Electric Dirt [PA]

Performer: Levon Helm
Producer: Larry Campbell
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Not that anyone's keeping score, but as Band alumni records go, Levon is pulling way ahead of the pack with his second keeper in as many tries in the '00s. ELECTRIC DIRT finds the Arkansas legend building on its critically acclaimed predecessor, DIRT FARMER, and bringing the democratic ebullience of his weekly Midnight Ramble live sessions (held in his barn) to record. Ramble stalwarts Larry Campbell and Amy Helm (Levon's daughter) appear all over the album (Campbell as producer and multi-instrumentalist; Amy Helm providing genetically in tune harmonies), while a loose, New Orleans vibe pervades courtesy of Allen Toussaint's horn arrangements (covers of the Grateful Dead's "Tennessee Jed", Randy Newman's "Kingfish" and other album standouts). The album, naturally, belongs to Helm, who is in stunningly assured vocal form (remarkable for a throat cancer survivor) and whose slack rustic groove remains irresistible (who else can make a mandolin sound like funk instrument). Helm--never considered one of the Band's chief songwriters--reveals his songcraft chops with ELECTRIC DIRT'S emotional centerpiece, "Growing Trade," an instant classic co-written with Campbell that rates with the Band's best.

Rolling Stone (p.80) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Helm struts his slippery shell-game groove on 'Jed' and works it deftly throughout....He digs deepest here with his voice, which veers between soulful stoicism and boozy yowl." Dirty Linen (p.54) - "[O]n ELECTRIC DIRT, his voice is full-bodied, vibrant, and exuberant -- fully comparable to his days with the Band." Billboard (p.28) - "It's driven by Helm's warm, amazingly rich moonshine vocals and decorated with bluesy guitar sprinkles, angelic violins and lovely harmonies..." Record Collector (magazine) (p.84) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "It's the rustic and rambunctious Helm vocal, a cornerstone of The Band's sound, that provides these songs with their charm and personality."

Primarily known for playing drums and singing with 1960s phenomenon the Band, Levon Helm has, in the intervening years, never fallen fallow or rested on his laurels. The distinctive singer and songwriter made the rare successful musician-to-actor crossover with memorable appearances in over a dozen feature films. He has released excellent solo albums that mine the country end of the Band's spectrum, and in recent years has made musical news by hosting (and sometimes recording) his sprawling, guest-star-laden "Midnight Ramble" concerts at his home in Woodstock, New York. Helm battled and won a bout with throat cancer, which modified his singing style but didn't dampen his artistic spirit.

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