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RollingFreak
Robbie was actually the one that gave Levon the cancer. Its sad that people forget about that. That Robbie is actually the devil. I'd watch your back Garth Hudson!

thats what thegreek would have you think because remember helm is a nice guy. even though helm was the one who seems to never let go or put things aside even for 1 night to stand on stage with the rest of the band or shake a hand at a funeral

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TheGreek

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keefriffhard4life
Proof of what? I gave quotes by people who worked with helm in the 90s. I pointed out the writing credits prior to 1970 when drugs took over most of the band showing lots of credits given to others. I mentioned the lack if writing credits on levons on solo work and non Robertson band releases. I mentioned demos of just robbie or robbie and another member, not helm, that sound pretty much exactly like the versions of the songs the band did. I posted a Robertson solo tune "between trains" that sounds just like a tune by the band and levon had no hand in it. I mentioned 3 of the other guys worked with robbie as a solo artist.


your proof is you meet them, they are nice. Helm won grammys for albums comprised almost entirely of songs he has no writing credit on

While Levon Helm won 3 Grammy awards for his solo material "for finding songs that sound like the Band" Robbie was busy peddling childrens books and hawking yet another repackaged version of The Last Waltz. And if GRAMMYS mean nothing ,aren't sales also irrelevant ?

btw sales show me the interest the public has in something. doesn't mean huge sales mean something is good or bad. helm probably didn't like the public has a larger interest in what robertson was doing than what he was doing.

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keefriffhard4life
helm talked smack about robertson for over 20 years and he still went to visit him. i bet you helm wouldn't have done that had it been robbie dying. helm might have showed up at the funeral just to spit on the grave

RR was not asked to come to Levon's deathbed. He was not welcome. But when he showed up he was not turned away. This is what I remember. If I am wrong then tell me.
Why the hell would Levon go to RR's bedside? lol And do a 180 on what he has been saying all these years?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-11-23 01:49 by triceratops.

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triceratops

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keefriffhard4life
helm talked smack about robertson for over 20 years and he still went to visit him. i bet you helm wouldn't have done that had it been robbie dying. helm might have showed up at the funeral just to spit on the grave

RR was not asked to come to Levon's deathbed. He was not welcome. But when he showed up he was not turned away. This is what I remember. If I am wrong then tell me.
Why the hell would Levon go to RR's bedside? lol And do a 180 on what he has been saying all these years?

helm wouldn't and thats my point. bitter old man. robertson never trashed him. never made statements.went to visit him when he was dying. thats being a good person.shows RR character to me.

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keefriffhard4life
helm wouldn't and thats my point. bitter old man. robertson never trashed him. never made statements.went to visit him when he was dying. thats being a good person.shows RR character to me.

You would be bitter if you were massively cheated and one day you will be old. Maybe even old and bitter. RR character is in the basement because I know the man by his deeds. Levon lead a ten times more upright life than RR, the man you endless advocate for on this forum.

BTW I saw The Band after Big Pink and it was a super collaborative effort up on stage. Trading off instruments and vocals. I know who profited from this collaboration to the detriment of the other four. Did Garth Hudson get any credits and writing royalties ($$$) for Chest Fever?

wikipedia sez--
"Chest Fever" is a song recorded by the Band on its 1968 debut, Music from Big Pink. It is, according to Peter Viney, a historian of the group, “the Big Pink track that has appeared on most subsequent live albums and compilations,” second only to The Weight.[1] The music for the piece was written by guitarist Robbie Robertson. Total authorship is typically credited solely to Robertson, although the lyrics, according to Levon Helm, were originally improvised by Levon Helm and Richard Manuel, telling the story of a man who becomes sick when he is spurned by the woman he loves.[2]

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triceratops

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keefriffhard4life
helm wouldn't and thats my point. bitter old man. robertson never trashed him. never made statements.went to visit him when he was dying. thats being a good person.shows RR character to me.

You would be bitter if you were massively cheated and one day you will be old. Maybe even old and bitter. RR character is in the basement because I know the man by his deeds. Levon lead a ten times more upright life than RR, the man you endless advocate for on this forum.

