Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer

 Levon Helm's voice carries grit
Like a Kansas dust storm, Levon Helm's voice is pure grit. With the backing of many of the original Band folks and a lot of Blue Grass sounds this may be the purest folk album of the new century. Songs from Helm's childhood roll along as if they were alway meant to be sung (and heard) this way. There is no pretense only a wood plank porch and friends rejoicing in the sound of their own music, singing and happy to be alive. May 5, 2008

 An utterly delightful album
I've always loved Levon Helm, not least because he is from my home state of Arkansas. I felt that his presence in the Band gave that great band a credibility that it would otherwise have lacked (the other members being from Canada). His voice brought to life many of their greatest songs. Who else could have sung "The Night They Burned Old Dixie Down" with such authenticity (contrast their original version with the horrific version by Joan Baez, in which she not only prettifies the song, but inconceivably turns an icon of the Old South from a distinguished general to a riverboat, transforming Helm's "Here comes Robert E. Lee" into her "Here comes the Robert E. Lee," a change that utterly alters the meaning of the song)?

I have to confess, however, that I avoided this album for ages. I had read great reviews, but I had heard Helm interviewed on Fresh Air with Terry Gross. The man has no voice left. He almost literally can't talk, being left with a harsh rasp following throat cancer. I thought the great reviews might stem from sympathy for his condition and for how tough things had been for him in recent years. But I was wrong. The great reviews were based on the album just being flat out great. Unbelievably, although he truly is almost completely unable to talk, the man can still sing. His voice no longer has the ability to soar like it did on his best work with The Band, but he remains a splendidly musical performer.

Helm famously declined to participate in the recording sessions with Bob Dylan in the sixties that resulted in THE BASEMENT TAPES, but interestingly this album is co-produced by Larry Campbell, a member of Dylan's road band in recent years. The other co-producer is Helm's daughter Amy. Many of the album's finest moments result from the wonderful harmonies provided by Amy singing with her father. The band that Campbell and Amy assembled for the album is absolutely first rate and the group of songs selected are utterly brilliant.

This is simply one of the most delightful albums I've listened to in a long time. If you like Helm or roots music or neotraditional folk or alt country or however you want to characterize this music, you will find this irresistibly fine music. This is without any question Helm's finest album since his superb AMERICAN SON and truly stands comparison with his best work. May 4, 2008

 Refreshing Album
Starting with the first track, "False Hearted Lover" I enjoyed this CD right from the start. Listeng to, "Feeling Good" does exactly that, it makes you feel good as well as a number of other tracks on the album.
Good job Levon!! May 2, 2008

 Music for the Times
This is music for the times. And it's no coincidence that it harkens back to the country music of the 20's and 30's, a time of great depression. Perhaps like Levon the country will get back to it's roots, or else wither in it's parched fields like the old dirt farmers' corn. May 2, 2008

 l found the dirt farmer's corn....lN MY D0ODY!!!
So let me get this straight, the dirt farmer lost his corn? lf Levon said that once, he'd get the point across. He didn't have to say it over and over and over and over again. lt got to the point where l no longer felt sorry for the dirt farmer who lost all his cororororororn.

Did you notice in the video that one of the farmers looks like Sam the butcher from the Brady Bunch?
April 25, 2008

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