
03. Violet Eyes (Kimmel) 3.11
04. Stay With Me (Carter) 3.02
05. America’s Farm (Rogers) 3.07
06. Hurricane (Stegall/Harris/Schuyler) 4.01
07. China Girl (New/Silbar) 3.15
08. Nashville Wimmin (Howard) 4.08
09. Blue House Of Broken Hearts (Martin/Cerney) 3.29
10. Sweet Peach Georgia Wine (Reynolds) 3.48

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Mark Lavon “Levon” Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012)

Levon Helm – Levon Helm & The RCO All-Stars (1977)

Levon Helm and the RCO All-Stars is a 1977 album by the short-lived musical group of the same name. It was Levon Helm’s first studio album independent of the Band

Levon Helm was an American singer, musician and actor, best known for his role as drummer for The Band.

Levon Helm was born in rural Arkansas in 1940, and grew up surrounded by blues, country and R&B music. He made the decision to become a musician after seeing bluegrass pioneer Bill Monrow perform, and subsequently took up both guitar and drums – he was playing in local bars and clubs by the time he was 17 years old. After graduating high school he became the drummer for The Hawks, the backing group of rockabilly artist Ronnie Hawkins. With Hawkins he made the move to Toronto, Canada, where southern rockabilly acts were very popular at the time. He stayed with Hawkins for many years, as his mentor recruited a number of young Canadian musicians into the band, which eventually led to the line-up of Helm, guitarist Robbie Robertson, bassist Rick Danko, pianist Richard Manuel and organist Garth Hudson.
In 1963 the group parted ways with Hawkins, and toured across both the USA and Canada. In 1965 they became the unlikely backing band of Bob Dylan following his move into electric rock music, and they embarked on a world tour with him. However before long Helm had left, disheartened by the negative reaction Dylan’s new music was getting. He returned to Arkansas for a couple of years, but eventually reunited with his bandmates in Woodstock in 1967, where they began to hone a unique new fusion of American roots music styles. Reinvented as The Band, they were signed to Capitol Records, and their debut album Music From Big Pink was a huge hit with the critics. The Band released seven studio albums between 1968 and 1977, with Helm’s distinctive southern vocals a vital ingredient in their sound. Though Danko and Manuel were gifted vocalists as well, Helm got to sing lead on their best-known songs – “The Weight”, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Up On Cripple Creek”. His unique drumming style was another key ingredient, and it earned him much praise. He also contributed mandolin and guitar.

The Band broke up in 1976, and Helm started work on a solo album. It saw release the next year as Levon Helm & The RCO All-Stars, and featured appearances from Paul Butterfield, Dr John, Booker T & The MGs and Fred Carter Jr. Robertson and Hudson also guested on one song. It was certainly nothing ground-breaking or a new, but it was a good album, in a bluesy roots-rock style with definite echoes of The Band (indeed the one song to feature both Robertson and Hudson practically was The Band). The songs were mostly covers, and included numbers by Dr John, Earl King and Chuck Berry.

Ex-Band drummer/vocalist Levon Helm could not have surrounded himself with a more talented group of musicians for his first solo outing — Booker T. and the MGs and Dr. John anchor the RCO All-Stars. But while there is no question that the band can really cook, Levon’s homey Arkansas twang gets a little lost in the mix. In general, though, the songs are buoyed by Paul Butterfield’s blues harp and the crack horn section, especially on the soulful “Rain Down Tears.” (by by J.P. Ollio)

What a line-up !

Personnel:
Paul Butterfield (harmonica, background vocals)
Fred Carter, Jr. (guitar)
Steve Cropper (guitar)
Donald Dunn (bass)
Levon Helm (vocals, drums)
Howard Johnson (saxophone, tuba)
Booker T. Jones (keyboards, percussion)
Tom Malone (trombone)
Lou Marini (saxophone)
Mac “Dr. John” Rebennack (keyboards, background vocals, guitar, percussion)
Alan Rubin (trumpet)
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background vocals:
Jeannette Baker – John Flamingo – Emmaretta Marks
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additional musicians on 05.:
Jesse Ehrlich (strings)
Garth Hudson (accordion)
Louis Kievman (strings)
William Kurasch (strings)
Charles Miller (saxophone)
Robbie Robertson (guitar)
Sid Sharp (strings)

Tracklist:
01. Washer Woman (Rebennack) 3.15
02. The Tie That Binds (Rebennack/Guidry) 4.35
03. You Got Me (Jones) 4.16
04. Blues So Bad (Glover/Helm) 4.16
05. Sing, Sing, Sing (Let’s Make A Better World) (King) 3.51
06. Milk Cow Boogie (Arnold/Traditional) 3.11
07. Rain Down Tears (Glover/Toombs) 5.21
08. A Mood I Was In (Carter) 3.42
09. Havana Moon (Berry) 4.28
10. That’s My Home (Traditional) 3.23