BTW I saw The Band after Big Pink and it was a super collaborative effort up on stage. Trading off instruments and vocals. I know who profited from this collaboration to the detriment of the other four. Did Garth Hudson get any credits and writing royalties ($$$) for Chest Fever?

wikipedia sez--
"Chest Fever" is a song recorded by the Band on its 1968 debut, Music from Big Pink. It is, according to Peter Viney, a historian of the group, “the Big Pink track that has appeared on most subsequent live albums and compilations,” second only to The Weight.[1] The music for the piece was written by guitarist Robbie Robertson. Total authorship is typically credited solely to Robertson, although the lyrics, according to Levon Helm, were originally improvised by Levon Helm and Richard Manuel, telling the story of a man who becomes sick when he is spurned by the woman he loves.[2]

so you ask is garth got a writing credit for "chest fever" then post something that states nothing about garth having any input at all in writing the song but the credit should be for helm, manuel and robertson. nice though the wikipedia stuff is just taken from helms book though so its still just he said she said

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duke richardson
"sixteen years.." " we've been on the road for sixteen years, man..."

wow ..

was it that bad?

Haha! I was thinking about the same quote too. He said this in Last Waltz...

It is hilarious... Dylan: Never Ending Tour.

16 years? Wasn't it fun? The Last Waltz ruined the relationship between the members of The Band. What a shame! They were the tightest band ever.

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RollingFreak
Seems like people have already chosen their sides in this Band feud and really aren't budging, whether rightly or wrongly. Its not really for us to judge. I'll remind people though that Danko, Robertson and Hudson did play together at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Maybe not the most genuine, but the only one who truly refused was Levon. I think thats basically what the relationship was like. They all sorta resented Robbie, but they didn't hate him cause they knew that in the end he was key to the band. Levon was the only one, and maybe with good reason, that really didn't like him.

Also, I just love their playing on The Last Waltz. I know its a controversial release, but they all sounded and played so good there and I regularly listen to just the Band concert songs from that all the time. I rather look at that than all the talk about who hated who.

Why is LW a controversial release?

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keefriffhard4life

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triceratops

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keefriffhard4life
helm wouldn't and thats my point. bitter old man. robertson never trashed him. never made statements.went to visit him when he was dying. thats being a good person.shows RR character to me.

You would be bitter if you were massively cheated and one day you will be old. Maybe even old and bitter. RR character is in the basement because I know the man by his deeds. Levon lead a ten times more upright life than RR, the man you endless advocate for on this forum.

BTW I saw The Band after Big Pink and it was a super collaborative effort up on stage. Trading off instruments and vocals. I know who profited from this collaboration to the detriment of the other four. Did Garth Hudson get any credits and writing royalties ($$$) for Chest Fever?

wikipedia sez--
"Chest Fever" is a song recorded by the Band on its 1968 debut, Music from Big Pink. It is, according to Peter Viney, a historian of the group, “the Big Pink track that has appeared on most subsequent live albums and compilations,” second only to The Weight.[1] The music for the piece was written by guitarist Robbie Robertson. Total authorship is typically credited solely to Robertson, although the lyrics, according to Levon Helm, were originally improvised by Levon Helm and Richard Manuel, telling the story of a man who becomes sick when he is spurned by the woman he loves.[2]

so you ask is garth got a writing credit for "chest fever" then post something that states nothing about garth having any input at all in writing the song but the credit should be for helm, manuel and robertson. nice though the wikipedia stuff is just taken from helms book though so its still just he said she said

Billy Preston didn't get credit for his playing on Miss You, Melody etc.!

Wow- whats the point in re-hashing all this shit? No one here was there or knows any of the people involved personally or has any stake/connection beyond that of the average fan. I'm sure celebrating the wonderful music is what all the members of the Band would prefer you do- not perpetuate alot of negativity Its all starting to sound obsessive and weird and troll fanboy-ish. Play the music and enjoy it. Thats our part in the story of The Band. Period.

