Welcome to the music of The Band...

[Paul]

I don't know if anyone has heard this compilation of some of the most amazing material ever written. But I have noticed that there is not one Canadian band on the album. I guess Levon and Robbie can't really make that much cash off Canadian talent. Any thoughts.

P

[zero]

Lame is right.

[MK]

It looks like the artists on the tribute CD are ones who know Levon or one of the producers. Seeing as they don't live in Canada...they don't know any Canadian bands.

Just a guess.

Edited December 27, 2006 by Guest

[zero]

That's a bit of a lame duck assessment. Garth knows both the Sadies and Neko Case who he's worked with. Travis Good told me that Garth came to visit them when they played Woodstock. Also of course you've got the fact that Blackie and the Rodeo Kings (Colin Linden, Tom Wilson, Stephen Fearing) just recorded in Bearsville and will do it again. So there's 3 different profile Canadian artists with obvious connections to Garth and likely Levon.

[MK]

Steve Vining, president of 429 Records/SLG: 'It's been gratifying to work with so many established artists but also the young bands who have such an appreciation for The Band's legacy. Putting together this project has been a labor of love for all involved and I am happy the music reflects that.'"

I got the impression that the producers and label had more to do with choosing the artists than Garth.

Blackie and the Rodeo kings would have been a great addition, as would have the Sadies.

[AD]

don't think nationality mattered much to The Band, why does it matter here?

a guitar is a guitar, an F sharp is an F sharp.

[zero]

That's an interesting point. Did nationality matter much to the Band? It tends to be a sort of Canadian insecurity that we always want people to mention our country and say 'Canada's great!. Certainly the irony of their career is that a Canadian group defined the seminal American roots sound. They did choose to live in the States, so did Neil Young though. You would think that Joni, The Band and Neil would justify the inclusion of at least one Canadian artist.

Still those artists are a bit of a copout of weary choices.

[phorbesie]

i agree with ya AD

why should there "have to" be a canadian band on there. it's about music, not border lines.

[zero]

There doesn't have to be but it would be a reasonable let alone classy thing to have at least one Canadian artists. Hell maybe, just maybe, the best group to interpret a Canadian group that defined American music would also be- A CANADIAN GROUP.

[phorbesie]

^^^^

Canadian insecurity that we always want people to mention our country and say 'Canada's great!

[zero]

Those are two different points. The general point of MuchMusic interviewers asking Beyonce 'So how do you like Toronto!'.

Then the artistic point of the fact that one of the key threads of the Band mythology is that it was a Canadian group that defined Americana. Not only that but from a sheer bipartisan perspective on a purely artistic basis I think it highly likely that Canadians would have done a better job or at least on par (like the dollar).

MK's point seems the most persuasive - network of contacts mixed with marketability.

[phorbesie]

well i think the album looks great and i can't wait to get it! my first thoughts were definitely not of lameness.