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Mark Lavon “Levon” Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012)

Levon Helm – Electric Dirt (2009)

Electric Dirt is the final studio album from American musician Levon Helm, released in 2009. It is the follow-up to his Grammy-winning 2007 album Dirt Farmer. In Uncut’s list of the 150 best albums between 2000 through 2009, Electric Dirt was listed 80th. It won the first ever Grammy Award for Best Americana Album, an inaugural category in 2010. (by wikipedia)

In a musical career that has spanned six decades, Levon Helm has made more than a few excellent albums working with other folks — most notably as drummer and vocalist with the Band, as well as backing Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, John Martyn, Rufus Wainwright, and literally dozens of others. But as a solo artist, Helm’s record has been considerably spottier, with well-intended disappointments outnumbering genuine successes, so it’s good to report that at the age of 69, Helm has found his second wind as a recording artist, cutting two of his most satisfying solo sets in a row. Following 2007’s excellent Dirt Farmer, Electric Dirt is every bit as impressive and finds him sounding even stronger than he did on that comeback set. Dirt Farmer was Helm’s first album after a bout with throat cancer nearly silenced him, and his vocals sounded firmly committed but just a bit strained; two years on, Helm’s voice is nearly as supple as it was during his days with the Band, and even when it shows signs of wear and tear, his sense of phrasing and his ability to bring the characters in these songs to life are as good as they’ve ever been.

While Dirt Farmer leaned toward acoustic music in the Appalachian tradition, Electric Dirt aims for a broader and more eclectic sound; “Golden Bird” sounds as if it could have been gleaned from the Harry Smith anthology, but the opening cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed” swings with a solid New Orleans groove like an outtake from the Rock of Ages concerts, a pair of Muddy Waters numbers are subtle but passionate acoustic blues, “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” is joyous gospel-infused R&B, and “White Dove” is fervent and heartfelt traditional country. Larry Campbell, who co-produced Dirt Farmer, returned for these sessions, as did most of the same band, bringing a similarly organic touch to the music, and the bigger sound of this album seems to suit everyone involved, with Helm’s drumming sounding especially lively and well-grounded. And though Helm only wrote two songs for this album, they’re two good ones, especially “Growin’ Trade,” a tale of an aging farmer who has taken to raising marijuana, and what could easily have been played as a joke is a moving account of one man’s conscience as it wrestles with his heritage and love of the land. Not unlike his old buddy Bob Dylan from Time Out of Mind onward, Levon Helm seems to have rediscovered his knack for making great records in what some might have imagined would be the latter days of his career; Electric Dirt sounds fresh, emphatic, and as effective as anything Levon has cut since the mid-’70s, and one can only hope he has a few more discs in him just this good. (by Mark Deming)

But … this was his last album … what a great album ! What a great good bye …

Personnel:
Larry Campbell (guitar, vocals, fiddle, mandolin, dulcimer)
Levon Helm vocals, drums, mandolin)
Byron Isaacs (bass, background vocals)
Brian Mitchell (keyoards, harmonium, accordion)
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Steven Bernstein (horn, cornet, trumpet on 01., 07. 10. + 11.)
Jay Collins (saxophone, vocals on 01., 06., 07., 09. + 11.)
Clark Gayton (trombone, tuba on 01., 07. 10. + 11.)
Amy Helm (bass, drum, vocals on 02. – 04., 06., 07., 09. – 11.)
Howard Johnson (tuba on 01., 07. + 11.)
Erik Lawrence (saxophone, trombone, tuba on 01., 07., 10. + 11.)
George Receli (background vocals on 04.)
Catherine Russell (vocals on 11.)
Jimmy Vivino (organ, guitar on 01. + 02.)
Teresa Williams (autoharp, guitar, vocals on 01 – 04., 06., 07.  + 09. – 11.)

Tracklist:
01. Tennesse Jed (Garcia/Hunter)
02. Move Along Train (R.Staples)
03. Growin’ Trade (Campbell/L.Helm)
04. Golden Bird (Traum)
05. Stuff You Watch (Morganfield)
06. White Dove (Stanley)
07. Kingfish (Newman)
08. You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Ever Had (Morganfield)
09. When I Go Away (Campbell)
10. Heaven’s Pearls (A.Helm/Leone/Isaacs/McBain/Patscha)
11. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (Taylor/Lamb)

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Levon Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012)