Well it's obvious that no one is going to change anyone's mind here.I don't know Robbie ,but i did meet Levon, Rick, and Garth many times over the years . Regarding the producer credits on Shine A light: Do you really think all 4 Stones were involved in producer duties, or was it a way to share credit and revenue? Levon never forgave Robbie.After he visited Helm on his deathbed,Robbie posted about his visit on Facebook. Some took that to believe there was a reconciliation . No such thing happened. Helm was unconsicious.And Robbie never corrected the assumption that they spoke. It says nothing of Robbie's character to show up at the end. It was too little too late. If Levon were conscious, he would have belted Robbie in the mouth. Robbie may have taken the high road publicly, but Helm wore his heart on his sleeve. That may have hurt him in the court of public opinion, but Helm was consistent, and he certainly wasn't a hypocrite. And he didn't suffer fools gladly. What a coincidence that Robbie's book is published after Helm's death,and it's story ends at The Last Waltz. Levon was a loyal friend and spoke his mind, consequences be damned.He passed up many paying gigs to play local charity benefits that he had committed to. Many times he played with local bands as a last minute sub drummer for no pay, because he loved to play, and loved supporting local musicians. He even did this when he was receiving radiation treatments for his throat cancer.Rick Danko was well known for having opening acts sit in with him at his solo shows. In fact, he would invite any musician known or unknown , to join him onstage. Garth Hudson has sat in with more bands than even he can remember. He could make his keyboard or accordion playing fit into any style of music. All were open and welcoming to their community, and all are beloved in the Woodstock area. Another Levon story .He was invited to play at an all-star musical tribute. Another very well-known singer/guitarist refused to do a sound check until the venue was cleared of non -performers, including Helm's band .Levon refused, telling the producers "if my guys go, I'm going too." They all stayed for the soundcheck. As far as The Last Waltz, Levon referred to it as the "Last Ripoff" and typically declined to sign copies of it for fans.Helm insiders knew not to bring up the subject up. He was outspoken , but he was consistent. Many interviewers found that out the hard way. He did not attend the premiere when the DVD was reissued in 2002. All you need to know is he refused to let Robbie cut Muddy Waters apperearance so that Neil Diamond could appear(he had recently produced Neil"s new album and wanted to promote his solo career even while still a member of The Band). It's those kind of shenanigans that rubbed the other members of The Band the wrong way. First, announce you are breaking up The Band . Then say you're going to film it, with you as a producer, getting most of the screen time (because you're considering an acting career,how ironic), add a musical guest that doesn't fit in with the rest of the performers, try to cut one of your proclaimed "musical heroes," and then get funny with the money. Wonder how most people would feel or what they would think ? There's no denying Robbie's talent and contribution to The Band. At the risk of repeating myself, the whole was greater than the sum of it's parts.But his sanctimonious attitude, shaddy business practices (which he learned at the knee of Albert Grossman , whose reputation as an opportunist was widely known in the industry), and self-promotion turned off and offended his band mates and their legions of fans .Were the other four perfect or innocent ? Of course not. But they don't deserve the disrespect and short -shrifting of the Robbe sycophants either. IF that's how you treat your "brothers,"good luck to anyone else. My only goal in joining in this thread was to refute the ridiculous claims that the post Last Waltz Band had no talent , were irrelevant, and that no one cared about them . Nothing could be further from the truth . And no, I don't think Robbie Robertson gave Levon cancer. What a truly stupid statement. And no, it does not "eat away" at me that Robbie Robertson went to see Levon at the end. I knew the deal, as did anyone with ties to him. Which is why no one has ever said there was a reconciliation. Did Robbie have a guilty conscience ? Who knows .Robbie had nothing to lose and everything to gain. And apparently, the public fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

No one that I saw ever said the robertsonless band had no talent. Most of what was talked about here was songwriting which the 3 guys left have very few writing credits on those 3 albums. I own those 3 albums as well as the levon solo albums. I heard great stuff on these releases. What I don't hear or see though is anything to refute Robertson stole songs from them. Thats my point.

there were several robbie solo tunes that someone covered and rearrnged them and it sounded like the band. I tried to find it on youtube but either the user pulled it or some copyright stuff got it pulled



Robertson says another book is coming that covers 1980 until now. He said this book was over 700 pages by the time he got until the late 70s covered and knew it was already too long so that seemed like a natural spot to stop and cut this book down to a proper length. Will he finish the 2nd book before he dies? Who knows

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frenki09

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RollingFreak
Seems like people have already chosen their sides in this Band feud and really aren't budging, whether rightly or wrongly. Its not really for us to judge. I'll remind people though that Danko, Robertson and Hudson did play together at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Maybe not the most genuine, but the only one who truly refused was Levon. I think thats basically what the relationship was like. They all sorta resented Robbie, but they didn't hate him cause they knew that in the end he was key to the band. Levon was the only one, and maybe with good reason, that really didn't like him.

