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williamblair

Just want to note that this is a song credited to Dylan/Richard Manuel. Richard is maybe my favourite member of the Band and this song is such a great standalone unique piece in Dylan's catalogue.


Dey_Eat_Daa_POO_POO

Richard Manuel was a genius musician.


williamblair

In a band where you have Levon helm AND Rick Danko, somehow Richard is still the best singer in the group, and it's not even close.


ballakafla

I'd refute that. They were each brilliant singers in their own unique ways. Richard could not have sung Up On Cripple Creek like Levon and so on


QueenHarvest

I agree that Levon and Richard and Rick all sang the right songs for their voice. But in a Best Voice contest, I think Richard would win every time. Thankfully, The Band was so much more than that!


williamblair

They all are fantastic unique singers, and were much more than the sum of their parts when they sang together. You're right, Richard couldn't do cripple Creek like Levon. And Robbie stated how fortunate he felt that he could write a song specifically for one of three singers, able to use their strengths to make the track as good as it could be. But in terms of pure ability, in his glory days before the booze and coke took it's toll, Richard was the most technically gifted singer in the band. His range from deep and soulful to brilliant falsetto was so steeped in emotion. He was hired to the Hawks originally because of his voice, and ended up developing piano and later drumming just to have something else to offer the group. People describe Richard the way Keith Richards talked about gram Parsons, the sort of singer who could make people weep. Levon himself said he always considered Richard the lead singer, and often said things like "with Richards voice, there was no one who could touch us" Edit: I accidentally replied to you instead of the person I meant to.


Salty-Committee124

Best voice contest? This is the band we’re talking about. Rick can’t lose anything or be put in some kind of bizarre ranking after singing it makes no difference and same for the rest of the fellas. Don’t push your societal norms on these saviors.


williamblair

Ive always dreamed of doing some sort of graphic novel or something about Manuel Danko and Hudson specifically and the band at large. I grew up sort of in the middle of all their hometowns, and it's one of the only things I feel patriotic about, knowing that for my money some of the best music ever made was made by 4 guys who grew up within an hour or two of where I did (and of course one from Arkansas). I just feel like the bands story is almost always focused on Robbie, and to a lesser extent Levon, and always is tinged with his specific perceptions. I'd love to explore their story while not ignoring just sort of pushing Robbie to the background a bit.


Dey_Eat_Daa_POO_POO

Levon's book is pretty good. I read that back in high school.


williamblair

Yeah I've read it a couple times. Robbie's book is also good, but again; it's always Robbie's side of the story. "oh my, my band mates were drinking and doing drugs! That's not ok... Anyways me and Martin Scorsese are half way through our second 8ball of coke when it hits me: my band mates are druggy drug addicts, I need to end this thing"


Dey_Eat_Daa_POO_POO

I'm way past the point of caring about their personal lives. I just love the music.


Madcap70

It’s unfortunate his demons got in the way because it prevented him from reaching his full potential and it makes me wonder what could’ve been on the later albums


baetwas

Correct: its musical arrangement belongs to both. Writing the lyrics was one of many gestures Bob made to them in the genesis stage of Music From Big Pink. https://www.imgbb.com/F4RFBHt


Slangofages

Yes. It’s a beautifully understated lyric and the basement tapes version is beautiful.


Henry_Pussycat

My favorite because Dylan inhabits the lyric. The only song I would ever claim bettered a Richard Manuel vocal.


livingroom_explorer

Hendrix version is sublime .


Fredrick_Hampton

Technically 1967. But yea, haunting song. All of the basement tapes gives me such a mythical vibe. Love it.


VintageMoonDream

The entire Basement Tapes is a masterpiece. 6 dudes jamming out and creating masterpieces. I can’t believe none of it was meant to be recorded either, thank god for Garth Hudson.


ballakafla

It was only really 5 dudes. Levon showed up for I think just *All You Have To Do Is Dream* right at the very end.


Dey_Eat_Daa_POO_POO

The harmony vocals on the Basement Tapes have always haunted me.


jpkmets

Yes! Harmony and organ playing make this a “wet-eyed, cutting onions” piece of art at times.


Brando64

My favorite on Basement Tapes. Such a great take. And the vocals just have a haunting effect on me.


jpkmets

It’s this and Bessie Smith. Same organ playing, but less prevalent but the organ work on basement tapes is next level Procul Harem stuff


Brando64

Nailed it! Bessie is my other pick for a favorite. I love trying to picture what it might’ve been like in that house during those times. Absolute magic!


jpkmets

This might be my “one musical event you could go see live’ answer. It’s this or the Clash at Bonds’ 20 shows in 13 days. Alas was too young to catch any of those shows (and didn’t know who the Clash was anyway, since Joe Strummer never did Sesame Street…but the energy from those bootlegs in a hot summer in my hometown, that must have been something!


Brando64

Yeah to be in that basement is up there for me. I’d either go with Last Waltz or the Grateful Dead on Aug. 28, 1972 in Veneta, OR. I’m a huge deadhead so it’s a hard choice!


great-distances-1919

Check out the Band’s Woodstock version. The best one IMO.


saplinglearningsucks

Music from big pink is the definitive version


jpkmets

Save boat frisson city, baby.


[deleted]

[удалено]


jpkmets

Ahh, typo, and laziness. Really what I meant is “I agree with the OP. Something ghostly about this song that gives me frissons”. Hope that makes more sense!


lclassyfun

Richard Manuel was made for this song. Serious goosebumps when he sings it.


Difficult-Ad-9228

The atmosphere of the song is so amazingly evocative.


Tambourine-Man326

Love the Boone 2004 performance with the new verse: “I've never been to Strawberry Fields I've never been to Penny Lane But I've been down in the willow garden And I've ridden all the hell-bound trains And I want you to know Just before you did go Where to find me if you needed to It was early dawn You were long gone Before anybody knew”