The website of the author's literary agent has the following: "Levon Helm: From Down in the Delta to the Birth of The Band and Beyond will be the first full-length, penetrating biography of this versatile musician and actor. His autobiography presented the story as seen only by Helm, his closest friends and loved ones. Tooze’s book expands that perspective stepping back and take an all-inclusive view — warts and all. It will be an objective, balanced portrayal." That actually sounds encouraging.
I wonder if there were any full length bios of him that were not penetrating? Or a short penetrator or two?
Since this is the longest-running thread on Robbie... There was this interesting exchange in Steve Silberman's new interview with David Crosby: Steve: What are some of the musical opportunities that you would have liked to take up if you if you could relive your life again? David: I wish I could’ve had some much deeper contact with Richard Manuel, and Levon Helm, and Rick. Not Robbie. But the other guys. I would have liked to have crossed paths with them much tighter. They impressed the **** out of me. They do to this day, still. Episode 3: Only a Child, Laughing - Osiris I'm thinking about the "Not Robbie" interjection. Does Crosby mean that he's already satisfied with his level of contact with Robbie over the years, or is conversely a put-down, making the point that he would not like to have deeper contact with him?
The obvious interpretation is he doesn't wish he had more contact with Robbie, in other words if I said that and meant that I already have enough, I'd feel like I misspoke and might give offense. Which might be what happened...
Well... it's the Croz... He should have tried to have deeper contact with Nash or Stills first... maybe it coud have helped in their relationship the last 40 years...
I could see where Robbie and David could be on opposite poles pretty much in all relevant ways. So my response is “meh.”
The obvious interviewer response would be to immediately ask, “why not Robbie?” (or, “why did you single out Robbie?”). I haven’t listened to the podcast so may he does follow up.
With all due respect, I don't necessarily put that much stock in David Crosby as a personal character witness!
Maybe Levon started to believe too much the communal image their management and the medias were pushing to the fore but that somehow was a reality only around '68...
If you read the entire transcript of the interview with Crosby it puts it all in context. Crosby despises the notion of "fame" and even though I've stood up for Robbie quite often in this mammoth thread, I'd have no credibility if I didn't say there was a bit of "gets off on hobnobbing with famous people and celebrities" about him, he drops an awful lot of names in his book. I could see where those two people would be oil and water as far as getting along in any setting.
They both really loved cocaine, though. You'd think they could have bonded over that. I believe Robbie is 100% in the right as far as the whole songwriting controversy goes, but I get the impression it would probably be a helluva lot more fun to be in a band with Levon, Rick, or Richard than with Robbie (at least, as long as you aren't a songwriter that Levon is trying to grab unwarranted co-writes from). So perhaps that is what Crosby was getting at.
I doubt Robbie and Scorsese were free-basing though. I've described Robbie as a grown-up in a room full of Peter Pans. The thing is, Peter Pans can be a bunch of fun.
Having to deal with Robertson's stage fright couldn't have been much "fun" for the other fellows in The Band. I think that what Crosby was getting at (without explicitly saying so), though, was that the other members of The Band (not Robbie) were more collaborative, less about grabbing control of the creative process. I think that appeals more to Crosby these days, rather than working with someone who makes the majority of the decisions about musical direction and claiming all (or almost all) the credits.
I've never read anything about Robbie not being collaborative, or trying to grab control of the creative process, or wanting to make all the decisions about musical direction. Not even Levon, Robbie's biggest critic, said that. To the contrary, Levon's complaint was that Robbie DID collaborate and allow his bandmates to make decisions, and enjoyed the benefits of that, but then took too much credit. "Grabbing control" and "wanting to make the majority of the decisions" actually would be a far more accurate way to describe Crosby, at least during his time with the Byrds. I don't think Crosby ever worked with Robertson anyway, so I don't know how he'd have an opinion on what it was like. My guess is that his comment was more of a personal/personality nature than one based on working styles.
Yes, and it’s a soul-sucking disgrace. Not even the guy who created the thread has participated for the past year and a half, having disappeared after trying to defend himself against criticism that he created an unhealthy ****show. Yet onward it staggers like a zombie.
I believe the Band Documentary is coming to theaters this week. If not already. The new name of the film is “Robbie Ripped Off The Band!”
What a boatload of crap. Yeah, people believed Levon over Robbie because he was a good old boy who watched SEC football. Truth is truth. Being bigoted toward Southerners or people who don't worship at the alter of the arts, does not change that. Just to be clear, I was born and live in Los Angeles. And I still hate this type of stereotyping.
No surprises there. Too busy trying to defend Dixie. What about the night after, though? Did he do any singing that night?
I agree 100%! levon(along with Manuel) was certainly a singer who could really put himself in the song. A rare trait to be able to convey the convictions of the words, he truly brought them to life....he was a national treasure !
Two out of the 4 members of the band not named Robbie claim that Roberston took royalties that should have gone to them
