Love for Levon: A Benefit to Save The Barn (2013)
*** (out of 4)
This benefit concert for Levon Helm's The Barn is far from perfect but I think the very good moments here out-weight the mediocre ones and with that in mind this is worth sitting through. A wide range of artists take part including Warren Haynes, Greg Allman, Roger Waters, Garth Hudson, Jakob Dylan, Joan Osborne, Eric Church, John Mayer, Joe Walsh, Robert Randolph, My Morning Jacket, G.E. Smith and many others. I think the biggest problem with this concert is the audio quality just really seems to be lacking. I've read a few reviews from others and several think it's just the venue that wasn't able to fully capture and handle this type of music. I don't know how true that is but there are several moments where things just sound quite poor and this includes when people are just introducing others. It's almost as if there's some hiss or static there. Again, several music numbers are rather forgettable and you have to go through all of these to get to the better ones but once you do get to the big moments they're very good. This includes Joe Walsh and Robert Randolph really ripping into "Up on Cripple Creek" and My Morning Jacket doing very good with "It Makes No Difference" and helping Roger Waters on "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." Other highlights includes a different but good version of "I Shall Be Released" from Grace Potter as well as Mayer ripping into "Tears of Rage." The end of the show is also extremely good with everyone going into a great version of "The Weight." While the show isn't perfect, there's no question that the artists and producers had their hearts in the right place and this really does come across.
*** (out of 4)
This benefit concert for Levon Helm's The Barn is far from perfect but I think the very good moments here out-weight the mediocre ones and with that in mind this is worth sitting through. A wide range of artists take part including Warren Haynes, Greg Allman, Roger Waters, Garth Hudson, Jakob Dylan, Joan Osborne, Eric Church, John Mayer, Joe Walsh, Robert Randolph, My Morning Jacket, G.E. Smith and many others. I think the biggest problem with this concert is the audio quality just really seems to be lacking. I've read a few reviews from others and several think it's just the venue that wasn't able to fully capture and handle this type of music. I don't know how true that is but there are several moments where things just sound quite poor and this includes when people are just introducing others. It's almost as if there's some hiss or static there. Again, several music numbers are rather forgettable and you have to go through all of these to get to the better ones but once you do get to the big moments they're very good. This includes Joe Walsh and Robert Randolph really ripping into "Up on Cripple Creek" and My Morning Jacket doing very good with "It Makes No Difference" and helping Roger Waters on "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." Other highlights includes a different but good version of "I Shall Be Released" from Grace Potter as well as Mayer ripping into "Tears of Rage." The end of the show is also extremely good with everyone going into a great version of "The Weight." While the show isn't perfect, there's no question that the artists and producers had their hearts in the right place and this really does come across.
