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Length: 5:19
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They say she's a chooser, but I just can't refuse her
She was just there, but then she can't be here no more
And as my mind unweaves, I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives
She's been down in the dunes and she's dealt with the goons
Now she drinks from the bitter cup, I'm trying to get her to give it up
She was just here, I fear she can't be here no more
And as my mind unweaves, I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives
It's long, long when she's gone, I get weary holding on
Now I'm coldly fading fast, I don't think I'm gonna last
Very much longer
"She's stoned" said the Swede, and the moon calf agreed
I'm like a viper in shock with my eyes in the clock
She was just there somewhere and here I am again
And as my mind unweaves, I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives
The contrast between the regal keyboard intro and the sloppy drunk guy vocals has always amused me.
And then the bridge totally lays bare the sloppy drunk guy imagery.
I don't know, but he obviously never listened to Primus.
Or The Who!
I don't know, but he obviously never listened to Primus.
Interesting perception. Have to think about that one. Analagous: harpsichords have no dynamics, it's a plucked string so it is or it isn't, can't be plucked louder or softer, so music of that era has to create the sense of dynamics other ways. Listen to some Scarlatti and it's mind-boggling how he pulls this off. Maybe a parallel there. Or not.
Check it out for some good harmonies.
in some of the Band's songs the singing sounds like they are in extreme physical pain
That's because of Garth!
Track down some of his solo stuff, and it's very prog, but also ambient. You could do worse.
Well, Rush certainly is. ; )
Levon's from the south. Pretty sure the rest are all from Canada, which is kinda the opposite of South.
Barf away if you must.
In the interests of fairness, I would like to state that Canadian or Canadian-origin bands are just as barfable as the rest.
i agree - the intro could almost be the inspiration of a Deep Purple song...
Good call. Also agree with Relayer (as is more often than not the case).
i agree - the intro could almost be the inspiration of a Deep Purple song...
Hah, me also.
This song with great vocal harmonies? Or even actual singers? I don't know about blaphemy but I sure have a hard time imagining it. This song is all about contrasts to me. A great organ fanfare followed by the earthy, instrumentation . A great smooth foundation riff punctuated by a wee-hours of the morning bar room sing along of equally incoherent lyrics. Do you really want to mess with that perfection?
OK, just checked out the 3DN version, thanks to You Tube, and boy that does that version not work for me!!
The Band is my very favorite group from North America. So I am a fan.
I also love the Three Dog Night Cover........no blasphemy as far as I am concerned.
"Deliciously tight looseness" sums their style up perfectly.
It's still pretty great, though.
Levon's from the south. Pretty sure the rest are all from Canada, which is kinda the opposite of South.
Barf away if you must.
well, Big Pink is in Saugerties NY. The Catskills, man. Like, Jewish comedians and Hunter mountain. Oh and that little weekend back in the sixties.
so, I dunno if they are a southern band.
I wonder whose chest?
Never thought The Band was "southern rock". Robertson's Canadian. They backed Dylan. Not really classifiable by genre, only by era. But whatev's. Your taste is lacking.
paisleydancer66 wrote:
Not only to Band fans.
Now if we could follow this with "Your Time is Going to Come"... that would be bliss.
Glad I caught it this time around.
Reminds me of misspent college evenings at Duffy's Tavern playing shuffleboard when I should have been studying, so there's that yin-yang deal going on: kind of like the memories it conjures but, should I like it so much otherwise—doubtful.
Oh shut up
RIP Levon + Rick
The greatest rhythm section ever.
..second this emotion..Bill pulled that off today too..smooth gear-shift..
+1
A keeper !
RIP to them both.
GeneP59 wrote:
Levon!
Needless to say, I love this tune.
I can see why after looking at the wiki below:
The introduction is based on Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. In live performances, this solo evolved into an improvisation drawing from numerous musical styles and lasting several minutes.
good stuff...
Hear! Hear! The DJ rocks!
Ode to Bach?
Levon!
amen!! love it!
Had I had the chance to own this album in 68, I had most
likely liked it and would do so today. Without this history
it's kind hard to be enthusiastic. Still I can feel the spirit of
the late 60's. Likable, after all!
Take a few minutes and read this. Your perspective might change.
I read the piece - an appreciation of Levon Helm. Don't get me wrong - I like "The Band," and enjoyed "The Last Waltz" immensely. It's this particular "song" I really dislike. With all due respect.
"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 Robbie Robertson, guitarist and vocalist. 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.
Robertson has since said the lyrics were nonsensical, used only while the instrumental tracks were recorded. "I'm not sure that I know the words to 'Chest Fever'; I'm not even so sure there are words to 'Chest Fever'." He has also stated the entirety of the song does not make sense.
At the Woodstock Festival in 1969, The Band performed on the final day, between Ten Years After and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. They opened the set with "Chest Fever".
The song featured a dramatic solo organ intro played by Garth Hudson. The introduction is based on Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. In live performances, this solo evolved into an improvisation drawing from numerous musical styles and lasting several minutes. "When Levon Helm has complained about the share out of royalties at this period, this is the song he quotes," states Viney. "His theme is that Garth's contribution was always grossly under-estimated and under-credited. As he says, 'what do you remember about 'Chest Fever' - the lyrics or the organ part?'"
Viney notes that, despite the death of Richard Manuel later line ups of The Band continued to perform "Chest Fever" with Helm singing lead vocals. It "rapidly became an on-stage showpiece for Garth's organ", and as such it was an essential song. The intro was a improvisation piece called "The Genetic Method".
He says the definitive recordings of the song can be found on "Live in Washington," (sic) an Italian bootleg of the group’s 1976 King Biscuit Flower Hour performance, or the version on The Complete Last Waltz.
The song has been covered numerous times by bands including Three Dog Night and, most recently, the rootsy jam bands Widespread Panic and Tishamingo. It has also been covered by John Mayer during his Battle Studies tour.
In a review of Endless Highway: The Music of the Band, David Hyland noted that "noodlers Widespread Panic transform 'Chest Fever' into how it should have sounded at 'The Last Waltz' with full horn section accompaniment if the Band hadn't played their farewell gig like they were coked out of their minds.
Levon!
After Bach and Biggs (melodramatic but good), it was painful to hear this distorted-sounding organ-like noise.
Take a few minutes and read this. Your perspective might change.
After Bach and Biggs (melodramatic but good), it was painful to hear this distorted-sounding organ-like noise.
Levon!
re-release date....upsampled, etc
Too bad there's not an 11, which I would do to balance.
Also sounds like Deep Purple stole a riff or two.
I don't really hear any riffs that may have been "stolen" by Deep Purple. There are obvious similarities since Jon Lord used a Hammond organ - as did Garth Hudson on this tune.
I'll go on this one. Lloyd Cole->Bach->The Band? Fortunately, seamless transitions like this one were very rare on RP so far.
No matter how you spelled it, your comment is spot on
Papernapkin wrote:
clever . . . but inaccurate.
Segue?
All of a sudden, it's 1973 again.
Three Dog Night's version was the first one I ever heard. Weird and controversial as this sounds, I like theirs better. But then, if I don't get some flack from the hard-cores, what's the point?
Also sounds like Deep Purple stole a riff or two.
All of a sudden, it's 1973 again.
BTW, is that cover art by Bob Dylan?
Or segue of the year...
Played by none other than Garth Hudson, last man standing! He played a Lowrey organ with an internal Leslie speaker rather than the more popular Hammond B3.
Go Garth, you are more than well loved.