Also, I just love their playing on The Last Waltz. I know its a controversial release, but they all sounded and played so good there and I regularly listen to just the Band concert songs from that all the time. I rather look at that than all the talk about who hated who.

Why is LW a controversial release?

Because it was seen (or at least said by Levon and maybe the other members) that it was Robertson's thing. It wasn't "pure" Band. It was almost like The Band bragging, kind of being theatrical or trying to be pompous. I'm saying that but I think thats the general gist of it. It wasn't The Band at their best, even though I think those versions of the songs are the best. And that with the filming and with the special guests that it was seen as a showy thing than more of a musical one. Either way, I still love it, I think the box set that came out with most of the whole concert was excellent and I still listen to it on most Thanksgivings. But I believe there are Band purists who don't like it cause of what it represented and because of how it kind "exploited" the Band, for lack of a better word. The whole "suite" stuff. I think it rubbed hardcore fans the wrong way, but maybe I'm wrong.

Here's what I will say TheGreek, because I'm certainly not trying to engage in a fight as I'm sure others aren't either: I respect what you posted there. Not that I haven't understood your angle throughout, but you lay it out very thoughtfully there and provide a lot of the context. In no way am I a "Robbie guy" or a "Levon guy". I don't really care. I think people try to diminish Robbie for one thing or another, and maybe as you point out he deserves to be diminished for being an a-hole. But obviously I'm a fan of the band so I enjoy his contributions and thats what I try to focus on that as opposed to their personal relationships. We can disagree on whether the "new Band" was irrelevant or not (I don't say that to piss you off either, its just how I see them) but thats life. I think when you get personal you can't discount that Levon, at least seemed, very hard headed and kinda b*tchy. But again, thats just how I see it. I could be wrong. Still loved his work as a musician. And maybe a lot of it comes from the fact that one of my favorite Band things is the one that Levon disavows the most vocally.

Bottom line is I truly don't care that much about the band to get into a fight about it. I just think some of the Robertson stuff is overdone, basically because you can't deny what he did bring to the band, and can be outmatched with stuff from any of the other members. As you say, none of them are angels, and I personally don't see Robbie as being worse than any of them, even though they were more "true" people and Robbie seemed a bit more "business-like". Was Robertson going to Levon unconscious with nothing to lose? Yeah probably, but I'm also the kinda guy that hopes Jagger and Richards have some sort of relationship even though realistically they probably don't. So I try to see the good in it, cause in the end it was probably the only way Robertson could have gotten close to Levon again. Rightly or wrongly, Levon never wanted to see him again, so unless he wanted to get punched or killed, this was at least a nice gesture on Robbie's part.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-11-23 17:57 by RollingFreak.

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RollingFreak

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frenki09

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RollingFreak
Seems like people have already chosen their sides in this Band feud and really aren't budging, whether rightly or wrongly. Its not really for us to judge. I'll remind people though that Danko, Robertson and Hudson did play together at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Maybe not the most genuine, but the only one who truly refused was Levon. I think thats basically what the relationship was like. They all sorta resented Robbie, but they didn't hate him cause they knew that in the end he was key to the band. Levon was the only one, and maybe with good reason, that really didn't like him.

Also, I just love their playing on The Last Waltz. I know its a controversial release, but they all sounded and played so good there and I regularly listen to just the Band concert songs from that all the time. I rather look at that than all the talk about who hated who.

Why is LW a controversial release?

