GOOD MUSIC FROM TWO MEMBERS OF 'THE BAND'
Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 09/08/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"One disc approximately 50 minutes long. The sound is very good,with a few slight imperfections (snaps and pops) here and there. These are most evident when listening to this on headphones-otherwise don't worry. The recording is warm,which suits these tracks,the vocals are up front and very clean. The sound is like sitting up front in a small venue. The notes are minimal-a short paragraph on the recording process,that's it.
This is a live recording from the late Rick Danko and the late Richard Manuel of THE BAND. For anyone who likes the aching,lived in vocal sound of THE BAND,this is for you. Danko's voice is in fine form,sounding very much like he just recorded "Music From Big Pink",or "The Band". Manuel's voice,which is the higher of the two,sounds every bit as good as it did on his solo album "Whispering Pines",from a while ago. When their voices blend,the combination is truly magnificent. Backed primarily by Manuel's electric piano,which also has the sound of his old band,and a bit better sound than the above mentioned live album,this is some truly heartfelt sounding music. Danko takes the lead on most of these tracks,with Manuel filling in when needed to give added weight to the songs. Occasionally there is a bit of guitar mixed in,as on "It Makes No Difference",which is a highlight. Mixed way back on these tracks is the sound of a bass guitar,but its very distant sounding. But really,every listener will have their own favorites here,because the singing and playing is of such a high quality.
All the songs are in a medium slow tempo,which only highlights both men's vocals. The accent is squarely on the two voices-there's no instrumental interplay to get in the way-which is a plus on this recording. There's a couple of well known songs from THE BAND,"King Harvest",and "Chest Fever",and a few other tracks people will recognize. Thankfully there is little between song banter,which heard once,can become tedious. Saying that,track ten is titled "Banter",which is exactly what it is-but its mercifully short.
The song "Chest Fever" lacks the fullness of the full band recording everyone's familiar with,but the plus side is that its very atmospheric. With little instrumental backing,the accent is on the voices,which are very visceral,and Manuel's piano carries the melody along well enough between verses. The vocal blending is rougher sounding,and gives this track a different feel,which is satisfying in its own way. The vocals throughout this album have a slightly woozy,boozy,good time sound-much more so than when they played together in THE BAND. This is evident from the beginning of the first track,"C C Rider",which sets the stage for the rest of this album.
This album is for listeners who liked the worn work shirt,good time sound of THE BAND,when that group just seemed to roll along from song to song. The style is different from their ex-band mate Levon Helm,yet this could sit between his recent releases and THE BAND's pretty comfortably. For this music,while different in its feel and style,springs from the same place-honest music played and sung with great feeling. This is something that listeners will find themselves playing over again and,each time,hearing something new. Isn't that what good music is all about?"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
