How Good Was Levon Helm as a Drummer?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Umbari, May 19, 2018.

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  1. Umbari

    Umbari Strange Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Indonesia
    I listen to Music from Big Pink, The Band, and Live at the Academy of Music 1971 a lot lately. I thought Levon is a very interesting musician. This man could sing beautifully, could play rhythm guitar to support Robertson, could play the mandolin. And yes, he could play the drums.. It's his main instrument. He could sing and play the drums at the same time. He's my favorite singing drummer, ever. RIP Levon.

    But what do you think about his drumming skill? He wasn't not a session drummer like, say, Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner, Steve Gadd, etc. etc. Does he belong in the same league as those guys? Your thoughts are highly appreciated. Thank you.
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2018
  2. athensdrums

    athensdrums Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ohio
    I always thought he was great. Very tasteful and could lay down one hell of a groove.
     
  3. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    He had the feel, he kept the tempo and was a brilliant vocalist and foil to the Band.

    I wish he was a better yodeller.
     
    MYQ1, CCrider92, Galactus2 and 8 others like this.
  4. pool_of_tears

    pool_of_tears Searching For Simplicity

    Location:
    Midwest
    And his playing always served the song
     
    CCrider92, pcain, mcwlod and 15 others like this.
  5. athensdrums

    athensdrums Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ohio
    Absolutely.
     
  6. NaturalD

    NaturalD The King of Pop

    Location:
    Boston, Mass., USA
    He probably couldn't have sat in for John Bonham or Mitch Mitchell or Bill Ward, but he was the right drummer for The Band and better than any of those would have been in that role.
     
    CCrider92, Yovra, seed_drill and 13 others like this.
  7. bodine

    bodine Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC
    I saw him at one of his Rambles at his barn studio in Woodstock and seeing and hearing him so up close was a revelation. I’d seen him tour with the Band in 69 and 71 and again with Dylan in 74, but to hear that fat, crunchy propulsive beat played just a few feet away, you couldn’t help but be knocked out.
     
  8. lemonade kid

    lemonade kid Forever Changing

    One of my faves along with Ringo, Michael Stuart of Love. All three--Not because of flash but for laying down a groove like no one else. Levon's style was unique and instantly recognizable, as was Ringo's & Michael's. I could listen to Levon drum and sing forever. Music from Big Pink 50th anniversary--favorite Band album, favorite drummer. I would throw one more that is under-appreciated: Dewey Martin of Buffalo Springfield.
     
    Christopher B, mlew, Suncola and 6 others like this.
  9. Joti Cover

    Joti Cover Forum Resident

    One of my favorites ...Helm was an an extremely inspired player/singer, you couldn’t not take notice of all that energy and talent.
     
  10. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    A damn fine drummer, very tasteful well-crafted parts that served the song and added to the song.

    And of course he’s drumming and singing at the same time, not an easy thing to do as any musician can testify
     
  11. PDK

    PDK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Central Florida
    So distinct. I loved him.
     
  12. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    great drummer, great singer, actor and human...
     
  13. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    Great drummer. As good a "feel" drummer as rock ever produced. There so much to his little snare touches and accents in the way he played, if you tried to break it down and notate it it would look a lot more complicated than it sounds. I mean, you mention session guys like Gadd. I'd take Helm over Gadd 10 times out of 10 on almost any kind of date you could imagine. OK, maybe not to play a jingle.
     
    bhazen, Rfreeman, Joti Cover and 7 others like this.
  14. scotto

    scotto Senior Member

    He was rock solid. Which is, to me, about the best compliment you can pay a drummer.
     
  15. Umbari

    Umbari Strange Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Indonesia
    Really? Is he really that good to you? I'm not a drummer myself, so I can tell. Levon has never been a session guy. But he had played with so many great musicians, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan. I love his playing in this video.



    He's a better drummer than Mr. Jamie Oldaker IMHO. He could push Eric.
     
    Dave and Zoot Marimba like this.
  16. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    Yeah. He was that good a drummer. Like I said as good a "feel" drummer as rock ever produced. Of course how does one quantify very different vernacular or even trained drummers against one another? But yeah, he was a great drummer. I mean there are countless great drummers, I don't think there's any reason to start trying to compare Tony Williams and Elvin Jones and Max Roach and Brian Blade and Paul Motian etc..m they're all great drummers. Lotta great rock drummers too of course. But for feel and groove and putting some almost second line funk into a rock feel and just the intricacy and touch of his snare work, he was a great one. Of course, he didn't always put himself in a situation tondo gus best work. And he was a character drummer not a jack of all trades technician who could knock out any style or sight read anything off a chart. But you know any Berklee grad can do that and that doesn't make them all great drummers.
     
  17. John69

    John69 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Big fan of Levon Helm. Rock solid drummer. Plus he looked so dam cool doing it.
     
  18. JozefK

    JozefK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dixie
  19. jwoverho

    jwoverho Licensed Drug Dealer

    Location:
    Mobile, AL USA
    One of the greats! Singing drummers aren’t too common, and Levon did both wonderfully.
    Watch THE LAST WALTZ if you want to see him in action. I think the version of The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down is definitive, and Levon is riveting.
     
    Fullbug, Umbari, Elizabeth M and 6 others like this.
  20. Hey Vinyl Man

    Hey Vinyl Man Another bloody Yank down under...

    Not to mention on a lot of the songs, his part was the only one they didn't have to redo!

    I've heard a number of people who know a lot more about the drums than I do say he was a fantastic drummer. I have no reason to doubt them.
     
    mlew and Umbari like this.
  21. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    How good was Levon Helm? Damn good- good enough to influence guys like Jim Keltner. My first concert was Ringo back in '89: seeing Keltner, Levon and Ringo all going at it at one triple drumming was a sight to behold!

    Plus Levon could multitask, singing and drumming at the same time ain't easy:righton:
     
  22. Catfish Stevens

    Catfish Stevens Forum Resident

    Location:
    Anoka, MN
    There is a thread elsewhere on this forum that discusses George Harrison's guitar playing in a similar light. Did people in the 1950's discuss how Glen Miller ain't no Coltrane?
     
  23. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    It drives me nuts when people pit musicians against one another like they’re sports teams. I don’t get it.

    Levon was a singular drummer with unique personality in his playing that was absolutely his = Magic. Plus that all wood kit - loved it!
     
  24. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    This doesn't directly relate to Levon, but does anyone know why Ronnie Hawkins changed the song to "40 Days"? It's nice that he was more patient that Chuck Berry, but it undercuts the main joke of the song, which is that the protagonist is treating a relationship like a legal transaction and giving his girlfriend 30 days' notice like you would a tenant or an employee.
     
  25. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    Levon Helm was a great drummer. He fit The Band perfectly. He could sing and his fills were brilliant. He used drums with wood rims to get that hard "thud" that complimented the bands sound. His sound was distinct, but, not flashy. His sound allowed the rest of The Band to experiment with more traditional instruments while his playing was quite contemporary. That was the magic of The Band. Their music would have sounded good if the music world hadn't turned to electric instruments. It's timeless. Their music would have sounded as good in the late 1800 as it did a hundred years later. The Band was as much a vocal group as it was a band. And ability to contribute in both regards to the sound of The Band speaks to Helm's greatness. Ringo is a great drummer, but, he's primarily great because he similarly contributed as Helm did. Neither are ever going to impress technically against a flashy drummer, but remove them from their respective bands and a lot of the magic is gone. Drums aren't all about playing loud and fast. Drums are all about pace and syncopation. And Helm delivers were it counts.
     
    Umbari, RandyP, guppy270 and 5 others like this.
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