Because it was seen (or at least said by Levon and maybe the other members) that it was Robertson's thing. It wasn't "pure" Band. It was almost like The Band bragging, kind of being theatrical or trying to be pompous. I'm saying that but I think thats the general gist of it. It wasn't The Band at their best, even though I think those versions of the songs are the best. And that with the filming and with the special guests that it was seen as a showy thing than more of a musical one. Either way, I still love it, I think the box set that came out with most of the whole concert was excellent and I still listen to it on most Thanksgivings. But I believe there are Band purists who don't like it cause of what it represented and because of how it kind "exploited" the Band, for lack of a better word. The whole "suite" stuff. I think it rubbed hardcore fans the wrong way, but maybe I'm wrong.

Thanks for the reply. I kinda thought that there was more to the controversy. It IS indeed a great concert! It's interesting to see that Levon and the rest of the guys went along with the idea of saying goodbye although the 4 of them never wanted the Band to break up, and in the movie there's no sign of Levon or Rick being bitter about splitting up.

BTW, does the new box set adds anything that wasn't released on the 4CD set that came out about 10 years ago?

Quote
TheGreek
Well it's obvious that no one is going to change anyone's mind here.I don't know Robbie ,but i did meet Levon, Rick, and Garth many times over the years . Regarding the producer credits on Shine A light: Do you really think all 4 Stones were involved in producer duties, or was it a way to share credit and revenue? Levon never forgave Robbie.After he visited Helm on his deathbed,Robbie posted about his visit on Facebook. Some took that to believe there was a reconciliation . No such thing happened. Helm was unconsicious.And Robbie never corrected the assumption that they spoke. It says nothing of Robbie's character to show up at the end. It was too little too late. If Levon were conscious, he would have belted Robbie in the mouth. Robbie may have taken the high road publicly, but Helm wore his heart on his sleeve. That may have hurt him in the court of public opinion, but Helm was consistent, and he certainly wasn't a hypocrite. And he didn't suffer fools gladly. What a coincidence that Robbie's book is published after Helm's death,and it's story ends at The Last Waltz. Levon was a loyal friend and spoke his mind, consequences be damned.He passed up many paying gigs to play local charity benefits that he had committed to. Many times he played with local bands as a last minute sub drummer for no pay, because he loved to play, and loved supporting local musicians. He even did this when he was receiving radiation treatments for his throat cancer.Rick Danko was well known for having opening acts sit in with him at his solo shows. In fact, he would invite any musician known or unknown , to join him onstage. Garth Hudson has sat in with more bands than even he can remember. He could make his keyboard or accordion playing fit into any style of music. All were open and welcoming to their community, and all are beloved in the Woodstock area. Another Levon story .He was invited to play at an all-star musical tribute. Another very well-known singer/guitarist refused to do a sound check until the venue was cleared of non -performers, including Helm's band .Levon refused, telling the producers "if my guys go, I'm going too." They all stayed for the soundcheck. As far as The Last Waltz, Levon referred to it as the "Last Ripoff" and typically declined to sign copies of it for fans.Helm insiders knew not to bring up the subject up. He was outspoken , but he was consistent. Many interviewers found that out the hard way. He did not attend the premiere when the DVD was reissued in 2002. All you need to know is he refused to let Robbie cut Muddy Waters apperearance so that Neil Diamond could appear(he had recently produced Neil"s new album and wanted to promote his solo career even while still a member of The Band). It's those kind of shenanigans that rubbed the other members of The Band the wrong way. First, announce you are breaking up The Band . Then say you're going to film it, with you as a producer, getting most of the screen time (because you're considering an acting career,how ironic), add a musical guest that doesn't fit in with the rest of the performers, try to cut one of your proclaimed "musical heroes," and then get funny with the money. Wonder how most people would feel or what they would think ? There's no denying Robbie's talent and contribution to The Band. At the risk of repeating myself, the whole was greater than the sum of it's parts.But his sanctimonious attitude, shaddy business practices (which he learned at the knee of Albert Grossman , whose reputation as an opportunist was widely known in the industry), and self-promotion turned off and offended his band mates and their legions of fans .Were the other four perfect or innocent ? Of course not. But they don't deserve the disrespect and short -shrifting of the Robbe sycophants either. IF that's how you treat your "brothers,"good luck to anyone else. My only goal in joining in this thread was to refute the ridiculous claims that the post Last Waltz Band had no talent , were irrelevant, and that no one cared about them . Nothing could be further from the truth . And no, I don't think Robbie Robertson gave Levon cancer. What a truly stupid statement. And no, it does not "eat away" at me that Robbie Robertson went to see Levon at the end. I knew the deal, as did anyone with ties to him. Which is why no one has ever said there was a reconciliation. Did Robbie have a guilty conscience ? Who knows .Robbie had nothing to lose and everything to gain. And apparently, the public fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

Amen!

