I think Miss Fannie's relaxed now...
77. The Band "The Weight"
At this point, it kind of goes without saying that the genres of roots-rock and alt.country/Americana would be inconceivable without the innovations of this crew of Canadians and a drummer/vocalist from Arkansas, and to this day no one has integrated their breadth of influnces so seamlessly while still remaining resolutely themselves. In this song alone you can hear Curtis Mayfield in Robbie Robertson's guitar, the Staple Singers in the harmony arrangements, bluegrass in Levon Helm's singing and countless more buried everywhere else. yet they make it all unmistakably their own.
The near-telepathic tightness these guys picked up during their time backing up Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan (who's influence is heard in the evocatively cryptic lyrics) shows in the dead certainity with which the drums and piano follow Robertson's stately guitar intro, and the seamless way Helm and bassist Rick Danko trade off lead vocals, with piano man Richard Manuel assisting on the chorus. Robertson has said that the lyrics of this song are about 'the impossiblity of sainthood,' which is an interesting interpretation. But what ultimately matters is that the protagonist is a seeker. What he's seeking dosen't matter exactly, but the music reflects both his weary confusion and his understanding that he needs to keep going in Levon's determinedly plodding drumbeat and the incredibly harmonizing. You could ultimately spend a lifetime and never get completely to the bottom of this song, but you'll have a great time exploring.
At this point, it kind of goes without saying that the genres of roots-rock and alt.country/Americana would be inconceivable without the innovations of this crew of Canadians and a drummer/vocalist from Arkansas, and to this day no one has integrated their breadth of influnces so seamlessly while still remaining resolutely themselves. In this song alone you can hear Curtis Mayfield in Robbie Robertson's guitar, the Staple Singers in the harmony arrangements, bluegrass in Levon Helm's singing and countless more buried everywhere else. yet they make it all unmistakably their own.
The near-telepathic tightness these guys picked up during their time backing up Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan (who's influence is heard in the evocatively cryptic lyrics) shows in the dead certainity with which the drums and piano follow Robertson's stately guitar intro, and the seamless way Helm and bassist Rick Danko trade off lead vocals, with piano man Richard Manuel assisting on the chorus. Robertson has said that the lyrics of this song are about 'the impossiblity of sainthood,' which is an interesting interpretation. But what ultimately matters is that the protagonist is a seeker. What he's seeking dosen't matter exactly, but the music reflects both his weary confusion and his understanding that he needs to keep going in Levon's determinedly plodding drumbeat and the incredibly harmonizing. You could ultimately spend a lifetime and never get completely to the bottom of this song, but you'll have a great time exploring.
