Take a load off, Fanny.

I'm going through one of these fazes again...when all I can listen to is to these five gentlemen above. What is it about them, their story, and above all, their music that makes grown men day-dream like children, wax poetic about the places they take you, wonder at how they could be so contrary to the time in which they made their yearnful music, wish for the friends and acquaintences they had, the women they loved, the town they lived in and the music they made together. The pain in Richard's voice as he sang Tears of Rage, the (unfortunately short-lived) ego-less playing of Robbie's guitar and his beautiful songs, the soulful harmonies and front porch fiddle and slinky bass that Danko threw down, the other-worldly, genius organ and piano playing that Garth oozes so effortlessly, and Levon, his southern charm, deep pocket drumming and, oh, that voice.

They came from another time and place, it seems. Just look at that photograph. What about that photo says "the sixties"? Nothing. 1860's maybe. Heck, block out the shirt and jacket that Garth has on and he could be from 2060 B.C. (don't quote me on that date) My point being that against all the psychedelia, san francisco summer of love, blah blah, these guys were making music that came from another time, but another time right here in America, when America seemed to have a soul, people worked and worked hard for their living and didn't expect the fed's to come help them anytime something bad happened. People looked out for their neighbors, when the neighbors lived 5 miles down the road. Now we don't know our neighbors names and they live 2 feet from our homes.

Griel Marcus calls it the "Old, Weird America". It's old, and weird to us, but it was America made my average, working class people whose customs, food, idiosyncrasies were vastly different from the same type of people 100 miles away. This was not America designed by a Hollywood producer, dumbed down to the lowest common denominator and simulcast across the country/world so that every person (dumb enough to watch) ends up being brainwashed to that same low denominator.

I love the America they sing about, the way they sing it, the mood they supply behind the words that so easily transport you there. If you haven't heard them in awhile...do yourself the favor.