Playlist: The Band

[column size=one_half position=first ] [/column][column size=one_half position=last ]The Daily Music Break has covered The Band to some extent, but has mostly focused on Levon Helm. That’s an oversight. Helm was great, of course, but The Band goes way beyond his high profile contribution.

Obviously, The Band is one of the top ten or so acts of the rock and roll era. They also seem to be the most unique and the most varied in influences. The Band’s music always seems fresh. In addition to its own music, the band (both upper and lower cases apply, ironically) played important roles in the careers of Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan.

The group also was the subject of Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Waltz,” which is one of the great concert movies.

Though the playlist here has familiar songs, I have didn’t include “The Weight” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” simply because they are so familiar. I highly recommend the version of “The Weight” from “The Last Waltz” because of Mavis Staples’ amazing vocal.

More on The Band — mostly Helm, as I mentioned — can be found here, here, here, here and here.[/column]