Dirt Farmer

Product Details

Artist : Levon Helm
Binding : Audio CD
EAN : 0015707984423
Label : Fusion
Number of Discs : 1
Product Group : Music
Release Date : 2008-08-05
UPC : 015707984423

ASIN : B000VG7M0O

Track Listings for

Disc-1
1. False Hearted Lover Blues
2. Poor Old Dirt Farmer
3. Mountain
4. Little Birds
5. Girl I Left Behind
6. Calvary
7. Anna Lee
8. Got Me a Woman
9. Train Robbery
10. Single Girl, Married Girl
11. Blind Child
12. Feelin' Good
13. Wide River to Cross

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Editorial Reviews

From Amazon.com

Levon Helm's early solo albums, made in the 1970s after the Band initially broke up, were hit-and-miss affairs, but his first solo studio release in 25 years represents a rich return to his Southern roots. With co-production and musical support from daughter Amy (of Ollabelle) and multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell (long a mainstay of Bob Dylan's band), Helm gives organic unity and rough-hewn vitality to a selection of Cajun fiddle waltzes, country blues, hardscrabble folk, and some more contemporary material (from the likes of Steve Earle and Buddy and Julie Miller). Following his recovery from throat cancer, Helm's voice has a slightly different timbre, but his phrasing is unmistakable as the same vocalist who sang "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and "Rag Mama Rag." With Amy providing harmony and duet vocals and Levon's drumming evoking his signature work with the Band, Helm takes material from a variety of sources and makes it all his own. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

A great country album. (2008-02-13)

This album has really good songs and superb playing. I thought the 'mix' of the album was 'real' sounding, there's room ambience on the vocals, the drums sound nice and huge. It's sounds really warm and real. All acoustic instruments sound very authentic.Helms voice still sounds great. This belongs on your shelf if you like American music.

Pretty Solid (2008-02-10)

This CD is not a gem or anything, but it is a collection of solid music which proves that Levon is still a viable musician after some 40 years. The best tracks, in my opinion are 'Got Me A Woman' and 'Feelin Good'. At certain points, Levon's voice seems sort of weak, but there are female backup singers who usually do a pretty good job of providing vocal depth. Levon had a courageous battle with throat cancer, and it's quite impressive that he could pull this off!

Very good. (2008-01-19)

After the break up of The Band, Levon Helm released a handful of solo albums, but this excellent disc represents his first solo disc for 25 years, and a return to his rich Southern roots. The 13 songs have a natural and organic American feel, with country blues, dirt road folk and Cajun influences sharing the playlist with a scattering of songs from more contemporary writers such as Steve Earle and Buddy & Julie Miller.After recovering from throat cancer, Helm's voice is has a slightly different sound, understandably a little rougher but it's pretty much all there, and his phrasing is unmistakably identifiable and familiar to all.Produced by master multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell and Amy Helm (Levon's daughter and member of Ollabelle), the overall quality of the musicianship and craft is exceptional. As you'd expect the album uses traditional American instrumentation with guitar, fiddle, accordion and mandolin featuring heavily throughout in addition to Levon's distinctive drum work.A great mixture of songs and an excellent set of musicians, but what really stands out is Levon's delivery - these songs have roots and a sense of place, and the way he communicates this across the whole album is superb, there's a genuine honesty throughout.The mix of traditional and contemporary songs sit together perfectly, the words, tunes and music evoke the struggles, dirt roads and open spaces of rural America, and the superb musicianship throughout all meld together to create a memorable album. Those with any interest in American music, be it traditional folk or contemporary singer/songwriters should investigate `Dirt Farmer', this is a genuinely excellent disc.

Levon's Back (2007-11-08)

I picked this CD up Tuesday and it has been on repeat ever since. This is by far the best solo CD Levon Helm has ever done. The songs he has picked for this collection are perfect for his voice. The production (By Larry Campbell and Amy Helm)has the feel of the production work John Simon did on the first two band record's. All the songs are covers but unless you are really into American folk music odd's are you have not heard them all. This CD makes you feel like you are sitting around a fire place on a winters night listing to the best family band you have ever heard. In a world were music was judge by the music this CD would be eating up the charts. But for now just be glade that people like Levon are still around and making CD's like this.

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