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Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v05n03)
Rick On The Records - by Rick Zeigler
posted: Feb. 01, 2008

Rick on the Records header

LEVON HELM-DIRT FARMER
Not many artists would name their album Dirt Farmer, especially if they are not trying to be ironic. Levon Helm is unlike many artists. Helm is the former drummer and vocalist of The Band, one of the most significant groups in rock history. While most every rock musician in the sixties sought to grab onto the psychedelic/cultural revolution (which actually resulted in loads of great music), Helm and The Band took a different course. They were already together for over a decade as a backing group for Ronnie Hawkins. After they left Hawkins they decided to look to America's past for their musical inspiration. This resulted in their first few critically lauded and highly successful albums, which, not insignificantly, also laid down the signposts for the Americana and alt-country movements we see in full bloom today. Not only did they look to the past for their musical cues as indicated by the album cover of their self-titled opus; which gathered their extended families, spanning many generations, together for a photo shoot; they also rejected the generational break that characterized so much of the sixties.
Forty years have passed, but Helm maintains this same approach today. After undergoing surgery and radiation treatments for throat cancer in the last decade, Helm has remarkably returned to singing the songs he grew up with as a child. Dedicated to his parents and significantly aided by his daughter Amy, this has resulted in the finest solo album of his career, and, arguably, the finest solo album by any member of The Band.
Consisting mostly of traditional numbers, albeit with additions by the Carter Family, Steve Earle, and Buddy and Julie Miller, Dirt Farmer delivers everything an Americana or traditional country fan could hope for. Helm always had the most distinctive voice in The Band (a group blessed with three fantastic singers), and, while not as strong or resonant as in the past, that same voice is instantly recognizable in its slides from one note to the next and in the emphases given to specific syllables and words. And when Amy joins forces for that "family harmony thing" so endemic to country music, the results are glorious. In particular, "Calvary" and "A Train Robbery" use the female backing vocals to surround Helm in ways very reminiscent of his former group. In addition, fiddle, mandolin, accordion, pump organ, and resonator guitars are sprinkled liberally through out, highlighting the olden feel of the songs. "Poor Old Dirt Farmer" is a particular standout, sounding like a barn-dance lament, and "Anna Lee" features nothing but voices and fiddles in a stunning performance. Dirt Farmer also reminds us of Helm's skills as a drummer. A.P. Carter's "Single Girl, Married Girl" takes a true old country song and reconfigures the beat to create something totally original. In sum, we are blessed to have Helm back with us, singing and playing with as much joy and inspiration as ever. Dirt Farmer is a wonderful surprise gift, and you'd be best advised not to just leave it sitting there on the table unopened.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-Magic
Springsteen's latest album is being hailed as a return to the form of his career circa Born To Run and Darkness On The Edge Of Town, and this analysis is right on the money. It is also being hailed as a "political" album, but with the notable exceptions of "Last To Die" and "Long Walk Home," this seems to be more about its sharing of the discontented mood present in the country today than about any particular statements, which is all to the good with Bruce. Kicking off with the flat-out, kick-ass of "Radio Nowhere," Magic proceeds to offer us lots of sixties-styled rockers and the occasional tender ballad. The E Street Band is in fine, confident form throughout, making even the darkest imagery come through as something bold and beautiful. Perhaps the strongest song is "Girls In Their Summer Clothes," a wistful, beautifully melodic tune that encapsulates Springsteen's relentless optimism with a recognition of his own "advanced" (for a rock and roller) age. In sum, with only a few standard trudges through overworked territory (always a problem for Bruce except on Nebraska), Magic demonstrates that Springsteen still delivers on a high level.



Rick Zeigler, along with his wife, Jeanne, owns Indy CD and Vinyl at 806 Broad Ripple Avenue. Back in his musician days, his band opened for the likes of U2, XTC, Gang Of Four, The Pretenders, Los Lobos, and, um, Flock Of Seagulls, among others. You can read all of Rick's reviews at www.indycdandvinyl.com. Email your music questions and comments to rick@BroadRippleGazette.com




rick@broadripplegazette.com
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