I actually think that this feud was pretty interesting.

For me Robbie Robertson is a musician like John Fogerty: long lost! Huge and very influential in their original band, and then a BORING solo career. You might like one or two of their solo material (I do), but nothing comes close to anything they've done with CCR or The Band. NOTHING.

If Levon thought he was getting ripped off, he should have left. It's not like he hadn't quit on them before or anything...

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frenki09

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RollingFreak

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frenki09

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RollingFreak
Seems like people have already chosen their sides in this Band feud and really aren't budging, whether rightly or wrongly. Its not really for us to judge. I'll remind people though that Danko, Robertson and Hudson did play together at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Maybe not the most genuine, but the only one who truly refused was Levon. I think thats basically what the relationship was like. They all sorta resented Robbie, but they didn't hate him cause they knew that in the end he was key to the band. Levon was the only one, and maybe with good reason, that really didn't like him.

Also, I just love their playing on The Last Waltz. I know its a controversial release, but they all sounded and played so good there and I regularly listen to just the Band concert songs from that all the time. I rather look at that than all the talk about who hated who.

Why is LW a controversial release?

Because it was seen (or at least said by Levon and maybe the other members) that it was Robertson's thing. It wasn't "pure" Band. It was almost like The Band bragging, kind of being theatrical or trying to be pompous. I'm saying that but I think thats the general gist of it. It wasn't The Band at their best, even though I think those versions of the songs are the best. And that with the filming and with the special guests that it was seen as a showy thing than more of a musical one. Either way, I still love it, I think the box set that came out with most of the whole concert was excellent and I still listen to it on most Thanksgivings. But I believe there are Band purists who don't like it cause of what it represented and because of how it kind "exploited" the Band, for lack of a better word. The whole "suite" stuff. I think it rubbed hardcore fans the wrong way, but maybe I'm wrong.

Thanks for the reply. I kinda thought that there was more to the controversy. It IS indeed a great concert! It's interesting to see that Levon and the rest of the guys went along with the idea of saying goodbye although the 4 of them never wanted the Band to break up, and in the movie there's no sign of Levon or Rick being bitter about splitting up.

BTW, does the new box set adds anything that wasn't released on the 4CD set that came out about 10 years ago?

nope content is the same

Quote
frenki09
Amen!

I actually think that this feud was pretty interesting.

For me Robbie Robertson is a musician like John Fogerty: long lost! Huge and very influential in their original band, and then a BORING solo career. You might like one or two of their solo material (I do), but nothing comes close to anything they've done with CCR or The Band. NOTHING.

Isn't it the same with Roger Waters! Huge in Pink Floyd and then nothing special afterwards (songwriting). Also a feud when splitting up.

By the way, if RR didn't want to tour anymore.
That was his decision. Why should he continue touring just because Helm wanted it!

Quote
TheGreek
Well it's obvious that no one is going to change anyone's mind here.I don't know Robbie ,but i did meet Levon, Rick, and Garth many times over the years . Regarding the producer credits on Shine A light: Do you really think all 4 Stones were involved in producer duties, or was it a way to share credit and revenue? Levon never forgave Robbie.After he visited Helm on his deathbed,Robbie posted about his visit on Facebook. Some took that to believe there was a reconciliation . No such thing happened. Helm was unconsicious.And Robbie never corrected the assumption that they spoke. It says nothing of Robbie's character to show up at the end. It was too little too late. If Levon were conscious, he would have belted Robbie in the mouth. Robbie may have taken the high road publicly, but Helm wore his heart on his sleeve. That may have hurt him in the court of public opinion, but Helm was consistent, and he certainly wasn't a hypocrite. And he didn't suffer fools gladly. What a coincidence that Robbie's book is published after Helm's death,and it's story ends at The Last Waltz. Levon was a loyal friend and spoke his mind, consequences be damned.He passed up many paying gigs to play local charity benefits that he had committed to. Many times he played with local bands as a last minute sub drummer for no pay, because he loved to play, and loved supporting local musicians. He even did this when he was receiving radiation treatments for his throat cancer.Rick Danko was well known for having opening acts sit in with him at his solo shows. In fact, he would invite any musician known or unknown , to join him onstage. Garth Hudson has sat in with more bands than even he can remember. He could make his keyboard or accordion playing fit into any style of music. All were open and welcoming to their community, and all are beloved in the Woodstock area. Another Levon story .He was invited to play at an all-star musical tribute. Another very well-known singer/guitarist refused to do a sound check until the venue was cleared of non -performers, including Helm's band .Levon refused, telling the producers "if my guys go, I'm going too." They all stayed for the soundcheck. As far as The Last Waltz, Levon referred to it as the "Last Ripoff" and typically declined to sign copies of it for fans.Helm insiders knew not to bring up the subject up. He was outspoken , but he was consistent. Many interviewers found that out the hard way. He did not attend the premiere when the DVD was reissued in 2002. All you need to know is he refused to let Robbie cut Muddy Waters apperearance so that Neil Diamond could appear(he had recently produced Neil"s new album and wanted to promote his solo career even while still a member of The Band). It's those kind of shenanigans that rubbed the other members of The Band the wrong way. First, announce you are breaking up The Band . Then say you're going to film it, with you as a producer, getting most of the screen time (because you're considering an acting career,how ironic), add a musical guest that doesn't fit in with the rest of the performers, try to cut one of your proclaimed "musical heroes," and then get funny with the money. Wonder how most people would feel or what they would think ? There's no denying Robbie's talent and contribution to The Band. At the risk of repeating myself, the whole was greater than the sum of it's parts.But his sanctimonious attitude, shaddy business practices (which he learned at the knee of Albert Grossman , whose reputation as an opportunist was widely known in the industry), and self-promotion turned off and offended his band mates and their legions of fans .Were the other four perfect or innocent ? Of course not. But they don't deserve the disrespect and short -shrifting of the Robbe sycophants either. IF that's how you treat your "brothers,"good luck to anyone else. My only goal in joining in this thread was to refute the ridiculous claims that the post Last Waltz Band had no talent , were irrelevant, and that no one cared about them . Nothing could be further from the truth . And no, I don't think Robbie Robertson gave Levon cancer. What a truly stupid statement. And no, it does not "eat away" at me that Robbie Robertson went to see Levon at the end. I knew the deal, as did anyone with ties to him. Which is why no one has ever said there was a reconciliation. Did Robbie have a guilty conscience ? Who knows .Robbie had nothing to lose and everything to gain. And apparently, the public fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

Excellent post that sez it all. I think Robbie may have learned some of his slick money moves from his father who is described as a professional gambler. I am curious about his parents and would read that chapter of Robbie's book then toss it in the trash. But w Robbie who knows how honest he will get about his parents in his book/biography as told to X. Yeah we all know his mother was a Canadian Indian.

Quote
triceratops
Excellent post that sez it all. I think Robbie may have learned some of his slick money moves from his father who is described as a professional gambler. I am curious about his parents and would read that chapter of Robbie's book then toss it in the trash. But w Robbie who knows how honest he will get about his parents in his book/biography as told to X. Yeah we all know his mother was a Canadian Indian.

Any problem with Indian people? Are you a Trump voter and racist? I didn't know BV allowed racism on this board!!!! Next thing calling his mom a "Squaw"...

By the way, I can't see any problem between Danko and RR on this video.
[www.youtube.com]

Helm was probably frustrated with a "Canadian No".







Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2016-11-26 03:26 by mtaylor.

Watched LW for the umpteenth time again last night to commemorate the 40th.

I love the film despite RR's self-aggrandizement.

Would love to see a doc made of the Band's entire career, not just the final show with RR.

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